American Indian Healthcare Matrix (Part IV)
So far in this series, we’ve covered the Indian Health Service, the ”638’s” administered by tribes and tribal organizations, and Medicare, Medicaid, and Children’s Health Insurance Plan. This week focuses on the Affordable Care Act & the Indian Healthcare Improvement Act. American Indians wishing to buy health insurance in the Health Insurance Marketplace won’t need to pay out-of-pocket costs (like [...]
ADHS Turns the Key On Electronic EMT & Paramedic Certification System
One of our top Strategic Map objectives is to improve access to our services by leveraging technology. We took a great leap forward in that area when our new On-Line EMCT Certification went live this week. The new electronic certification system allows Arizona’s 10,000 Emergency Medical Technicians and Paramedics to apply for and renew their certificate on-line. We’ll continue to process [...]
Wildfire Season Kicks Off
The first big fire of the season started this week in Oak Creek Canyon- called the Slide fire. Smoke is usually the first public health impact from wildland fires. The air quality in Flagstaff and Sedona has been generally OK- but poor at times depending on the winds (smoke levels in Sedona have been high during the early morning hours [...]
What’s Deep Vein Thrombosis?
More than 300 million people travel on long-distance airline flights each year. Almost everybody does fine on a long flight- but something called deep vein thrombosis can be a serious risk for some long-distance travelers. Anyone traveling more than four hours, whether by air, car, bus, or train, can be at risk for blood clots like these. Blood clots can [...]
Are E-cigarettes an Important Tool in the Tobacco Fight?
There’s no substitute for evidence when it comes to public health decision-making. Over the last couple of years the public health community has been asking itself whether electronic cigarettes can play an important role in getting folks to kick their tobacco habit. We haven’t had much evidence to answer that question so far… but a study published today in the [...]
Study: Flu Vaccine Cuts Kids Trips to ICU
Influenza vaccine reduces a child's risk of flu-related intensive care hospitalization by 74% according to a CDC study published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases. This is the first study that estimates vaccine effectiveness against flu admissions to pediatric intensive care units.