About AHCJ: General News

Ten journalists named 2008-09 Midwest Health Journalism fellows Date: 07/01/08

July 2, 2008

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Len Bruzzese , Association of Health Care Journalists, 573-884-5606

Advisory Board

Funders:
• The Kansas Health Foundation, Wichita, Kan.
• The Sunflower Foundation, Topeka, Kan.
• The United Methodist Health Ministry Fund, Hutchinson, Kan.
• REACH Healthcare Foundation, Merriam, Kan.
• Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City, Kansas City, Mo.
• Missouri Foundation for Health, St. Louis

Press release: Foundations support launch of Midwest Health Journalism Program

COLUMBIA, Mo. - The Association of Health Care Journalists has named the 2008-09 class of the Midwest Health Journalism Program, an annual fellowship program for reporters and editors from Kansas and Missouri.

The fellows are:

  • Alan Bavley, Reporter, The Kansas City Star
  • Mary Jo Feldstein, Reporter, St. Louis Post-Dispatch
  • Elana Gordon, Reporter, KCUR (NPR), Kansas City
  • Sandra Jordan, Reporter, St. Louis American
  • Jeannine Koranda, Statehouse Reporter, The Wichita Eagle
  • Kathleen O'Dell, Reporter, The Springfield News-Leader
  • Duane Schrag, Special Projects Reporter, Salina Journal
  • Morgan Smith, Reporter/Producer, KAKE-Wichita
  • Tammy Worth, Freelance Writer, Blue Springs, Mo.
  • Liz Zamora, News Anchor/Reporter, KTKA-Topeka

The aim of the program is to provide established journalists with the tools needed to improve the depth and amount of coverage focused on critical state and local health issues. The result should be a better-educated public and more accountability for policymakers, say the program planners.

The program, which involves a cooperative effort among AHCJ, the Kansas Health Institute and the William Allen White School of Journalism at the University of Kansas, recently graduated its first class of fellows.

AHCJ, based at the Missouri School of Journalism, conducts the training program through its Center for Excellence in Health Care Journalism. The Kansas Health Institute administers the grant and helps coordinate overall planning and marketing efforts, while the University of Kansas evaluates the training project and its results.

Training includes:

  • a seminar on health policy and reform efforts in Kansas City in July
  • a four-day reporting boot camp in Columbia, Mo., in August
  • a three-day workshop at the CDC in Atlanta
  • a state government day in Topeka or Jefferson City early in the year
  • a four-day trip to Health Journalism 2009, to be held in Seattle in April
  • a seminar on covering rural health issues in mid-2009.

Each fellow will be provided an appropriate mentor from the 1,000-plus membership of AHCJ to discuss story ideas, best sources and story approaches throughout the year.