List date(s) this work was published or aired.
July/August 2012
Provide a brief synopsis of the story or stories, including any significant findings.
Hospital trustees have a special obligation to promote health in their communities. This story aims to demystify the concept of population health and encourage trustees to begin preparing for it. It provides suggestions for boards as well as identifies the resources–technological, facilities, clinicians–to be used in improving population health. A related Web-only story, “When the Community Comes Together,” describes hospitals’ collaborations with local groups to tackle community health problems.
Explain types of documents, data or Internet resources used. Were FOI or public records act requests required? How did this affect the work?
A report on population health from the Health Research & Educational Trust provided the foundation/background for this story.
Explain types of human sources used.
Two types of sources were used: health policy experts and physicians using population health strategies in their hospitals and practices.
Results:
None
Follow-up (if any). Have you run a correction or clarification on the report or has anyone come forward to challenge its accuracy? If so, please explain.
None
Advice to other journalists planning a similar story or project.
Breaking a complex, unfamiliar concept into steps or facts makes it more reader-friendly. In the case of population health, human sources can make a potentially dry topic significantly more interesting by providing real-life examples.