Preparedness

/Preparedness

Items in the Preparedness category will cover everything from Emergency Medical Services to vaccination programs. This division at ADHS tracks contagious disease, coordinates emergency preparedness activity, licenses EMTs and Paramedics, regulates ambulance companies, authorizes special hospital designations like cardiac care center and Level IV trauma center, issues birth and death certificates, and tracks critical health data through various sources including hospital discharge information.

Leptospirosis on the Rise in Arizona Dogs: Know How to Keep You and Your Dog Safe

By | February 10th, 2017|Preparedness|

Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease that can affect people and animals. The bacteria can be found in soil and water and can be carried and spread in the urine of infected animals (including rodents, wildlife, pets, and livestock). Dogs can become infected with leptospirosis. Symptoms in dogs include fever, lethargy, lack of appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, [...]

Needle Injuries at Work: Protect Yourself and Your Coworkers

By | February 7th, 2017|Preparedness|

When you work in public health, you know it’s scary to get stuck by a needle in a trashcan, bathroom or another unexpected place. While needles and syringes are used for the medical treatment of multiple conditions such as arthritis, psoriasis, diabetes, and cancer, there is always the fear that a discarded needle also carries blood [...]

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Anatomy of a Foodborne Disease Outbreak Investigation

By | February 2nd, 2017|Preparedness|

Public health is always hard at work identifying and solving outbreaks. In the case of foodborne diseases, public health epidemiologists, nurses, and lab scientists are teaming up at local, state and federal levels to find out what food made people sick. When two or more people with the same foodborne disease get sick from the [...]

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Sharing Information about the State of Infectious Disease in Arizona

By | February 1st, 2017|Preparedness|

Our Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAI) program works with various partners to improve patient safety across Arizona. On January 20th, the HAI program collaborated with the local Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology Grand Canyon Chapter (APIC) to host their annual State of the State meeting. This event took place at Health Services Advisory Group and was attended by more [...]

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ADHS Lead Program Rings in the New Year with a New Surveillance System

By | January 31st, 2017|Preparedness|

In Arizona, healthcare providers identify hundreds of children each year with elevated blood lead levels, which our Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program (CLPPP) monitors. Although there is no safe blood lead level, interventions are initiated at blood lead levels ≥ 5 µg/dL, the CDC reference value. When a child is identified with elevated blood lead [...]

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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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New Program Recognizes Law Enforcement Agencies Working on Curbing Opioid Overdoes Death

By | January 26th, 2017|Preparedness|

Last week we launched the Public Health Excellence in Law Enforcement program. This program was created to recognize the efforts of Arizona’s law enforcement agencies that work with their local EMS agency partners to train staff to recognize opioid overdose in the field, administer naloxone when necessary, and submit information to the Department of Health [...]

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New Recommendations for Preventing Cancers Due to Human Papillomavirus Infections

By | January 24th, 2017|Preparedness|

Preventing cancers caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) infection has just become easier.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has published new recommendations for HPV vaccines so  some teenagers can be fully vaccinated with two doses of HPV vaccine instead of three. The CDC now recommends a two dose HPV vaccine schedule for children [...]

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Sending Data to National Partners at the Speed of Light (Almost)

By | January 20th, 2017|Preparedness|

Every week, our disease detectives in the Bureau of Epidemiology and Disease Control send data to our national partners at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Data from Arizona and other states is compiled to provide an overall picture of the nation’s health. Since it is a weekly process, the data that is [...]

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Low Flu Vaccination in Pregnant Women; A Vulnerable Population Not Protected

By | January 17th, 2017|Preparedness|

A report card that contains 41 percent is never good. But so goes the disappointing findings from a recent Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) that found that during the 2013-2014 flu season, only 41 percent of pregnant women received the seasonal flu vaccine. Previous report cards would have shown 35 percent of pregnant women in [...]

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