Cara M. Christ

/Cara Christ

About Cara Christ

Cara M. Christ, MD, Director Arizona Department of Health Services

New 2016 Arizona Opioid Report Reveals Dangerous Trend

By | June 1st, 2017|Prevention|

The 2016 Arizona Opioid Report is out today and the numbers are alarming. The data shows an average of two Arizonans die each day from an opioid overdose . We issued a news release highlighting the report and the threat to our community. The information in the report shows us 790 overdose deaths last year [...]

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Arizona Publishes National Report about 2016 Measles Outbreak in Detention Facility

By | May 31st, 2017|Preparedness|

Office of Infectious Disease Services recently published a report in the CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) describing the 2016 measles outbreak associated with an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility in our state. This week marks the one year anniversary of the public health response to the outbreak. ADHS worked with Pinal County [...]

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Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month Promotes Healthy Relationships for Arizona Teens

By | May 30th, 2017|Prevention|

Every May, adolescent health organizations across the U.S. observe National Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month with programs and campaigns to promote healthy relationships and decision making for teens. Teen Pregnancy Prevention programs focus on much more than just sexual risk behaviors – also covering healthy relationships, goal setting, decision making skills, and the importance of communicating [...]

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A Behind-the-Scenes Look at Ambulance Inspections

By | May 26th, 2017|Preparedness|

Emergency medical service (EMS) workers, like paramedics and emergency medical technicians (EMT), run toward dangerous and chaotic situations to treat the sick, injured and dying. In addition to training and experience, EMS workers rely on medical equipment, medicine, and their vehicles to save lives when every second counts. To highlight EMS Week, we’re putting a [...]

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Teach Your Kids Safe Listening to Prevent Irreversible Hearing Loss

By | May 25th, 2017|Preparedness, Prevention|

Does your child like to turn up the volume on their earbuds or headphones when listening to their favorite music? Audiologists are seeing the impacts of personal technology devices misused by children and teenagers and rank it as their top tech-related concern. They urge parents to teach safe listening to prevent irreversible and lifelong hearing [...]

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We are Celebrating Our EMS System this Week

By | May 24th, 2017|Preparedness|

May 21-27 is Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Week, and today is specifically recognized as EMS for Children Day. This year's theme is “EMS STRONG: Always in Service,” which for Arizona means a focus on the resiliency, wellness, and safety of EMS personnel. Arizona’s EMS personnel are an integral piece of our state’s public health and [...]

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Ryan White Program Wins National Achievement Award

By | May 23rd, 2017|Preparedness|

The ADHS and Maricopa County Ryan White Programs recently won a National Association of Counties (NACo) Achievement Award in the Health category for their Ryan White Joint Application and Integrated Eligibility project. Maricopa County and the State of Arizona Ryan White Programs developed a joint application for HIV services for clients who are dually enrolled [...]

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Arizona’s Experience with Cryptosporidiosis Highlighted during Healthy and Safe Swimming Week

By | May 22nd, 2017|Preparedness|

In observance of Healthy and Safe Swimming Week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published a report last week in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) highlighting three states’ experiences with outbreaks of Cryptosporidiosis last summer. Cryptosporidiosis is a gastrointestinal illness caused by the parasite Cryptosporidium, which causes profuse, watery diarrhea lasting up [...]

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How and Where to Obtain a Birth Certificate from Vital Records

By | May 19th, 2017|Licensing|

We get calls every day from people looking to get a copy of their birth certificate. Depending on your timeline, here are some details on how you can obtain the record you need. The Arizona Department of Health Services Bureau of Vital Records no longer provides same day walk-in customer service for certificate issuance. You [...]

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