Arizona State and Local Government Documents Collection

Public health preparedness has been both an opportunity and a challenge for our department. These challenges have created a lot of extra work for public health professionals but they have also created a better system. It has given public health the opportunity to educate the public about our role in protection every day and during emergencies.

Assessing and addressing the public’s changing needs is a challenging task. The Health Department uses a variety of measures to evaluate program accomplishments while holding itself accountable to the taxpayers. The economic challenges faced by the County and its residents require the Department to rely more on quality improvement approaches to maximize the limited resources. Here are some highlights of the Health Department’s achievements in efficiently providing needed public health services.

Key actions and decisions affecting management of Arizona’s wildlife and outdoor recreational opportunities don’t occur just within our state. Forces are also at play from outside the state – at regional, national and international levels. These reports discuss some of the issues and provides a broad overview of representative accomplishments and activities for the year.

The Arizona Department of Health Services offers a vast array of programs that benefit every state resident and visitor. I like to remind people that we are with you from birth to death. In fact, we provide certificates for both events through our Office of Vital Records. If you drink the water, eat the food, require hospital or nursing home care or use a child care facility, the Arizona Department of Health Services has touched your life in some important way. Assuring the quality of our food and water, setting standards for hospitals and nursing home and child care, maintaining the State’s vital records, screening newborns for genetic diseases, protecting the public from disease and overseeing the state’s mental health system and Arizona State Hospital are just some of the duties of the Arizona Department of Health Services.

On July 1, 2007 the Apache County Public Health Services District (ACPHSD) was formed. The annual report is an opportunity for the Director to formally report the progress and challenges of the past year, as well as to make recommendations for the future. It is my hope that this report will provide some insight into the valuable services provided by the Apache County Public Health Services District employees as well as outline how the District has enhanced public health services.

Wildlife 20/20 provides broad strategic guidance for all department programs. It is intended to be a living document that conveys policy direction that the Arizona Game and Fish Commission has provided to the department to guide its work into the future. It will be complemented by additional plans designed to provide more specific direction, as needed.