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Ariz. health aide says docs decide on vaccinations
Young children and other specific populations will be identified as top priorities when Arizona starts distributing swine flu vaccine next month. But the state's health director said Sept. 15 it will be up to physicians and other front-line providers to make choices on who gets the shots and sprays first.
CDC: 3 out of 4 toddlers in Arizona getting recommended vaccinations
Three out of four Arizona toddlers are getting a recommended series of vaccinations, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Health Services director Humble can’t shake ‘interim’ tag
Will Humble was named in January as the interim director at the Arizona Department of Health Services, replacing January Contreras. Nearly eight months later, Brewer has nearly finished filling the department head positions that traditionally change when a new governor takes residence on the Ninth Floor.
Medical alert: Short on vaccine, state prepares for flu pandemic
If you think the flu season is fast approaching, think again - health authorities say it never really left. Active cases of swine flu are popping up in virtually every Arizona county, which is especially unusual during the state's hot summer months.
From teen pregnancies to heart attacks, DHS statistician tracks health data
Sooner or later, Christopher Mrela will have your number - if he doesn't already. As the statistician for the Department of Health Services, Mrela is a man of many numbers. He's compiling them now for the "Arizona Health Status and Vital Statistics Report." It's due out in September.
A failure to rehabilitate
Arizona spent $121 million on drug- and alcohol-treatment programs in 2008, but a report by the Arizona Auditor General’s Office indicates the programs have failed to change the behavior of most substance-abusing patients. Nearly half of the patients who began substance-abuse treatment during the past three years dropped out before finishing the programs.
‘Arnold v. Sarn’: Helping or hurting?
The lawsuit that led to the creation of the modern behavioral health care system in Maricopa County has created what many experts say is an artificial set of standards that ignores the real needs of patients. But confusion and disagreement over ways to improve the system have delayed the kind of meaningful reform that almost everyone in the health care community recognizes as necessary.
Mental health care: 30 years of broken promises
Magellan Health Services has adopted a slogan since taking over Maricopa County's behavioral health care system two years ago: "Getting Better All the Time." The reforms promised by the Maryland-based company in the months before taking control of the system were put on hold while the company tried to rebound from the loss of medical records, a critical audit by the court and a series of well-p[...]
Mental health meetings slated to resume
Gov. Jan Brewer is expected to meet with lawmakers and officials from the state’s health department later this week to discuss making reforms to the state’s behavioral health care system. The meeting is tentatively scheduled for June 23.
Communities needing dental care hitch their hopes to a trailer
Delia Coronado awaits her fate under the glare of a dental lamp, as Dr. Gary Watkins prepares to drill. Along with dentist and patient, a half-dozen volunteers are crammed into the small trailer of a clinic.
Interim director takes on long-term challenges
Will Humble still hands out his “old” business cards, showing his former title as deputy director of the Arizona Department of Health Services. He explains that he hasn’t ordered new ones printed with his current job title of interim director of DHS. While higher-ups conduct a search, Humble wonders whether he’ll be named the next director of the agency.
Gov’s Office, Health Department at odds over audit
The Governor's Office and the Arizona Department of Health Services were pitted against each other during a hearing on the fractured condition of the county's mental health care system.
