This entry was named an Honorable Mention.
Judges’s comments:
First-class job on weaving-together all the threads connecting a hospital to a community. Presented in a way that is easy for the listener to grasp. Good grass-roots explanation of economics and politics! of health care; unusual, clever and well-researched approach to the subject. Held my interest to the very end (hard to do for 8 minutes on radio).
1. Provide the title of your story or series and the names of the journalists involved.
In Rural California, A Debate About How To Save A Hospital
By Sarah Varney
2. List date(s) this work was published or aired.
July 22, 2010 (also aired nationally on NPR)
3. Provide a brief synopsis of the story or stories, including any significant findings.
Rural hospitals across the nation have struggled to stay afloat. There are, of course, fewer patients in rural areas, and many of them are on public health insurance programs that pay far less than private insurers. Residents in Modoc [MOW-dock] County, in the remote northeastern corner of California, will soon vote on whether to tax themselves to save their local hospital. The county has gone broke trying to keep the hospital open, and a fractious debate has erupted in this proudly conservative, frontier community over the best way forward. From member station KQED, Sarah Varney reports.
4. Explain types of documents, data or Internet resources used. Were FOI or public records act requests required? How did this affect the work?
Review of state and county financial documents and audits. No public record act requests were needed.
5. Explain types of human sources used.
Interviews with dozens of residents in Pitt River Valley and neighboring valleys. This is an incredibly remote area of California. I spent several days walking along Main Street and going to local coffee shops and restaurants to understand how residents were lining up on the proposed tax.
6. Results (if any).
N/A
7. Follow-up (if any). Have you run a correction or clarification on the report or has anyone come forward to challenge its accuracy? If so, please explain.
N/A
8. Advice to other journalists planning a similar story or project.
I reported this story during the summer of 2010 when the Tea Party was gaining ground around the nation. The party’s message resonated deeply with many Modoc County residents at the same time they were debating whether to tax themselves to save their local hospital. It’s not so much advise as much as something I think about: how to weave other beats — in this case political coverage — into covering health care.