About AHCJ: General News

2017 AHCJ-National Library of Medicine fellows selected Date: 08/16/17

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Six journalists have been named to this year's class of AHCJ-National Library of Medicine fellows. The fellowship program was created to increase reporters' access and understanding of the considerable resources available at NLM and the National Institutes of Health.

The journalists chosen to take part this year are:

  • Max Blau (@maxblau), southern correspondent, Stat, Atlanta

  • Ginger Christ (@gchristcle), reporter, The Plain Dealer, Cleveland

  • Meryl Davids (@MeryIDL), independent journalist, Boca Raton, Fla.

  • Mari Schaefer (@marischaefer), staff writer, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Wayne, Pa.

  • Warren Tong (@warrentong), independent journalist, New York, N.Y.

  • Eli Zimmerman (@eaztweets), reporter, Frontline Medical News, Rockville, Md.

Their visit to the NIH campus, scheduled for the week of Sept. 24, will include hands-on workshops about how to use and get the most from several government research databases, such as PubMed, MedlinePlus, ClinicalTrials.gov and ToxNet. Fellows also will meet with senior NLM and NIH researchers and officials for exclusive informational sessions.

The fellows were selected from dozens of qualified applicants.

"We are so happy to take another set of reporters to this unique American treasure," said AHCJ Executive Director Len Bruzzese. "This is our ninth year working with the National Library of Medicine on these fellowships. The amazing tools and skills picked up by the reporters are no less important than they were when we started."

AHCJ is an independent, nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing public understanding of health care issues. With about 1,500 members, its mission is to improve the quality, accuracy and visibility of health care reporting, writing and editing. The association and its Center for Excellence in Health Care Journalism are based at the Missouri School of Journalism.

The National Library of Medicine, on the campus of the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md., has been a center of information innovation since its founding in 1836. The world’s largest biomedical library, NLM maintains and makes available a vast print collection and produces electronic information resources on a wide range of topics that are searched billions of times each year by millions of people around the globe. It also supports and conducts research, development, and training in biomedical informatics and health information technology. In addition, the Library coordinates a 6,000-member National Network of Libraries of Medicine that promotes and provides access to health information in communities across the United States.