Public health vs. parent choice: The vaccination debate in Arizona
PHOENIX – Arizona public health officials continue to warn that the state is at risk for an outbreak due to plummeting vaccination coverage rates, and lawmakers are fighting for legislation on both sides of the debate. Parents continue to question the safety of vaccines, but there are still no viable solutions on the table.
Wilderness of the world: Reconnecting with nature helps struggling teens, families heal
TONTO NATIONAL FOREST – Teenagers struggling with depression, bipolar disorder, substance abuse and other issues are walking through their problems, thanks to the Anasazi program.
Dust, particle pollution disproportionately affect Latino and poor communities
PHOENIX – Latino and lower-income communities of Phoenix are breathing in more polluted air than residents in other parts of the city, and a new report indicates it’s part of a national trend.
Smartphones, Snapchat, Instagram transform how today’s teens bully each other
PHOENIX – Increased accessibility to Wi-Fi, cellphones and social media platforms continues to transform how teens bully one another.
Fecal treatment leads to improved lives for children with autism
GILBERT – ASU researcher James Adams said microbiota transfer therapy has been useful in treating children with autism and their gastrointestinal issues. Ben Bonaroti participated in the treatment in 2014 and his quality of life improved.
‘A blind eye in medicine’: Bias can affect the health of patients of color
TEMPE - Unconscious bias, inconsistent training and a lack of racial and ethnic diversity among doctors leads to disparities in treatment, new research shows.
At a downtown Phoenix center, the tables are turning for people with HIV
PHOENIX – “Cookie” King, who was diagnosed with HIV 34 years ago, works at the Southwest Center for HIV/AIDS helping those who walk the path she once walked. The need is great, because Maricopa County is a hotspot for HIV occurrences.
Migrant medical costs, Arcosanti experiment and day care inspections
PHOENIX – In Tuesday’s 5 p.m. broadcast, viewers decided which interviews they wanted to see on air. But we’re offering all the content here: the full stories, the in-depth interviews and the community comments.
Less than 40% of Arizona doctors use prescription drug database, despite state law
PHOENIX – Arizona law requires doctors to check a state database before they write a new prescription for a controlled substance, such as prescription opioids. But more than 60% do not.
Mother urges Phoenix police to carry life-saving overdose drug
PHOENIX – Only 100 of Phoenix’s specialty police officers carry Narcan, a nasal spray form of naloxone. A mother who lost two children to opioid overdoses is trying to change that.
A tale of two cities: What Baltimore can teach Arizona about fighting fentanyl overdoses
PHOENIX – After researchers proved fentanyl testing strips were the most accurate method of detecting the opioid, Maryland decriminalized them. But they’re illegal in Arizona, which advocates say is only making the overdose problem worse.
Making your wishes known: Advance directives pushed for Healthcare Decisions Day
PHOENIX – Health professionals are recommending that the public take the time to fill out advanced directives, which tell them what patients would want when they can’t speak for themselves.
