Get Smart About Antibiotics Week, November 14 to 20, raises awareness of the threat of antibiotic resistance and the importance of appropriate antibiotic prescribing and use. Each year in the United States, at least two million people become infected with bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics and at least 23,000 people die as a direct [...]
An estimated 150,000 people are infected each year in the United States by the fungus that causes Valley Fever (Coccidioidomycosis). The fungus is mostly found in the Southwest with 65 percent of all nationally reported cases residing in Arizona. There are more than 5,000 reported cases and 700 hospitalizations in Arizona each year. Although anyone [...]
Alzheimer’s is one of the most common form of more than 100 forms of dementias. The disease attacks brain cells, causing problems with memory, thinking and behavior. Alzheimer’s is not a normal part of aging; it is a progressive disease that worsens over time affecting nearly one in three older adults who die each year. [...]
Supporting breastfeeding mothers and babies is an important part of the Arizona Department of Health Services efforts to decrease childhood obesity. The United States Preventive Services Task Force has just updated their recommendations for primary care providers to include breastfeeding support during pregnancy and after birth. Evidence shows that these steps can increase the duration [...]
Our SunWise Program and digital media department have been working diligently on creating a training video to promote sun safety and skin cancer prevention. The SunWise video serves as an easy to follow visual resource for educators, as well as the general public. How much do you know about skin cancer and risks associated [...]
This past June, we released a Request for Information (“RFI”) seeking feedback on opportunities for public-private partnerships at the Arizona State Hospital to create a Center of Psychiatric Excellence. Through this vision, we are looking for innovative opportunities for public-private partnerships to utilize available property and/or buildings located on the ASH campus to enhance and improve the [...]
The CDC and The Pew Charitable Trusts, in collaboration with 12 national health organizations, released a joint letter earlier this month on the importance of antibiotic stewardship in outpatient settings. Outpatient stewardship refers to coordinated efforts to promote appropriate prescribing of antibiotics for non-hospitalized patients in clinics, doctor’s offices, and emergency rooms. The overarching goal is to [...]
Public health officials regularly explore new and creative ways to promote health and wellness for Arizonans. On Saturday November 5, our staff and Maricopa County Department of Public Health (MCDPH) join in a new partnership with the Phoenix Zoo to host a free flu vaccine clinic accompanied with outreach on disease prevention. Last year’s flu [...]
Arizona drivers who have ordered the Pink Ribbon Breast Cancer Awareness specialty license plate have helped raise nearly $2 million for cancer screening in the past decade. There has been nearly 110,000 pink ribbon annual vehicle registrations issued by the Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division since 2006 when legislation authorizing the plates took effect. [...]
