Global Polio Eradication- The Ongoing Push
Public health efforts eradicated smallpox from the globe in the late 1970s. The last naturally occurring case was in Somalia in 1977 (followed by a couple of lab accident cases in 1978). Public health’s sites have been set on Polio eradication for the last couple of decades. We got close a couple of times, but a series of naturally occurring [...]
Annual Statewide Environmental Health Report
I started my career in public health inspecting restaurants, motels and the like in the mid- 1980s. My area was right around here down toward South Mountain- and I inspected the cafeteria in the basement of the Executive Tower and the cafeteria that used to be on the 4th floor of the 1740 building. It doesn’t seem like that was 25 years [...]
AZ Biomedical Research Commission Roadmap
Last legislative session, the Legislature and Governor made a statutory change that moved the AZ Biomedical Research Commission to our agency. The Commission basically awards contracts for research projects that translate into interventions to save lives. Our funding (a few million dollars per year) comes from tobacco taxes and some lottery funds. Shoana Anderson has volunteered to serve as the Acting Executive Director for [...]
State Hospital Web Refresh
The State Hospital has a new front door, at least on the Internet. Cory Nelson and Jesse Lewis spearheaded the effort to update the hospital’s homepage. Jesse worked with Gannon Wegner to punch out the project. The new landing page makes it a lot easier to find hospital info- everything from patient and family info, to employment opportunities, fact sheets, visitation [...]
House on Fire: The Fight to Eradicate Smallpox
Looking for a book to read over the holidays about one of public health’s biggest achievements? You’ll enjoy a new book written by Dr. Bill Foege called House on Fire: The Fight to Eradicate Smallpox. Dr. Foege was a key leader in the smallpox eradication effort. He joined the CDC in 1962 in the Epidemic Intelligence Service program and worked as an [...]
Behavioral Health State Plan Released
Our Division of Behavioral Health Services recently submitted its combined mental health and substance abuse prevention and treatment services State Plan for FY 12-13 to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The Plan that we submitted to SAMHSA doubles as the State Plan that’s required by ARS 36-550.01. The Plan provides an overview of Arizona’s behavioral health prevention, early identification, [...]