Tooth decay (cavities) is one of the most common chronic conditions of childhood in Arizona. Untreated tooth decay can cause pain and infections that may lead to problems with eating, speaking, playing, and learning. In 2015, the Bureau of Women’s and Children’s Health, Office of Oral Health completed the Healthy Smiles Healthy Bodies Survey, a [...]
The Feeding America nationwide network of food banks in all 50 states is asking each of us to take steps to bring an end to hunger. Hunger Action Month, which is observed in September, is designed to bring awareness of the fact that 48 million Americans, including 15 million children, are food insecure, according to [...]
This week the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) released the 2015 birth data file and accompanying data brief “Births in the United States, 2015.” This report plays a significant role in public health program planning and funding throughout the nation. Our Bureau of Vital Records participated with vital records departments from across the country [...]
Studies have shown that Americans know food safety is important, but they have also shown we need to be better informed about what food safety looks like in practice. There are four keys to food safety: Clean, Separate, Cook, Chill. I’ve already discussed the importance of cleaning and separating. This week, we will learn more [...]
Last September our Licensing team rolled out the online renewal portal for speech and hearing professionals that allows almost 5,000 hearing aid dispensers, audiologists, and speech-language pathologists statewide complete the renewal application electronically, upload documents, and submit an online payment. In addition to quicker submission by licensees, the improvement has helped the licensing staff drastically [...]
Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are the germs that don’t respond to the drugs developed to kill them. Such germs threaten to return us to the time when people used to die from simple infections. Today, antibiotic-resistant bacteria cause at least two million illnesses and 23,000 deaths every year in the United States. High levels of antibiotic resistance have [...]
September is National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month and I am pleased to announce that we’ve seen the number of overweight or obese children decrease among our preschool children in the Arizona WIC Program from one in three to one in four. Back in 2008, 29.4 percent of preschoolers in the Arizona WIC Program were either [...]
September is a great time to visit a farmers’ market as we celebrate Fruits & Veggies-More Matters Month. Plan to visit a farmers’ market and enjoy some fresh and delicious Arizona Grown vegetables and fruit. This year, nearly 11,000 women and children and 6700 seniors can eat more vegetables and fruits because of our Arizona Farmers’ [...]
There are four keys to food safety: Clean, Separate, Cook, Chill. Last week, we talked all about the ways cleaning can prevent foodborne illness. This week, we’ll talk more about the second key: SEPARATE. A major source of foodborne illness is cross-contamination. This can occur when pathogens (illness-causing bacteria, viruses, or parasites) are transferred from [...]
At the beginning of the year, the Arizona Immunization Program Office piloted the HL7 Roadshow (also known as the ASIIS Reconciliation Regional Training) across the state. More than 328 providers were trained to manage vaccine inventory and ordering by connecting their electronic health records with the Arizona State Immunization Information System (ASIIS). If you missed [...]
