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.
American Indian Healthcare Matrix (Part III)
In addition to services provided by the Indian Health Service and the ”638’s” administered by tribes and tribal organizations, American Indians are eligible to apply for and receive Medicare, Medicaid, and Children’s Health Insurance Plan. American Indians applying for Medicaid services in Arizona need to meet the same income requirements as all other applicants. Unearned Per Capita income via Tribal [...]
ADHS Publishes Arizona-Specific “Evidence Toolkit” for Decision-Making
The core of our decision-making as an agency relies on evidence. Evidence can be scientific like surveillance or research or it can be administrative or financial (like return on investment). Whichever way you slice it- the key is to get good reliable information so that our public health system can make effective decisions as we execute our mission. One of [...]
MERS-CoV x 2
A couple of weeks ago a healthcare worker who recently returned from Saudi Arabia was the first confirmed case of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) in the U.S. This week the CDC and the Florida health department confirmed a 2nd US case. A person with MERS traveled Saudi Arabia - London - Boston - Atlanta - Orlando. Twenty states are participating [...]
Stroke Awareness Month
Strokes can cause long-term health problems and death. The good news is that strokes can be prevented by understanding the risk factors (which are similar to heart disease) like high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, obesity, and tobacco. To find out more about your risk for a stroke, you can talk with your physician and participate in Stroke Check this [...]