• Slug: BC-CNS-Cochlear Implants. 830 words.
• Photo available (thumbnail, caption below).

By Brooke Rindenau
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – Cochlear implants have been available in the U.S. since 1961. However, the deaf community is divided over whether getting a cochlear implant undermines deaf identity and culture.

A cochlear implant is a small electronic hearing device, with one part surgically implanted into the bone surrounding the ear and one part placed on the ear like a hearing aid. It allows people who are deaf or very hard of hearing to receive and process sounds and speech; it does not, however, restore normal hearing.

Continue reading “Deaf community is divided over how cochlear implants affect deaf identity and culture”

• Slug: BC-CNS-Engandered Species Scientist. 375 words.
• 6 photos available (thumbnails, captions below).

By Mariah Temprendola
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – Tara Harris’ fascination with science began in childhood, eventually forming into her passion for conserving native species. Harris believes animals play vital roles in the environment, yet recognizes some are overlooked.

“I really found a passion for them and wanted to work with our partners to help save them,” Harris said. “I feel like I can make a tangible difference for them right here at home.”

Continue reading “‘A tangible difference’: Phoenix Zoo scientists work to save native species”

• Slug: BC-CNS-Doctor Shortage. 1,300 words.
• Photos available (thumbnails, captions below).

By Leah Mesquita
Cronkite News

EL PASO, Texas – For Makena Piñon, the Texas doctor shortage is not just an issue for the state – it’s a personal issue with repercussions for her health.

The freshman studying biomedical sciences at the University of Texas at El Paso was born with a congenital heart defect, requiring travel outside her hometown to receive treatment.
Continue reading “Texas Tech Health El Paso program helps high school students go to medical school in state, aims to relieve statewide doctor shortage”

• Slug: BC-CNS-AI Libraries. 1,035 words.
• 2 photos available (thumbnails, captions below).

By Naomi DuBovis
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – Librarians have a lot to think about now that artificial intelligence has entered the picture. Not only could the technology fundamentally change the way they do their jobs, but it also affects areas such as patron privacy and information literacy.

But librarians also see AI’s potential for good. Cataloging and research are major areas in librarianship that artificial intelligence can automate and potentially improve.

Continue reading “A new intermediary: How AI may impact libraries, research and information retrieval”

• Slug: BC-CNS-George Floyd Exhibit. 320 words. By Julia Schamko.
• 7 photos available (thumbnails, captions below).
• Video available.

TEMPE – ASU Art Museum partnered with Arizona State University’s Center for Work and Democracy and the George Floyd Global Memorial following a professor’s acquisition of a collection of offerings gathered during the George Floyd protests in Minneapolis. Floyd, a Black man, was killed by a white police officer in Minneapolis during an arrest in May 2020, sparking nationwide protests over police violence.

Items including posters, letters, paintings and more are currently displayed in the museum’s “Twin Flames: The George Floyd Uprising from Minneapolis to Phoenix” exhibit through July 28.

Continue reading “Minneapolis to Phoenix: George Floyd protest offerings displayed at ASU Art Museum”

• Slug: BC-CNS-Sage Memorial Hospital Sidebar. 230 words.
• 2 photos available (thumbnails, captions below).
• Video & embeddable map available.

By Mia Milinovich
Cronkite News

GANADO – Sage Memorial Hospital is tackling access to health care beyond its main facility in Ganado, with two mobile units that provide a range of outpatient services, including diabetes mellitus screenings and education, rapid HIV and syphilis tests, screenings and treatments for sexually transmitted infections, adult immunizations, harm reduction services, walk-in services and more.

Kathryn Barron, nurse practitioner and director of outpatient services and community health at Sage Memorial, said officials there are developing the mobile units to provide comprehensive care.

Continue reading “Mobile units and nutrition assistance extend Sage Memorial’s reach”

• Slug: BC-CNS-Sage Memorial Hospital Photo Essay. 530 words.
• 12 photos available (thumbnails, captions throughout).
• Video & embeddable map available.

By Kevinjonah Paguio
Cronkite News

Continue reading “New Sage Memorial Hospital transforms Navajo health care”

• Slug: BC-CNS-Sage Memorial Hospital. 2,560 words.
• 8 photos available (thumbnails, captions below).
• Video & embeddable map available.

By Mia Milinovich
Cronkite News

GANADO – Desert stretches out around the little town of Ganado, which sits in the western part of the 27,000 square miles of the Navajo Nation.

Ganado is home to Sage Memorial Hospital, a Native-managed comprehensive health care system serving thousands of people in surrounding Navajo communities. The medical facility has operated out of its current facilities since 1930. Back then, the outpatient building, Poncel Hall, was home to the first Native American nursing school.

Now, 93 years later, Sage Memorial Hospital has built a 95,614-square-foot state-of-the-art hospital that is more than twice the size of the original hospital and will significantly increase patient capacity.

Continue reading “Sage Memorial Hospital in Navajo Nation constructs new facility to improve health care”

• Slug: BC-CNS-Rattlesnake Ready. 800 words.
• 7 photos available (thumbnails, captions below).
• Video available.

By Analisa Valdez
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – Rattlesnake season in Arizona is ramping up and while that means watching out for snakes – it can mean watching out for your pets, too.

Experts caution Arizonans to be aware of their surroundings while hiking or walking their dogs and to keep their eyes and ears open for the telltale signs of rattlesnakes: their coiled bodies and the unmistakable rattle of their tails.

“Certainly there are avoidable situations and potentially unavoidable situations,” said Bryan Kuhn, pharmacist and toxicologist at Banner Health Poison & Drug Information Center. “I can say that for this year, the vast majority of our bites have been these sort of unintentional, unavoidable type scenarios where someone is in an area where they are unaware there’s a snake.”

That’s where Rattlesnake Ready and Rattlesnake Ranch come in. Co-founders and owners Cody and Kate Will have built a large collection of rattlesnakes at Rattlesnake Ranch, which people can visit for a fee to see and learn about the snakes. Through Rattlesnake Ready, the pair prepare and educate pets and pet owners about these misunderstood desert creatures by utilizing ranch resources at the 2,400-square-foot nature center and training area in Cave Creek.

Continue reading “Cave Creek business aims to train dogs to avoid rattlesnakes in the summer months”

• Slug: BC-CNS-Medical Interpreters. 940 words.
• 5 photos available (thumbnails, captions below).
• Related Spanish story available.

By Kevinjonah Paguio
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – Non-English speakers can face big communication challenges in medical settings: being unable to convey personal information, understand medical jargon and follow treatment instructions. These challenges can result in misunderstandings, or worse, in misdiagnoses. Phoenix hospitals work at preventing problems like this by providing interpretation and translation services in many different languages.

About 2 million Arizonans speak a language other than English, according to U.S. Census Bureau data, although it is not clear how many would be considered non-English speakers. Over 1.3 million speak Spanish; more than 130,000 speak another Indo-European language; 150,000 speak an Asian or Pacific Island language; and 160,000 speak other languages.

Phoenix hospitals, including the Mayo Clinic, Valleywise Health, Abrazo Health and Banner Health, have established services for interpretation – for speech – and translation – for written communication – that can cover dozens of different languages. When a hospital’s language department is unable to directly provide interpretation and translation services, third-party providers – vendors and contractors – will step in.

Continue reading “Medical interpreters break the language barrier in Phoenix hospitals, use interpretation and translation services to broaden accessibility”

• Slug: BC-CNS-Salton Sea. 775 words.
• 17 photos available (thumbnails, captions below).

By Jack Orleans
Cronkite News

NORTH SHORE, California – As it deteriorates, the ecosystem around the Salton Sea in Riverside County in Southern California, has been creating a toxic environment that hurts the health of children of immigrant families who live and work there, according to researchers.

A 2023 study by the University of California, Riverside, looked at the immigrant population of low-income Hispanic and Indigenous Mexican Hispanic people in communities around the Salton Sea and found that the rate of childhood asthma is 20% to 22.4%, much higher than the California average of 14.5%. The study’s researchers said that the health problems are caused by the dust from the remains of fish that ingested toxic materials from the water in the Salton Sea.

Continue reading “Salton Sea immigrant community experiences high rates of asthma from inhaling dust from the drying sea bed”

• Slug: BC-CNS-Goth Scene Photo Essay. 115-word intro + photos.
• 13 photos available (thumbnails, captions below).

By Sam Ballesteros
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – When people think of Arizona, a thriving Goth scene may not be something that comes to mind, but maybe it should be.

The Goth subculture began decades ago as a post-punk musical style. It is a fashion style, music genre and lifestyle that often explores dark and romantic themes. Those who identify with the subculture often refer to themselves as “Goths.”

Today, the scene in Arizona has gained prominence through events and festivals and evolved into an accepting space for new and older generations of Goths alike. Goth-centered artisan markets, Goth nights at clubs and Goth festivals have emerged to provide the community with opportunities to express themselves in a welcoming environment.

Continue reading “‘You’re Goth, welcome to the club’: Arizona’s Goth scene is gaining prominence due to events, exposure”

• Slug: BC-CNS-Senior Homelessness. 800 words.
• Photos available (thumbnails, captions below).

By John Sanders & Naomi DuBovis
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – Homelessness is an ongoing issue in the state and around the country. As the number of unhoused individuals rises, government and nonprofit organizations continue to assist those impacted – with the help of federal funding. Arizona older adults in particular have difficulties with housing and may be limited in generating new income.

A 2022 report from the Arizona Department of Economic Security indicated that more than 4,500 individuals ages 55 and older received homelessness assistance, more than any other age group that year.

Continue reading “Older adults face homelessness at high rates. Here’s how governments, organizations are responding.”

• Slug: BC-CNS-Latino Cancer Rates. 840 words.
• Photos available (thumbnails, captions below).
• Embeddable chart available.

By Annika Tourlas
Cronkite News

SAN ANTONIO – Cancer is now the leading cause of death for Latinos, accounting for 20% of all deaths, and according to a news release from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, Latinos could face a 142% increase in cancer cases in coming years.

Those were among the concerning statistics discussed by researchers and health care providers at a conference focused on Latino cancer care, hosted by the Mays Cancer Center and the Institute for Health Promotion Research earlier this year at the University of Texas Health San Antonio.

Continue reading “San Antonio oncologists tackle rising rates of cancer deaths in Latinos”

• Slug: BC-CNS-Rattlesnake Awareness. 550 words.
• File photo available (thumbnail and caption below).
• Video available.

By Zoriah Cole
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – As the temperatures rise and the sun casts its golden glow over the Arizona landscape, more and more people are drawn outside to embrace the beauty of the outdoors. However, amid the breathtaking scenery and rugged trails, there’s a potentially dangerous cohabitant – the rattlesnake.

Bryan Kuhn, a toxicologist from the Banner Poison & Drug Information Center, cautions adventurers about the increased encounters between humans and snakes as temperatures climb above 80 degrees.

Continue reading “As Arizona shifts into warmer weather, beware of rattlesnakes, experts say”

• Slug: BC-CNS-Virtue Signaling,870 words.
• 2 file photoa available (thumbnail, caption below).

By Martin Dreyfuss
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – They can’t say they weren’t warned.

When Republican lawmakers pushed a bill that would rewrite state law to include “only two sexes” and specifically rejected “gender identity,” Gov. Katie Hobbs told them she would veto the bill if it passed, just like she vetoed a similar measure last year.

They passed it. She vetoed it, just one of 52 bills vetoed by the governor so far this year.

Bills addressing immigration, abortion, and diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI programs, are among the many that have passed with almost no chance of becoming law, part of the regular “political theater” aimed less at legislating and more at getting media attention and appealing to constituents. Continue reading “Succeeding by failing: ‘Virtue signaling’ runs high in the Legislature”

• Slug: BC-CNS-Health and Wellness Festival. 530 words.
• 13 photos available (thumbnails, captions below).

By Sam Ballesteros
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – The Downtown Phoenix Farmers Market and the Phoenix Bioscience Core hosted the first Health & Wellness “Phoestival” with multiple guest speakers, a blood drive, cooking demonstrations and booths.

The Phoenix Bioscience Core is a 30-acre life science innovation district in downtown Phoenix that serves as a center for bio research and education. It boasts the highest concentration of research scientists in the state, from TGen, Exact Sciences and Phoenix’s major health care systems – Phoenix Children’s Hospital, Banner Health, Dignity Health and Valleywise Health – and more. It is the only area where all three of Arizona’s public universities – University of Arizona, Northern Arizona University and Arizona State University – have medical campuses.

Continue reading “Downtown Phoenix Farmers Market, Phoenix Bioscience Core promote health education at festival”

• Slug: BC-CNS-AZ Mental Health. 1,680 words.
• 4 photos available (thumbnails, captions below).

By Leah Mesquita
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – Mental Health America ranked Arizona 49th in the nation for adult mental health care. The national nonprofit determines rankings based on the prevalence of mental illness and the access to mental health care. Arizona’s 2023 ranking of 49 out of 51 is based on the state having a higher prevalence of mental illness and lower access to insurance and treatment.

For Rachel Streiff, an organizer and member of Arizona Mad Moms, this ranking was no surprise. She and other family members, caregivers and friends of individuals with severe mental illness, have been advocating on their behalf for adequate psychiatric services and treatment for quite some time.

Continue reading “Arizona ranks 49th in nation for access to adult mental health care”

• Slug: BC-CNS-Letter Writing. 505 words.
• 8 photos available (thumbnails, captions below).
• Video available.

By Julia Schamko
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – In 2001, the U.S. Postal Service designated April as National Card and Letter Writing Month. Now, 23 years later, companies are taking a new approach, giving ease and access to those looking to write letters.

With advancements in technology speeding up how humans communicate with each other, slower methods of communication, like letter writing, have been losing popularity. According to a 2021 CBS News survey, 37% of Americans hadn’t written a personal letter in over five years.

Continue reading “From robots to real connection: Arizona initiatives take on letter writing”