The Bureau of Women’s and Children’s Health supports a variety of efforts to improve women’s health. The Maternal and Child Health Block Grant funds a full-time Women’s Health Coordinator position in the Office of the Deputy Assistant Director for Public Health Prevention Services. The Women’s Health Coordinator works closely with all offices within Public Health Prevention Services to coordinate women’s health activities throughout the division. This position also works with the Governor’s Office for Children, Youth, and Families and serves as the primary staff member for the Governor’s Commission on the Health Status of Women and Families in Arizona. In addition, the Women’s Health Coordinator is responsible for helping to promote women’s health issues throughout the state. Activities culminate during Women’s Health Week in May with a health exposition and health marketing activities to promote healthy lifestyle, early screening, and detection. For more information on women’s health activities, contact Jessica Yanow at 602-364-1486.

Title V Maternal-Child Health 5-Year Needs Assessment 

Every five years, recipients of Title V Maternal-Child Health Block Grant funds are required to assess the health of its three target populations and establish priorities for the state’s role in meeting their needs. The target populations include pregnant women and infants, children, and children with special health care needs. The needs assessment process is both qualitative and quantitative. Mortality, morbidity, and health care utilization data are analyzed, and need is indicated by any of the following: 1) an Arizona trend moving in an undesirable direction; 2) Arizona comparing unfavorably to the rest of the nation; 3) disparities between subgroups within Arizona, e.g., geographic, racial/ethnic, age group; or 4) a measure falling short of a defined standard. Our partners are also a rich source of information, and we are constantly reviewing input from them both to help understand emerging issues and to help set our priorities. The needs assessment was submitted with the 2006 block grant application on July 15, 2005. For more information , please contact Doug Ritenour, Office of Assessment and Evaluation, Bureau of Women’s and Children’s Health. Doug can be reached by email at ritenod@azdhs.gov or by telephone at 602-364-1433. Click to view the Year 2005 MCH Needs Assessment.

Medical Home Project  

The Medical Home Project is a system of linkages between school nurses and health care providers. The Bureau of Women's and Children's Health contracts with the American Academy of Pediatrics, Arizona Chapter, to develop and implement a system for linkage between individual pediatricians, family practice physicians, specialists and school nurses to provide a medical home for uninsured children of low income families who have no other source of health care. Qualified children are referred by school nurses to the Medical Home Project who then connects the child to participating health service providers who these providers have agreed to accept a Medical Home Project assigned fee of $5.00 or $10.00 as payment in full for the office visit. Children referred through the Medical Home Project can obtain medical care and other health-related services, including diagnostic procedures and prescribed medications. In 2007, 77 primary care providers and 54 specialty providers participated in the Medical Home Project. 811 services were provided to children as a result of referrals through the Medical Home Project. These services included primary care, specialty services, eye glasses, laboratory services, and prescriptions.

Early Childhood Health and Safety Project  

The Early Childhood Health and Safety Project is important to the health and well being of Arizona's children. The goal of this project is to improve the health and safety of children in Arizona. The health and safety of Arizona's children is dependent on the knowledge of the person caring for the child. 

With this in mind, the Bureau of Women's and Children's Health (BWCH) contracted early childhood nurse consultant partners to develop the Communicable Disease Flip Chart  [PDF 494k], and the Safety Information Flip Chart [PDF 753k]. The award winning "best practice" resources designed for use as reference guides for individuals who are responsible for the health and safety of children in group settings. The Bureau of Women's and Children's Health also funds a full time Child Care Health Consultant in Pima County who provides leadership and training statewide on child care health consultation as well as providing direct services to child care providers in Pima County.

State Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems Grant  

"State Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems Grant is a three-year implementation grant funded through May 2009 by the federal Health Resources and Services Administration.  This grant is a collaboration between the Arizona Department of Health Services Bureau of Women's and Children's Health and the Arizona Early Childhood Development and Health Board which is leading the statewide planning and policy development necessary to improve integration of existing early childhood systems.  Based on the recommendations of the School Readiness Board, Governor Napolitano released her School Readiness Action Plan in January 2004. The vision of Arizona 's initiative is that all children start 1st grade safe, healthy, and ready to succeed.  The initiative works to improve systems in five areas: access to medical homes/ health care; early care and education, including child care; parent education, family support; and social-emotional development and behavioral health." 

Back To Top