Arizona Seniors – Arizona Department of Health Services similar to other agencies, working on much smaller budget

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Arizona Department of Health Services similar to other agencies, working on much smaller budget

In spite of budget cuts, the Arizona Department of Health Services continue to offer services to people in need, Communication Director Laura Oxley said. She talked about the agency during a presentation last week for Peoria Rotary Club.

By Carolyn Dryer

The state is not going to provide as much in the future, so state agencies are looking for the help they need outside the government sector.

That was just one of the messages learned from a presentation last week by Laura Oxley, communication director for the Arizona Department of Health Services.

Oxley, originally from Kansas City, Mo., said her grandmother was a teacher who instilled in her the desire to “look things up.” In high school and college, Oxley said she was always curious and had a desire to educate. A degree in communication from the University of Missouri launched her career in journalism, a path and vocation that kept her busy for 20 years.

“I worked in television, was a news anchor in college,” she said. “It was very boring.”

She became a reporter/photographer/producer/edtior and eventually moved into management at a television station.

“I was a ‘Call for Action’ producer, a program that helped TV stations solve problems for people,” she said.

‘It was atounding to meet people losing their homes, contractors overcharged for work,” she said. “We helped people save their homes.”

Oxley moved to Arizona as a member of the Meredith Corporation, which owns KPHO Channel 5 in Phoenix. After a time, she went to work for the Department of Homeland Security for the state of Arizona, and helped secure grants.

Two years ago, she took her current position with ADHS.

“It’s a perfect niche,” she said. “ADHS has shrunk over time, but its mission is the same.”

The agency oversees operations involving behavioral health, licensing and public health.

In the area of behavioral health, there is a new budget, and now the department can only offer medication for people who do not qualify for AHCCCS (Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System).

“Everyone has mental health,” she said. “But where is yours?”

Symptoms run from depression to schizophrenia, and ADHS must provide for all of the medications required for the patients who suffer from those mental illnesses.

In the licensing arena, ADHS oversees medical and child care facilities, hospitals, assisted living centers, speech therapists and audiologists.

“The good thing is we’re out there all the time,” Oxley said.

For public health, ADHS offers preparedness and prevention programs.For preparedness, the programs cover fire, flood and the flu. Prevention programs are designed to help people protect themselves.

Some problems never seem to get solved, and there are infrastructure issues as well as realizing polio still is not eradicated.

“We’re lucky to have fresh water,” Oxley said, “and health care facilities available to people, and vaccinations, which have come so far to enable us to do what we do.

“It comes down to what you can do for your health.”

She said H1N1 is a great example. It represented the longest flu season ever, but turned out to be not as dangerous as first thought.

“We had an emergency operation in the department,” she said. “If you’re sick, stay home. Wash your hands. We finally got the vacinations.

“It was back to you.You have to be the one responsible for your health.”

She said businesses have learned to cross-train.

The food stamp program is now called SNAP and it is changing to requiring healthier food. The program now pays for anything except tobacco and alcohol.

The biggest change in WIC (Women and Children) is there is not as much cheese being distributed.

Although programs are underfunded, ADHS still performs the necessary tasks to protect public health. It is OK to report a green pool. And Oxley advised people to be proactive, talk to their neighbors.

“We do have a decent system in place (for testing food). We have the safest food supply in the world because of the safety system in place,” she said.

Reach the reporter at cdryer@star-times.com, or 623-847-4604.

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