The March of Dimes released its 2015 Premature Birth Report Card today giving our state a “B” grade. New this year, the annual report card ranked state cities and revealed Arizona has a 9 percent preterm birth rate. The report card grades Arizona cities with the greatest number of births on their 2013 preterm birth rates. [...]
A new web application system, Environmental Laboratory Licensure System (ELLS), has been successfully launched for our Bureau of State Laboratory Services. The Office of Laboratory Services divides approved methods to test air particulates or emissions, hazardous and solid waste, safe drinking water and wastewater. There are four types of laboratories which are licensed. They include [...]
Falls are the leading cause of fatal and non-fatal injuries, and injury-related emergency department visits and hospitalizations in Arizona for people 65 years of age and older. Falls can result in serious injuries such as fractures and traumatic brain injuries, and in some cases can be fatal. Falls, and the fear of falling, can also [...]
As many Arizonans know, a cluster of small earthquakes occurred near Black Canyon City last night causing minor shaking across parts of the state. Although no major damage or injuries were reported, this seismic event reminds us that emergencies and disasters can occur when and where we least expect it. There are some basic things [...]
For the past two years, CyraCom, one of the leading providers of language interpreting services to healthcare, hosted a language services summit here in Phoenix. The three day summit acted as a platform for healthcare systems to share information related to their language access programs, challenges, and needs seen in various communities in the U.S. [...]
Halloween is loved by children and adults alike. As Halloween approaches, the Arizona Department of Health Services encourages families to celebrate in a safe and healthy way. Parents should talk to their children about Halloween food safety. Tell children not to accept – and especially not to eat – anything that isn’t commercially wrapped. Inspect [...]
The only true constant is change, particularly when you are part of a team committed to continuously improving the health and wellness of all Arizonans. October 1 was an important day for the behavioral health system in Arizona with four significant system transformations occurring simultaneously. The Division of Behavioral Health Services, with a lot of [...]
It seems hard to believe that one in every five children in the United States lives in a home where there isn’t access to enough healthy food for an active, healthy life for all household members. Here in Arizona, the numbers are estimated to be even higher, affecting as many as one in three children. [...]
In Arizona, more than 800 children each year are identified with elevated blood lead levels. Even at low blood lead levels, children's intelligence, behavior, hearing and growth can be irreparably damaged. To increase awareness of childhood lead poisoning prevention, Arizona Governor Doug Ducey issued a proclamation to kick off Arizona’s Lead Poisoning Prevention Week October [...]
Recent media has highlighted one of the most common antibiotic-resistant-bacteria, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). In the US, over 2 million people are infected with antibiotic-resistant bacteria and more than 23,000 people die due to these infections. Anyone can get MRSA and infections range from mild to very serious, even life-threatening. Most MRSA infections are skin [...]
