Influenza Widespread in AZ
During the 2009- 2010 influenza pandemic, we saw how influenza can be unpredictable in terms of who it affects most, when it occurs, and what strains will circulate. This season is no exception. While the circulating strains are exactly what we had predicted, the peak of the flu season is hitting later than usual… and the influenza virus is finally [...]
Teen Pregnancy Prevention Awards
Late last week we awarded two new community-based contracts for the new Personal Responsibility Education Program (PREP) funds: BJ Youth Foundation and Mariposa Community Health Center. PREP is the new federal program from the Affordable Care Act that requires programs educate adolescents on both abstinence and contraception to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. This was our 2nd Request for [...]
Licensing Does Whatever it Takes
The opening of a new hospital last week in Florence was anything but usual for folks in our Licensing Division. Since the hospital will also take care of prisoners, the staff had to work closely on the floor plan to make sure it met both medical and security needs. The hospital had to be able to serve all patients, but [...]
CDC Kicks Off New Smoking Intervention Campaign Today
The CDC is kicking off a new national smoking cessation campaign today called “Tips from Former Smokers”. The new tobacco education campaign will begin airing today and will run nationally for 12 weeks. Ads include television, radio, billboard, magazine, newspaper, theater, and online placements. In addition, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and other channels will help spread the campaign’s message more broadly, [...]
Recovery Through Whole Health Request for Information
We’ll be having a “Request For Information” session regarding our “ Recovery Through Whole Health, the Regional Behavioral Health Authority with Health Homes” project (a.k.a. the upcoming Request for Proposal for behavioral health services in Maricopa County) this Wednesday beginning 1 pm at the Radisson City Center at 3600 N. 2nd Ave. in Phoenix. Our Integration Website has more details about the [...]
AZ Kicks off the “No Place Like Home” Campaign
Kathy McCanna, Alan Oppenheim, and Connie Belden (from Licensing) and Kristy Benton (from Behavioral Health) recently jumped head-first into a new Arizona health-care initiative called No Place Like Home which is Arizona’s approach to the Partnership for Patients: Better Care, Lower Costs project. The project aims to prevent hospital-acquired conditions and hospital re-admissions. The name No Place Like Home means [...]