Health journalists have a few more days to sign up and get the advance rate for AHCJ’s annual conference. If you haven’t registered yet, this is a good time to check out the program and the speakers.
Conference organizers have been nailing down the final details and adding speakers that are relevant to the latest news, including the U.S. Surgeon General, health officials from three key cities and the new undersecretary for health at the Veteran’s Administration. And you won’t want to miss our reception at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame!
Here are some of the highlights:
THURSDAY, APRIL 7
Roundtable: Covering the health angles of cities facing crises
Health commissioners from three key municipalities will address some of the turmoil that has occurred in cities across America over the past two years. They’ll discuss their successes and challenges as well as strategies to target health during tumultuous times. Discover what the health stories may be if your city erupts, and leave prepared with angles to cover it.
- Natoya Walker Minor, M.P.A., interim director, Cleveland Department of Public Health
- Melba R. Moore, M.S., C.P.H.A., acting director/commissioner of health, St. Louis
- Leana S. Wen, M.D. M.Sc., health commissioner, Baltimore
- Moderator: Susan Heavey, AHCJ topic leader/social determinants; reporter, Reuters
FRIDAY, APRIL 8
Newsmaker Briefing
Meet the new Under Secretary for Health at the Veteran’s Administration. David Shulkin, M.D., has taken on oversight of the largest integrated health care system in the United States, with more than 300,000 employees serving more than 8 million veterans each year. He is tasked with addressing many of the VA hospital-related problems that surfaced two years ago.
SATURDAY, APRIL 9
Spotlight Speaker
Meet the first U.S. Surgeon General of Indian descent: Vice Admiral Vivek H. Murthy M.D. He is responsible for communicating the best available scientific information to the public regarding ways to improve personal and public health. He also oversees the operations of the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, with about 6,700 uniformed health officers serving in nearly 800 locations around the world
The dozens of fascinating panels include:
- Defining a “good” death – and how to cover it
- Will innovative cancer care reach patients?
- Covering the intersection of infrastructure and public health
- The tyranny of geography: Place, race and social determinants
- How to understand and cover the opioid epidemic
- Covering the concussion crisis: Research and real life
- Trauma’s mental impact from childhood to adulthood
- Stem cells and regenerative medicine: What’s real?
- From Ebola to Zika: Responsible reporting on emerging infectious diseases
The workshops include:
- Several freelancer-focused skill-building sessions
- Sessions on finding and using data in health stories
- Better-writing sessions
- Better-sourcing sessions
- Ethics, interviewing and more!
Register by noon CT on Wednesday, March 16.
The Road to Cleveland
- Attending Health Journalism 2016? Go for a walk in Cleveland
- Health Journalism 2016 panel to look at cities tackling health and turmoil
- The Road to Cleveland: Haven’t booked your hotel yet?
- Planning for AHCJ’s annual conference with an eye on disparities
- Take the opportunity to tour a world-class medical history museum
- Share a room or ride in Cleveland
