Next Season’s Influenza Vaccine
Just as our influenza season winds down (and it is), it's time to plan for the next one. Every February the World Health Organization convenes a panel of experts to look at the most current data on the circulating flu strains from around the world and makes recommendations for the next season’s Northern Hemisphere flu vaccine. At this week’s meeting in [...]
Solve the Outbreak
Check out CDC’s new iPad App, Solve the Outbreak, which lets you pretend you’re a disease outbreak investigator in the world-class Epidemic Intelligence Service by solving outbreaks based on real-life. When new outbreaks happen, disease detectives are sent in to figure out how they started, before they can spread. You get to investigate the outbreak and make decisions about confirming cases [...]
Building a World-Class Trauma System
Four years ago- AZ didn’t really have a trauma system. We had 7 Level I (high-end) Trauma Centers… but that’s it. After 4 years and a full court press- we now have a decent trauma system that includes 31 trauma centers, (8 Level I, 4 Level III, and 19 Level IV (16 of the Level IVs are in rural Arizona). [...]
Hitting Our Mark at Showtime
Last Saturday our Licensing team hit the mark at Showtime- when it matters most. After hearing that the Fountain Retirement Hotel had put residents on notice it was closing, we immediately became concerned that staff would stop showing up, food and medication would not be given out, and the residents would be turned out into the streets to live. Many of [...]
Strategic National Stockpile Readiness
The CDC's “Strategic National Stockpile” is a large quantity of medicine and medical supplies that are available to states in case there’s a public health emergency (flu outbreak, asteroid, etc.) severe enough to cause local health supplies to run out. Once federal and local authorities agree that the stockpile is needed, meds and supplies are delivered to any state in [...]
Helping Kids Recover
Our Vision at the Arizona Department of Health Services is, ”Health and Wellness for all Arizonans.” Part of our mission includes helping individuals with substance abuse issues achieve and maintain self-reliance and independence. To get there, some individuals simply need occasional outpatient services. Some need wrap-around, community or home-based services. Others require more intensive treatment in a residential setting. Our [...]