La Paz County Transit invites the community to help celebrate their twentieth anniversary.
 
For twenty years, La Paz County Transit has provided transportation to all people who may not otherwise be able to get to where they need to go.  While priority is given to the elderly, and disabled, anyone can use this transportation service.  The transit operation has expanded over the years to cover Parker and the outlying areas of the county, including  Salome, Wenden, Hope, and Ehrenberg.  It has been a wonderful community resource that has helped people keep medical/dental appointments, get groceries and run errands.
 
In May 1996, the La Paz County Health Department was assigned the task of developing a transit system for La Paz County by Joan Bighead, Greg Upton, and Gene Fisher. We are still going strong. Services are funded in part by WACOG AAA/D.E.S., ADOT and donations.    
 
For more information or to schedule a ride on the La Paz County Health Department Transit System, please call 928-669-6155.

La Paz County, AZ- Summer Monsoons bring much needed rain to La Paz County but they also bring an annoying pest: mosquitos. La Paz County Health Department would like to remind residents and visitors to avoid mosquitoes when outdoors during dusk to dawn hours. “It’s that time of year again when mosquitoes are active,” said Katie Turnbow, Public Information Officer for the La Paz County Health Department. “Some mosquitoes carry the West Nile virus and our goal is to prevent mosquito bites in the first place.”

West Nile virus is a potentially serious illness and has been found in 48 of the states.  Most people who are infected with West Nile virus experience no symptoms or may experience mild illness such as a fever, headache, and swollen glands 3 to 14 days after being bitten by an infected mosquito.  It is estimated that 1% of people bitten by an infected mosquito will develop encephalitis, inflammation of the brain.  Symptoms of encephalitis include high fever, headache, muscle weakness or paralysis, seizures, and confusion. People with symptoms should see a doctor.

Mosquito activity usually peaks in August so right now is a good time to put prevention practices to use. Avoid mosquito bites by wearing shoes, socks, long-sleeved shirts and long pants when outdoors during dawn and dusk and use a mosquito repellent. Mosquito proof your home by removing all standing water and checking window screens for holes. Mosquitos don’t need much water to breed so turn over your plastic containers, pools and other water-holding containers. Remove the mosquito’s favorite breeding site: discarded tires.

Monsoon rains can provide breeding grounds for mosquitoes that often travel several miles for a blood meal. Interestingly, only female mosquitoes rely on blood for sustenance while male mosquitoes feed on nectar. It takes 10-20 days for a mosquito to go from egg to adulthood.

The La Paz County Health Department is committed to serving and educating the community of La Paz County on all public health issues. For more information, go to www.lpchd.com.

La Paz County, AZ- Back-to-school preparations are taking place across the county and La Paz County Health Department would like to remind parents about a very important item to add to the list: vaccinations. The health department will be offering back-to-school vaccinations every Tuesday from 8:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m., at 1112 Joshua Ave, Suite 206 in Parker.

“We usually get a rush right before school starts and that can cause a longer wait,” said Director of Nursing, Diana Grazier.  “We want to remind parents that we can start vaccinating now and cut down on the amount of time they might have to wait.” 

No appointment is needed but parents should bring their child’s shot record and insurance card if they have insurance that covers vaccinations.  Non-custodial parents, grandparents, and relatives who do not have legal guardianship must bring a note from the parent or legal guardian in order for the child to receive vaccination. 

Arizona State Law requires that a child, upon entering school, have a record of immunizations against preventable childhood diseases as listed below:

• Preschool students must be current with the DTap/DTP/DT, Polio, MMR, Hepatitis B, and Varicella (Chicken pox) vaccines. They must also be current with Hepatitis A and Hib immunizations.  
  
• Kindergarten students must have 4-5 doses of DTap/DTP/DT, 4 doses of Polio (IPV), 2 doses of MMR, 3 doses of Hepatitis B and 1 dose of Varicella (Chicken Pox) vaccines. 
  
• 6th, 7th, or 8th grade students or students who are 11 years or older are required to have the above immunizations (incoming kindergarten) and also one dose of the Meningococcal Vaccine (MV), two doses of the Varicella vaccine (if the first dose was given at age 13 or later) and 1 dose of the Tdap vaccine if 5 or more years have passed since their last DTap/DTP/DT or Td. 
  

Other clinic locations include: Ehrenberg Elementary on the 1st Wednesday of the month from 9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m., Quartzsite Fire Department on the 1st Wednesday of the month from 1:00 p.m. -3:00 p.m., and Salome Substation building near the Fire Department, 1st Thursday of the month from 9:30 a.m. -11:30 a.m. For more information about vaccinations schedules and clinic times, visit www.lpchd.com/nursing. 

La Paz County, AZ- La Paz County Health Department was the recipient of its seventh Daniel T. Cloud Outstanding Practice Award for exceptional immunization rates in adolescents at the annual Arizona Partnership for Immunizations (TAPI) awards ceremony in Phoenix, April 23, 2014.

Since its inception in 2000, The Arizona Partnership for Immunizations (TAPI) has recognized exceptional efforts of individuals, community groups, and organizations that have made a difference in immunization coverage levels within the last year with the Daniel T. Cloud Award. This can be done through the development of new ideas and/or policies that lead to increased rates, or by meeting certain targeted goals. 

The Daniel T. Cloud Award is for any organization or practice with outstanding immunization rates in one of two categories: toddlers and adolescents. The toddler award is for an organization that has reached a 90% or higher coverage level for children that are fully immunized before the age two. The adolescent category is for an organization that has reached 90% coverage rates for the vaccines Tdap, MCV4, and HPV.  The awards are presented in 2 year cycles. La Paz County Health Department has received a total of five toddler and two adolescent awards: the most awards any health department or practice has received.

“We are proud of our staff,” said Diana Grazier, La Paz County Director of Nursing, “but we couldn’t do it without the tremendous support we get from the schools or the diligent effort on the part of the parents/guardians of these children.”

La Paz County, AZ- La Paz County Health Department is pleased to announce National Infant Immunization Week (NIIW); an annual observance to highlight the importance of protecting infants from vaccine-preventable diseases, April 26st-May 1st.  Whopping cough (pertussis) is a fast growing concern in the United States and Arizona where rates are at an all time high since 1950. Pertussis is a vaccine-preventable disease that causes severe coughing in all ages, but it is more likely to kill infants. The Tdap (tetanus-diphtheria-acellular pertussis vaccine) is the best way to protect against pertussis but vaccination rates are staggering low among the group that spreads it the most: adults.

“56% of infant pertussis cases can be traced back to an adult spreader because only 14% of adults were vaccinated for pertussis in 2012 ,” said Diana Grazier, Director of Nursing for La Paz County Health Department. “In order to protect the youngest in our communities, adults should come in for a Tdap vaccination, especially if they are pregnant, live with an infant or care for an infant.”

Pertussis is known for uncontrollable, violent coughing which often makes it hard to breathe. After fits of many coughs, someone with pertussis takes deep breathes which result in a "whooping" sound. Pertussis most commonly affects infants and young children and can be fatal, especially in babies less than 1 year of age. Each year, 10,000 to 40,000 cases of pertussis are reported. Out of those cases, many lead to hospitalization. Infants are at greatest risk for getting pertussis and then having severe complications from it, including death. About half of infants younger than 1 year old who get pertussis are hospitalized, and 1 or 2 in 100 hospitalized infants die.

“Infants are especially vulnerable. That’s why we target the adults in order to create a cocoon of protection,” said Grazier. Adults need just one Tdap vaccination and La Paz County Health Department has it. Tdap is $40 at the health department or free to adults with no insurance but it is in limited supplies so please call ahead. Residents can also talk to their healthcare provider about the Tdap vaccine. For more information, visit www.lpchd.com. 

La Paz County, AZ-  In celebration of Public Health Week, La Paz County Health Department, in partnership with Community Intervention Associates and Community Health Associates, is hosting the second annual Health and Wellness Expo, April 5th at Western Park. Health and wellness partners from the southwest area will be raffling off tablets and kindles, providing fun games and activities for kids, conducting screenings and passing out information on health and wellness services offered in the community. Residents and visitors are encouraged to join in the celebration on April 5th, at the Western Park in Parker, 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. “This event is designed to introduce residents and visitors to services they might not know exist in La Paz County,” said Marion Shontz, Director of the La Paz County Health Department.

Every year in the United States, seven out of 10 deaths are due to preventable chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. In fact, chronic diseases account for a whopping 75 percent of national health care spending, yet only 3 percent of our health care dollars go toward prevention. Here in La Paz County, many of our residents are living with a costly and potentially life-threatening chronic illness. Prevention activities, like the health and wellness expo, help people make the connections they need to manage those diseases.

The expo will be a part of the American Public Health Association’s annual celebration of the role of public health and prevention in our communities. Since 1995, communities nationwide have celebrated NPHW each April to draw attention to the need to help protect and improve the nation’s health.  For more information on public health efforts in La Paz County, visit lpchd.com/expo or like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/lapazcounty.healthdepartment

La Paz County, AZ- On March 18th, students from La Paz County will take a STAND against tobacco use at the Arizona State Capitol. Students Taking a New Direction (STAND) is organizing their first legislative day on March 18th. More than 250 students from 25 local youth chapters will gather at the State Capitol to showcase their efforts to pass local legislation that promotes smoke free environments.

“We are seeing a downward trend in tobacco use. Right now, 14% of kids under 18 use tobacco. That’s a 30 percent drop in four years,” explained Teen Solutions, the La Paz County chapter of STAND. Recent news of CVS’s decision to stop carrying tobacco products on the heels of the 50th anniversary of the Surgeon General’s report is inspiring hope that tobacco use will soon be a memory. “While we are making great strides, we are still picking up a lot of cigarette butts in our parks.  We have a lot of work to do.”

During the legislative day event, students will meet with their district senators and representatives to discuss local tobacco issues. STAND members will discuss tobacco issues and how each local chapter is working to improve the health and wellness of their local cities and towns. The program will run from 11am to 1pm with a formal presentation beginning at noon on the Senate Lawn with a special guest speaker: former Cardinal football player, Ron Wolfley.

STAND is partnering with the Arizona Attorney General’s Counter Strike Program, Arizonans Concerned about Smoking, The Arizona Chapters of the American Heart Association, American Lung Association and American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network to highlight that tobacco use is still an issue. 

“Tobacco use is the leading cause of death in Arizona,” said La Paz County Teen Solutions.  “It’s not just lung cancer but heart disease, emphysema, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and it can worsen existing health problems.” 

The STAND Legislative Day is open to the public from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 18th, at the Arizona State Capitol, 1700 West Washington, Phoenix AZ 85007.

STAND is a statewide coalition of students ages 13-18 who work to raise awareness about the dangers of tobacco use and to urge elected officials at all levels of government to treat cigarettes as hazardous materials by creating regulations for forage, transport, sale and disposal. For more information visit www.standaz.com.

La Paz County, AZ- In an effort to raise awareness about National Black HIV/AIDS awareness day, February 7th, La Paz County Health Department would like to remind residents about the free HIV testing program. Residents can be tested for free at the health department Monday-Thursday from 8am – 4pm.  It is a walk-in basis, but please call ahead to make sure a nurse is available. The test is done through an oral swab so no blood draw is needed. 

2014 marks the 33rd anniversary of the HIV epidemic, the virus that causes AIDS. HIV is most commonly spread through unprotected sex, sharing of needles with an HIV-infected person, or transmission from an infected mother to her baby.

Many strides have been made in the fight against HIV, especially in the area of medical treatment. HIV is no longer the death sentence it once was and has become, for many, a chronic disease they must live with.  If detected early while the viral load is at minimal levels, it is less likely that the disease will develop into full blown AIDS. That’s why it’s important for people to know their HIV status, be diagnosed early and receive medications to help ensure the best health outcomes. As many as 1 in 6 people currently infected with HIV don’t even know it, according to statistics from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

La Paz County Health Department can help in the HIV epidemic by providing free oral tests, counseling and physician referrals. For more information visit www.lpchd.com or call 928-669-1100.

La Paz County, AZ- The Great American Smokeout is a day when smokers are encouraged to quit for a day, quit for life. This year members of Arizona’s statewide anti-tobacco youth coalition Students Taking a New Direction, better known as STAND, will take that one step further urging Arizonans to ‘decide today for life-long-strong lungs.’

In partnership with the American Lung Association (ALA), STAND will be holding events throughout Arizona not only promoting the health impact of living and working in a smoke free environment. STAND members are partnering with members of the ALA’s Better Breather’s club to provide interactive demonstrations on how smoking can affect your lungs.

“When it comes to smoking and the health effects, it is usually cancer related problems that you hear about,” said Lee Ann Anderson of the La Paz County Health Department’s Public Health Education and Prevention Program. “We want to also remind people that smoking affects your lungs too. But not just your lungs, it affects those around you too.”

STAND members will also be showcasing their efforts to make their community smoke free by passing out quit kits at an informational booth at Blue Water Resort and Casino from 9:00am-2:00pm, and the Teen Solutions Coalition will be promoting tobacco prevention at Wallace Junior High from 12:00-1:30pm.

Community prep will also occur as coalitions across the state will display pledge walls in high traffic areas for smokers and non-smokers alike to either pledge to quit for the day or to never start. To further promote and draw attention to their cause, STAND members will change their personal and coalition Facebook profile photo to a singular image.

Participants are members of STAND, Students Taking a New Direction, a statewide coalition of students ages 13-18 who work to not only raise awareness about the dangers of tobacco use, but urge elected officials at all levels of government to treat cigarettes as hazardous materials - including creating regulations for storage, transport, sale and disposal. www.standaz.com

The Great American Smokeout is organized nationally by the American Cancer Society. It is held the on the third Thursday of November each year. In Arizona, it is supported by the Arizona Department of Health Services Bureau of Tobacco & Chronic Disease. The first Great American Smokeout was held in 1977. www.cancer.org/smokeout

La Paz County, AZ- The dates are set for the first La Paz County adult flu clinics and the La Paz County Health Department has plenty of vaccine. The influenza vaccine will be provided at: 

Bouse Booster Club on November 4th from 11:00-noon; Desert Gold RV Park in Brenda on November 4th from 1:00-2:00pm. Quartzsite Improvement Association in Quartzsite on November 6th from 4:00-5:00pm. Walk-ins are accepted at the La Paz County Health Department but call 928-669-1100 to make sure a nurse is available.

A ten dollar donation for the influenza vaccine is appreciated for the adult vaccine. There is very little wait time with the Health Department influenza vaccine clinics. The Health Department does not bill Medicare for the vaccine so the lines move quickly.

Each flu season is unique, but Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that, on average, approximately 5% to 20% of U.S. residents get the flu. Even though influenza is a common illness, it can have serious complications. Some of the complications caused by flu include bacterial pneumonia, dehydration, and worsening of chronic medical conditions, such as congestive heart failure, asthma, or diabetes. Children may get sinus problems and ear infections as complications from the flu. Those aged 65 years and older and persons of any age with chronic medical conditions are at highest risk for serious complications of flu. More than 200,000 persons are hospitalized for flu-related complications each year. About 36,000 Americans die on average per year from the complications of flu.

If you think you have influenza (abrupt onset of fever, muscle aches and pains, cough and/or sore throat), please contact your health care provider for information on how to treat symptoms.

“Getting the flu shot is an excellent way to prevent getting the flu but it is not the only way. There are prevention techniques available to help prevent the flu,” said Diana Grazier, La Paz County Health Department Director of Nursing.

Though getting your flu shot is the best way to protect against influenza, these simple actions can stop the spread of germs.

• Wash your hands.  Washing your hands often with soap and water or using a hand sanitizer will help protect you from germs.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.  When you are sick, keep your distance from others to protect them from getting sick too.
• If possible, stay home from work, school, and errands when you are sick.  You will help prevent others from catching your illness.
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing.  It may prevent those around you from getting sick.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth.  Germs are often spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose, or mouth.

Other good habits, such as getting plenty of sleep, engaging in physical activity, managing stress, drinking water, and eating good food, will help you stay healthy in the winter and all year.  Hand sanitizer is an inexpensive way to ensure germ free hands and is available at most stores.

For more information on the influenza vaccination visit www.lpchd.com

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