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 [...]
Make it a priority this March to know the facts about colorectal cancer. Not enough Arizonans are up-to-date on their screenings, and too many are being diagnosed with colorectal cancer at late stages. According to the American Cancer Society, the lifetime risk of developing colorectal cancer is about one in 20. In the U.S. and [...]
The news is true… Arizona continues to top the country in reports of influenza-like illness for the fourth week in a row. While this doesn’t necessarily mean that Arizona has more people sick with flu than anywhere else in the country (not all flu cases get reported to public health departments), it does mean that [...]
During the last federal fiscal year 10,490 participants in the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program received checks from the Arizona Farmers' Market Nutrition Program, a program that has participation from ten local agencies in seven counties. The WIC moms were able to purchase $120,132 of Arizona Grown fruits and vegetables at approved farmers' markets. [...]
Our HIV Prevention and HIV/AIDS Care & Services Programs, in collaboration with Maricopa County’s Ryan White Part A Program are hosting the second annual 2016 Integrated HIV Symposium on March 1 and 2 at the Black Canyon Conference Center in Phoenix. This free event will feature exciting presentations from individuals who have been locally and nationally recognized for their work to [...]
The winning poster from 2015 While the beautiful Arizona weather and landscape provides us with opportunities for outdoor fun year round, we sometimes overlook the importance of exercising sun safe practices. To help raise awareness of the importance of sun safety, our SunWise Program is launching the 14th Annual Poster Contest for children from pre-K [...]
We know that eating fruits and vegetables is healthy, but did you know that eating canned fruits and vegetables may actually help you have a better diet? The Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics featured a study analyzing national survey data that found adults and children who included canned fruits and vegetables in [...]
In December, the WHO declared the end of Ebola transmission in Guinea. As of February 19, all U.S. enhanced screening and monitoring requirements for travelers returning from Guinea have been removed. This follows a CDC assessment that the risk of Ebola in travelers from Guinea is low. Travelers leaving from Guinea will still be screened [...]
When you get sick with an infectious disease like Salmonella or the flu, your healthcare provider or the laboratory that conducted the test on you is required to report your illness to the county or state public health department. In Arizona, almost 100 different diseases are reportable. Public health disease detectives investigate reports of diseases [...]
Our Bureau of Nutrition and Physical Activity, in collaboration with the Arizona Alliance For Livable Communities, is sponsoring a new, two-day Health Impact Assessment (HIA) training course designed and presented by Habitat Health Impact Consulting. The purpose of the training is to build the skills of local health departments, non-governmental organizations and other agencies to [...]
