Ladders: Useful But Potentially Hazardous
I've fallen off ladders at my house twice in the last month which has inspired me to do a post about falls and injuries. The #1 reason people show up in Arizona emergency rooms is from slipping, tripping or stumbling on something. Falls are the #2 cause of accidental death in Arizona…with 870 deaths recorded last year (overdoses from prescription [...]
Staying Healthy & Reducing Cost- Preventive Health Services
In recent years, a prevention model of health has woven its way into the fabric of traditional models of care. With the passage of the Affordable Care Act the role preventive services has expanded significantly in the US health care delivery system. Preventive health care services prevent diseases and illnesses from happening in the first place rather than treating them [...]
Director’s Decision: Cannabis & Palliative Care for PTSD
Last December I denied a petition to add Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) to the list of debilitating medical conditions that qualify people for an Arizona Medical Marijuana Registration Card. I denied the petition because, at the time, I believed there was a lack of scientific evidence to document whether Cannabis is helpful or not to treat or provide palliative care [...]
Take Charge of Your Own Treatment
When you shop for a new car, phone or camera, you have lots of information about your choices. But when it comes to choosing the right medicine or the best health- care treatment, clear information can be hard to find. Let’s face it, if you don't get the best possible information about your treatment choices, you might not make a [...]
An AZ Monsoon Staple: the Scorpion
My wife has been disturbed by the number of scorpions she's seen around our house and garage over the last couple of weeks which has inspired me to do this scorpion post. Arizona has more than 56 species of scorpions but the bark scorpion is the biggie. Since you live in the bark scorpion’s territory, you probably have them around or maybe even [...]
New Return on Investment Calculator
HHS’ Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality just released the Asthma Return-on-Investment (ROI) Calculator for exploring potential financial returns from quality improvement and disease management programs for populations diagnosed with asthma. The tool provides estimates based on an analysis of 52 research studies on improving asthma care and what those studies imply for cost savings. Another return on investment tool [...]