Category Archives: Health care reform

Series focuses on stressed rural hospitals that may need to close

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About Joseph Burns

Joseph Burns (@jburns18), a Massachusetts-based independent journalist, is AHCJ’s topic leader on health insurance. He welcomes questions and suggestions on insurance resources and tip sheets at joseph@healthjournalism.org.

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Photo: Naoki Takano via Flickr

Given all the concern about the failure of rural hospitals, it may seem counterintuitive that some hospitals in rural America may need to close. In multipart series for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, investigative news reporter Yamil Berard found last year that some rural hospitals in Georgia had serious deficiencies.

Those deficiencies included significantly low occupancy rates, stiff competition from other hospitals, dwindling populations in their service areas, poor management and faulty decision-making, she reported. Continue reading →

Get a chance to further your health journalism knowledge through AHCJ fellowships

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About Pia Christensen

Pia Christensen (@AHCJ_Pia) is the managing editor/online services for AHCJ. She manages the content and development of healthjournalism.org, coordinates AHCJ's social media efforts and edits and manages production of association guides, programs and newsletters.

The 2011 AHCJ-CDC Health Journalism Fellows met with Ali S. Khan, M.D., M.P.H., assistant surgeon general and director of the CDC's Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response.

The 2011 AHCJ-CDC Health Journalism Fellows met with Ali S. Khan, M.D., M.P.H., assistant surgeon general and director of the CDC’s Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response.

AHCJ is taking applications for two of its premier fellowship programs: the AHCJ-CDC Health Journalism Fellowships and the AHCJ Reporting Fellowships on Health Care Performance.

Both programs offer journalists a chance to receive top training and a chance to find new sources and story ideas for their reporting. Continue reading →

Journalists encouraged to beat the approaching AHCJ contest deadline

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About Jeff Porter

Jeff Porter is the director of education for AHCJ and plays a lead role in planning conferences, workshops and other training events. He also leads the organization's data collection and data instruction efforts.

While 2020 is coming to a close, AHCJ wants to recognize the year’s demanding work of journalism colleagues through the Awards for Excellence in Health Care Journalism.

The contest deadline is Jan. 26 at 5 p.m. Eastern Time.

Winners of the contest are recognized at the annual awards luncheon at AHCJ’s annual conference. First-place winners earn $500 and a framed certificate. They also receive complimentary lodging for two nights and registration for the annual conference, June 24-27, in Austin.

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COVID relief bill bans some surprise medical bills, but not all

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About Joseph Burns

Joseph Burns (@jburns18), a Massachusetts-based independent journalist, is AHCJ’s topic leader on health insurance. He welcomes questions and suggestions on insurance resources and tip sheets at joseph@healthjournalism.org.

us-capitolLeaders of both political parties in the U.S. House and Senate reached agreement Sunday to pass a $900 billion bill to stimulate the economy. That bill also included language supporting a long-sought plan to end surprise medical bills for some patients.

In addition, the bill will fund distribution of vaccines for the coronavirus and aid individuals and businesses struggling to pay their bills during the pandemic.

Members of the House and Senate passed the measure on Monday night as a deadline loomed to fund federal government operations through September. Continue reading →

AHCJ names 2020 National Cancer Reporting Fellows

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About Pia Christensen

Pia Christensen (@AHCJ_Pia) is the managing editor/online services for AHCJ. She manages the content and development of healthjournalism.org, coordinates AHCJ's social media efforts and edits and manages production of association guides, programs and newsletters.

Twelve journalists have been chosen for the 2020 class of the National Cancer Reporting Fellowship. The program is supported by the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust.

The fellows will spend three partial days online Jan. 12-14, 2021, with experts from the National Institutes of Health and other experts to increase their understanding of and ability to report accurately on complex scientific findings, provide insight into the work of cancer researchers and to better localize cancer-related stories.

The 2020 fellowship class includes:

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AHCJ to track access problems in real time – with your help

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About Felice J. Freyer

Felice J. Freyer is AHCJ's vice president and chair of the organization's Right to Know Committee. She is a health care reporter for The Boston Globe.

trouble getting informationAHCJ’s Right to Know Committee is launching a new strategy for tracking and combating the obstacles that health care reporters confront when seeking information.

Starting today, journalists can quickly and easily report the difficulties they encounter as soon as they occur, by clicking on the “Trouble Getting Information?” link on AHCJ’s homepage (on the right side, under “Advocacy”). Continue reading →