Doing the Right Thing
Our Assisted Living Licensing shop received a complaint about physical and verbal abuse of vulnerable adults in an assisted living facility in Casa Grande a couple of weeks ago. Surveyors Matthew Deise and Doris Laidlaw responded to the facility and interviewed several residents and caregivers at the home, who confirmed that some employees treat the residents disrespectfully. Some of the residents [...]
New School Lunch Standards on the Way
The USDA released a new final rule that will set new nutrition standards for the federal child nutrition programs that serve millions of children across the country every day. The new rule fleshes out the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. It’ll increase how many fruits, vegetables, and whole grains that are in school lunches (under the program) and reduce [...]
SNAP Up Healthier Food
Maybe you’ve heard the words “The Farm Bill” in the news over the years. The Farm Bill is a very large bill that guides the mission of the USDA- including the “food stamps” program- now known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP. The USDA law undergoes review and reauthorization about every 5 years- and the next reauthorization of the [...]
100 Years of AZ Public Health Lab Science
I thought it would be fun to give some perspective on public health and the Department’s activities 100 years ago as we approach our Centennial in a few weeks. Our AZ Public Health Laboratory is celebrating its 100th birthday shortly- just like the State. Our Lab was one of the first parts of state government- it created by the first State Legislature in 1912... [...]
Public Health Scholarship Opportunity
The U of A's College of Public Health has a new (HRSA) grant that's offering up to 10 scholarships to enroll in their Graduate Certificate program in Maternal and Child Health Epidemiology. In addition to getting the certificate- the credits are transferable to graduate programs in public health. The deadline for 2012 intake is March 1. Details and the application are located at http://www.mch-epitraining.arizona.edu/.
Build Your Inventory of Emergency Response Skills
Maricopa County Department of Public Health’s Office of Preparedness and Response is conducting a full-scale emergency preparedness exercise that will test the strength and completeness of County and City plans during a simulated Anthrax attack. Pre-registered volunteers will drive their cars through the site as simulated medications are dispensed. We anticipate each driver will make several trips through the dispensing lines [...]