Peer & Family Behavioral Health Report
We recently held a series of focus groups and interviews to obtain input from persons with Serious Mental Illnesses (peers) and their family members regarding the integration of physical healthcare and behavioral healthcare services in partnership with St. Luke’s Health Initiative and AHCCCS, and several behavioral health peer-run organizations and peer and family members. The full report is now available [...]
Ink Dry on Final Revised Medical Marijuana Rules
As you know from earlier blog posts a judge ruled in a state case that had challenged our dispensary applicant selection criteria. The judge’s decision basically struck down several of the selection criteria we had been planning to use to for competitive areas of the state (areas where there will be more than 1 applicant per Community Health Analysis Area). [...]
Milk Research & Policy Change Cuts 7B Calories a Year in AZ
Congrats to our Women Infant & Children’s program who did some research and implemented some simple policy changes that reduced the consumption of 7 Billion calories annually in AZ. How? After we did a little research, we came up with a way to change our WIC policy... convincing people to replace whole milk with 1% or fat free milk (for kids over 2). The policy [...]
Hospital Bloodstream Infection Rates Go Online
Bloodstream infections that start because of a “central line” in a person’s body are among the most serious of all healthcare-associated infections- causing thousands of deaths each year and about $700M in added costs. The CDC estimates that there were about 41,000 infections like these U.S. hospitals last year… and 25% percent of patients who get a central line associated [...]
Lifesaving test
You’ve probably read or heard about my experience with my colonoscopy when I turned 50. For years doctors have recommended getting a colonoscopy when you turn 50. If doctors see something unusual like a polyp, they can remove it while they are there - which is what happened to me. But they really didn’t have any research to prove that [...]
Arizona’s EMPOWER Program Gets Even More National Recognition
Last week the Altarum Institute released a report highlighting Arizona as one of only 10 states to successfully integrate physical activity and nutrition criteria into Quality Rating and Improvement Systems for child care facilities. In Arizona, the quality rating system for child care is known as Quality First and is administered by First Things First. To be eligible for Quality First, [...]