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.

May is Trauma Awareness Month

By | May 9th, 2017|Preparedness|

Our state’s trauma system is comprised of dedicated healthcare professionals delivering compassionate, quality care across 42 state-designated trauma centers (hospitals specializing in trauma care), 200+ emergency medical services agencies, and countless other first responders and heroic bystanders – all serving as a critical link in the trauma chain of survival for tens of thousands of [...]

Comments Off on May is Trauma Awareness Month

May is Hepatitis Awareness Month

By | May 5th, 2017|Preparedness|

Viral hepatitis is inflammation of the liver caused by a virus, the most common types being hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C. More than five million Americans have chronic hepatitis B or C infections and about 75% of those infected are unaware. Viral hepatitis is the leading cause of liver cancer and the most [...]

Comments Off on May is Hepatitis Awareness Month

Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome: 20 Years and Counting 

By | May 4th, 2017|Preparedness|

Hantavirus was first discovered in 1993 in the Four Corners region of the United States—an area shared by Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Utah. The disease is carried by many types of rodents, including the deer mouse. People can be exposed to hantavirus by breathing in infected particles from rodent urine or droppings, as well [...]

Buckeye Fire-Medical-Rescue Department Earns Statewide Recognition

By | May 3rd, 2017|Preparedness|

The Buckeye Fire-Medical-Rescue Department recently became Arizona’s fourth emergency medical services (EMS) agency to successfully obtain ADHS Treat & Refer (T&R) EMS Agency recognition. Arizona's T&R Recognition Program recognizes EMS agencies that have demonstrated optimal patient safety and quality of care by matching appropriate treatment, transport, and care destination options to the needs of [...]

Comments Off on Buckeye Fire-Medical-Rescue Department Earns Statewide Recognition

Arizona Smoke-Free Celebrates Ten Year Anniversary

By | May 1st, 2017|Preparedness|

Do you remember walking into your favorite restaurant and being asked, “smoking or non-smoking?” Just a decade ago you could still hear that familiar phrase as smoking in a restaurant or bar was legal. Those smoking sections did little to protect non-smokers from the dangers of secondhand smoke. Voters passed the Smoke-Free Arizona Act in [...]

Comments Off on Arizona Smoke-Free Celebrates Ten Year Anniversary

Immunization Exemption Rates Rise in 2016

By | April 28th, 2017|Preparedness|

Arizona law requires that all children attending school or child care must obtain certain vaccines, unless they are exempted by a doctor for medical purposes, or by a parent for personal reasons. Schools are required to collect a copy of immunization records, or signed exemption forms, for each student. Each year, immunization information for all [...]

Comments Off on Immunization Exemption Rates Rise in 2016

Arizona State Public Health Laboratory Helping to Protect Health Statewide

By | April 27th, 2017|Preparedness|

April 23 through 29 is National Laboratory Professionals Week, a time for us to take a moment to thank our hard-working laboratory staff. This week we will celebrate the vital contributions laboratory professionals make to protect public health and safety . Our Public Health Laboratory is a leader in Arizona and the United States. For [...]

Comments Off on Arizona State Public Health Laboratory Helping to Protect Health Statewide

Celebrating our Arizona Immunization Heroes

By | April 24th, 2017|Preparedness|

Last week, we hosted our 24th annual Arizona Immunization Conference. About 400 partners from doctor’s offices, healthcare clinics, and state, local, and tribal agencies came together to learn and share best practices and current information about vaccination. These immunization heroes devote their time daily to ensure they are shielding Arizona communities from dangerous vaccine preventable [...]

Comments Off on Celebrating our Arizona Immunization Heroes

STD Awareness Month Highlights Public Health Prevention Strategies

By | April 20th, 2017|Preparedness|

Did you know that syphilis can cause serious health problems if left untreated or isn’t treated correctly? These serious health problems, like syphilis of the eye, are increasing among both men and women. Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease, but can also be spread from a mother to her unborn baby, known as congenital syphilis. [...]

Comments Off on STD Awareness Month Highlights Public Health Prevention Strategies

Blazing Frontiers: A Successful 2017 Arizona Public Cord Blood Conference

By | April 18th, 2017|Preparedness|

On April 13, the Arizona Biomedical Research Commission and the University of Arizona College of Medicine in Phoenix held the Second Annual Arizona Cord Blood Conference: Blazing Frontiers. The Arizona Public Cord Blood Program was created to advance the collection of and increase the number of cord blood units available for transplantation. Umbilical cord blood, [...]

Comments Off on Blazing Frontiers: A Successful 2017 Arizona Public Cord Blood Conference