ADHS Web Resource Showcases General Plans Around AZ
Where you live impacts your health. General and Comprehensive Plans guide the big picture vision for how the community should take shape for the future. We know that to achieve the goals we’ve set out in our Strategic Map, planning must include community health. Working collaboratively with others, we're finding ways to support healthy behavior, such as biking, walking, and having [...]
Schistosomiasis, a blood fluke
You may remember that at the end of May, Maricopa County Department of Public Health warned us about avoiding swimmer’s itch by not wading along the shorelines of some of our lakes. Swimmer’s itch or cercarial dermatitis, is a rash caused by a tiny parasitic flatworm of birds that can occur in lakes and ponds throughout Arizona. Waterfowl are the host [...]
High Five for Hand Washing
We know washing our hands is the best way to prevent spreading germs, but a new study shows that one in ten people don’t wash their hands at all after using the bathroom. Only 5% do it right. It’s a big deal when you consider that half of the foodborne illness outbreaks happen because people either don’t wash hands or don’t do it right. Chaparral [...]
CDC’s Smoking Cessation Campaign
The CDC just released a report for their national smoking cessation campaign launched in March 2012 called “Tips from former smokers.” Nationally, the ‘Tips’ campaign led to an estimated 1.6 million smokers attempting to quit with 100,000 likely quitting for good. The campaign directed callers to 1-800-QUIT-NOW. If you call from an Arizona zip code you are routed to the Arizona [...]
Bad Bugs, No Drugs?
CDC released a report this week about antibiotic resistance. They found that more than 2 million people in the US get sick every year from germs that are resistant to antibiotics and at least 23,000 people die from these infections. The report also found that up to half of antibiotic use in people is unnecessary or inappropriate. Check out CDC’s [...]
2013 State Health Officer’s Meeting
This has been an excellent week to learn what others in my position are doing across the country. All the state health directors met in Florida this week to look ahead and strategize about the coming year’s goals. I’m always proud when our award-winning programs are highlighted, but it’s a great opportunity to talk to others about best practices in [...]