Arizona Department of Health Services, Director’s Blog

ADHS Staff Participate in Project to Transform and Improve State Government

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Several of our staff have participated in Governor Ducey’s Transformation of Arizona State Government project, which is a multifaceted approach to rethink how state government operates and conducts business with internal stakeholders and external customers.

One of the recent successes of the project was the Permit Blitz that streamlined and developed a set of […]

By | December 22nd, 2015|General|Comments Off on ADHS Staff Participate in Project to Transform and Improve State Government

Keep Your Kids Safe this Holiday Season by Following Toy Guidelines

bike-helmet-elinAs the holiday and gift giving season approaches, it’s important for parents and caregivers to remember to choose toys with care to keep children safe. Keep in mind the child’s age, interests and skill level. Look for quality design and construction in all toys. Make sure that all directions or instructions are clear. […]

By | December 21st, 2015|General, Prevention|Comments Off on Keep Your Kids Safe this Holiday Season by Following Toy Guidelines

Vaccines For Children Enrollment

iStock_000045255012_XXXLargersThe Vaccines for Children (VFC) Program is a federally funded program that provides vaccines at no cost to children who might not otherwise be vaccinated because of inability to pay. Here at ADHS, we partner with CDC to distribute these vaccines to nearly 900 private vaccine providers and public health […]

By | December 18th, 2015|Preparedness|2 Comments

Arizona a Top Public Health Preparedness Performer

Public health preparedness is critical to ensure rapid and effective response to emergencies, outbreaks, and disasters. For the last several years, CDC has released a national snapshot of states’ performance on key public health indicators. As we’ve seen year over year, Arizona continues to score high marks on preparedness. Like […]

By | December 17th, 2015|Preparedness|Comments Off on Arizona a Top Public Health Preparedness Performer

More Foodborne Illness in the National News

norovirusFoodborne illness has been in the news again with a norovirus outbreak striking a Chipotle restaurant and sickening over 100 Boston College students. Norovirus is a highly contagious stomach illness that can cause severe stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. It’s pretty uncomfortable, but most people start feeling better […]

By | December 16th, 2015|General|Comments Off on More Foodborne Illness in the National News

Arizona publishes first report of concurrent mosquito-borne disease outbreaks

dengueADHS Office of Infectious Disease Services published a report last week in the CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report describing concurrent outbreaks of West Nile virus and St. Louis encephalitis virus disease in Arizona. These outbreaks occurred from May through October this year, and resulted in over 100 illnesses . […]

By | December 15th, 2015|Prevention|Comments Off on Arizona publishes first report of concurrent mosquito-borne disease outbreaks