General

/General

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

The Worst is Over for Flu this Season

By | February 21st, 2013|General|

This year’s flu really packed a wallop all across the country.  In Arizona we’ve had almost 250% more cases than last year so far.  But the good news is, this week’s flu report shows we’re on the downhill slope.  We’ve seen fewer new cases in the past couple weeks - but it’s not completely gone.  [...]

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Caveat Emptor

By | February 20th, 2013|General|

The younger you are, the more likely you are to get a tattoo.  In fact, a recent Pew Research poll found that 40% of people between the age of 18 and 29 have one these days.  But if you’re thinking about it or your friend or adult child is- there are some important things to consider.   I’ve [...]

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Troubled Teens: At Risk and Not Overlooked

By | February 19th, 2013|Behavioral Health, General, Licensing|

Our Vision at the Arizona Department of Health Services is ”Health and Wellness for all Arizonans”. Part of that Vision for folks living with behavioral health issues or a mental illness means achieving and maintaining self-reliance and independence.  To get there, some individuals simply need outpatient services occasionally.  Some need wrap-around community or home-based services. [...]

Hearing and Vision Screening

By | February 19th, 2013|General, Newborn Screening|

According to the CDC about 15% of school age kids have some hearing loss.  Children who are hard of hearing will find it harder to learn vocabulary, grammar, word order, and other parts of verbal communication.  Newborn hearing loss occurs in about 1 in 5,000 births- which is why it’s so important that AZ kids [...]

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Blessing Bag Update

By | February 15th, 2013|General|

I wanted to update on one of my December blog posts.  Around the holidays, patients at the Arizona State Hospital decided to take on a project – to help the homeless.   Patients wanted an opportunity to give back to the community in a way that would help those in need.  They chose a project working [...]

Show Your Love

By | February 14th, 2013|General, Prevention|

Valentine’s Day isn’t just a day of romance, flowers and candy.  The CDC Preconception Health and Health Care Initiative launched a campaign asking all women of childbearing age to Show Your Love by taking good care of themselves.  It’s a national initiative to educate women and couples on the importance of preconception health. Preconception health [...]

Our Most Popular ADHS Website

By | February 14th, 2013|General|

Guess which one of our ADHS Websites consistently has the most hits.  Our influenza pages during flu season?  Medical marijuana during our rulemaking?  Questions about WIC eligibility?  Nope.  It’s our Genealogy website.  The site has had more than 5,100,000 queries in the last 2 years. Our Vital Records team has been keeping data on birth and [...]

New State Hospital Treatment Approach Leads to Improved Outcomes

By | February 12th, 2013|Behavioral Health, General|

One priority at ADHS is helping patients on their path to Recovery at the State Hospital.  Our Hospital team cares for people who have mental health issues, whether for civil reasons or committed through the criminal courts.  We also oversee the Arizona Community Protection and Treatment Center. Recent changes in security are making the Hospital a better [...]

Patients’ Drive to Help Homeless a Success

By | February 11th, 2013|General|

I wanted to update on one of my December blog posts.  Around the holidays, patients at the Arizona State Hospital decided to take on a project – to help the homeless.   Patients wanted an opportunity to give back to the community in a way that would help those in need.  They chose a project working [...]

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Mealtime

By | February 7th, 2013|General, Prevention|

Does when you eat make a difference in how much you weigh? A new study in the International Journal of Obesity indicates eating late may make it less likely you will lose weight as quickly. The five-month study was done in Spain and included 420 people in a weight loss program using the Mediterranean Diet. [...]