- http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/bridging-the-gap/2012/02/10/gIQAKvtO4Q_gallery.html
- http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/the-primary-care-problem-shown-in-charts/2012/02/10/gIQAqbdQ4Q_gallery.html
- http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/replenishing-phillys-food-deserts/2012/06/07/gJQAh4snNV_gallery.html
Provide names of other journalists involved.
Kelly Johnson edited this series.
List date(s) this work was published or aired.
February 10, 2012 June 8, 2012 July 6, 2012
Provide a brief synopsis of the story or stories, including any significant findings.
The Affordable Care Act made an unprecedented $20 billion investment with the Public Health and Prevention Fund, the first-ever dedicated federal spending in this area. The fund quickly proved controversial: While Democrats celebrated the new spending, Republicans derided the spending as unnecessary. In this three-part series, I examined how the federal government has spent Prevention Fund dollars and whether the projects it has invested in are likely to play dividends in future health gains. I found that some of the programs were indeed paying off quickly, such as the investment in training additional primary care doctors. Other projects, however, seemed to speak to Republicans’ concerns: Extensive reporting found little research supporting the Obama administration’s multi-million investment in eradicating food deserts.
Explain types of documents, data or Internet resources used. Were FOI or public records act requests required? How did this affect the work?
I received data from the Center for Disease Control on which organizations had been granted prevention fund dollars. This data was not public until the publication of my project. I also did an extensive literature review of the research on the causal relationship between eradicating food deserts and better health care outcomes. By reading over 30 articles on the subject, many of which had so far received little media attention, I was able to show that the research had found a positive relationship. The White House, which has invested millions in ending food deserts, was unable to dispute this finding.
Explain types of human sources used.
I spoke with numerous experts in public health, including presidents of the American Public Health Association and The Trust for America’s Health. I also had extensive interviews with CDC Director Thomas Frieden. Many of my human sources were those working on the ground, everyone from the doctors in Washington, D.C. whose residencies were financed by the Prevention Fund to the shrinking public health office in Worchester, Mass.
Results:
Many of these stories sparked serious debates online over the role of the Prevention Fund in federal spending. My story on the doctor shortage, in particular, was commented on heavily at health policy blogs. I was invited to speak on my project to the 2012 class of National Health Journalism Fellows at the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School of Journalism.
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.
No.
Advice to other journalists planning a similar story or project.
I would advise other journalists pursuing a similar project to take a deep dive into the academic research on health policy, and see what actually stands up. I found myself surprised, for example, at the lack of data showing a causal relationship between eradicating food deserts and better health outcomes. I had assumed that the relationship existed but, by going deep into the research, I was able to write a compelling story that challenged the assumptions that many Americans hold about health care – myself included.