In September 2019, the Arizona Auditor General (AZAG) published the Performance Audit and Sunset Review (2019 Report) for the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS). The 2019 Report included the AZAG’s findings related to how ADHS handled complaints for long-term care (LTC) facilities in 2017 and 2018, and five recommendations to improve the complaint process. [...]
National Public Health Week (NPHW) allows us to recognize the contributions of public health and highlight issues that are important to improving our nation's health. For more than 25 years, the American Public Health Association (APHA) has served as the organizer of NPHW. Every year, APHA develops a national campaign to educate the public, policymakers [...]
I am tremendously grateful to work alongside so many people dedicated to helping Arizonans live healthier lives. To see ADHS team members do this day in and day out amid a global pandemic has been truly extraordinary. Make no mistake: This has been a challenging two-plus years as ADHS team members have met the challenge [...]
The past two years have put public health preparedness on center stage as our country grapples with the ongoing pandemic. All the while, we have remained vigilant and prepared for the next unknown challenge facing communities across our state. Public health partners across Arizona have risen to the occasion and have done amazing work responding [...]
The federal government has authorized a third dose of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines for people with weakened immune systems. This important news applies to Arizonans with moderately to severely compromised immune systems. These individuals are especially vulnerable to COVID-19, and an additional vaccine dose for them could help prevent serious illness and death. [...]
Recent events, such as the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), highlight the need for public health preparedness programs at the local, state, and federal levels. A primary role of public health agencies is to help protect the public from such disease outbreaks and disasters. However, it can be difficult to know just how prepared we are [...]
This week we celebrated National Public Health Week, highlighting the great work and accomplishments of the Arizona Department of Health Services and our public health and healthcare partners from across the state. We are concluding this week with the release of our Annual Report to highlight many of the great projects and programs our teams accomplished over the last fiscal year, [...]
One of public health’s major partnerships is with practicing clinicians. In any threat to the public’s health – be it environmental, nuclear, infectious, chronic or substance-related – clinicians work with health departments to recognize and respond appropriately. Now it is easier than ever for them to find public health resources and guidelines in Arizona. On [...]
I'm excited to announce we have a new logo for our department! Developing our new logo was an extensive process where we looked at several options that would best embody what we do for our community. We wanted a logo that would represent our staff, our work, and our role in improving the health and [...]
When I was younger, my grandmother gave me two books, and I don’t think she realized they ended up shaping my career. After reading Outbreak (by Robin Cook) and Level 4: Virus Hunters of the CDC (by Joseph McCormick and Susan Fisher-Hoch), I was hooked on working in public health. After learning more about what [...]
