The Association of Health Care Journalists welcomes experienced journalist Cynthia Craft to its full-time staff in a new position, director of engagement.

She will play a key role in daily operations of the association including membership, outreach efforts and online resources.

Craft joins the organization after an extensive career in daily journalism, including a decade on the health care beat.

Craft most recently worked as a senior writer at The Sacramento Bee, having also worked for the Los Angeles Times, Dallas Times Herald and the California Journal. While freelancing, her articles appeared in The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, California HealthLine and Kaiser Health News.

She is a graduate of several fellowship programs, including AHCJ’s National Library of Medicine and Regional Health Journalism fellowships. As a Knight International Journalism fellow, she spent three years in Peru as a visiting professor of journalism. She has won several journalism awards, including sharing in spot news Pulitzer Prizes as a reporter and editor and a Sigma Delta Chi National Excellence in Public Service Award as a project editor.

“We’re very excited to add Cynthia to our hard-working staff,” said Len Bruzzese, AHCJ’s executive director. “She brings solid newsroom experience – both as a reporter and an editor – and has worked as a freelance writer as well. She has been an active member in the association, including taking part in fellowship programs and moderating panels, so we believe she will represent member interests well as we continue to grow.”

Craft is on Twitter as @cynthiahcraft  and can be reached at cynthia@healthjournalism.org or 573-884-8103.