The role of early intervention is key in public health, especially when it comes to speech and hearing. May was Better Speech and Hearing Month and the theme this year was "Communication Takes Care." An estimated 40 million Americans experience speech or hearing disorders. In Arizona, hearing screening statutes mandate all educational institutions, including private, charter and [...]
Since the end of last week, our disease detectives have been working with our local public health departments to investigate an outbreak of measles associated with the private detention center in Eloy. This weekend we confirmed an additional nine cases of measles in the outbreak, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to eleven- and [...]
Many Arizonans will mark the Memorial Day holiday by inviting friends and family to share a meal and enjoy the outdoors. One “guest” you don’t want to invite, however, is a foodborne illness. Before you warm up the grill or pack the picnic basket, keep these food safety tips in mind to ensure the food [...]
Arizona has confirmed two cases of measles associated with an Eloy Detention Center this week. Measles is one of the most communicable diseases there is- 90% of non-immune people exposed to measles will get the disease . It’s a viral disease of the upper respiratory system that is spread in the air and through droplet [...]
For the 12th year in a row, the week before Memorial Day has been designated as National Healthy and Safe Swimming Week. This week is dedicated to focusing on simple steps swimmers can take to help ensure a healthy and safe swimming experience. While most people know they can get sick from eating or drinking contaminated [...]
Yesterday, we hosted our Arizona Zika Action Plan Summit in Phoenix. Nearly 350 partners from across Arizona – public and environmental health departments, healthcare providers and organizations, key state and local agencies, elected officials, public health colleagues from the Ministry of Health in Sonora, and many, many other critical prevention and response partners – attended [...]
Arizona laboratories are required to report certain infectious disease test results to public health so that our state and local disease investigators can prevent and control further spread of disease. Many labs do this by faxing or mailing paper to ADHS. Our informatics staff in the Office of Infectious Disease Services are transitioning these labs [...]
Nearly 150 people participated in the Arizona Nutrition Network's two-day annual contractors meeting held earlier this month in Phoenix. The event featured national and local speakers on implementing policy, systems, and environmental change strategies to improve healthy eating and active living opportunities in Arizona. The meeting highlighted the synergy and collaborative efforts between the Arizona [...]
The International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners (IBLCE) and International Lactation Consultant Association have recognized our department for excellence in lactation care. We received the International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) Care Award in recognition for our staff that hold the prestigious IBCLC, and for providing lactation programs for breastfeeding families. Our department was recognized [...]
According to new surveillance data from the CDC, almost 20,000 deaths in 2014 were associated with hepatitis C and an increasing number of Americans are developing and dying from liver cancer, which can be caused by hepatitis. A second recently published CDC study shows that hepatitis C related deaths in 2013 surpassed the total combined [...]
