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Now in its 18th year, the Association’s journalism contest has become a professional and public affirmation of the importance of health care as a beat. Last year’s contest drew 439 entries in 14 categories. To select the most powerful, poignant and effective stories from all the submissions requires dedication and care. For that, we must thank the dozens of volunteer judges who make it all possible.
AHCJ board members and staffers are barred from judging, and the contest judges work independently — and until now, anonymously — to select the final winners. Some judges say the work is inspiring and gratifying and have donated their time to judging several contests. Others are volunteering for the very first time. But each one plays a crucial role in maintaining the integrity and independence of the contest.
The success of the 2021 contest depended on the work of 82 volunteer judges. Many of them are named below.
Thank you to all of them.
- Ira Allen
- Marcus Banks
- Allison Bell, ThinkAdviser
- Nancy Benson, University of Illinois
- Karen Blum
- April Brown, California State University, Los Angeles
- Karen Brown, New England Public Radio
- Barbara Burgower Hordern
- Sammy Caiola, WHYY
- Cheryl Clark, MedPage Today
- Victoria Colliver, Politico
- Courtney Crowder, Des Moines Register
- Katherine Eban, Vanity Fair
- Mari Edlin
- Rachel Ehrenberg, Knowable magazine
- Temma Ehrenfeld
- Shannon Firth, MedPage Today
- Jennifer Follis, University of Illinois
- Frank Gluck, The Nashville Tennessean
- Erica Goode, Inside Climate News
- David Gorn
- Katti Gray
- Jennifer Haberkorn, Los Angeles Times
- Ariel Hart, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
- Joshua Hatch, The Chronicle of Higher Education
- Markian Hawryluk, Kaiser Health News
- Erica Hensley, The Fuller Project
- Gloria Hochman
- Lynn Holley, University of Illinois
- Christopher Intagliata, NPR
- Mary Chris Jaklevic
- Carla K. Johnson, The Associated Press
- George Johnson
- Brian C. Jones
- Erin Jordan, Cedar Rapids Gazette
- Sandra Jordan
- Jeremy Kohler, ProPublica
- Sandra Lamb
- Hoag Levins, University of Pennsylvania
- Rosie Mestel, Knowable Magazine
- Naseem Miller, The Journalist’s Resource
- Rachel Nania, AARP
- Charlie Ornstein, ProPublica
- Karen Robinson-Jacobs, St. Louis American
- Shari Rudavsky, Indy Star
- Bram Sable-Smith, Kaiser Health News
- Anne Saker, The Cincinnati Enquirer
- Margot Sanger-Katz, The New York Times
- Donna Shaw, The College of New Jersey
- Mary Shedden, WUSF Public Media
- Joanne Silberner
- Alex Smith, KCUR
- Paula Span, The New York Times
- Cindy Spence, University of Florida
- Nancy Stedman, Stedman Edit
- Len Strazewski, Columbia College Chicago
- Lindsey Theis
- Wendy Thermos
- Manasi Vaidya, Pharmaceutical Technology
- Lexie Verdon, Kaiser Health News
- Michael Vitez, Temple University
- Susan White, Public Health Watch
- Jeffrey Young, Modern Healthcare
Volunteer to be a judge! Sign up here. Every year the contest needs new judges. Serving as a judge does not bar you from entering the contest yourself — we’ll make sure the category you judge is different from the one you enter. For questions about judging or serving on the contest committee, email committee chair Carrie Feibel at cfeibel@npr.org.
