1. Provide the title of your story or series and the names of the journalists involved.
All stories by James T. Mulder
1. "Sent by the state to rid insurance system of conflicts, she brought one of her own."
2. "Why Community General needs a merger lifeline."
3. "Drug makers pay CNY doctors nearly $1 million."
4. "Does the state have teeth to discipline dentists?"
2. List date(s) this work was published or aired.
1.) March 7, 2010 2.) July 4, 2010 3.) Nov. 7, 2010 4.) Dec. 27, 2010
3. Provide a brief synopsis of the story or stories, including any significant findings.
1. A Syracuse University professor overseeing efforts to rid the health insurance payment system of conflicts of interest had a conflict of her own — she was a director of insurer Excellus BlueCross BlueShield.
2. A merger may be the best chance of survival for a Syracuse hospital in deteriorating financial health.
3. A look at Central New York doctors who get paid by drug companies to talk up their products.
4. New York rarely takes disciplinary action against dentists, even one deemed a public threat.
4. Explain types of documents, data or Internet resources used. Were FOI or public records act requests required? How did this affect the work?
1. Annual financial report submitted by Excellus to state Insurance Dept. I used to file FOI requests to get these every year until Excellus started giving them to me.
2. IRS 990 forms, reports by bond rating agencies, patient volume data from Hospital Executive Council, a local health planning agency.
3. ProPublica database on doctor payments, ethics policy document of Upstate Medical University, state Office of Professional Medical Conduct website.
4. Patient lawsuits, documents detailing disciplinary actions against dentists obtained from state Education Department, state Education Department website.
5. Explain types of human sources used.
1. Representatives of state Attorney General Office, Excellus, Syracuse University, FAIR Health, consumer groups.
2. Bond rating agency analysts, hospital officials, physicians, union officials, Syracuse University professor.
3. Doctors, drug companies, medical school faculty, patient advocate.
4. Patients, attorneys, dentists, consumer advocates, state regulators.
6. Results (if any).
1. The professor who was the subject of the story quit the Excellus board two days before the story was published and has since left SU to take a job in California.
2. Community General has accelerated merger talks and some doctors, uncertain about Community's future, have stopped admitting patients there.
3. Story generated a lot of response from readers.
4. Disciplined dentist is on the verge of going out of business. Post-Standard published an editorial calling on the governor and Legislature to beef up regulation of dentists.
7. 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
8. Advice to other journalists planning a similar story or project.
1. Check annual financial statements health insurers are required to file with state insurance departments. They are a treasure trove of good stories. It was in that report that the SU professor's name showed up as a director. A few years ago while reading through these reports I discovered the same health insurance company was investing in tobacco stocks, which lead to another story.
2. Always check bond ratings of local hospitals. They can provide detailed information about a hospital's finances long before a hospital completes its annual audit or files a form 990.
3. Examine how your state disciplines dentists. Most states have dental boards that are involved in this process. These boards tend to be made up of appointed dentists. Find out how many serious disciplinary actions are being taken against dentists annually. This may be available on a state agency website. Examine the charges against dentists who have been disciplined and see if the penalties appear to be appropriate. Talk to lawyers in your community who represent patients suing dentists for malpractice.