Cat’s Recent Stories
Nation Feb 20
In Paradise, housing, water and jobs prove elusive in Camp Fire’s aftermathIn Paradise, California, thousands of residents are trying to cope with disruption and displacement resulting from November's devastating Camp Fire. Children attend school in a repurposed hardware store, where counselors try to help them manage their trauma. Meanwhile, amidst millions…
Science Jan 09
Virtual reality allows neurosurgery patients to ‘tour’ their own brainsOver the past year, UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital has been pioneering a virtual reality technology that enables pediatric patients, and their parents, to “tour” their brains before surgery. Special correspondent Cat Wise reports on how this 3-D platform may help…
Science Nov 21
During a flood, these drones can help identify water contaminationSurprisingly little is known about the toxins that lurk in floodwaters. In Hurricane Florence's aftermath, scientists, environmental groups and public health officials are studying the impact of contaminated water and raising concerns about lack of water quality alerts. Rapid water…
Nation Nov 15
Paradise gone, wildfire evacuees faced with rebuilding their livesIn the tally of death and destruction from California's Camp fire, officials confirm that 56 people died, 130 are missing and 8,800 homes have been destroyed in the town of Paradise. Special correspondent Cat Wise reports from Chico, California, where…
Nation Nov 13
After Florence, half of this town was underwater for days. Now residents wonder if they should rebuild.It’s been nearly two months since Hurricane Florence made landfall in North Carolina and then drenched the state for days, leading to devastating flooding in many inland areas and causing an estimated $17 billion dollars worth of damage. Special correspondent…
Health Oct 17
Nonprofit helping low-income patients describes itself as ‘Match.com meets the Peace Corps’Physician shortages, as well as cost and distance, can make specialty care prohibitive for many low-income patients. A nonprofit aims to tackle those challenges by utilizing telehealth technology and retiring, volunteer doctors. Special correspondent Cat Wise explores “The MAVEN Project.”…
Health Sep 11
Urban wildfires bring lingering worries about what’s in the ash and airFor weeks, smoky, unhealthy air from large wildfires has plagued much of the West Coast and beyond. What's the public health impact of an increase of urban wildfires, in which homes and other structures burn? Special correspondent Cat Wise meets…
Nation Aug 09
Massive California wildfires take a toll on residents and air qualityThe Mendocino Complex is a fire of unprecedented size, but the scenes are strikingly familiar: thick haze, homes charred, evacuees at shelters. At its peak, the fire displaced almost 20,000 people, and there are more than a dozen more blazes…
Science Aug 08
How an earthquake alert app could eventually give the West Coast vital warningWest Coast residents go about life knowing seismic threats are lurking, but there's a lot that people can do before an earthquake hits if they have even a few seconds of warning. A system called "ShakeAlert" picks up seismic information…
Science May 23
With highest hepatitis C mortality rate in U.S., Oregon expands access to life-saving drugsNew drugs can cure up to 95 percent of patients with hepatitis C, a virus that can be debilitating or deadly. And there’s been a 20 percent rise in new infections from 2015 to 2016 due to the opioid epidemic.
