List date(s) this work was published or aired.
14-Aug-12
Provide a brief synopsis of the story or stories, including any significant findings.
Kristian Foden-Vencil covers health care for Oregon Public Broadcasting. He looks at state and local health care stories, with a focus on policy and health care costs. Foden-Vencil has a knack for humanizing complex stories. He received training as part of a partnership with OPB, National Public Radio and Kaiser Health News. NPR has picked up many of his stories for national air. One of the goals of national health care reform is to reduce medical mistakes. This story looks at how one local hospital is trying to accomplish that goal, by improving procedures for things like central lines.
Explain types of documents, data or Internet resources used. Were FOI or public records act requests required? How did this affect the work?
na
Explain types of human sources used.
Kaiser Permanente Sunnyside Medical Center staff, director of quality for Oregon Association of Hospitals, citizen member of an Oregon Health Care Acquired Infection Advisory Committee, whose husband contracted a blood infection in the hospital that left him disabled.
Results:
na
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.
na
Advice to other journalists planning a similar story or project.
Hospitals are very nervous about allowing reporters to come into their facilities to talk about mistakes. They don’t like it. But by building a reputation for honesty, accuracy and balance, public relations staff will eventually allow you in — if you persevere.