Laura Bargfeld expects to graduate in December 2022 with a master’s degree in mass communication. Bargfeld recently completed fellowships through the RWJF Southwest Health Reporting Initiative and News21.
TUCSON – A hotline expected to launch next spring seeks to help improve access to information and treatment options for perinatal mental health.
TEMPE – A new doula advisory committee in Arizona is developing certification procedures for the nonmedical labor professionals. It will bring the state one step closer to increasing access to doulas – who, research shows, can help prevent pregnancy-associated deaths.
PHOENIX – Hushabye Nursery uses a model called Eat, Sleep, Console to treat newborns with neonatal abstinence syndrome, the result of withdrawing from drugs they were exposed to before birth. The nursery gives parents and babies private rooms to allow for family-centered care, with the goal of breaking the cycle of addiction across generations.
GLENDALE – Opioid use, particularly the use of powerful synthetic opioids like fentanyl, remains a pressing problem. As cartels do more to target young people on Snapchat and other social media, Arizona drug prevention groups are letting parents, kids and educators know what to look out for to stay safe.
PHOENIX – Democrat Katie Hobbs maintained a narrow lead Wednesday over Republican Kari Lake in Arizona’s race for governor. The race is one of the most competitive – and most consequential – in the country.
HOUCK – Traditional healing has always been a part of Indigenous culture, and it’s especially useful for treating mental health. But access often is limited. Arizona and other states are seeking authorization from the federal government to cover these services under Medicaid.
TUCSON – Café 54 serves as an employment training program for people with mental health conditions. Trainees work as cashiers, cooks, dishwashers and servers. The goal is to help them gain new skills and land a permanent job in the workforce.
SALT LAKE CITY – Across the U.S., artists paint murals to memorialize victims of police violence. For some, they serve as public gravesites, spaces of remembrance and community. For others, they are difficult reminders of loss.
PHOENIX — Hefty prices have made it hard for retirees like Brenda Dickason of Tucson to afford medications. Provisions included in the new Inflation Reduction Act should help by capping out-of-pocket spending for Medicare enrollees and restraining some drug costs.
