Health

WASHINGTON - Arizona fared relatively well in a national report card on its care for people with developmental disabilities, but advocates fear those services are being threatened by low pay and high turnover rates for caregivers creating a "workforce in crisis" - in states across the country.

LOS ANGELES – Fears about the rapid spread of the novel coronavirus that’s affecting tens of thousands in China are motivating racism against Asian Americans in the U.S., where 13 cases but no deaths have been reported.

PHOENIX – The Valleywise Behavioral Health Center, which will provide nearly 200 beds and other patient services, has opened in the old Maryvale Hospital.

PHOENIX – Advocates continue struggling to keep qualified Hispanic families enrolled in public programs like food stamps and cash assistance amid changes to the so-called public charge rule. The U.S. Supreme Court last month decided to let the rule take effect, and that happens on Feb. 24. It allows immigration officers to consider applicants’ use of public benefits, including Medicaid, in deciding to grant green cards, visas and changes in residency.

PHOENIX – Study finds that participating in intense sports and other outdoor activities is an effective alternative treatment for PTSD.

LOS ANGELES – With 13 confirmed coronavirus cases in the United States, researchers in Flagstaff are working on a test for patients that could be widely implemented if it’s approved by the FDA.

PHOENIX – Those in the industry have found no downsides in cupping therapy, which is being used more in high school athletics.

SANTA MONICA, Calif. – ASU students studying abroad in China were given permission to leave their programs early due to the coronavirus outbreak and resume studies in U.S.

LOS ANGELES – California could be the first state to make its own generic drugs if the state legislature approves the governor’s recent proposal.

PHOENIX – Native Americans have the highest rates of diabetes in the U.S., and to address the issue, the Phoenix organization Native Health is offering a free, 20-week course focused on healthful cooking and eating. The best part? Participants go home with the ingredients needed to make diabetes-friendly meals.

PHOENIX – Cases of novel coronavirus, which has spread from China to the U.S., continue to grow, but the risk to Americans who have not visited Wuhan, China, is low, the CDC says.

PHOENIX – A Maricopa County resident who recently returned from Wuhan, China, is one of five confirmed cases of novel coronavirus in the U.S. That person was identified as a "member of the ASU community," but officials would not say whether the patient is a student or employee.