Arizona Department of Health Services, Director’s Blog

Statewide Partnerships Lead Efforts to Eliminate TB

TB-cdcLast week, 25 public health tuberculosis (TB) nurses, epidemiologists and program managers from across the state came together to talk Arizona TB. This group represented 13 counties and three tribal nations, and spent the day talking about what they’ve done, what they do, and what they’re working toward.

The […]

By | April 5th, 2016|Preparedness|Comments Off on Statewide Partnerships Lead Efforts to Eliminate TB

National Public Health Week: Creating the Healthiest Nation by 2030

Group of Multi-careerThis week, April 4 through 10, we’re celebrating National Public Health Week (NPHW) 2016, a week that helps us recognize the work all of us do to keep our communities and our families healthy. During the first full week of April each year, the American Public […]

By | April 4th, 2016|General, Licensing, Preparedness, Prevention|Comments Off on National Public Health Week: Creating the Healthiest Nation by 2030

Working Together to Prevent Heat-Related Illness

IMG_5849eLiving in Arizona, extreme heat is a situation we are all too familiar with each summer. High temperatures from May through September contribute to more than 118 deaths and more than 2,000 emergency room visits annually here in our state. Right now, it’s not that hot, but we know the scorching […]

By | April 1st, 2016|Preparedness|Comments Off on Working Together to Prevent Heat-Related Illness

How did you Brighten the Family Table for National Nutrition Month?

Graphic_NNM2016_FBAs National Nutrition Month® draws to a close for this year, take a minute and name the ways you found to brighten your table with colorful fruits and vegetables over the past few weeks. Did you visit a farmers’ market with your family? Many of our WIC participants and seniors in the Commodity […]

By | March 31st, 2016|Prevention|1 Comment

Public Health Lab Authorized by CDC to Test for Zika Virus

zika-blog-v3Our Public Health Laboratory has been authorized by the CDC to begin testing for the Zika virus. We received a Zika virus testing validation panel from the Laboratory Response Network at CDC late last week, passed the proficiency testing panel and were authorized to test for Zika virus this past Monday. Using […]

By | March 30th, 2016|Preparedness|Comments Off on Public Health Lab Authorized by CDC to Test for Zika Virus

Arizona’s First Case of Zika in a Traveler

zika-lab-testingAs expected, the first case of Zika has finally been confirmed in Arizona. Yesterday, our Arizona State Public Health Laboratory identified Zika virus in a specimen sent to us for testing. The case, an older adult woman in Maricopa County, was infected with the disease while traveling in a […]

By | March 29th, 2016|Preparedness|Comments Off on Arizona’s First Case of Zika in a Traveler