Ariana Araiza
Ariana Araiza air-ree-AH-nah ah-RYE-zuh (she/her)
Health Reporter, Phoenix

Ariana Araiza expects to graduate in May 2023 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a minor in film and media studies. Araiza is assigned to Cronkite News as a digital reporter focusing on health.

Latest from Ariana Araiza

‘We cannot continue to scar Mother Earth’: Public shows support for proposed monument near Grand Canyon

FLAGSTAFF – Dozens of community members, tribal leaders and state officials gathered in Flagstaff to show their support for a proposed national monument around the Grand Canyon, saying the designation could protect natural and cultural resources. Critics say the monument could hurt the economy.

Nearly 200 people attend a meeting to discuss the proposed national monument near the Grand Canyon in Flagstaff on July 18, 2023. (Photo by Ashley Lay/Cronkite News)

Health care providers offer free help with chronic illnesses, not just urgent care, to people experiencing homelessness

PHOENIX – Valley health care providers who serve the homeless population agree that summer months are especially dangerous for those without shelter. But they add that chronic medical conditions and drug use contribute to the alarming increase in deaths among those experiencing homelessness.

Circle the City provides free medical care to homeless individuals in the Phoenix area. (Photo by Joey Plishka/Cronkite News)

Valley health care providers offer free HIV tests to reduce stigma and end epidemic

PHOENIX – Spectrum Medical Care and Walgreens teamed up on National HIV Testing Day to provide free HIV tests. Valleywise Health has provided free HIV testing in its emergency department since 2011. Both are working to remove barriers, break the stigma of HIV and end the epidemic.

Spectrum Medical gave out freebies and information about HIV tests and preventive HIV medication. Photo taken in Phoenix on Tuesday, June 27, 2023. (Photo by Kylie Werner/Cronkite News)

Camp Not-A-Wheeze offers youth with asthma a normal camp experience while educating them on how to manage their chronic disease

HEBER – Camp Not-A-Wheeze is a summer camp tailored for youth with asthma to provide them a safe and educational experience. The camp provides a majority of its campers scholarships and arms them with information on how to manage their chronic disease.

A sign welcomes campers to Camp Not-A-Wheeze in Heber, Arizona. The camp educates children ages 7 to 14 about asthma and how they can live normal lives despite their chronic lung disease. (Photo by Joey Plishka/Cronkite News)

Activist on a roll: ADA lawsuits no surprise to disabled community advocate

PHOENIX – Two Southwest-based eye surgery centers reached a $1 million settlement with the Justice Department, which accused them of discriminating against disabled patients, a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Disability activist Gina Schuh has used a wheelchair since a diving accident at age 18. “When people tell me not to let it define me, I say, ‘Actually, it 100% has defined me as a person and who I am today and I am cool with it.'” (Photo courtesy of Gina Schuh)

Blacks more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease, less likely to be treated

PHOENIX - Black Americans are twice as likely as whites to develop Alzheimer’s disease and live with missed diagnoses and treatment gaps, studies reveal. While 10% of white adults have the disease, 19% of U.S. Black adults do, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.


Doctors, shelters stitch medical care help for El Paso migrants

EL PASO, Texas – A humanitarian matchup of medical, shelter and government workers reach out to try to help some of the thousands of migrants who cross into El Paso from its municipal twin, Ciudad Juárez in Chihuahua, Mexico. El Paso city officials estimate that an average 250 people daily – up to 1,000 daily during surges – make their way from half a dozen countries, mainly from South America.

A migrant waits in the intake room before being taken into an exam room at a clinic in El Paso. Advocates say hope and faith is a common denominator among migrants who leave home and make their way through hardships on their journey to the U.S. (Photo by Paula Soria/Cronkite News)

‘My child, my choice’: Parents, children march to support school voucher program

PHOENIX – Parents, children and educators on Wednesday marched to the state Capitol to support an education voucher program that Gov. Katie Hobbs has said she wants to dismantle. Empowerment Scholarship Accounts provide up to $7,000 annually in state funds.


Poison control, dispensaries on alert as kids who accidentally eat marijuana edibles rises

Poison control centers and marijuana dispensaries are sending messages to parents as the number of children who accidentally eat their edibles is on the rise.

Arizona law prohibits edibles from being designed to look like children’s candies, such as gummy bears. In a licensed Arizona dispensary, marijuana gummies for adults are labeled with the specific dose on individual gummies and their container. State law requires that edibles are limited to a maximum of 10mg of THC per edible and a maximum of 100mg of THC per package of edibles. Photo taken in Scottsdale on Jan. 31, 2023. (Photo by Emily Mai/Cronkite News)