Behavioral Health Services Block Grant
Our Behavioral Health team has completed the draft of our ($27M) 2012-2013 Joint Block Grant Application for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Services. This year SAMHSA streamlined the application process to allow States to apply for grant funds under one combined application and has moved away from a standardized reporting template, allowing the States to determine their own [...]
Trauma System Milestone
One of our Department priorities over the last few years has been to improve Arizona’s Trauma System. We know we can dramatically improve service and reduce costs by developing a coordinated and integrated system of trauma care for the entire state. More than 24,000 people are severely injured (called trauma) every year in Arizona, and more than 60% of these [...]
Umbilical Cord Blood is Liquid Gold
After your baby is born, the umbilical cord is clamped and cut but some blood remains in the cord. It turns out that this umbilical cord blood is actually liquid gold. The stem cells in cord blood are very flexible biologically and can be transplanted in people to treat a number of life-threatening diseases. In fact, cord blood can be [...]
Emergency Medical Technician & Paramedic Certification
Many people don’t realize one of the critical functions the Department performs is certifying Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT’s), including Paramedics. Our Bureau of Emergency Medical Services and Trauma System currently certifies hundreds of new EMT’s and Paramedics each year, helping ensure that Arizona’s Fire Departments and ambulance companies have sufficient staff that are properly trained and ready to spring into [...]
Arizona’s Behavioral Health Provider Network
We've had to make lots of difficult decisions in response to the ongoing funding shortfalls in our behavioral health system (as well as everywhere in state government). Many decisions (while painful in the short term) have been necessary to maintain long term system stability as Arizona continues to emerge from this unprecedented fiscal crisis. While Arizona is gaining ground economically, [...]
Scorpions!
Here in the Sonoran Desert monsoon season = scorpion season. There are more than 56 species of scorpions in Arizona- but only one- the bark scorpion is of any public health significance. The problem is that it’s the most common scorpion found in Arizona homes. Since you live in the bark scorpion's territory, you probably have them around or maybe even inside your [...]