Past Contest Entries

Five Died on his Watch,’ The Virginian-Pilot

Stories center on Dr. Stephen Plotnick, a doctor who specialized in chronic pain management, mainly for the condition of fibromyalgia. Records show five people died on his watch from improper prescription and monitoring of powerful painkillers. As stories were published, family members of other patients who died came forward to file more reports with the Board of Medicine. A look at the doctor monitoring system in Virginia found many gaps.

Read “Five Died on His Watch

See the contest questionnaire in which the reporter writes about how this story was written.

Place:

No Award

Year:

  • 2009

Category:

  • Metro Newspapers

Affiliation:

The Virginian-Pilot

Reporter:

Bill Sizemore and Elizabeth Simpson

Links: