Preparedness

Items in the Preparedness category will cover everything from Emergency Medical Services to vaccination programs. This division at ADHS tracks contagious disease, coordinates emergency preparedness activity, licenses EMTs and Paramedics, regulates ambulance companies, authorizes special hospital designations like cardiac care center and Level IV trauma center, issues birth and death certificates, and tracks critical health data through various sources including hospital discharge information.

Arizona has plenty of vaccine for COVID-19 vaccine boosters and first doses

By |2021-12-02T16:22:05-07:00December 2nd, 2021|Preparedness|

I’m glad to see the ADHS data dashboard showing increased demand lately for COVID-19 booster shots and primary vaccinations. Federal officials and ADHS have advised repeatedly that vaccination is the best way to prepare for uncertainties posed by the Omicron variant, not to mention from COVID-19 in general.  While there are news reports saying that [...]

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ADHS Bureau of Vital Records becomes nation’s third to obtain accreditation

By |2021-12-01T10:33:10-07:00December 1st, 2021|Preparedness|

Arizona icon and Senator Barry Goldwater was just 6 months old in July 1909 when the Bureau of Vital Records began keeping track of births and deaths throughout Arizona.  Today, the Arizona Department of Health Services’ bureau is one of just three vital records units to be awarded national accreditation from the Public Health Accreditation [...]

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CDC strengthens its recommendation on COVID-19 booster shots

By |2021-11-30T09:45:58-07:00November 30th, 2021|Preparedness|

If you’re fully vaccinated and age 18 or older, you’re likely due for a booster dose of safe, free, and highly effective COVID-19 vaccine.  On Monday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) strengthened its recommendation for boosters, saying everyone 18 and older should get them – and sooner rather than later. CDC Director [...]

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Where we stand following discovery of a COVID-19 variant called Omicron

By |2021-11-29T13:30:34-07:00November 29th, 2021|Preparedness|

On Tuesday, Nov. 23, ADHS and medical leaders appealed for Arizonans to do the following to curb the spread of COVID-19: Get vaccinated, and get kids ages 5 and older vaccinated: azhealth.gov/FindVaccine; If you are fully vaccinated and age 18 and older, get a booster: azhealth.gov/FindVaccine; Mask up, physically distance, keep your hands washed, stay [...]

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An appeal from our medical community: ‘Help us help you’

By |2021-11-26T09:49:32-07:00November 26th, 2021|Preparedness|

This week, hospital medical leaders and I joined Dr. Richard Carmona, the 17th U.S. Surgeon General and special adviser to Governor Ducey on public health emergency preparedness, to share ways we can work together to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in Arizona. Hospitals are stretched thin dealing with seriously ill unvaccinated patients, while attending to [...]

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It’s a week to get to know more about antibiotics

By |2021-11-23T15:54:59-07:00November 23rd, 2021|Preparedness|

U.S. Antibiotic Awareness Week is an annual event that occurs this year from Nov. 18-24 to raise awareness of the importance of appropriate antibiotic use to decrease the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Antibiotics are important tools to help fight bacterial infections and potentially save lives; however, some bacteria may develop resistance to these medications. Antibiotic [...]

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Take steps to keep foodborne illness from spoiling holiday gatherings

By |2021-11-22T10:16:10-07:00November 22nd, 2021|Preparedness|

The holiday season that begins on Thanksgiving and continues through New Year’s means many things to many people. One thing it means to most of us is food. Meals and appetizers with family and friends help make the holiday season special. But there can be a downside to all that delicious food. If it isn’t [...]

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Arizona needs everyone’s help to flatten the COVID-19 curve

By |2021-11-20T07:47:32-07:00November 19th, 2021|Preparedness|

The 5,070 COVID-19 cases added today to the ADHS dashboard don’t have an asterisk. COVID-19 cases are rising.  We can’t say exactly why this increase is happening even before the holiday season, though cases, hospitalizations, and deaths continue to be largely among unvaccinated people. But we all know how to flatten the curve. That’s why [...]

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COVID-19 was Arizona’s third-leading cause of death in 2020; see ADHS annual report

By |2021-11-17T08:16:56-07:00November 16th, 2021|Preparedness|

Any death from COVID-19 is one too many. As public health professionals and public servants, we want Arizonans to have the information they need to protect themselves, including the facts on COVID-19’s death toll. One of our core functions at ADHS is providing data and systematic analysis, based on generally accepted standards for accuracy and [...]

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Cord blood a key to saving lives, treating diseases

By |2021-11-15T13:08:03-07:00November 15th, 2021|Preparedness|

A joyous occasion for parents around the world – the birth of a baby – can bring something just as miraculous to patients. Cord blood that remains in the placenta and umbilical cord after a child is born is helping doctors treat more than 80 life-threatening diseases. The collection process occurs after the baby is [...]

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Arizona Department of Health Services

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