Whooping Cough is making headlines again – with more than 18,000 cases in the U.S. and 600 cases so far this year in AZ. You might wonder why we continue to have lots of whooping cough cases in the US and AZ when the other vaccine preventable diseases are real rare (e.g. measles, mumps etc.). [...]
Last year HB 2036, which relates to abortions in AZ, was passed and signed. There are a host of changes that the new law makes- and many of the provisions kick in at different times. The first things that we’re responsible for (beginning August 2nd) include providing an informed consent form for unemancipated minors that are seeking [...]
Lots of risk factors contribute to health disparities… and many of the risk factors are called "social determinants of health." A couple of months ago we (with our community partners), launched the Social Determinants of Health educational series to boost professional development and program planning so Arizona’s public health team can better address health equity [...]
On October 24, 2012—and on the days and weeks before and after—thousands of Americans will gather in schools, college campuses, farmers markets, city halls, and state capitals to talk about what's right and wrong with our diets and whole food system and how to fix them. Food Day unites people from all walks of life—parents, teachers, [...]
One of our priorities over the last 3.5 years has been to ensure that we develop and train our workforce so that we maintain business continuity and have the ability to transition effectively to new leadership when the time comes (part of Strategic Map element E1). We’ll be putting our prep work to the test [...]
Awhile back, our epidemiology and licensing team of disease detectives including Jason Lempp, Cara Christ, Vinita Oberoi, Jessica Rigler, Ken Komatsu, Kathy McCanna, Connie Belden, Ken Komatsu, and Shoana Anderson learned of a severe case of a Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) through our 24-hour disease reporting system. Our team quickly contacted the county public health department which immediately began an [...]
The use of successful antiretroviral medicines in the 1990s was a game changer for HIV by reducing deaths. Now, it’s changing the game again. While the new med’s were originally developed to keep people living with HIV/AIDS healthier and alive longer- the new med’s are good enough to be used as a prevention method. Using [...]
Most of the applicants for medical marijuana registration certificates have been able to correct deficiencies in their applications… and 460 of the 486 applications we received are now complete. Five applications have been withdrawn, 3 have been denied, 15 are pending, and 3 are on the clock to respond to requests for additional information. The complete applications are [...]
The voter approved list of conditions that already qualify patients for an AZ Medical Marijuana Registration Card (with a doctor’s certification) includes any of the following: any chronic or debilitating disease or medical condition (or its treatment) that causes severe and chronic pain, severe nausea, severe and persistent muscle spasms, wasting, or seizures, cancer, glaucoma, HIV, Hepatitis [...]
As I mentioned in my previous post, scientific studies (e.g. experimental v. observational design) have different strengths and weaknesses. Sources of evidence range from case reports at the lower end to well-designed large randomized experimental clinical studies that minimize bias. Relying on poor quality evidence can lead to policy decisions that aren't in patients’ best interests- and it's super important [...]
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