Liz Seegert is an independent health journalist based in New York’s Hudson Valley, who writes about caregiving, dementia, access to care, nursing homes and policy in her role as AHCJ’s Health Beat Leader for Aging. Seegert helps provide context for reporting on this multidimensional issue with story posts, tip sheets, analysis, data and one-on-one interviews with aging experts.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), appearing to have a medical emergency, had to be escorted from the podium after freezing mid-sentence during a July 26 press conference. The senator later returned to answer questions about his health and other matters. Source: Screenshot of July 26, 2023 C-SPAN footage
Recent health incidents involvingSenate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) andSen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) are raising questions about whether there should be an age cutoff for politicians. Many pundits (and most Republicans) are highlighting President Biden’s age as he runs for re-election in 2024.
Liz Seegert is an independent health journalist based in New York’s Hudson Valley, who writes about caregiving, dementia, access to care, nursing homes and policy in her role as AHCJ’s Health Beat Leader for Aging. Seegert helps provide context for reporting on this multidimensional issue with story posts, tip sheets, analysis, data and one-on-one interviews with aging experts.
Karen Blum is AHCJ’s core topic leader on health IT. An independent journalist in the Baltimore area, she has written health IT stories for publications such as Pharmacy Practice News, Clinical Oncology News, Gastroenterology & Endoscopy News, General Surgery News and Infectious Disease Special Edition.
In mid-July, AHCJ hosted a webinar with Alex Mahadevan, the director of MediaWise at the Poynter Institute, on how journalists can put ChatGPT to good use. We had a great turnout, with more than 80 participants watching live. Here, I’ll cover the highlights from Alex’s presentation and from another webinar on ChatGPT hosted by the Online News Association. Links to both recordings are in the resources section below.
Karen Blum is AHCJ’s core topic leader on health IT. An independent journalist in the Baltimore area, she has written health IT stories for publications such as Pharmacy Practice News, Clinical Oncology News, Gastroenterology & Endoscopy News, General Surgery News and Infectious Disease Special Edition.
Research leaves little doubt about the negative impact a lack of a place to call home has on people’s health. The toll on mental and emotional health is enormous, alongside the physical harms. People experiencing homelessness are more vulnerable to becoming victims of crime, especially women, and more likely to experience a medical emergency. Unsurprisingly, the life expectancy of people who are unhoused is significantly lower than for the general population. Alarms are sounding about the nation’s aging, unhoused population.
We’re going to dig into this complicated issue at our fall summit Nov. 2-3 in Oakland, Calif. Setting aside the politics while being mindful of the myths surrounding homelessness, we’ll bring together experts, journalists and people with lived experience to talk about:
What the research shows about who is experiencing homelessness and the factors that contributed to them losing their housing.
How “street teams” are addressing people’s critical health needs and providing a bridge to more sustained care.
Approaches to addressing the mental and behavioral health needs of people who are unhoused.
The upstream causes of homelessness and promising approaches to preventing it.
Save the date now to join us in Oakland for these important conversations. Registration details coming soon.
On-site registration available for this week’s Rural Health Journalism Workshop in KCMO
Did you miss the registration deadline for the Rural Health Workshop? While advance registration is closed, on-site registration will be available at the event. On-site registration is $50 and does not include meals. We hope you can join us in Kansas City on Aug. 24!
AHCJ has joined with the Freedom of the Press Foundation, PEN America, the American Civil Liberties Union, and other media and open-government organizations to advocate for remote public audio access…
AHCJ has joined with the Freedom of the Press Foundation, PEN America, the American Civil Liberties Union, and other media and open-government organizations to advocate for remote public audio access…
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force has received credit for bringing awareness to the possible links between anxiety and other diseases. But not everyone agrees with what the agency is…
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force has received credit for bringing awareness to the possible links between anxiety and other diseases. But not everyone agrees with what the agency is…
On the one-year anniversary of the Inflation Reduction Act, CMS is poised to begin negotiating prices for the 10 most expensive drugs under Medicare. A new report from the AARP…
On the one-year anniversary of the Inflation Reduction Act, CMS is poised to begin negotiating prices for the 10 most expensive drugs under Medicare. A new report from the AARP…
AHCJ Reporting Fellowships on Health Care Performance
Through the AHCJ Reporting Fellowships on Health Care Performance, supported by The Commonwealth Fund, you can pursue a significant reporting project related to the U.S. health care system at the local, regional and/or national level.
This fellowship allows mid-career journalists to maintain their regular employment while working on a major project over a 12-month calendar year. You’ll pursue the projects with the support of your newsrooms or arranged outlets, which commit to publish or air the work. Read more »
The publishing division of the American College of Physicians is looking to hire a Senior Writer for the Internist/Hospitalist department. The national organization of internal medicine physicians and related sub-specialists is the largest medical specialty organization and the second-largest physician group in the United States with 161,000 members worldwide. Continue reading →
Cardinal News seeks a health reporter to cover the policies and business of health care in Virginia and its effect on people living in the state’s underserved regions. While the position is based in Roanoke, you will be the only dedicated health care reporter in the state. Your stories will be widely read and make an impact. Continue reading →
There are many ways to support AHCJ’s mission to ensure that every person – in every community – has access to quality health care information so they can make informed decisions.
AHCJ’s website is getting a fresh new look this fall, and we want our members to be featured on it. If you have photos of yourself or your colleagues doing journalism, send them in!
The photos will be used for marketing materials, so make sure you have the permission of both the photographer and the subjects.
On-site registration available for Rural Health Journalism Workshop
Did you miss the registration deadline for the Rural Health Workshop? While advance registration is closed, on-site registration will be available at the event. On-site registration is $50 and does not include meals. We hope you can join us in Kansas City on Aug. 24!
A recent analysis of state maternal mortality data offers journalists topic ideas they can expand on in articles about a public health crisis that mostly affects Black, Native American and…
A recent analysis of state maternal mortality data offers journalists topic ideas they can expand on in articles about a public health crisis that mostly affects Black, Native American and…
Junk insurance plans that don’t meet the standards of the Affordable Care Act are one of the biggest holes in the patchwork that is the U.S. health insurance system. To…
Junk insurance plans that don’t meet the standards of the Affordable Care Act are one of the biggest holes in the patchwork that is the U.S. health insurance system. To…
Even before the extreme weather of this summer, health care systems had become increasingly aware that climate change endangers human health. And that the burden disproportionately falls on the elderly,…
Even before the extreme weather of this summer, health care systems had become increasingly aware that climate change endangers human health. And that the burden disproportionately falls on the elderly,…
August 17: AHCJ Webinar — 1 year later: Assessing the 988 mental health hotline, Virtual. The national 988 mental health crisis line was launched in July 2022 as an easier-to-remember alternative to the previous 10-digit hotline. From the start, there have been questions about how well the hotline would function. Panelists will address those questions and related aspects of this topic. Register here.
The publishing division of the American College of Physicians is looking to hire a Senior Writer for the Internist/Hospitalist department. The national organization of internal medicine physicians and related sub-specialists is the largest medical specialty organization and the second-largest physician group in the United States with 161,000 members worldwide. Continue reading →
Cardinal News seeks a health reporter to cover the policies and business of health care in Virginia and its effect on people living in the state’s underserved regions. While the position is based in Roanoke, you will be the only dedicated health care reporter in the state. Your stories will be widely read and make an impact. Continue reading →
*|IF:MEMBER = Yes|*
Did you change jobs, get a promotion or win an award? Let us help spread the word! Submit your member news here.
We’re grateful for your membership. As a reminder, our members have access to the following resources:
*|END:IF|*
*|IF:MEMBER != Yes|*
Consider becoming a member to take advantage of the following resources:
There are many ways to support AHCJ’s mission to ensure that every person – in every community – has access to quality health care information so they can make informed decisions.
Last July, the new 988 mental health crisis line launched, and the response has been strong. The crisis line logged 5 million calls, texts and chats in its first year, an increase of 35% from previous years when a call for help still required dialing 10 digits.
However, the new 988 system has drawn some criticism. Many states are struggling to find enough people trained to respond to requests for help amid questions about phone counselors’ cultural competence. Concerns persist about whether a call could result in a distressed person being involuntarily committed to a psychiatric hospital ward or being put at risk of trauma or tragedy if armed police get involved.
Next week on Aug. 17, AHCJ will host a webinar that explores the 988 “report card” and spark ideas for stories. Our mental and behavioral Health Beat leader Katti Gray will talk with a behavioral health policy researcher and a population health management strategist.
Join us!
Upcoming deadline: Rural Health Journalism Workshop registration closes on Friday
Workshop registration closes this Friday, Aug. 11. Secure your spot and join us in Kansas City on Aug. 24!
Registration (includes lunch):
Members: $25
Non-members: $35
Non-members + a six-month AHCJ membership: $60
PR/PIO: $80
Scholarships are available to offset attendance costs for Kansas and Missouri-based journalists who need help with with mileage, registration and accommodation. Apply here.
For decades, same-day procedures such as joint replacements and colonoscopies have outnumbered inpatient surgeries, yet only recently have consumers had data on the quality and safety of facilities that do…
For decades, same-day procedures such as joint replacements and colonoscopies have outnumbered inpatient surgeries, yet only recently have consumers had data on the quality and safety of facilities that do…
New study finds people on Medicare Advantage have narrower networks for psychiatric care and more difficulty finding and accessing mental health care compared to Medicaid or Affordable Care Act enrollees.
New study finds people on Medicare Advantage have narrower networks for psychiatric care and more difficulty finding and accessing mental health care compared to Medicaid or Affordable Care Act enrollees.
A journalism professor-medical writer and two freelance health reporters have been elected to the boards of AHCJ and the Center for Excellence in Health Care Journalism, bringing freelance representation on…
A journalism professor-medical writer and two freelance health reporters have been elected to the boards of AHCJ and the Center for Excellence in Health Care Journalism, bringing freelance representation on…
August 17: AHCJ Webinar — 1 year later: Assessing the 988 mental health hotline, Virtual. The national 988 mental health crisis line was launched in July 2022 as an easier-to-remember alternative to the previous 10-digit hotline. From the start, there have been questions about how well the hotline would function. Panelists will address those questions and related aspects of this topic. Register here.
Cardinal News seeks a health reporter to cover the policies and business of health care in Virginia and its effect on people living in the state’s underserved regions. While the position is based in Roanoke, you will be the only dedicated health care reporter in the state. Your stories will be widely read and make an impact. Continue reading →
*|IF:MEMBER = Yes|*
Did you change jobs, get a promotion or win an award? Let us help spread the word! Submit your member news here.
We’re grateful for your membership. As a reminder, our members have access to the following resources:
*|END:IF|*
*|IF:MEMBER != Yes|*
Consider becoming a member to take advantage of the following resources:
There are many ways to support AHCJ’s mission to ensure that every person – in every community – has access to quality health care information so they can make informed decisions.
