Cara M. Christ

/Cara Christ

About Cara Christ

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

Ebola Outbreak Over in West Africa

By | January 4th, 2016|Preparedness|

On December 29, 2015, the WHO declared the end of Ebola virus transmission in Guinea, following up the declared end of the outbreak in Liberia in September and in Sierra Leone in November. This is the first time since the outbreak began two years ago the original chain of transmission has been halted. While sporadic [...]

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Oral Health in Children is a Critical Factor in Overall Health

By | December 31st, 2015|Prevention|

Good oral health is important to a child’s social, physical and mental development. Even though tooth decay can be prevented, most children in Arizona still get cavities. To assess the current oral health status of Arizona’s elementary school children, our Bureau of Women’s and Children’s Health, with support from First Things First, coordinated a statewide oral health [...]

A New Mosquito-Borne Disease Threat in the Americas

By | December 30th, 2015|Preparedness|

Just when we were finally getting comfortable pronouncing “chikungunya,” a new viral disease spread by Aedes species mosquitoes has appeared in the Americas. Zika virus, which causes symptoms of fever, rash, joint pain, and red eyes, was first detected in Brazil during May 2015. The virus has since spread to 18 Brazilian states, as well as Colombia, [...]

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Four Healthy Choices you can Make in 2016, Part 2 of 2

By | December 29th, 2015|General|

Part two of the blog series on healthy New Year’s resolutions focuses on quitting smoking and getting screened for cancer. Be sure to take a look at the blog that can help you eat healthier and be more active. Quit Smoking Quitting smoking can add years to your life, and life to your years! But [...]

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Four Healthy Choices you can Make in 2016, Part 1 of 2

By | December 28th, 2015|General|

As the new year quickly approaches, many of us will be making resolutions to improve our lives. There are four simple things you can do to improve your health in 2016: eat healthier meals, be more physically active, quit smoking, and get screened for cancer. Today we will focus on simple things you can do [...]

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Ebola Monitoring Ends for Travelers from Sierra Leone

By | December 24th, 2015|General|

Since October of 2014, local health departments have worked with ADHS, CDC, and other federal partners to monitor travelers returning from Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea for signs and symptoms of Ebola. In total, around 200 travelers returning to Arizona have been monitored. Back in September, monitoring of travelers returning from Liberia ended, due to [...]

One Health and Animal Disease Surveillance

By | December 23rd, 2015|General, Preparedness|

One Health and Animal Disease Surveillance Did you know that many of the diseases that make people sick can also affect animals? “One Health” is the idea that the health of humans, animals, and the environment are tightly connected, and all affect each other. A better understanding of diseases in animals can help predict disease [...]

ADHS Staff Participate in Project to Transform and Improve State Government

By | December 22nd, 2015|General|

Several of our staff have participated in Governor Ducey’s Transformation of Arizona State Government project, which is a multifaceted approach to rethink how state government operates and conducts business with internal stakeholders and external customers. One of the recent successes of the project was the Permit Blitz that streamlined and developed a set of best [...]

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