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 [...]
I am so excited to release the NEW Online Annual Report for the Arizona Department of Health Services for Fiscal Year 2016, showcasing the major activities we have been able to accomplish in the past fiscal year. Through this report, we highlight the many ways ADHS helped improve the lives of all Arizonans in 2015-16 [...]
Back to school time may bring on some new routines and new child care needs for your family. Whether it is full-time child care being provided in a child care center or certified small group home, Head Start program, or after-school program for our older kiddos, we only want the best for our next generation. [...]
In observance of Food Safety Education Month, we’ll be posting a blog each week this month with information about safe food handling that you can put into practice at home. If you learn something new, please share this information with your friends and family so that everyone you know is equipped with the information they [...]
Recently, CDC’s Vital Signs publication highlighted sepsis, a complication caused by the body’s overwhelming and life-threatening response to infection, which can lead to tissue damage, organ failure and death. Sepsis is a medical emergency and is deadly when it’s not quickly recognized and treated . Patients who develop sepsis have an increased risk of complications and [...]
Our Bureau of Public Health Emergency Preparedness and the Bureau of EMS and Trauma System hosted a conference last week titled, “Integrated Response to Mass-Shooting.” Over 250-law enforcement, first responders, EMTs and hospital personnel came together to learn how state agencies are supporting integrated training. What’s so special about this is we had so many [...]
National Preparedness month begins this week with a focus on making sure you are prepared for an emergency at home, work or places you visit. The ADHS “Wise and Ready” webpage offers practical resources to help prepare for and withstand incidents that may impact the health of the public. Join us in sharing resources such [...]
This week Governor Doug Ducey issued a proclamation for Arizona Blood Donation Week highlighting the importance of donating blood to save people’s lives. Back in 1969, an article titled "The Blood Bank as a Public Health Service" described blood donation as an altruistic service: one human helping another. The article suggested that benefits might extend to [...]
