About AHCJ: General News

AHCJ announces 2009-10 Midwest Health Journalism Program fellows Date: 08/17/09

Call for applications: Midwest Health Journalism Program 2009-10

Read what past fellows say about the experience.

Past fellows

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

COLUMBIA, Mo. - The Association of Health Care Journalists has named the 2009-10 class of the Midwest Health Journalism Program, an annual fellowship program for reporters and editors from Kansas and Missouri.

The fellows are:

  • Angie Bailey, KOMU-Columbia
  • Eric Becker, Suburban Journals of St. Charles County
  • Kaley Connor, Hays Daily News
  • Kathy Crawford, The Smithville Herald
  • Lindsey Fields, High Plains Public Radio
  • Rebecca Gannon, KWCH-Wichita
  • Linda Geist, The Lake Gazette
  • Sarah Green, KHI News Service
  • Jackie Hutcherson, St. Louis Post-Dispatch
  • Letha Steffey, Enhance Magazine

The program provides established journalists with the tools needed to improve the depth and amount of coverage focused on critical state and local health issues. The goals include a better-educated public and more accountability for policymakers, say the program planners.

The program involves a cooperative effort among AHCJ, the Kansas Health Institute and the William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications at the University of Kansas.

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

Training includes:

  • a customized week-long reporting boot camp in Columbia, Mo., this month;
  • access to a state government health policy seminar in Topeka or Jefferson City early in 2010;
  • a four-day trip to Health Journalism 2010, to be held in Chicago in April;
  • a Kansas City workshop on covering rural health issues in mid-2010.

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