State Hospital Continues to Receive Joint Commission Accreditation
We received notification this week from the Joint Commission that the Arizona State Hospital will continue to be accredited for all hospital services through October 2017. The acknowledgement confirms the state hospital is meeting standards above and beyond general patient care. The Joint Commission accredits and certifies health care organizations in the United States. Accreditation from this non-profit organization demonstrates [...]
Maternal Folate Status and Autism
A recent review in the British Journal of Nutrition suggests that a pregnant woman’s folate status in early pregnancy may alter the risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in her child. Recognizing that ASD is “complex, heterogeneous, and multi-causal,” researchers wanted to look at environmental aspects to find possible causes of ASD. They found that low folate intake in a [...]
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month
Across the country domestic violence is the leading cause of injury to women aged 15-44. In Arizona last year, 109 individuals and four dogs lost their lives to domestic violence. During the first five months of 2015, there have been 40 documented domestic violence related deaths. Domestic violence does not discriminate. It doesn’t matter what race, age, sexual orientation, religion, [...]
Showcasing successful strategies for collaboration
Our partnership building skills were highlighted at the United States Conference on AIDS on September 13, in Washington, D.C. Our Office of Disease Integration and Services, HIV Prevention Program, and Maricopa County Ryan White Part A Program were selected from a pool of a thousand applicants to facilitate a three hour workshop “Thrown Under the Bus: Strategies for Integrated Planning [...]
Addressing environmental health concerns in the community
Every year our Environmental Toxicology program responds to environmental health concerns and provides communities with epidemiologic and toxicological health assessments. Recently a community member from the town of Superior brought up concerns that contamination from past mining activities could be affecting the health of residents. Superior is a small mining town with a population of about 3,000, located approximately 60 [...]
Newborn screening expands
Newborn Screening month wraps up at the end of September and has served as a time to recognize the great strides we’ve made in screening babies born in Arizona. Arizona joins 36 other states in implementing a new test for critical congenital heart defect in newborns this year. Newborns in Arizona now have access to non-invasive pulse oximetry screening. This [...]