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.

Join the Global Conversation about Antibiotic Resistance This Week

By | September 21st, 2016|Preparedness|

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are the germs that don’t respond to the drugs developed to kill them. Such germs threaten to return us to the time when people used to die from simple infections. Today, antibiotic-resistant bacteria cause at least two million illnesses and 23,000 deaths every year in the United States. High levels of antibiotic resistance have [...]

Comments Off on Join the Global Conversation about Antibiotic Resistance This Week

Food Safety Education Month: SEPARATE

By | September 16th, 2016|Preparedness|

There are four keys to food safety: Clean, Separate, Cook, Chill. Last week, we talked all about the ways cleaning can prevent foodborne illness. This week, we’ll talk more about the second key: SEPARATE. A major source of foodborne illness is cross-contamination. This can occur when pathogens (illness-causing bacteria, viruses, or parasites) are transferred from [...]

Supporting Training Needs of Immunization Providers in the Digital Age

By | September 15th, 2016|Preparedness|

At the beginning of the year, the Arizona Immunization Program Office piloted the HL7 Roadshow (also known as the ASIIS Reconciliation Regional Training) across the state. More than 328 providers were trained to manage vaccine inventory and ordering by connecting their electronic health records with the Arizona State Immunization Information System (ASIIS). If you missed [...]

Comments Off on Supporting Training Needs of Immunization Providers in the Digital Age

Food Safety Education Month: CLEAN

By | September 12th, 2016|Preparedness|

In observance of Food Safety Education Month, we’ll be posting a blog each week this month with information about safe food handling that you can put into practice at home. If you learn something new, please share this information with your friends and family so that everyone you know is equipped with the information they [...]

Comments Off on Food Safety Education Month: CLEAN

Think Sepsis for Quickly Recognizing and Treating Life Threatening Infection

By | September 9th, 2016|Preparedness|

Recently, CDC’s Vital Signs publication highlighted sepsis, a complication caused by the body’s overwhelming and life-threatening response to infection, which can lead to tissue damage, organ failure and death. Sepsis is a medical emergency and is deadly when it’s not quickly recognized and treated . Patients who develop sepsis have an increased risk of complications and [...]

Comments Off on Think Sepsis for Quickly Recognizing and Treating Life Threatening Infection

ADHS and Emergency Partners Come Together

By | September 8th, 2016|Preparedness|

Our Bureau of Public Health Emergency Preparedness and the Bureau of EMS and Trauma System hosted a conference last week titled, “Integrated Response to Mass-Shooting.” Over 250-law enforcement, first responders, EMTs and hospital personnel came together to learn how state agencies are supporting integrated training. What’s so special about this is we had so many [...]

Comments Off on ADHS and Emergency Partners Come Together

National Preparedness Month

By | September 7th, 2016|Preparedness|

National Preparedness month begins this week with a focus on making sure you are prepared for an emergency at home, work or places you visit. The ADHS “Wise and Ready” webpage offers practical resources to help prepare for and withstand incidents that may impact the health of the public. Join us in sharing resources such [...]

Comments Off on National Preparedness Month

Blood Banks are a Public Health Service

By | September 6th, 2016|Preparedness|

This week Governor Doug Ducey issued a proclamation for Arizona Blood Donation Week highlighting the importance of donating blood to save people’s lives. Back in 1969, an article titled "The Blood Bank as a Public Health Service" described blood donation as an altruistic service: one human helping another. The article suggested that benefits might extend to [...]

Comments Off on Blood Banks are a Public Health Service

Vaccination Coverage rates for teens are improving across the country and in Arizona

By | September 2nd, 2016|Preparedness|

Last week CDC released 2015 vaccination coverage data for teens collected through the National Immunization Surveys (NIS). These surveys are sponsored annually through the CDC, and for teens, they attempt to estimate the level of coverage for three important adolescent vaccines: Tdap, Meningococcal, and HPV vaccine. There is good news for Arizona in this year's [...]

Comments Off on Vaccination Coverage rates for teens are improving across the country and in Arizona

Arizona Celebrates Success and Continues Statewide Zika Preparedness Activities

By | August 30th, 2016|Preparedness|

Since February, public health, health care, and vector control partners have been working together to prepare for and protect Arizona communities against Zika virus. One of our recent accomplishments was the Arizona Zika Action Plan Summit, held on May 24th, 2016. The summit aimed to share our current knowledge about Zika virus and provide a [...]

Comments Off on Arizona Celebrates Success and Continues Statewide Zika Preparedness Activities