General

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Here you will find topics ranging from current events that affect public health in Arizona to overall information about the Arizona Department of Health Services

Work Continues on Opioid Emergency Response

By | June 16th, 2017|General, Prevention|

Our team has logged another week in the Health Emergency Operations Center (HEOC) hard at work addressing Governor Ducey’s calls to action to address Arizona’s opioid epidemic. Just like last week, this week has been a busy one. This week, Governor Ducey issued an executive order to increase timely reporting of opioid-related data. This order [...]

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Announcing the SunWise Poster Contest Winner

By | June 12th, 2017|General, Preparedness|

The SunWise Program held its annual presentation for the winner of the “Be SunWise & Play Sun Smart Skin Cancer Prevention Poster Contest” on Saturday, May 13 at the Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Pittsburgh Pirates baseball game. This year’s winner, Grecia Solorio (right), certainly scored a home run with her detailed and colorful poster illustration. Her [...]

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Launching a Public Health Approach to Chronic Pain

By | June 8th, 2017|General, Prevention|

Earlier this week, Governor Doug Ducey issued a public health emergency declaration that calls for a statewide effort to put an end to opioid deaths in Arizona. The Governor declared the need for immediate action as the number of opioid overdoses and deaths increase at an alarming rate. Last week, we released the 2016 Opioid [...]

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Celebrating the Contributions and Addressing the Needs of Older Arizonans

By | May 17th, 2017|General, Prevention|

The month of May is Older American’s Month, and as further proclaimed by Governor Ducey, we proudly celebrate our growing older adult population in Arizona. Arizona is home to more than 1.3 million older adults who embody a wide-range of cultural and ethnic backgrounds who contribute in many ways to the economy and quality of [...]

Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Awareness Month

By | May 16th, 2017|General, Prevention|

Governor Ducey has proclaimed the month of May as Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Awareness Month. It is a great time to help your family, friends, and coworkers learn more about food allergies. Did you know that children have food allergies more often than adults and that there are eight foods that cause most food allergic [...]

Improving Antibiotic Stewardship in Arizona

By | March 29th, 2017|General|

The CDC estimates that antibiotic resistance is responsible for more than two million infections and 23,000 deaths each year in the United States. Antimicrobial stewardship programs are dedicated to promoting the appropriate use of antimicrobials. Common antimicrobials are disinfectants and antiseptics, along with antibiotics. Effective use can lead to a decrease in patient illness and [...]

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Preserving Public Health Funding

By | March 3rd, 2017|General|

Everyone who has been watching the news and has probably heard about efforts to repeal and replace the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), commonly referred to as Obamacare. When the ACA was established, the funding for several pre-existing, long-established, and important, life-saving public health programs including immunizations and infectious disease prevention and control, [...]

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The 2015 Vital Statistics “Big Book” Published Online

By | January 27th, 2017|General, Preparedness|

The 2015 Arizona Health Status and Vital Statistics Report, also known as the “Big Book,” is now available.  The Big Book presents an annual update of information on vital statistics and the health status of Arizona residents . It provides statewide numbers and rates of vital events such as births, stillbirths, and deaths, and population-based data on pregnancies, [...]

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