After many years of planning and conducting of public forums throughout the Navajo Nation, the Navajo Tribal Council recently approved legislation establishing the Navajo Department of Health. Navajo Nation President Ben Shelly signed the legislation into law. The new law establishes the Navajo Department of Health as the lead agency delegated to ensure that quality [...]
Every year the March of Dimes reviews where we are as a nation in reducing premature birth. Being born too early can impact a child’s ability to live a healthy life. It is one of the leading causes of infant death. Arizona has been improving the preterm birth rate for the past 7 years. In [...]
Arizona is experiencing a record shift in the number of older adults. By 2050, the number of Arizonans age 65 and older is expected to increase 174%, which represents 2,422,186 people. Also, the current trend of longevity among aging adults represents both opportunities and challenges in the years ahead. Older adults are living longer; however, [...]
Ever wonder what happens to your info when you go to the doctor? If you have one of the 90+ reportable conditions in Arizona, your case report travels from your healthcare provider’s office to your local, state, or tribal health departments, and for some diseases it’s de-identified and sent all the way to the CDC. [...]
Data can save lives if you use it right. One of the ways we use data to save lives is through our annual Child Fatality Review Report. We published our 21st Annual Report this week. The report examined all 811 deaths of children under 18 in 2013. Teams discussed the circumstances of each child’s death, [...]
Our Vital Health Statistics team along with our partners at the UA College of Public Health completed our Medical Marijuana Program’s 3rd Annual Report this week. You’ll find a wide range of information in the report including data about the demographics and kinds and qualifying conditions of our cardholders, geographic distribution and rates as well [...]
We’re continuing to implement our disaster recovery site in Tucson. We’ve installed and tested the equipment and applications necessary to operate our Office of Vital Records Birth Production and Medical Marijuana Point of Sale systems from this alternate site. Last week, we moved copies of the production databases to Tucson and upgraded the database versions. [...]
During the World Cup, I wrote about dengue, since it’s endemic in Brazil. Every year, we get a handful of dengue cases reported in Arizona (4 last year) that are associated with travel to a country with dengue circulation, but for the first time, dengue is at our border. Over the last few weeks, locally transmitted [...]
The Arizona State Hospital will be hosting a Job Fair on Wednesday, November 12, from 9am to Noon at 501 N. 24th Street, Phoenix. We’re looking for folks that might be interested in joining our team at the Arizona State Hospital. We’ll be recruiting for various positions like Psychiatric RN’s, Mental Health Program Specialists, and [...]
Influenza season officially arrived last week when our Arizona State Public Health Laboratory confirmed the 1st AZ-acquired influenza case for the 2014-2015 season. Although flu activity is monitored year-round in Arizona, the start of the season intensifies our statewide surveillance activities. Partners across the state (including local health departments, laboratories and healthcare providers) participate by reporting [...]
