1st AZ Influenza Case Kicks Off Surveillance Season
Influenza season officially arrived last week when our Arizona State Public Health Laboratory confirmed the 1st AZ-acquired influenza case for the 2014-2015 season. Although flu activity is monitored year-round in Arizona, the start of the season intensifies our statewide surveillance activities. Partners across the state (including local health departments, laboratories and healthcare providers) participate by reporting positive flu labs to ADHS, [...]
Arizona On Track to Recognize 1st Infectious Disease Treatment Center of Excellence
We just finished the second meeting of the Governor’s Council on Infectious Disease Preparedness and Response. At the 1st meeting (a couple of weeks ago) we outlined key priorities: 1) identifying an “Infectious Disease Treatment Center of Excellence” that would be proficient at treating emerging infectious diseases such as Ebola; 2) developing a parallel emergency medical services transport system; and 3) [...]
It’s Valley Fever Awareness Week!
Did you know Valley Fever (Coccidioidomycosis) is one of the most commonly reported infectious diseases in Arizona? While most people infected with Valley Fever experience mild or no symptoms at all, some suffer from more severe symptoms including pneumonia or the spread of the fungus to other parts of the body, including the brain. Although recent findings from the 2013 [...]
2013 March of Dimes Report Card Released
Every year the March of Dimes reviews where we are as a nation in reducing premature birth. Being born too early can impact a child’s ability to live a healthy life. It is one of the leading causes of infant death. Arizona has been improving the preterm birth rate for the past 7 years. In 2006, our rate was 13.2 [...]
Child and Family Teams Improve Outcomes
The use of a Child and Family Team is a service offered to all children, adolescents and young adults under the age of 21 enrolled in the Tribal and Regional Behavioral Health Authority systems. The teams are comprised of people important to the child and their development and focus on family group decision making to meet the child’s individual needs. [...]
Community Profiles Dashboards (Part III of IV)
Our Community Profiles Dashboard is a powerful new tool public health professionals, city planners, non-profit organizations, medical providers and anyone interested in health data. In Part I of the series we covered the Dashboards and the Primary Care Areas. The second blog and video demo explored suicide data and how you can compare rural and metropolitan areas of the state [...]