In public health it’s good to know where the resources are – and where they're short. Our Health Systems Development team created an excellent online tool to help our partners keep track of resources -- to see where we have enough physicians and where we could use more. It also shows how much of an area is [...]
Prescription drugs can be safe and effective at treating illnesses- but leftovers are also tempting for experimental teens- and the misuse of narcotic prescriptions is an increasingly urgent public health problem in Arizona. In fact, more than 1,100 Arizonans died from prescription drug poisoning from misuse and abuse last year- which is more than the number [...]
Alan Oppenheim was an excellent leader and manager- but much more importantly- he was a really good person. He always cared about others and asked lots of questions about what was going on. He was a team player- he had everybody’s and the team’s best interests in mind… and was wholeheartedly committed to our mission [...]
Our team from Environmental Health was in the Dewey-Humboldt area at their elementary school gym providing free blood lead tests for area kids. There's been some community concerns about possible lead poisoning in children because of the nearby Iron King Mine and a smelter that once operated in the area. Lead poisoning in AZ (we have about 300 cases [...]
Dietitians are a core public health asset- and one in short supply to boot. We’re trying to do something about that shortage with our new “WIC Track” initiative. We’re partnering with the Maricopa County Department of Public Health Dietetic Internship to offer a "WIC Track” internship. It’s open to any eligible (have completed a Bachelor's [...]
Over the past several months our Public Health Emergency Preparedness team has been integrating 2 big federal disaster preparedness grants- the Public Health Emergency Preparedness program from the CDC and the Hospital Preparedness Program from HHS. The initiative involves coordinating emergency planning between healthcare facilities, local public health departments, emergency management agencies, tribal partners and [...]
We learned some sad and shocking news this morning that Alan Oppenheim (our ADHS Acting Assistant Director for Licensing) passed away this weekend. Alan was an excellent leader and manager- but much more importantly- he was a really good person. He always cared about others and asked lots of questions about what was going on. [...]
Our Public Health Prevention folks launched an exciting new initiative to improve health outcomes for Arizonans this month called the Arizona Population Health Policy Initiative. This new partnership (with Arizona’s local county health departments) is focused on achieving targeted improvements in health outcomes for Arizonans by advancing evidence-based strategies which address community design, school health, [...]
It's always a good idea to periodically look at why you are doing something and see if something might be different -just in case you need to change course. Public health does that with many things - this week, we take a look at infant immunizations and the value they play in protecting the little [...]
The voter approved language in the AZ Medical Marijuana Act directs us to periodically accept and evaluate petitions to add new debilitating medical conditions. We’ve made it through the first phase of considering whether to add 4 new debilitating conditions… 1) Post Traumatic Stress Disorder; 2) Generalized Anxiety Disorder; 3) Migraines; and 4) Depression. You’ll [...]
