Initial response strong to special Affordable Care Act open enrollment
WASHINGTON - A special open enrollment period for Affordable Care Act coverage drew 528,005 new enrollees nationwide in its first six weeks, with 9,569 of those consumers in Arizona, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
A Community’s Response: Reflections from the White Mountain Apache Tribe a year into the COVID-19 pandemic
WHITERIVER – COVID-19 devastated Native American communities. With the spotlight often on places like the Navajo Nation, the much smaller White Mountain Apache Tribe quietly battled to save its people.
With drug overdoses rising, leaders take action
PHOENIX – Amid record overdose deaths in the U.S., policymakers are proposing measures to expand treatment, reduce the chance of overdose and direct more funding to the problem.
‘I instantly knew he was dead’: Drug overdoses surge during pandemic, piling tragedy upon tragedy
TUCSON – While stay-at-home orders kept people safe from contracting COVID-19, home is where isolation and limited access to treatment fueled substance use disorders and led to a spike in overdose deaths.
Arizonans with disabilities get COVID vaccinations, thanks to group effort
PHOENIX – Over 1,600 people got their first COVID-19 vaccinations at a recent event targeting individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities.
Travel nurses, staffing industry pushed to the limits by COVID
PHOENIX – After more than a year of witnessing relentless death on the front lines, the critical workforce of travel nurses is burning out – with lasting repercussions on the health care industry.
Downward facing … poultry? Chicken yoga is newest animal therapy trend
PHOENIX – Puppy yoga, goat yoga and now chicken yoga. Silkie chickens added to the emotional, mental and spiritual health of yoga practitioners at a one-time session at a downtown Phoenix business.
EASE up: New ASU program supports engineering students with autism
PHOENIX – Research shows that students with autism lack social support once they enter college. An ASU program is aiming to fix that, by pairing students on the spectrum with peer mentors.
Mesa school district to phase out mask policy, others keeping theirs
On Monday, Mesa Public Schools will allow students to go maskless while outside. If the district does not see any spikes, it will begin to recommend – but not require – masks starting May 3.
‘A perfect storm:’ Body-image struggles, eating disorders converge during pandemic
PHOENIX – A new study finds pandemic-related stress may be linked to body image issues and social media can harm those with eating disorders.
Corporation Commission votes to strengthen policies on power disconnection
PHOENIX – The Arizona Corporation Commission votes to amend power disconnection policies. If finalized, the rules would go into effect in summer 2022.
Alcohol use among older adults increased during pandemic
PHOENIX – The yearlong pandemic has increased anxiety and isolation, which has spurred an increase in alcohol consumption, particularly among older Arizonans, health officials say.
