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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261006T120000
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UID:65769-1791288000-1791291600@healthjournalism.org
SUMMARY:Fact and fiction on measles and respiratory virus vaccines
DESCRIPTION:Respiratory virus season is approaching\, on top of ever-expanding measles outbreaks and continuing vaccine misinformation\, including from the highest levels of government. It’s a lot for health journalists to cover\, and audiences have many questions. This webinar\, with infectious disease experts Jesse Goodman (Georgetown University and the Expert Vaccine Analysis Team – EVAT)\, Fiona Havers (Emory University)\, Paul Offit (Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and EVAT)\, and immunologist Elisabeth Marnik (The Evidence Collective)\, will provide answers on whether COVID vaccines will be recommended and available to everyone and at what cost; what we know about the new mRNA flu vaccine and its safety; and the best course for expectant parents\, among other topics.  \n\n\n\nWe’ll also share the facts about the ongoing measles outbreak and related deaths in Pennsylvania\, whether the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine is likely to split into three different shots\, and generally address misinformation\, rumors\, and misconceptions about vaccines and infectious diseases. Join us to get the answers to these questions and\, perhaps most importantly\, learn how to address false information and present the facts in engaging\, matter-of-fact\, accessible ways. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nModerator\n\n\n\n\nTara Haelle\n\n\n\nAHCJ’s Health Beat Leader for Infectious Diseases and Medical StudiesTara Haelle is AHCJ’s health beat leader for infectious diseases and medical studies. She’s an independent science/health journalist\, author\, speaker\, and photographer. Her work has appeared in the National Geographic\, Scientific American\, Texas Monthly\, Science News\, Medscape/WebMD\, The New York Times\, Wired\, and O Magazine\, among others. She specializes in public health and medical research\, particularly vaccines\, infectious disease\, maternal and pediatric health\, mental health\, healthcare disparities\, and misinformation. She also covers medical research conferences and edits Long COVID Connection on Medium. Haelle earned a master’s in photojournalism from the University of Texas at Austin\, and her images have appeared in Texas Monthly\, NPR\, the\, Chicago Sun-Times and elsewhere. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nJesse Goodman\, M.D.\, MPH\n\n\n\nProfessor of Medicine and Infectious Diseases and Attending Physician at Georgetown UniversityJesse L. Goodman\, MD\, MPH is Professor of Medicine and Infectious Diseases and Attending Physician at Georgetown University. He was previously Chief of Infectious Diseases at the University of Minnesota where his laboratory isolated the causative agent of human granulocytic anaplasmosis.  \n\n\n\nFrom 2003-9 he served as Director of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER)\, regulating vaccines\, blood and cell and gene therapies\, and then as Chief Scientist of the US FDA until 2014\, serving in US leadership for numerous public health responses. He is a member of the National Academy of Medicine and has served on numerous WHO\, CDC\, NIH\, NAM and other advisory committees and previously served as a member of GSK’s board\, chairing its science committee. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nFiona Havers\, M.D.\n\n\n\nInfectious Diseases Physician\, Emory University School of Medicine; Attending Physician\, Grady Memorial HospitalFiona Havers\, MD\, MHS\, FIDSA\, is an infectious diseases physician in the Division of Infectious Diseases at the Emory University School of Medicine. She is a former medical epidemiologist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Dr. Havers is a senior subject matter expert on vaccine-preventable respiratory diseases and vaccine policy. She was the CDC lead of the Respiratory Virus Hospitalization Surveillance Network (RESP-NET) Team in the Coronavirus and Other Respiratory Viruses Division within the U.S. CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. Dr. Havers oversaw the COVID-19 and RSV platforms within RESP-NET\, a population-based surveillance platform that covers ~9% of the US population and collects data on COVID-19\, RSV\, and influenza-associated hospitalizations. Dr. Havers left CDC in June 2025. \n\n\n\nThe author of >100 publications while at CDC\, Dr. Havers’ research interests have focused on the epidemiology\, prevention\, treatment and vaccine policy for vaccine-preventable respiratory pathogens\, including influenza\, pertussis\, RSV and SARS-CoV-2. She was previously the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) Work Group lead for the Pertussis Vaccines Work Group and has worked extensively on COVID-19 and adult RSV vaccine policy\, including as senior author on the initial adult RSV vaccine ACIP policy recommendations published in 2023. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nPaul A. Offit\, M.D.\n\n\n\nDirector\, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Vaccine Education CenterPaul A. Offit\, M.D.\, is the Director of the Vaccine Education Center at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia as well as the Maurice R. Hilleman Professor of Vaccinology and a Professor of Pediatrics at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Offit is currently a voting member on the FDA’s Vaccine Advisory Committee and has previously served on the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices to the CDC. He is also the co-inventor of the rotavirus vaccine\, RotaTeq\, recommended for universal use in infants by the CDC in 2006 and by the WHO in 2013. This vaccine was estimated recently to save about 165\,000 lives a year. He is also the author of 11 books written for the public about science\, medicine\, and vaccines. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nElisabeth Marnik\, Ph.D.\n\n\n\nExecutive Director\, The Evidence CollectiveDr. Elisabeth Adkins Marnik is a science communicator and immunologist working at the intersection of public trust\, science\, and public health. She earned her PhD in genetics and immunology from Tufts University. \n\n\n\nRaised in a family that distrusted science and vaccines\, Liz brings a personal understanding of hesitancy to her work. During the COVID-19 pandemic\, she launched Science Whiz Liz to help the public navigate emerging health information\, combining lived experience with scientific expertise. Liz now leads national efforts to translate evidence into clear\, responsible\, and empathetic public communication. She is an inaugural member of the National Academy of Medicine’s Action Collaborative on Building Trust in Health Science Through Community Partnership and Lived Experience and was named to Mainebiz’s 2025 40 Under 40 for her leadership in science education and public engagement.
URL:https://healthjournalism.org/event/fact-and-fiction-on-measles-and-respiratory-virus-vaccines/
CATEGORIES:Event,Infectious Diseases,Public Health,Webinar
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260930T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260930T140000
DTSTAMP:20260930T214254Z
CREATED:20260902T223656Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260930T214254Z
UID:65495-1790773200-1790776800@healthjournalism.org
SUMMARY:'The Case for Rural America': A conversation with researcher and author J. Tom Mueller
DESCRIPTION:Rural Health Webinar Series\n\n\n\nThis webinar is Part 5 of our 2026 Rural Health Webinar Series. Attend at least four of our five sessions\, complete a brief knowledge check and earn an AHCJ Certification in Covering Rural Health for your resume. Learn more » \n\n\n\n\n\nIn his recent book\, “The Case for Rural America\,” rural sociologist and demographer J. Tom Mueller\, Ph.D.\, makes a case for why rural America is worth saving and what policymakers must do to preserve a way of life that many people prefer. One of the main solutions he proposes is directly related to healthcare in America. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nModerator: Jared Ewy\, Radio host\, The Daily Yonder\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nJared Ewy\n\n\n\nRadio host\, The Daily Yonder \n\n\n\nAfter an attempt to play college football disabused him of the notion that he was a battering ram\, Jared Ewy made the leap into radio. From the Four Corners\, he worked his way to Denver before taking on an opportunity to work with Bob Newhart and\, in turn\, launch a comedy career. Incredibly poor\, he would join a tech startup and help build it into a company on the Nasdaq. From there\, Ewy has focused on helping nonprofits like Ability Connection Colorado share the work they do\, as well as syndicate Yonder Radio\, a show that amplifies rural stories and is syndicated across the country. Ewy continues to tell stories on stage. He’s won Denver’s Moth Story Slam seven times and is currently the back-to-back Moth Grand Slam Champion. He lives in Colorado with his wife\, three kids and too many pets. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nJ. Tom Mueller\, Ph.D.\, Director\, Kansas Center for Rural Health\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nJ. Tom Mueller\, Ph.D.\n\n\n\nDirector\, Kansas Center for Rural HealthAssistant professor\, University of Kansas Medical Center Department of Population Health \n\n\n\nJ. Tom Mueller\, Ph.D.\, is an Assistant Professor of Population Health and Director of the Kansas Center for Rural Health at the University of Kansas Medical Center. As a rural sociologist and demographer\, he studies the geography of well-being and the environment in rural America. Dr. Mueller’s work focuses on three primary areas: health and well-being in rural America\, (2) environmental injustice and environmental health\, and (3) the measurement and tracking of poverty across space.Dr. Mueller has published his work in leading outlets such as the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences; American Journal of Public Health; Nature Water; Nature Communications; Demography; and Rural Sociology\, among others. Dr. Mueller pursues and receives funding from a variety of sources including the National Institutes of Health\, the National Institute of Food and Agriculture\, and the National Science Foundation. \n\n\n\nDr. Mueller is the author of “The Case for Rural America“.
URL:https://healthjournalism.org/blog/2026/09/rural-health-webinar-series-part-5-the-case-for-rural-america/
CATEGORIES:Event,Rural Health 2026,Webinar,Workshops | Summits
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260902T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260902T140000
DTSTAMP:20260902T215730Z
CREATED:20260804T213511Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260902T215730Z
UID:64939-1788354000-1788357600@healthjournalism.org
SUMMARY:Rural health\, data\, and data challenges in the age of rural transformation
DESCRIPTION:Rural Health Webinar Series\n\n\n\nThis webinar is part of our 2026 Rural Health Webinar Series. Attend at least four of our five sessions\, complete a brief knowledge check and earn an AHCJ Certification in Covering Rural Health for your resume. Learn more » \n\n\n\n\n\nAccess to accurate\, varied rural data is key to accounting for\, supporting\, and enabling rural residents and their communities to thrive. It’s also crucial for journalists reporting on the health of people living in rural areas and the institutions serving them. At the same time\, constraints and limitations in the collection and use of rural data can complicate those efforts. This webinar will focus on the current landscape of rural areas as it relates to health\, healthcare and public health. \n\n\n\nYou’ll learn about the challenges in the collection and measurement of rural data\, limitations related to geographic scope\, and the administrative burdens associated with purchasing or accessing rural data. Lastly\, you’ll learn where to find rural data and what to keep in mind when covering or reviewing this data. You’ll leave with a better understanding of the rural health story\, how data supports that story\, and how data challenges can be detrimental to supporting people and their communities. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nModerator\n\n\n\n\nKatherine Reed\n\n\n\nDirector of education and content\, AHCJReed was a professor of practice in the Missouri School of Journalism for 17 years and an editor at the Columbia Missourian — the newsroom lab for students learning print and digital journalism — where she taught health and public safety reporting. She also designed and taught a course on covering trauma and a course for STEM field and journalism students on improving science communication.  \n\n\n\nReed came to the school of journalism from Prague in the Czech Republic where she was the editor of Prague Business Journal and an instructor at the Center for Independent Journalism. She was a reporter and copy editor for several years and taught journalism before moving to the Czech Republic. She was a fellow of the Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma and is a longtime member of AHCJ. Reed has published on the teaching hospital model of journalism education\, trauma reporting training and more responsible\, ethical coverage of mass shootings. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMichael Meit\, MPH\n\n\n\nDirector\, East Tennessee State University Center for Rural Health and ResearchMichael Meit\, M.A.\, M.P.H.\, Director of the East Tennessee State University Center for Rural Health and Research\, is a senior researcher with 25 years of project management and leadership experience. Housed within the ETSU College of Public Health\, the Center for Rural Health and Research works with partners from across sectors and disciplines to improve health and well-being in East Tennessee\, Central Appalachia\, and nationally. \n\n\n\nCenter initiatives focus on the root causes of health disparities\, with an emphasis on intergenerational poverty\, public health interventions\, and geographic inequities\, among others. Meit is responsible for oversight and management of center activities\, including staffing\, strategic direction\, and direct project management. Meit also maintains a role with NORC as a Senior Fellow\, leading select NORC research initiatives and creating synergies between ETSU and NORC activities
URL:https://healthjournalism.org/rural-health-2026-part-2/
CATEGORIES:Rural Health 2026,Webinar,Workshops | Summits
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260901T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260901T150000
DTSTAMP:20260819T153527Z
CREATED:20260819T153524Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260819T153527Z
UID:65219-1788271200-1788274800@healthjournalism.org
SUMMARY:Federal health agencies won't talk to the press. What now?
DESCRIPTION:As reporters\, we’ve all been there: You send an email to the Health and Human Services press office\, or fill out the press inquiries form at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services website\, and then… nothing. Or worse\, you get a canned response attributable to no one\, or an “off-the-record” response saying the government has no comment. What to do next?  \n\n\n\nIn this 1-hour webinar\, three experienced health reporters will describe their experiences being stonewalled by these government agencies and how they managed to do great reporting in spite of it. You’ll also hear from an expert on press freedom who will discuss trends in this area and resources available to reporters who need — or want — to take further action.  \n\n\n\nPanelists include: \n\n\n\n\nSheryl Gay Stolberg\, health policy reporter for The New York Times.\n\n\n\nRobert King\, CMS reporter for Politico\n\n\n\nBob Herman\, business of healthcare reporter for STAT\n\n\n\nCaitlin Vogus\, senior advisor for advocacy at the Freedom of the Press Foundation \n\n\n\n\nThe panel will be moderated by Joyce Frieden\, Washington editor for MedPage Today and co-chair of the Association of Health Care Journalists’ Right-to-Know Committee. After each panelist’s presentation\, there will be a short Q&A period.
URL:https://healthjournalism.org/event/federal-health-agencies-wont-talk-to-the-press-what-now/
CATEGORIES:Event,Webinar
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260828T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260828T120000
DTSTAMP:20260828T214621Z
CREATED:20260821T205333Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260828T214621Z
UID:65270-1787914800-1787918400@healthjournalism.org
SUMMARY:Everyone's talking about peptides: What reporters should know
DESCRIPTION:Peptides made headlines this summer when an FDA advisory panel decided compounding pharmacies could prepare six peptides for patients with a prescription. Great news for wellness influencers\, celebrities and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — among the many people who have touted the benefits of peptides for muscle growth\, fat loss\, anti-aging and enhanced athletic performance. But what are peptides\, and are they safe?  \n\n\n\nIn this webinar\, medical experts Dhruv Khullar\, an associate professor of health policy and economics at Weill Cornell Medical College\, and Rachel Frank\, professor of orthopedic surgery at the University of Colorado School of Medicine\, will help you get a handle on what you need to know about peptides\, what the media often gets wrong when reporting on them\, and what stories still deserve to be explored. As always\, the discussion will be followed by a Q&A. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nModerator\n\n\n\n\nKaren Blum\n\n\n\nAHCJ’s Health Beat Leader for AI and Patient SafetyKaren Blum is a Baltimore-based freelance writer who covers AI and patient safety for the Association of Health Care Journalists. She writes about health\, medicine and science for a variety of outlets. Her articles have appeared in the Baltimore Sun\, AARP\, Cure\, Medscape\, and numerous medical trade magazines such as Anesthesiology News\, Pharmacy Practice News\, Clinical Oncology News\, Kidney News\, Clinical Laboratory News and Ophthalmology Management. She also has written profiles and feature articles for alumni and association magazines and offers copy editing services. She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in journalism from Northwestern University. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nModerator\n\n\n\n\nAnna Medaris\n\n\n\nAHCJ’s Freelance Beat LeaderAnna Medaris is AHCJ’s Freelance Beat Leader and head of the association’s New York City chapter. A health and lifestyle journalist with more than 15 years of experience\, she’s written for publications including The Washington Post\, Women’s Health\, New York Magazine\, the New York Post\, AARP\, Business Insider and US New & World Report. She’s also appeared as a health expert on the “TODAY Show\,” “Good Morning America” and Hulu’s “Age of Influence.” Anna is a graduate of the University of Michigan\, where she was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa\, and of American University\, where she earned her master’s in interactive journalism. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRachel Frank\, M.D.\n\n\n\nProfessor in Orthopaedic Surgery\, University of Colorado School of MedicineRachel Frank\, M.D.\, is a board-certified orthopaedic surgeon and sports medicine surgeon. Frank serves as professor in Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Colorado School of Medicine\, is head orthopaedic surgeon for the Colorado Rapids professional soccer team\, and is a team physician for US Soccer. Frank has authored or co-authored over 400 peer-reviewed journal articles\, over 50 book chapters\, and presents her research both nationally and internationally at orthopaedic meetings every year. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nDhruv Khullar\, M.D.\, M.P.P.\n\n\n\nAssociate Professor of Health Policy and Economics\, Weill Cornell Medical CollegeDhruv Khullar\, M.D.\, M.P.P.\, is a physician and associate professor of health policy and economics at Weill Cornell Medical College. He is also a writer at The New Yorker\, where he covers medicine\, health care\, and politics. He serves as director of The Physicians Foundation Center for the Study of Physician Practice and Leadership\, and associate director of the Cornell Health Policy Center. His research focuses on value-based care\, health care consolidation\, and medical innovation\, and has been published in JAMA and The New England Journal of Medicine. \n\n\n\nKhullar earned his medical degree at the Yale School of Medicine and completed his medical training at the Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. He also received a master’s in public policy from the Harvard Kennedy School\, where he was a fellow at the Center for Public Leadership. He has been recognized by the National Academy of Medicine as an Emerging Leader in Health and Medicine\, the National Minority Quality Forum as a 40 Under 40 Leader in Health\, and FASPE with the 2019 Distinguished Fellow Award for Ethical Leadership. His writing was featured in The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2025.
URL:https://healthjournalism.org/peptides-what-reporters-should-know/
CATEGORIES:AI and Patient Safety,Event,Freelancers,Webinar
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260826T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260826T140000
DTSTAMP:20260804T211208Z
CREATED:20260804T211206Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260804T211208Z
UID:64926-1787749200-1787752800@healthjournalism.org
SUMMARY:Tracking the rocky path of the Trump Administration's $50 billion rural payout
DESCRIPTION:Rural Health Webinar Series\n\n\n\nThis webinar is Part 1 of our 2026 Rural Health Webinar Series. Attend at least four of our five sessions\, complete a brief knowledge check and earn an AHCJ Certification in Covering Rural Health for your resume. Learn more » \n\n\n\n\n\nJoin us for a conversation with a panel of experts who will walk you through the Trump administration’s five-year $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Program. States won millions in first-year funding — from $147 million in New Jersey to $281 million in Texas — and must have the money committed to projects by the end of September. \n\n\n\nYou’ll walk away with an understanding of how this money dovetails with looming Medicaid cuts and learn the key rollout dates to follow. Panelists will offer concrete story angles\, data sources\, and sharp accountability questions so you can track where the money is going in your state — and report on what it really means for rural hospitals\, clinics\, and patients. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nModerator\n\n\n\n\nSarah Jane Tribble\n\n\n\nChief rural correspondent\, KFF Health NewsSarah Jane Tribble is the lead reporter on the rural health desk of KFF Health News. She created the organization’s first narrative podcast\, “Where It Hurts\,” about the closure of a rural Kansas hospital. An Emmy winner\, she has received honors for her work from the National Press Club\, the National Institute for Health Care Management\, and the Association of Health Care Journalists. Before joining KFF Health News\, she covered the health care industry in Cleveland for NPR and PBS\, and spent more than a decade as a reporter for major newspapers from the Carolinas to California. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nKevin Bennett\, Ph.D.\n\n\n\nProfessor of family & preventive medicine\, University of South Carolina School of MedicineDirector\, South Carolina Center for Rural and Primary Healthcare.Dr. Bennett is a Professor of Family & Preventive Medicine at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine in Columbia\, SC. He serves as the Director of the South Carolina Center for Rural and Primary Healthcare. He served as the president of the National Rural Health Association in 2024. \n\n\n\nHis work focuses on improving healthcare delivery for marginalized and underserved communities\, particularly in rural areas\, while examining the influence of national\, state\, or local policies and legislation on these populations. He has worked extensively with community groups\, rural health networks\, healthcare systems\, and state agencies to pioneer and assess innovative care delivery programs. He also has an extensive publication history examining the disparities in healthcare access\, quality\, and outcomes experienced by rural populations. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nKatie Klingsporn\n\n\n\nReporter\, WyoFileKatie Klingsporn reports on health\, education\, outdoor recreation and general news for WyoFile. She’s been a journalist and editor covering the American West for more than 20 years. She lives in Lander\, Wyoming with her family. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMaya Sandalow\n\n\n\nAssociate director\, Bipartisan Policy Center Health Program.Maya Sandalow is an associate director for BPC’s Health Program\, where she leads work on health innovation policy. Her portfolio includes digital health\, artificial intelligence\, rural health\, behavioral health\, and nutrition. Before joining BPC\, Sandalow served as a social science research analyst at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service. She has also held roles at the Center for Science in the Public Interest\, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities\, and Georgetown University’s Health Justice Alliance. Sandalow began her career as an AmeriCorps fellow at a San Francisco Department of Public Health primary care clinic. \n\n\n\nSandalow holds a Master of Public Health from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and a bachelor’s from Claremont McKenna College. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAdam Searing\n\n\n\nAssociate professor\, Georgetown University McCourt School of Public Policy’s Center for Children and Families.Adam Searing is an Associate Professor of the Practice at the Georgetown University McCourt School of Public Policy’s Center for Children and Families where he focuses on Medicaid and other health coverage programs. \n\n\n\nBefore joining CCF\, Mr. Searing served seventeen years as Director of the Health Access Coalition for the North Carolina Justice Center. The Health Access Coalition is North Carolina’s leading voice for health reforms that address the needs of the uninsured and underinsured. During his tenure\, Searing fought to keep health plans and hospitals nonprofit and community-focused\, won and helped implement expansions of the state Medicaid program\, helped pass a model state’s Children’s Health Insurance Program and worked on passage and implementation of the federal Affordable Care Act. In addition\, Mr. Searing taught public policy courses as adjunct faculty at both the University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health and the Duke University Sanford School of Public Policy. \n\n\n\nSearing is a licensed attorney with degrees in both law and public health from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
URL:https://healthjournalism.org/event/rural-health-webinar-series-2026-part-1-trump-payout/
CATEGORIES:Rural Health 2026,Webinar,Workshops | Summits
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260825T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260825T130000
DTSTAMP:20260811T203939Z
CREATED:20260721T211252Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260811T203939Z
UID:64699-1787659200-1787662800@healthjournalism.org
SUMMARY:How to apply for AHCJ's U.S. Health System and International Health reporting fellowships
DESCRIPTION:Applications are now open for two of our most competitive and career-changing reporting fellowships: The U.S. Health System Reporting Fellowship and the AHCJ International Health Study Fellowship. These opportunities are your chance to take on ambitious projects\, sharpen your skills and bring vital health stories to life with the time\, resources and support you need. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSpecial thanks to The Commonwealth Fund for supporting these opportunities. \n\n\n\nIn this webinar\, viewers hear from AHCJ and program alumni about how these opportunities advance the craft of health journalism and encourage nuanced\, informed reporting that can drive meaningful change in health care systems worldwide. Start working on your project pitches\, talk to your editors and apply early!
URL:https://healthjournalism.org/event/how-to-apply-for-ahcjs-u-s-health-system-and-international-health-reporting-fellowships/
CATEGORIES:Event,Fellowships,Webinar
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260819T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260819T140000
DTSTAMP:20260819T215605Z
CREATED:20260721T162929Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260819T215605Z
UID:64677-1787144400-1787148000@healthjournalism.org
SUMMARY:Covering health care affordability: A big story with major impact
DESCRIPTION:In the first entry in a series for STAT News\, “Out of Pocket\, Out of Reach\,” reporter Bob Herman showed that since 1987\, the cost of health insurance for employers and workers has risen by 979% while overall inflation in that time rose by 176%\, an increase of more than 450%. Such huge increases are harming workers and businesses of all sizes\, as his reporting demonstrates. \n\n\n\nAbout 80% of companies with fewer than 200 workers offered health insurance in the late 1990s\, he reported\, while only 59% do so today. Instead\, workers are steered toward the Affordable Care Act Marketplace\, where they pay higher premiums than ever. Mid-sized and large employers cut staff when health insurance costs rise. When employers cut staff\, communities suffer as unemployment rises\, leading to suicides and drug and alcohol abuse\, researchers have reported. \n\n\n\nJoin Bob Herman and Joe Burns\, AHCJ’s Health Beat Leader for Health Policy and Insurance\, for a conversation and Q&A about a topic that applies to every town\, city and state as small businesses struggle with rising insurance costs and employees face daunting financial decisions. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nModerator\n\n\n\n\nJoseph Burns\n\n\n\nAHCJ Health Beat Leader for Health Policy\, InsuranceJoseph Burns is AHCJ’s health beat leader on health policy and insurance. He’s an independent journalist based in Brewster\, Mass.\, who has covered health care\, health policy and the business of care since 1991. Burns has written for a variety of publications\, including The New York Times\, Fortune\, Hospitals & Health Networks\, and Medical Economics\, among others.  \n\n\n\nEarly in his journalism career\, Burns worked as a reporter in Connecticut\, first for The Wallingford Post (a weekly)\, and then The Meriden Record-Journal (a daily)\, and later for The Hartford Courant (the largest daily newspaper in the state and the nation’s oldest newspaper). For The Courant\, he was a reporter\, copy editor and regional news editor. During this time\, he also taught news writing at the University of Connecticut. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nBob Herman\n\n\n\nBusiness of Health Care Reporter\, STATBob Herman covers the money in health care\, focusing on health insurance and hospitals. His stories delve into Medicare Advantage\, opaque prescription drug benefits\, and how much executives actually make. He was named a Pulitzer co-finalist in 2024 for the series “Denied by AI.” He co-won a 2025 George Polk Award for the series “Health Care’s Colossus.” Bob also writes the weekly Health Care Inc. newsletter. \n\n\n\nBefore joining STAT in 2022\, Bob worked at Axios and Modern Healthcare. He graduated from Butler University in Indianapolis. He lives in Indiana and is obsessed with basketball and running.
URL:https://healthjournalism.org/blog/2026/08/covering-health-care-affordability-a-big-story-with-major-impact/
CATEGORIES:Event,Insurance,Webinar
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260810T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260810T150000
DTSTAMP:20260724T221506Z
CREATED:20260721T212209Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260724T221506Z
UID:64702-1786370400-1786374000@healthjournalism.org
SUMMARY:AHCJ's Netherlands Health Care Study Group: How to apply
DESCRIPTION:Join us for an informational webinar about the AHCJ International Health Care Study Group\, a weeklong\, immersive experience in the Netherlands this November. Selected U.S.-based journalists will explore the Dutch health system. \n\n\n\nSupported by The Commonwealth Fund\, the program covers airfare\, lodging\, meals\, local transportation and more. Participants will leave with deeply reported stories and new perspectives on cost\, coverage\, equity and care delivery. \n\n\n\nLearn how to apply\, ask questions about the program and get tips for strengthening your application. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nParticipants from the 2025 International Health Care Study Group in Germany.
URL:https://healthjournalism.org/event/ahcjs-netherlands-health-care-study-group-how-to-apply/
CATEGORIES:Event,Fellowships,Webinar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://healthjournalism.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Netherlands-square-badge-transparent-bkrd.png
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260701T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260701T160000
DTSTAMP:20260702T154258Z
CREATED:20260623T164219Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260702T154258Z
UID:64068-1782918000-1782921600@healthjournalism.org
SUMMARY:How a new White House proposal could fundamentally change American science
DESCRIPTION:The second Trump administration has created upheaval in the biomedical research community. Widespread grant terminations\, fast-changing policy changes\, and proposals to downsize federal spending have created unease among a group that has largely been able to lean on the government as a partner.  \n\n\n\nIn late May\, another move caught the attention of many in the world of science: a 412-page proposal to change the regulation governing all contracts with the federal government. Issued by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget\, the plan would alter the lay of the land for all research grants. Among the changes is a de-prioritization of peer review and greater latitude for political appointees to terminate grants.  \n\n\n\nIt has garnered widespread attention from the scientific community because of the potentially wide-ranging impacts of the proposal. Join a STAT reporter who has covered the issue\, a former NIH official\, a government relations professional and a leading research for an exploration of this specific policy and what your audience may want to know before the public comment period closes on July 13. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nModerator\n\n\n\n\nAnil Oza\n\n\n\nGeneral assignment reporter\, STATAnil Oza is a general assignment reporter at STAT\, where he covers health equity & the NIH. He previously covered all things science\, from grassroots efforts to study the effect of urban heat to the elusiveness of urban rats\, for NPR’s Short Wave\, Science News\, and Nature. He got his start as the assistant managing editor and science editor of his college newspaper\, The Cornell Daily Sun\, where he covered the Covid-19 pandemic. His coverage of the Trump administration’s upheaval of federally-funded research was part of a package of stories that won a 2026 George Polk Award\, and 3rd place in AHCJ’s awards for excellence in health policy. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSean Gallagher\n\n\n\nDeputy director of federal relations\, American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)Mr. Gallagher serves as AAAS’ liaison to Congress and the executive branch. After spending 7 years on Capitol Hill\, he now spearheads grassroots efforts and focuses on engaging and encouraging scientists to demonstrate their value to their peers\, the media\, and policymakers. Sean has a Master’s Degree in Public Policy from Georgetown University and received his Bachelor’s in Political Science from Villanova University. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nElizabeth Ginexi\, Ph.D.\n\n\n\nIndependent health science consultantFormer senior program official\, National Institutes of Health (NIH)Dr. Elizabeth Ginexi served the National Institutes of Health for 22 years as a Program Official\, shaping biomedical and behavioral health research strategy. During her tenure\, she managed a portfolio of 305 grants totaling $132 million across several institutes and centers\, and co-authored 18 funding initiatives that generated 1\,087 projects totaling $778 million spanning mental health\, substance use prevention\, pain management\, data science\, and health services research. She left NIH in April 2025 because she witnessed the new leadership replacing NIH’s scientifically-driven system with one that is politically directed and violates the Public Health Service Act of 1944. She has been writing about the dismantling of the NIH on substack since December 2025. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nEric Rubin\, M.D.\, Ph.D.\n\n\n\nEditor-in-chief\, The New England Journal of Medicine\, NEJM GroupEric J. Rubin\, M.D.\, Ph.D.\, joined the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) and NEJM Group as Editor-in-Chief in September 2019\, taking on the responsibility for oversight of all editorial content and policies. \n\n\n\nDr. Rubin is an Associate Physician specializing in infectious disease at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and is a Professor in the Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. He serves on several scientific advisory boards to groups interested in infectious disease therapeutics. Dr. Rubin has also previously served as the Associate Editor for Infectious Disease at the New England Journal of Medicine as well as an editor for several basic science journals including PLoS Pathogens\, Tuberculosis\, and mBio.
URL:https://healthjournalism.org/blog/2026/07/how-a-new-white-house-proposal-could-fundamentally-change-american-science/
CATEGORIES:Event,Health Policy,Webinar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://healthjournalism.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/OMB-proposal-webinar-img1.png
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260630T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260630T130000
DTSTAMP:20260701T172322Z
CREATED:20260622T193639Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260701T172322Z
UID:64049-1782820800-1782824400@healthjournalism.org
SUMMARY:Behind the Ebola outbreak: An expert backgrounder for journalists
DESCRIPTION:As a widespread outbreak of the little-known Ebola Bundibugyo virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda continues to command global attention and generate controversy\, accurate and nuanced reporting has never been more important.  \n\n\n\nJoin the Association of Health Care Journalists (AHCJ) and the Expert Vaccine Analysis Team (EVAT) for a one-hour briefing and discussion that will help journalists and other communicators build a deeper understanding of the virus — including its epidemiology and spread\, strategies for containment\, what the US needs to do to be prepared\, and the latest advances in vaccines and treatments.  \n\n\n\nThis one-hour webinar brings together prominent\, experienced voices in infectious disease\, public health\, and vaccines to walk reporters through the core science in plain\, accessible terms\, including:  \n\n\n\n\nCraig Spencer\, M.D.\, MPH\, an emergency medicine physician and Associate Professor at Brown University. He was deeply involved in the 2014 Ebola response in Guinea\, both as a physician responding to the outbreak and then\, as a survivor of the disease.\n\n\n\nDaniel Jernigan\, M.D.\, a former CDC leader of multiple responses to public health emergencies\, including the 2014 Ebola response in Sierra Leone and in the US.\n\n\n\nMary Bassett\, M.D.\, MPH\, Professor at the Harvard University School of Public Health who was New York City’s Health Commissioner from 2014–2018\, leading its Ebola response.\n\n\n\nPhilip Krause\, M.D.\, a virologist and infectious diseases specialist who serves as Chair of WHO COVID Vaccines Research Expert Group. He was formerly Deputy Director of FDA’s Office of Vaccines Research and Review. \n\n\n\n\nThe session will be moderated by AHCJ’s Tara Haelle and incorporate ample time for Q&A.  \n\n\n\nWho Should Attend? \n\n\n\n\nScience\, health\, and international affairs journalists seeking authoritative background for their Ebola coverage. \n\n\n\nPublic health professionals and others who want a better understanding of the current Ebola landscape.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nModerator\n\n\n\n\nTara Haelle\n\n\n\nAHCJ Health Beat Leader for Infectious Diseases and Medical StudiesTara Haelle is AHCJ’s health beat leader for infectious diseases and medical studies. She’s an independent science/health journalist\, author\, speaker\, and photographer. Her work has appeared in the National Geographic\, Scientific American\, Texas Monthly\, Science News\, Medscape/WebMD\, The New York Times\, Wired\, and O Magazine\, among others. She specializes in public health and medical research\, particularly vaccines\, infectious disease\, maternal and pediatric health\, mental health\, healthcare disparities\, and misinformation. She also covers medical research conferences and edits Long COVID Connection on Medium. Haelle earned a master’s in photojournalism from the University of Texas at Austin\, and her images have appeared in Texas Monthly\, NPR\, the\, Chicago Sun-Times and elsewhere. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMary Bassett\, M.D.\, MPH\n\n\n\nProfessor of the practice of health and human rights\, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public HealthMary T. Bassett is the Director of the FXB Center for Health and Human Rights at Harvard University\, as well as the FXB Professor of the Practice of Health and Human Rights at the Harvard School of Public Health. With more than 30 years of experience in public health\, Dr. Mary Travis Bassett has dedicated her career to advancing health equity. Prior to her directorship at the FXB Center\, Dr. Bassett served for four years as commissioner of Health for New York City. As commissioner\, she worked to ensure that every New York City neighborhood supported the health of its residents\, with the goal of closing gaps in population health across the city. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nDaniel Jernigan\, M.D.\, MPH\n\n\n\nFormer director\, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases\, CDCDaniel B. Jernigan\, M.D.\, MPH\, recently resigned his position as Director of the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Dr. Jernigan completed training at Duke University and Baylor College of Medicine and has completed residencies in Internal Medicine and Preventive Medicine. \n\n\n\nHe entered the CDC in 1994 as an Epidemic Intelligence Officer\, and has been studying respiratory and emerging diseases since that time. He is a retired Captain in the U.S. Public Health Service and was the recipient of the 2019 Service to America Medal. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nPhilip Krause\, M.D.\n\n\n\nChair\, WHO COVID Vaccines Research Expert GroupDr. Krause was for the past decade Deputy Director\, Office of Vaccines Research and Review (OVRR) at the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER). Dr. Krause is currently Chair of the World Health Organization COVID Vaccines Research Expert Group\, and most recently he shared responsibility for regulatory authorizations of COVID-19 vaccines in the US. \n\n\n\nIn a 30-year career at FDA Dr. Krause has collaborated at the highest levels with international and US domestic stakeholders including the European Medicines Association (EMA)\, Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA)\, and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nCraig Spencer\, M.D.\, MPH\n\n\n\nPublic health professor and emergency medicine physician\, Brown University School of Public HealthCraig Spencer\, M.D.\, MPH is an emergency medicine physician\, public health researcher\, and Associate Professor of the Practice of Health Services\, Policy\, and Practice at Brown University School of Public Health. His work spans global health and domestic community engagement — connecting nearly two decades of frontline humanitarian experience to an emerging body of research and practice focused on rebuilding public trust in American health institutions. \n\n\n\nDr. Spencer’s field work has taken him across Africa and Southeast Asia as a physician and epidemiologist with Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)\, including leading outbreak investigations in Burundi\, the Democratic Republic of Congo\, South Sudan\, and Chad\, and serving as a coordinator of MSF’s national epidemiological response during the West Africa Ebola epidemic.
URL:https://healthjournalism.org/behind-the-ebola-outbreak-an-expert-backgrounder-for-journalists/
CATEGORIES:Event,Infectious Diseases,Webinar
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260513T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260513T140000
DTSTAMP:20260513T213358Z
CREATED:20260507T221224Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260513T213358Z
UID:63590-1778677200-1778680800@healthjournalism.org
SUMMARY:Maternal Tdap vaccine: The evidence behind it and how to tell the story
DESCRIPTION:Pertussis (whooping cough) cases are on the rise\, and infants remain the most vulnerable population. Tdap vaccination during pregnancy is one of the most effective tools we have to protect newborns before they are old enough to be vaccinated themselves. In this webinar\, you will hear from two expert groups working at the forefront of vaccine communication and evidence translation.  \n\n\n\nThe Vaccine Integrity Project will present their evidence review of the current data on Tdap safety and efficacy in pregnancy\, and The Evidence Collective will share the most common questions they hear from communities both on- and offline and discuss practical strategies for addressing them effectively. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nModerator\n\n\n\n\nTara Haelle\n\n\n\nAHCJ Health Beat Leader for Infectious Diseases and Medical StudiesTara Haelle is AHCJ’s health beat leader for infectious diseases and medical studies. She’s an independent science/health journalist\, author\, speaker\, and photographer. Her work has appeared in the National Geographic\, Scientific American\, Texas Monthly\, Science News\, Medscape/WebMD\, The New York Times\, Wired\, and O Magazine\, among others. She specializes in public health and medical research\, particularly vaccines\, infectious disease\, maternal and pediatric health\, mental health\, healthcare disparities\, and misinformation. She also covers medical research conferences and edits Long COVID Connection on Medium. Haelle earned a master’s in photojournalism from the University of Texas at Austin\, and her images have appeared in Texas Monthly\, NPR\, the\, Chicago Sun-Times and elsewhere. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nBertha A. Hidalgo\, Ph.D.\, MPH\, FACE\n\n\n\nSteering committee\, The Evidence CollectiveDr. Bertha Hidalgo an Associate Professor with tenure in the Department of Epidemiology and Associate Dean for the Office of Access and Engagement at the UAB School of Public Health. She holds degrees from Stanford University\, the University of Southern California and the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She leads research programs in genetic epidemiology and dissemination science.  \n\n\n\nDr. Hidalgo has a highly productive record of peer-reviewed research in relevant research areas with publications as lead or co-lead author in high-impact journals including Nature\, Scientific Reports\, Diabetes\, American Journal of Public Health\, with over 100 publications in total as lead\, co-author or senior author. She has attained research funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation\, National Institutes of Health\, the American Heart Association\, and internal funding from UAB.  \n\n\n\nDr. Hidalgo is the past chair of the Minority Affairs committee and current President of theAmerican College of Epidemiology\, as well as a long-standing member on the NHLBI Board of External Experts. Dr. Hidalgo is also a recipient of the 2019 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Early Career Achievement Award. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nElisabeth Marnik\, Ph.D.\n\n\n\nExecutive director\, The Evidence CollectiveDr. Elisabeth Adkins Marnik is a science communicator and immunologist working at the intersection of public trust\, science\, and public health. She earned her PhD in genetics and immunology from Tufts University. \n\n\n\nRaised in a family that distrusted science and vaccines\, Liz brings a personal understanding of hesitancy to her work. During the COVID-19 pandemic\, she launched Science Whiz Liz to help the public navigate emerging health information\, combining lived experience with scientific expertise. Liz now leads national efforts to translate evidence into clear\, responsible\, and empathetic public communication. She is an inaugural member of the National Academy of Medicine’s Action Collaborative on Building Trust in Health Science Through Community Partnership and Lived Experience and was named to Mainebiz’s 2025 40 Under 40 for her leadership in science education and public engagement. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nEmily Senerth\, M.S.\, MPH\n\n\n\nConsultant researcher\, Evidence FoundationEmily Senerth\, M.S.\, MPH\, is a Consultant Researcher for Evidence Foundation\, a registered nonprofit organization based in Cleveland\, Ohio whose mission is to support evidence-based health care through training\, mentorship\, education\, and collaboration. Emily managed the development of a rapid systematic review and meta-analysis on the effectiveness and safety of Tdap vaccination during pregnancy commissioned by the Vaccine Integrity Project. \n\n\n\nShe has also led methodological reviews to investigate systematic review approaches and decision-making frameworks in environmental and occupational health\, systematic reviews on the health effects of noise annoyance and the impact of socioeconomic status on faltering weight\, and technical reviews to support the development of guideline recommendations on left atrial appendage occlusion\, management of chronic venous disease\, diagnosis and treatment of pediatric urinary tract infection\, and lung cancer screening. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRochelle Walensky\, M.D.\, MPH\n\n\n\nProfessor of medicine\, Harvard Medical SchoolMedical affairs adviser\, Vaccine Integrity ProjectDr. Rochelle Walensky is a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and the medical affairs adviser for the Vaccine Integrity Project. \n\n\n\nDr. Walensky served as the 19th Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2021-23)\, Professor of Medicine\, Harvard Medical School (2012-2021)\, and Chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases\, Massachusetts General Hospital (2017-2021). Dr. Walensky is a board-certified infectious disease clinician whose research and over 300 peer-reviewed publications has focused on infectious diseases and HIV/AIDS policy\, including cost-effective strategies for HIV screening\, treatment\, and prevention\, both in the U.S. and around the globe. \n\n\n\nDr. Walensky is a member of the American Academy of Physicians\, National Academy of Medicine\, and Council on Foreign Relations. She currently serves on the Board of Trustees at the Doris Duke Foundation and The Carter Center. She is also a founding member and Medical Affairs Advisor at the Vaccine Integrity Project\, which is dedicated to providing trusted\, science-based information for informed vaccine choices. \n\n\n\nDr. Walensky received her BA (Biochemistry and Molecular Biology\, 1991) from Washington University in St. Louis; her MD from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine (1995) and her MPH from the Harvard School of Public Health (Clinical Effectiveness\, 2001). She completed her Internal Medicine residency at the Johns Hopkins Hospital (1995-1998) and her Infectious Disease fellowship at the Massachusetts General/Brigham and Women’s Hospital combined program (1998-2001).
URL:https://healthjournalism.org/blog/2026/05/maternal-tdap-vaccine-webinar/
CATEGORIES:Event,Infectious Diseases,Webinar
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260428T160000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260428T170000
DTSTAMP:20260407T213415Z
CREATED:20260407T213414Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260407T213415Z
UID:63191-1777392000-1777395600@healthjournalism.org
SUMMARY:HJ26 PitchFest Prep
DESCRIPTION:Whether it’s your first or tenth time at PitchFest\, please join this virtual session to review the dos and don’ts of your one-on-one with editors. The PitchFest committee will share feedback it has gotten from previous years’ editors and advice on how to make the most of your 10-minute time slots. \n\n\n\nThis year’s PitchFest will take place at Health Journalism 2026 in Minneapolis.
URL:https://healthjournalism.org/event/hj26-pitchfest-prep/
CATEGORIES:Webinar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://healthjournalism.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Pitchfest-logo-cropped.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260317T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260317T130000
DTSTAMP:20260324T170827Z
CREATED:20260311T172847Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260324T170827Z
UID:62836-1773748800-1773752400@healthjournalism.org
SUMMARY:ACIP meeting countdown: COVID vaccine and what else is at stake
DESCRIPTION:Don’t miss this opportunity to get up to speed before the March 18-19 CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) meeting. This webinar\, co-hosted by the Expert Vaccine Analysis Team and the Association of Health Care Journalists\, will provide independent\, evidence-based discussion of topics expected to come up during the meeting. \n\n\n\nThese items include vaccine safety and quality monitoring\, data on COVID vaccine safety\, possible recommendation votes related to COVID vaccine injuries\, and other issues\, such as the evidence framework the CDC uses to assess vaccine data and the risk/benefit analysis of vaccines. We will also discuss other emerging topics that may arise before the meeting. \n\n\n\nWhether you’re a journalist covering immunization policy\, a public health professional navigating a rapidly shifting vaccine landscape\, or a researcher tracking the latest safety data\, this webinar will help equip you with the scientific context you need to understand what’s at stake. The panel of senior vaccine scientists — including Norman Baylor\, Ph.D.\, Miles Braun\, M.D.\, Fiona Havers\, M.D.\, and Paul Offit\, M.D. — will cut through the noise and offer clear\, unbiased analysis. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nModerator\n\n\n\n\nTara Haelle\n\n\n\nAHCJ Health Beat Leader for Infectious Diseases and Medical StudiesTara Haelle is AHCJ’s health beat leader for infectious diseases and medical studies. She’s an independent science/health journalist\, author\, speaker\, and photographer. Her work has appeared in the National Geographic\, Scientific American\, Texas Monthly\, Science News\, Medscape/WebMD\, The New York Times\, Wired\, and O Magazine\, among others.  \n\n\n\nShe specializes in public health and medical research\, particularly vaccines\, infectious disease\, maternal and pediatric health\, mental health\, healthcare disparities\, and misinformation. She also covers medical research conferences and edits Long COVID Connection on Medium. Haelle earned a master’s in photojournalism from the University of Texas at Austin\, and her images have appeared in Texas Monthly\, NPR\, the\, Chicago Sun-Times and elsewhere. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nNorman W. Baylor\, Ph.D.\n\n\n\nPresident and CEO\, Biologics Consulting GroupDr. Norman W. Baylor is an expert in the development and licensure of new vaccines\, evaluating numerous vaccines throughout his career including vaccines for acellular pertussis\, varicella\, pneumococcal conjugate\, human papillomavirus (HPV)\, influenza and shingles. He is currently the president and CEO of Biologics Consulting Group\, Inc\, where he is responsible for the overall management and strategic direction of the company. \n\n\n\nPrior to this\, he spent 20 years at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)\, most recently as Director of the Office of Vaccines Research and Review (OVRR) in the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER). In this role\, he oversaw all facets of the clinical and product regulatory review activity\, including quality assurance and oversight of review functions in addition to planning\, developing and administering CBER’s broad national and international programs and operational activities for vaccines and related products. Dr. Baylor served as FDA’s liaison to CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices\, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Vaccine Advisory Committee\, and the Advisory Commission on Childhood Vaccines. He served on the board of the Infectious Disease Research Institute and continues to serve as an expert advisor to the World Health Organization on several global vaccine initiatives. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nFiona P. Havers\, M.D.\n\n\n\nAdjunct associate professor\, Emory University School of MedicineFiona Havers\, MD\, MHS\, FIDSA\, is an infectious diseases physician and former medical epidemiologist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Dr. Havers is a senior subject matter expert on vaccine-preventable respiratory diseases and vaccine policy. She was the CDC lead of the Respiratory Virus Hospitalization Surveillance Network (RESP-NET) Team in the Coronavirus and Other Respiratory Viruses Division within the U.S. CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. Dr. Havers oversaw the COVID-19 and RSV platforms within RESP-NET\, a population-based surveillance platform that covers ~9% of the US population and collects data on COVID-19\, RSV\, and influenza-associated hospitalizations. Dr. Havers left CDC in June 2025.  \n\n\n\nThe author of >100 publications while at CDC\, Dr. Havers’ research interests have focused on the epidemiology\, prevention\, treatment and vaccine policy for vaccine-preventable respiratory pathogens\, including influenza\, pertussis\, RSV and SARS-CoV-2. She was previously the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) Work Group lead for the Pertussis Vaccines Work Group and has worked extensively on COVID-19 and adult RSV vaccine policy\, including as senior author on the initial adult RSV vaccine ACIP policy recommendations published in 2023. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nPaul A. Offit\, M.D.\n\n\n\nDirector\, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Vaccine Education CenterPaul A. Offit\, M.D.\, is the Director of the Vaccine Education Center at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia as well as the Maurice R. Hilleman Professor of Vaccinology and a Professor of Pediatrics at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Offit is currently a voting member on the FDA’s Vaccine Advisory Committee and has previously served on the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices to the CDC. He is also the co-inventor of the rotavirus vaccine\, RotaTeq\, recommended for universal use in infants by the CDC in 2006 and by the WHO in 2013. This vaccine was estimated recently to save about 165\,000 lives a year. He is also the author of 11 books written for the public about science\, medicine\, and vaccines. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nM. Miles Braun\, M.D.\n\n\n\nAdjunct professor\, Georgetown University School of MedicineIn April 2018\, M. Miles Braun MD MPH\, was appointed Adjunct Professor at the Georgetown University School of Medicine and the Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center. Dr. Braun directs a new educational initiative to bring integrative approaches to optimize health and quality of life of adolescent and young adult cancer patients\, survivors and caregivers. Integrative approaches include mind and body practices\, natural products and lifestyle modifications.  \n\n\n\nDr. Braun is board-certified in Public Health and General Preventive Medicine. He served for 20 years as a medical officer in the US Public Health Service (USPHS)\, including at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC)\, National Institutes of Health (NIH)\, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) where he was for more than 8 years Director of the Division of Epidemiology in the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. He has received more than 20 USPHS awards and authored or co-authored well over 100 scientfic-medical publications\, including multiple studies with important clinical impact and epidemiological studies on the causes of various cancers. Dr. Braun has practiced yoga (including meditation) for 25 years\, is a registered yoga teacher with Yoga Alliance (RYT200)\, has completed multiple trainings and has extensive personal experience with integrative approaches.
URL:https://healthjournalism.org/acip-meeting-countdown-on-demand-webinar/
CATEGORIES:Health Policy,Infectious Diseases,Webinar
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260312T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260312T130000
DTSTAMP:20260312T210245Z
CREATED:20260302T184849Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260312T210245Z
UID:62749-1773316800-1773320400@healthjournalism.org
SUMMARY:Understanding ChatGPT Health: How large language models are being used to triage care
DESCRIPTION:Earlier this year\, OpenAI launched ChatGPT Health\, a feature allowing users to incorporate data from their medical records and wellness apps to ask questions about their health and test results\, and understand potential treatment options. \n\n\n\nIn this webinar\, panelists will cover how it works\, the potential benefits and cautions for this and other ChatGPT platforms\, how patients and physicians are using large language models in health care now\, and what journalists and consumers need to know. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nModerator\n\n\n\n\nKaren Blum\n\n\n\nAHCJ Health Beat Leader for AI and Patient SafetyKaren Blum is AHCJ’s health beat leader for AI and Patient Safety\, guiding coverage at the intersection of emerging technology and patient protection. An independent health and science journalist based in the Baltimore area\, she previously covered Health IT for AHCJ.  \n\n\n\nBlum has written for publications such as the Baltimore Sun\, Pharmacy Practice News\, Clinical Oncology News\, Clinical Laboratory News\, Cancer Today\, CURE\, AARP.org\, General Surgery News and Infectious Disease Special Edition; has covered numerous medical conferences for trade magazines and news services; and has written many profiles and articles on medical and science research as well as trends in health care and health IT. She has been a contest judge for AHCJ’s Awards for Excellence in Health Care Journalism. Blum also is a member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA) and chairs its Virtual Education Committee. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nHenry Bair\, M.D.\, MBA\n\n\n\nResident physician\, Wills Eye HospitalHenry Bair M.D.\, MBA\, is a resident physician at Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia. Previously\, he was a fellow at Stanford University’s Clinical Excellence Research Center\, a researcher at the Stanford Center for Policy\, Outcomes\, and Prevention\, and curriculum director of digital health courses at Stanford Medical School. His writings on health policy and digital health have appeared in JAMA Pediatrics\, NEJM AI\, Digital Health\, Public Health Reports\, and Academic Medicine\, as well as SF Chronicle\, The Hill\, STAT News\, and MedPage Today. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRachael Robertson\n\n\n\nEnterprise and investigative writer\, MedPage TodayRachael Robertson is a New York City-based health journalist and audio producer. She covers all things medicine as part of MedPage Today’s investigative and enterprise team\, with a particular focus on pop culture\, public health\, and medical misinformation. Rachael is also MedPage Today’s beat leader for ob/gyn news and the creator\, host\, and producer of the bi-weekly health news podcast MedPod Today. In 2025\, Rachael was one of AHCJ’s inaugural Uncovering Pathways to Better Health fellows. She is a proud graduate of the City University of New York’s Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism. Before pivoting careers to journalism\, Rachael worked in communications for a New York City elder care organization.
URL:https://healthjournalism.org/understanding-chatgpt-health-on-demand-webinar/
CATEGORIES:AI and Patient Safety,Event,Webinar
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260226T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260226T140000
DTSTAMP:20260217T205132Z
CREATED:20260217T205130Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260217T205132Z
UID:62598-1772110800-1772114400@healthjournalism.org
SUMMARY:Vaccine trends and misinformation among older adults
DESCRIPTION:Vaccine uptake for influenza\, COVID-19\, RSV and shingles among adults over age 60 remains low\, according to data from the University of Michigan and the CDC. Older adults with multiple chronic conditions are especially vulnerable to these diseases. Meanwhile\, emergency department visits and hospitalizations for some of these viruses are increasing\, CDC tracking data points to high respiratory virus activity in Alabama and trending upwards  in the Pacific Northwest\, California\, and parts of the south\, including Florida\, Louisiana and Arkansas.  Misinformation\, cost and fear of side effects are just a few of the rationales given for not staying up-to-date on these important preventive measures.  \n\n\n\nIn this webinar\, experts in epidemiology and infectious disease will review the latest data and immunization trends. We’ll also discuss how these vaccines may provide additional protective benefits beyond preventing severe disease and how journalists can help counter misinformation. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nModerator\n\n\n\n\nLiz Seegert\n\n\n\nAHCJ Health Beat Leader for AgingLiz Seegert is AHCJ’s health beat leader on aging. She’s an award-winning\, independent health journalist based in New York’s Hudson Valley\, who writes about caregiving\, dementia\, access to care\, nursing homes and policy. Seegert is also a contributing writer for Fortune.com\, the American Journal of Nursing\, and PBS/NextAvenue.org\, reporting on myriad health topics\, including social determinants of health and women’s health.  \n\n\n\nShe has written for TIME Health\, The Wirecutter\, Money.com\, Medscape\, Consumer Reports\, The Guardian and Medical Economics\, as well as dozens of other trade and mainstream media. Her articles have been syndicated in Forbes.com\, the Los Angeles Times\, the Hartford Courant\, The Saturday Evening Post and other major outlets. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nJennifer Dowd\, Ph.D.\n\n\n\nProfessor of demography and population health and deputy director\, Leverhulme Centre for Demographic Science\, University of OxfordDr. Jenn Dowd has training in Demography\, Economics\, and Epidemiology\, earning a PhD from Princeton University and a postdoctoral fellowship as a Robert Wood Johnson Health and Society Scholar at the University of Michigan. \n\n\n\nJenn’s academic work focuses on statistical analysis of large datasets to better understand population health and mortality. She is interested in how the economic and social world “gets under the skin” to impact our biology. This has included deep dives into the biology of stress\, infections and immune function\, and the human microbiome. In a currently funded 5-year project from the European Research Council (ERC)\, she explores reasons underlying stalling life expectancy in the U.S. and Europe. \n\n\n\nSubscribe to Jenn’s Substack Newsletter: Data for Health \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nPreeti Malani\, M.D.\, MSJ\n\n\n\nProfessor of medicine\, division of infectious diseases\, Michigan MedicineMalani’s research interests focus on at the intersection of infections and aging. She is deputy editor and director of editorial equity for JAMA and the JAMA Network and previously served as the University of Michigan’s chief health officer and as a member of Michigan’s COVID-19 Nursing Home Task Force during the height of the pandemic.
URL:https://healthjournalism.org/event/vaccine-trends-and-misinformation-among-older-adults/
CATEGORIES:Aging,Infectious Diseases,Webinar
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260212T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260212T140000
DTSTAMP:20260212T214422Z
CREATED:20260204T173220Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260212T214422Z
UID:62460-1770901200-1770904800@healthjournalism.org
SUMMARY:Vaccine injury compensation in the U.S.: Current practices and future prospects
DESCRIPTION:The U.S. has relied on the federal Vaccine Injury Compensation Program since 1986 to ensure that individuals who have experienced a verified injury related to a vaccine have an opportunity to receive compensation without the difficulties and legal fees of pursuing individual litigation against companies or healthcare institutions that likely would not succeed with the high burden of proof needed in such cases.  \n\n\n\nRecent announcements from the HHS and statements by HHS Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr.\, however\, suggest he may try to make substantial changes to the program that may threaten petitioners’ ability to receive appropriate compensation or threaten vaccine production and supply in ways similar to those that led to the program’s development. Hear from experts how the U.S. vaccine court came about\, how the program works from both the petitioner’s and the government’s sides\, how changes might affect vaccine supply and access\, and what might result from different potential changes to the program.  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nModerator\n\n\n\n\nTara Haelle\n\n\n\nAHCJ Health Beat Leader for Infectious Diseases and Medical StudiesTara Haelle is AHCJ’s health beat leader for infectious diseases and medical studies. She’s an independent science/health journalist\, author\, speaker\, and photographer. Her work has appeared in the National Geographic\, Scientific American\, Texas Monthly\, Science News\, Medscape/WebMD\, The New York Times\, Wired\, and O Magazine\, among others. She specializes in public health and medical research\, particularly vaccines\, infectious disease\, maternal and pediatric health\, mental health\, healthcare disparities\, and misinformation. She also covers medical research conferences and edits Long COVID Connection on Medium. Haelle earned a master’s in photojournalism from the University of Texas at Austin\, and her images have appeared in Texas Monthly\, NPR\, the\, Chicago Sun-Times and elsewhere. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAnna Kirkland\, J.D.\, Ph.D.\n\n\n\nKim Lane Scheppele Collegiate Professor of Women’s and Gender Studies\, University of Michigan \n\n\n\nAnna Kirkland\, J.D.\, Ph.D.\, is the Kim Lane Scheppele Collegiate Professor of Women’s and Gender Studies at the University of Michigan. She is also an Arthur F. Thurnau Professor. She received her law degree (2001) and Ph.D in Jurisprudence and Social Policy (2003) from the University of California\, Berkeley. She holds courtesy appointments with the School of Law\, Sociology\, Political Science\, and Health Management and Policy at Michigan. Her research has been funded by the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health. Prof. Kirkland is a member of Michigan’s Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation and served as a committee member on the 2018 National Academies panel charged with studying sexual harassment in the STEM fields of academia. Prof. Kirkland is the author of several books including Vaccine Court: The Law and Politics of Injury (New York University Press\, 2016)\, along with multiple journal articles about vaccine injury compensation.  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMichael Milmoe\, J.D.\n\n\n\nPartner\, Law Offices of Leah V. Durant & AssociatesMichael P. Milmoe currently represents vaccine-injured petitioners at the Law Offices of Leah V. Durant\, LLC\, in Washington\, D.C. where he has been a Senior Partner since 2017. Prior to becoming a petitioner’s attorney\, he worked at the Department of Justice for 31 years\, 28 of which were spent as an attorney in the Vaccine Litigation Section of the Civil Division where he defended Vaccine Program cases. Upon graduation from law school\, Mr. Milmoe came to the Department of Justice as an Honors Program Attorney in 1986. He was the first attorney hired into the Civil Division’s then newly created Office of Vaccine Litigation in 1988\, the same year the Vaccine Act became effective. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nWalter Orenstein\, M.D.\n\n\n\nProfessor Emeritus of Medicine\, Pediatrics\, Epidemiology and Global Health\, Emory UniversityWalter A Orenstein\, MD\, DSc (Hon) is Professor Emeritus of Medicine\, Pediatrics\, Epidemiology\, and Global Health at Emory University. He is also the Director of OrensteinVax\, LLC\, a consulting firm. Dr. Orenstein worked at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for 26 years and was the Director of the United States Immunization Program for 16 years (1988-2004). He has co-edited the standard textbook in Vaccinology\, Plotkin’s Vaccines for the last 6 editions. His work has focused on developing and implementing vaccination policies especially with regard to polio eradication and measles elimination.
URL:https://healthjournalism.org/vaccine-injury-compensation-in-the-u-s-current-practices-and-future-prospects/
CATEGORIES:Event,Infectious Diseases,Webinar
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260128T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260128T140000
DTSTAMP:20260128T225117Z
CREATED:20260120T231745Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260128T225117Z
UID:62275-1769605200-1769608800@healthjournalism.org
SUMMARY:A conversation on 'The Cure for Everything': Where American public health is and where it's headed
DESCRIPTION:For the first time in a century\, American life expectancy is declining\, an unprecedented trend for a wealthy nation and one driven largely by preventable causes of early death. The foundations of public health reforms — sanitation\, clean water\, safe housing\, pollution control\, workplace safety\, and more — doubled America’s life expectancy between the mid-1800s and today. \n\n\n\nBut the nation has now spent a century shifting money and attention away from public health and toward clinical medicine. The pandemic exposed the cost of that shift\, including widening health inequities\, inadequate emergency response coordination\, and erosion of public trust.  \n\n\n\nIn her book “The Cure for Everything: The Epic Struggle for Public Health and a Radical Vision for Human Thriving\,” Michelle Williams tells the story of how the U.S. overcame a history of infectious disease\, poisonous environments\, and early death and how it’s still possible to rebalance clinical medicine and public health to prevent hundreds of thousands of annual avoidable premature deaths and improve all Americans’ quality of life. \n\n\n\nIn this webinar\, Williams will talk about key lessons from her book that could inspire lines of investigation for journalists. Linda Marsa\, a health journalist who helped Williams with the book\, will briefly address how that collaboration worked and how journalists can mine the book for story ideas in their communities.  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nModerator\n\n\n\n\nTara Haelle\n\n\n\nAHCJ Health Beat Leader for Infectious Diseases\, Medical StudiesTara Haelle is AHCJ’s health beat leader for infectious diseases and medical studies. She’s an independent science/health journalist\, author\, speaker\, and photographer. Her work has appeared in the National Geographic\, Scientific American\, Texas Monthly\, Science News\, Medscape/WebMD\, The New York Times\, Wired\, and O Magazine\, among others. She specializes in public health and medical research\, particularly vaccines\, infectious disease\, maternal and pediatric health\, mental health\, healthcare disparities\, and misinformation. She also covers medical research conferences and edits Long COVID Connection on Medium. Haelle earned a master’s in photojournalism from the University of Texas at Austin\, and her images have appeared in Texas Monthly\, NPR\, the\, Chicago Sun-Times and elsewhere. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMichelle A. Williams\, ScD\n\n\n\nProfessor of epidemiology and population health\, Stanford University School of Medicine Michelle A. Williams\, ScD\, is a professor of epidemiology and population health at Stanford University School of Medicine and former Dean of the Faculty at Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health\, where she also served as the Angelopoulos Professor in Public Health and International Development and currently holds an adjunct professorship. An internationally renowned epidemiologist and award-winning educator\, Dr. Williams is a member of the National Academy of Medicine and the American Epidemiological Society. She has authored more than 550 peer-reviewed research articles and is recognized as a leading voice in public health science and global health. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nLinda Marsa\n\n\n\nInvestigative journalist and authorContributing editor\, DiscoverLinda Marsa is a former Los Angeles Times reporter and a Discover contributing editor who covers medicine\, health\, and the environment. Her latest book\, which she wrote with Dr. Michelle Williams\, “The Cure for Everything: The Epic Struggle for Public Health and a Radical Vision for Human Thriving\,” will be published in February 2026. Her work has been anthologized in “Best American Science Writing\,” and she has previously authored two books\, most recently: “Fevered: Why a Hotter Planet Will Harm Our Health and How We Can Save Ourselves.”
URL:https://healthjournalism.org/a-conversation-on-the-cure-for-everything-where-american-public-health-is-and-where-its-headed/
CATEGORIES:Event,Infectious Diseases,Medical Studies,Webinar
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260121T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260121T140000
DTSTAMP:20260121T220747Z
CREATED:20251219T182017Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260121T220747Z
UID:62085-1769000400-1769004000@healthjournalism.org
SUMMARY:Building audience with local climate-health stories
DESCRIPTION:Climate change is often covered as a vast\, global crisis\, defined by melting ice sheets\, stalled international agreements and the persistent grip of fossil fuels. What gets far less attention are the local stories unfolding across the country: clinics adapting to wildfire\, counties redesigning emergency response plans for extreme heat\, public health responses to vector-borne diseases and more. \n\n\n\nThese stories reveal what’s working\, who’s innovating and where communities are making progress in protecting public health. For health journalists\, this gap is an opportunity — you just need to know where to look. In this webinar\, we’ll explore strategies\, tools and reporting pathways that can help you find compelling\, community-driven stories at the intersection of climate change and public health. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nModerator\n\n\n\n\nKatie Burke\n\n\n\nAHCJ Environmental Health Beat LeaderKatie L. Burke is an award-winning editor and serves as senior contributing editor at American Scientist. Burke has a doctorate in biology and a rich background in conservation\, forest history\, and disease ecology\, bringing a profound understanding of scientific nuances to her work. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nModerator\n\n\n\n\nJoanne Kenen\n\n\n\nJournalist-in-Residence\, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public HealthContributing writer\, POLITICO MagazineLong-time health reporter on and off Capitol Hill. Oversaw all the health coverage at Politico for about a decade – now I’m a contributing writer to Politico Magazine\, and the Journalist-in-Residence at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health\, where I also teach. I’m a regular on the KHN “What the Health” podcast. I was AHCJ’s first topic leader (on health reform) and the conferences are a highlight of my year. @JoanneKenen \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nJenae Barnes\n\n\n\nHealth and environment reporter\, Capital B GaryJenae Barnes covers issues at the intersection of public health\, environmental justice\, and the lived experiences of Black communities\, with a particular focus on the Midwest and national audiences. She is recognized for deeply reported\, community-centered journalism\, blending investigative rigor with narrative storytelling. Her reporting frequently highlights the impacts of climate change\, gender and health disparities\, and she has experience amplifying underrepresented voices. \n\n\n\nBarnes was selected as a 2024 Pulitzer Center Story Reach Reporting Fellow and participated in the 2023 Wake Forest University Environmental and Epistemic Justice Fellowship. She is also a 2025 participant in the AHCJ German Health Care Study Group\, where she will report on the health care experiences of Black expatriates in Germany. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nKeerti Gopal\n\n\n\nHealth and justice reporter\, Inside Climate NewsKeerti Gopal covers intersections between climate change\, public health and environmental justice at Inside Climate News. Previously\, she covered climate activism and movement repression. She is a National Geographic Explorer and has received fellowships from Fulbright\, the Solutions Journalism Network\, The Lever\, and the National Press Foundation. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMatthew Tejada\, Ph.D.\n\n\n\nSenior vice president\, environmental health\, Natural Resources Defense CouncilAs the chief visionary and strategist for NRDC’s advocacy to protect human health\, Matthew Tejada oversees NRDC’s clean air\, water\, toxics\, and adaptation programs. He is also responsible for leading\, scaling\, and operationalizing the teams\, structures\, partnerships\, and policy initiatives needed to tackle major health threats facing communities.  \n\n\n\nPrior to joining NRDC\, Tejada served most recently as the deputy assistant administrator for environmental justice within the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office for Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights. In his 10 years with the EPA\, Tejada led all aspects of environmental justice work throughout the agency and in coordination with other federal agencies\, including the development of an array of grants and technical assistance vehicles\, and the creation and deployment of a nationally consistent screening and mapping tool that highlights environmental justice issues across the United States. His work also direct community engagement\, outreach and communication\, and management of the National Environmental Justice Advisory Council.
URL:https://healthjournalism.org/blog/2026/01/building-audience-with-local-climate-health-stories/
CATEGORIES:Environmental Health,Event,Webinar
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260109T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260109T140000
DTSTAMP:20260109T225213Z
CREATED:20260105T223830Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260109T225213Z
UID:62134-1767963600-1767967200@healthjournalism.org
SUMMARY:Big changes to the CDC's childhood vaccine schedule: What you need to know
DESCRIPTION:This week\, the CDC changed the agency’s recommended childhood immunization schedule to nearly match that of Denmark\, a country that bears little similarity to the U.S. in population\, health care system\, and public health approach. The move shifts six vaccines from “recommended” to “shared clinical decision-making.” \n\n\n\nHosted by Tara Haelle and offered in conjunction with the Expert Vaccine Analysis Team (E-VAT)\, this webinar will give you access to quotable experts on vaccine law\, the history of the childhood immunization schedule\, and the science supporting the longtime CDC schedule to help journalists report on this significant change. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nModerator\n\n\n\n\nTara Haelle\n\n\n\nAHCJ Health Beat Leader for Infectious Diseases\, Medical StudiesTara Haelle is AHCJ’s health beat leader for infectious diseases and medical studies. She’s an independent science/health journalist\, author\, speaker\, and photographer. Her work has appeared in the National Geographic\, Scientific American\, Texas Monthly\, Science News\, Medscape/WebMD\, The New York Times\, Wired\, and O Magazine\, among others.  \n\n\n\nShe specializes in public health and medical research\, particularly vaccines\, infectious disease\, maternal and pediatric health\, mental health\, healthcare disparities\, and misinformation. She also covers medical research conferences and edits Long COVID Connection on Medium. Haelle earned a master’s in photojournalism from the University of Texas at Austin\, and her images have appeared in Texas Monthly\, NPR\, the\, Chicago Sun-Times and elsewhere. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nJesse L. Goodman\, M.D.\, MPH\n\n\n\nDirector\, Georgetown COMPASSAttending physician\, Georgetown UniversityJesse L. Goodman\, M.D.\, MPH is a professor of medicine and infectious diseases and an attending physician at Georgetown University and the previous chief of infectious diseases at the University of Minnesota. From 2003-09\, Goodman served as director of the federal Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER)\, regulating vaccines\, blood and cell and gene therapies\, and then as Chief Scientist of the US FDA until 2014\, serving in US leadership for numerous public health responses. He is a member of the National Academy of Medicine and has served on numerous WHO\, CDC\, NIH\, NAM and other advisory committees and previously served as a member of GlaxoSmithKline’s board\, chairing its science committee. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nJohn D. Gräbenstein\, Ph.D.\n\n\n\nPresident\, Vaccine DynamicsRetired director\, U.S. Dept. of Defense Vaccine Military AgencyJohn D. Gräbenstein\, Ph.D.\, is a global vaccinologist\, pharmacist\, and public-health leader. He served 27 years in the U.S. Army Medical Department and\, as a colonel\, directed Department of Defense’s Military Vaccine Agency. Gräbenstein served for 13 years as Global Executive Director of Medical Affairs for Merck Vaccines. He operates Vaccine Dynamics\, a consulting service on vaccinology and has no conflicts of interest. He is a Member of he National Academy of Medicine. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSean O’Leary\, M.D.\, MPH\n\n\n\nProfessor of pediatrics and infectious diseases\, University of Colorado Denver AnschutzDirector\, Colorado Pediatric Practice-Based Research NetworkSean T. O’Leary\, M.D.\, MPH\, is a professor of pediatrics and infectious diseases at the University of Colorado Denver Anschutz Medical Campus. He is also an investigator at Adult and Child Center for Outcomes Research and Delivery Science (ACCORDS) and director of the Colorado Children’s Outcomes Network (COCONet)\, a pediatric practice-based research network. \n\n\n\nHis research focuses on prevention of vaccine-preventable diseases through understanding clinical\, attitudinal\, and infrastructural barriers to vaccination\, and developing and testing interventions to address those barriers. O’Leary is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Council on School Health\, serves as chair of the Committee on Infectious Diseases\, and served for many years as AAP liaison to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP)\, serving on many ACIP work groups. He also serves as co-chair of the Policy Committee for Immunize Colorado and has been a speaker at the NFID Clinical Vaccinology Course since 2015. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nDorit Rubinstein Reiss\, Ph.D.\n\n\n\nProfessor of law & James Edgar Hervey ’50 Chair of Litigation\, UC San FranciscoDorit Rubinstein Reiss\, Ph.D.\, is a professor of law and the James Edgar Hervey ’50 Chair of Litigation at UC Law in San Francisco. Now a nationally recognized expert on vaccine law\, Reiss received her undergraduate degree in law and political science from the Faculty of Law in the Hebrew University of Jerusalem\, and her PhD from the Jurisprudence and Social Policy program at the University of California Berkeley. Her current research and activities focus on legal and policy issues related to vaccines. She writes about vaccines mandates\, policy responses to non-vaccinating\, tort issues and administrative issues related to vaccines\, and the anti-vaccine movement.
URL:https://healthjournalism.org/big-changes-to-the-cdcs-childhood-vaccine-schedule-what-you-need-to-know/
CATEGORIES:Event,Infectious Diseases,Medical Studies,Webinar
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251202T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251202T120000
DTSTAMP:20251202T161112Z
CREATED:20251202T160229Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251202T161112Z
UID:61759-1764673200-1764676800@healthjournalism.org
SUMMARY:Webinar: Key issues before a key CDC meeting
DESCRIPTION:This session is crucial for AHCJ members who want clear\, authoritative background ahead of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) meetings on December 4 and 5. \n\n\n\nWhen the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) meets on December 4 and 5\, they will be considering changes\, some dramatic\, that could affect vaccine access and protection throughout the United States\, including the hepatitis B birth dose and combination vaccines. The multi-institutional Expert Vaccine Analysis Team\, hosted by Georgetown University\, and the Association of Health Care Journalists invite you to a journalist briefing ahead of the ACIP meetings. \n\n\n\nDr. Paul Offit\, Director of the Vaccine Education Center at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia\, will explain the history\, safety\, and effectiveness of the hepatitis B vaccine birth dose and discuss the potential impacts of ACIP changes. Dr. Jesse Goodman\, Professor of Medicine and Infectious Diseases and Attending Physician at Georgetown University\, will follow with an overview of related issues ACIP may consider\, including adjuvants and combination vaccines. Michael Ninburg\, Executive Director Emeritus for the Hepatitis Education Project and past president of the World Hepatitis Alliance\, will help ground the science with perspectives on the impact of hepatitis B and its prevention on patients and families. \n\n\n\nThe briefing will take place on December 2\, 2025\, from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. ET and will include ample time for reporter questions.
URL:https://healthjournalism.org/event/webinar-key-issues-before-a-key-cdc-meeting-sent/
CATEGORIES:Event,Webinar
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251121T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251121T140000
DTSTAMP:20251121T195044Z
CREATED:20251105T123000Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251121T195044Z
UID:61596-1763730000-1763733600@healthjournalism.org
SUMMARY:National Science-Health-Environment Reporting Fellowship informational webinar
DESCRIPTION:Are you ready to take your reporting to the next level? The Association of Health Care Journalists (AHCJ)\, in collaboration with the Council for the Advancement of Science Writing and the Society of Environmental Journalists\, is now accepting applications for the National Science-Health-Environment Reporting Fellowships (SHERF)\, a yearlong program designed to empower early-career journalists covering the critical intersections of science\, health and the environment. \n\n\n\nThis unique fellowship allows participants to keep their current jobs while engaging in hands-on training\, exclusive workshops and mentorship from veteran journalists and experts. Fellows will deepen their storytelling skills\, gain access to new sources and explore pressing issues shaping public understanding such as climate change\, environmental justice\, health equity and scientific innovation. \n\n\n\nIn this webinar\, you’ll have the opportunity to ask questions about the fellowship and hear from SHERF alumni about their experience. Don’t miss your opportunity to join this dynamic community of science\, health and environment reporters driving meaningful change.
URL:https://healthjournalism.org/sherf-informational-webinar/
CATEGORIES:Event,Fellowships,Webinar
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251119T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251119T140000
DTSTAMP:20251119T214050Z
CREATED:20251030T171007Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251119T214050Z
UID:61531-1763557200-1763560800@healthjournalism.org
SUMMARY:Trust\, public health reporting and the CDC: Insider perspectives
DESCRIPTION:A lot has happened this year at the CDC with walkouts\, layoffs and the disappearance of data and reports\, presenting major challenges for journalists who report on public health. Especially when reporting on infectious disease\, the compromising of the CDC as a source of public health data and up-to-date information about outbreaks has huge implications for public health. But that’s not all that has been lost — not by a long shot. The Secretary of Health and Human Services has also undermined the CDC as a source of trustworthy information about drug use/harm reduction\, autism\, chronic disease and diet. \n\n\n\nAlthough the dismantling of the CDC has cost the country its oldest\, most stalwart resource for public health information\, the CDC diaspora has not vanished in silence. Join us for a conversation with former CDC officials Deb Houry\, Chief Medical Officer and Deputy Director for Program and Science; Demetre Daskalakis\, former Director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases; and Daniel Jernigan\, former Director of the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases. Moderated by AHCJ Health Beat Leader Tara Haelle\, the discussion will explore: \n\n\n\n\nWhere journalists should turn for the reliable\, evidence-based reporting resources that formerly had a home at the CDC’s web pages.\n\n\n\nWho\, if anyone\, has taken over data collection and communication about infectious disease.\n\n\n\nWhat is missing\, now\, from the national public health picture.\n\n\n\nTheir biggest worries about the potential consequences of the loss of this body of expertise and communication.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nModerator\n\n\n\n\nTara Haelle\n\n\n\nAHCJ Health Beat Leader for Infectious Diseases & Medical StudiesTara Haelle is AHCJ’s health beat leader for infectious diseases and medical studies. She’s an independent science/health journalist\, author\, speaker\, and photographer. Her work has appeared in the National Geographic\, Scientific American\, Texas Monthly\, Science News\, Medscape/WebMD\, The New York Times\, Wired\, and O Magazine\, among others. She specializes in public health and medical research\, particularly vaccines\, infectious disease\, maternal and pediatric health\, mental health\, healthcare disparities\, and misinformation. She also covers medical research conferences and edits Long COVID Connection on Medium. Haelle earned a master’s in photojournalism from the University of Texas at Austin\, and her images have appeared in Texas Monthly\, NPR\, the\, Chicago Sun-Times and elsewhere. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nDemetre C. Daskalakis\, M.D.\, MPH\n\n\n\nFormer Director\, CDC National Center for Immunization and Respiratory DiseasesDr. Demetre C. Daskalakis\, M.D.\, MPH\, is a nationally recognized physician and public health leader in infectious diseases and emergency response. He received his B.A. from Columbia\, M.D. from NYU\, and MPH from Harvard\, followed by advanced training at Harvard’s Beth Israel Deaconess and Partners Healthcare. \n\n\n\nDr. Daskalakis has held major leadership roles at the New York City Department of Health\, overseeing HIV\, TB\, STD\, immunization\, and laboratory programs\, and managing responses to measles\, Legionella\, and New York City’s initial COVID-19 outbreak. At the CDC\, he directed the Division of HIV Prevention and later led the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases\, where he managed strategies for influenza\, COVID-19\, RSV\, and the transition of the U.S. COVID-19 vaccine program to commercialization. He played a critical role in national responses to respiratory virus threats and managed high-profile outbreaks including measles and avian influenza\, demonstrating trauma-informed leadership during challenging events like the August 2025 CDC shooting. \n\n\n\nAs Deputy Coordinator of the White House National Mpox Response\, Dr. Daskalakis’s innovative approaches led to a dramatic reduction in daily cases. Throughout his career\, he has championed health equity\, LGBTQ+ health\, and evidence-based policy\, shaping national and global strategies in HIV prevention and vaccination. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nDebra Houry\, M.D.\, MPH\n\n\n\nFormer Chief Medical Officer and Deputy Director for Program and Science\, CDCDebra Houry M.D.\, MPH is a nationally recognized emergency physician and public health leader with more than two decades of experience guiding health care and public health strategy across federal government\, health systems\, and academia.  \n\n\n\nMost recently\, Dr. Houry served as Chief Medical Officer and Deputy Director for Program and Science at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)\, where she oversaw nine national centers and the Office of Science with a combined budget of more than $6 billion. She also served as Acting Principal Deputy Director\, the agency’s most senior leader after the CDC Director\, where she co-led the Moving Forward initiative—restructuring CDC to strengthen preparedness\, data\, and laboratory systems. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nDaniel Jernigan\, M.D.\, MPH\n\n\n\nFormer Director\, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases\, CDCDaniel B. Jernigan\, M.D.\, MPH\, recently resigned his position as Director of the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Dr. Jernigan completed training at Duke University and Baylor College of Medicine and has completed residencies in Internal Medicine and Preventive Medicine.  \n\n\n\nHe entered the CDC in 1994 as an Epidemic Intelligence Officer\, and has been studying respiratory and emerging diseases since that time. He is a retired Captain in the U.S. Public Health Service and was the recipient of the 2019 Service to America Medal.
URL:https://healthjournalism.org/blog/2025/11/trust-public-health-reporting-and-the-cdc-insider-perspectives/
CATEGORIES:Event,Health Policy,Infectious Diseases,Webinar
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251009T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251009T130000
DTSTAMP:20251009T214506Z
CREATED:20250925T164102Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251009T214506Z
UID:61129-1760011200-1760014800@healthjournalism.org
SUMMARY:How the budget bill will impact older adults: What journalists should know
DESCRIPTION:H.R. 1\, or the “One Big Beautiful Bill\,” imposes $1 trillion in funding cuts\, along with sweeping reforms to Medicaid\, Medicare and safety net programs like food assistance. The law adds new work requirements for Medicaid recipients under the age of 65; puts home and community-based services at risk; pauses minimum staffing requirements for nursing homes; makes it harder for seniors and those with disabilities to enroll in Medicaid or get help with Medicare premiums; and triggers future cuts to the Medicare program directly. \n\n\n\nOur expert panel will discuss how these massive changes will harm older adults and the families who care for them\, including undermining the care and support they need to remain at home and in their communities. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nModerator\n\n\n\n\nLiz Seegert\n\n\n\nAHCJ Health Beat Leader for AgingLiz Seegert is AHCJ’s health beat leader on aging. She’s an award-winning\, independent health journalist based in New York’s Hudson Valley\, who writes about caregiving\, dementia\, access to care\, nursing homes and policy. Seegert is also a contributing writer for Fortune.com\, the American Journal of Nursing\, and PBS/NextAvenue.org\, reporting on myriad health topics\, including social determinants of health and women’s health.  \n\n\n\nShe has written for TIME Health\, The Wirecutter\, Money.com\, Medscape\, Consumer Reports\, The Guardian and Medical Economics\, as well as dozens of other trade and mainstream media. Her articles have been syndicated in Forbes.com\, the Los Angeles Times\, the Hartford Courant\, The Saturday Evening Post and other major outlets. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAmber Christ\, J.D.\n\n\n\nManaging director of health advocacy\, Justice in AgingChrist leads Justice in Aging’s team of health attorneys and policy advocates in developing and implementing the team’s projects and initiatives to improve equitable access to health care and long-term services and supports for low-income and marginalized older adults across the country. Christ is a national Medicare and Medicaid expert with a focus on programs and policies impacting people who are dually eligible for both programs. She joined Justice in Aging in 2013 and is a 2006 graduate of Washington University of Law School in St. Louis. She serves on the boards of the Family Caregiver Alliance and Legal Aid of Western Missouri. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRachel Werner\, M.D.\, Ph.D.\n\n\n\nExecutive director\, Leonard Davis Institute of Health EconomicsRobert D. Eilers Memorial – William Maul Measey Professorship in Health Care Management and Economics\, Wharton SchoolProfessor of medicine\, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of MedicineOver the past 20 years\, Dr. Werner has built a foundational research program examining the effects of health care financing\, payment\, and related policies on health care delivery and patient outcomes. She is a nationally recognized expert in Medicare and Medicaid policy\, particularly as it related to the care of older adults. She received her medical degree and doctoral degree in Health Economics from the University of Pennsylvania.
URL:https://healthjournalism.org/how-the-budget-bill-will-impact-older-adults-what-journalists-should-know/
CATEGORIES:Aging,Event,Webinar
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250924T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250924T150000
DTSTAMP:20250924T220016Z
CREATED:20250902T204529Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250924T220016Z
UID:60893-1758722400-1758726000@healthjournalism.org
SUMMARY:U.S. Health System Reporting Fellowship and International Health Study Fellowship informational webinar
DESCRIPTION:Applications are now open for two of our most competitive and career-changing reporting fellowships: The U.S. Health System Reporting Fellowship and the AHCJ International Health Study Fellowship. These fellowships are your chance to take on ambitious projects\, sharpen your skills and bring vital health stories to life with the time\, resources and support you need.  \n\n\n\nIn this webinar\, you’ll hear from the Association of Health Care Journalists and program alumni to learn about these opportunities to advance the craft of health journalism and encourage nuanced\, informed reporting that can drive meaningful change in health care systems worldwide. Start working on your project pitches\, talk to your editors and apply early!
URL:https://healthjournalism.org/blog/2025/09/2025-fellowship-live-qa-session/
CATEGORIES:Fellowships,Webinar
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250916T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250916T150000
DTSTAMP:20250908T211132Z
CREATED:20250908T211125Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250908T211132Z
UID:60951-1758031200-1758034800@healthjournalism.org
SUMMARY:AI chatbots and mental health: How to report responsibly on a new risk
DESCRIPTION:Artificial intelligence-powered chatbots can provide round-the-clock access to supportive “conversations\,” which some people are using as a substitute for interactions with licensed mental health clinicians or friends. But users may develop dependencies on the tools and mistake these transactions for real relationships with people or true therapy. Recent news stories have discussed the dangers of chatbots’ fabricated\, supportive nature. In some incidents\, people developed AI-related psychosis or were supported in their plans to commit suicide. \n\n\n\nWhat is it about this technology that sucks people in? Who is at risk? How can you report on these conditions sensitively? Join moderator Karen Blum and an expert panel\, including psychiatrists John Torous\, M.D. (Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center); Keith Sakata\, M.D. (UC San Francisco)\, and Mashable Senior Reporter Rebecca Ruiz\, to learn more. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nModerator\n\n\n\n\nKaren Blum\n\n\n\nAHCJ Health Beat Leader for Health ITKaren Blum is AHCJ’s health beat leader for health IT. She’s an independent health and science journalist\, based in the Baltimore area. She has written for publications such as the Baltimore Sun\, Pharmacy Practice News\, Clinical Oncology News\, Clinical Laboratory News\, Cancer Today\, CURE\, AARP.org\, General Surgery News and Infectious Disease Special Edition; covered numerous medical conferences for trade magazines and news services; and written many profiles and articles on medical and science research as well as trends in health care and health IT. She is a member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA) and chairs its Virtual Education Committee; and a member of the National Association of Science Writers (NASW) and its freelance committee. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRebecca Ruiz\n\n\n\nSenior reporter\, MashableRebecca Ruiz is a Senior Reporter at Mashable. She frequently covers mental health\, digital culture\, and technology. Her areas of expertise include suicide prevention\, screen use and mental health\, parenting\, youth well-being\, and meditation and mindfulness. Rebecca’s experience prior to Mashable includes working as a staff writer\, reporter\, and editor at NBC News Digital and as a staff writer at Forbes. Rebecca has a B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College and a master’s degree from UC Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nKeith Sakata\, M.D.\n\n\n\nPsychiatry resident\, UC San FranciscoKeith Sakata\, M.D.\, is a psychiatry resident at the University of California\, San Francisco\, where he founded the Mental Health Innovation and Digital Hub (MINDHub) to advance AI-enabled care delivery. He provides treatment and psychotherapy across outpatient and specialty clinics\, with a focus on dual diagnosis\, PTSD\, OCD\, pain\, and addiction.  \n\n\n\nDr. Sakata previously trained in internal medicine at Stanford Health Care and co-founded Skript\, a diagnostic training platform adopted by UCSF and Stanford that improved medical education outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic. He currently serves as Clinical Lead at Sunflower\, an addiction recovery startup. He also helps and advises startups working to improve access in mental health: including Two Chairs\, and Circuit Breaker Labs\, which is providing a safety layer for AI tools in mental health care.  \n\n\n\nHis professional interests bridge psychiatry\, neuroscience\, and digital innovation. Dr. Sakata holds a B.S. in Neurobiology from UC Irvine and earned his M.D. from UCSF. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nJohn Torous\, M.D.\, MBI\n\n\n\nDirector\, Digital Psychiatry\, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical CenterJohn Torous\, M.D.\, MBI\, is director of the digital psychiatry division in the Department of Psychiatry at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC)\, a Harvard Medical School-affiliated teaching hospital\, where he also serves as a staff psychiatrist and associate professor. He has a background in electrical engineering and computer sciences and received an undergraduate degree in the field from UC Berkeley before attending medical school at UC San Diego. He completed his psychiatry residency\, fellowship in clinical informatics and master’s degree in biomedical informatics at Harvard.  \n\n\n\nTorous is active in investigating the potential of mobile mental health technologies for psychiatry and his team supports mindapps.org as the largest database of mental health apps\, the mindLAMP technology platform for scalable digital phenotyping and intervention\, and the Digital Navigator program to promote digital equity and access. Torous has published over 300 peer-reviewed articles and five book chapters on the topic. He directs the Digital Psychiatry Clinic at BIDMC\, which seeks to improve access to and quality of mental health care through augmenting treatment with digital innovations.  \n\n\n\nTorous serves as editor-in-chief for the journal JMIR Mental Health\, web editor for JAMA Psychiatry\, and a member of various American Psychiatric Association committees.
URL:https://healthjournalism.org/event/ai-chatbots-and-mental-health-how-to-report-responsibly-on-a-new-risk/
CATEGORIES:Health IT,Webinar
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250911T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250911T120000
DTSTAMP:20250911T203133Z
CREATED:20250902T205926Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250911T203133Z
UID:60891-1757588400-1757592000@healthjournalism.org
SUMMARY:Preparing for reporting on autism\, vaccines and related science
DESCRIPTION:Join moderator Tara Haelle and an expert panel — including Paul Offit\, M.D. (Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia)\, and Jessica B. Steier\, DrPH\, PMP (Founder and CEO of Unbiased Science) — for a webinar that will help reporters navigate the science behind autism\, vaccines\, and the expected Health and Human Services report on autism causes. \n\n\n\nFacilitated by: Jesse Goodman\, M.D.\, MPH\, Chair of the E-VAT — Expert Vaccine Analysis Team. \n\n\n\nDon’t miss this opportunity to get the context and insights you need to report accurately and confidently. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nModerator\n\n\n\n\nTara Haelle\n\n\n\nAHCJ Health Beat Leader for Infectious Diseases & Medical StudiesTara Haelle is AHCJ’s health beat leader for infectious diseases and medical studies. She’s an independent science/health journalist\, author\, speaker\, and photographer. Her work has appeared in the National Geographic\, Scientific American\, Texas Monthly\, Science News\, Medscape/WebMD\, The New York Times\, Wired\, and O Magazine\, among others. She specializes in public health and medical research\, particularly vaccines\, infectious disease\, maternal and pediatric health\, mental health\, healthcare disparities\, and misinformation. She also covers medical research conferences and edits Long COVID Connection on Medium. Haelle earned a master’s in photojournalism from the University of Texas at Austin\, and her images have appeared in Texas Monthly\, NPR\, the\, Chicago Sun-Times and elsewhere. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nPaul A. Offit\, M.D.\n\n\n\nDirector\, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Vaccine Education CenterMaurice R. Hilleman Professor of Vaccinology\, University of PennsylvaniaPaul A. Offit\, M.D.\, is the Director of the Vaccine Education Center at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia as well as the Maurice R. Hilleman Professor of Vaccinology and a Professor of Pediatrics at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Offit is currently a voting member on the FDA’s Vaccine Advisory Committee and has previously served on the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices to the CDC. He is also the co-inventor of the rotavirus vaccine\, RotaTeq\, recommended for universal use in infants by the CDC in 2006 and by the WHO in 2013. This vaccine was estimated recently to save about 165\,000 lives a year. He is also the author of 11 books written for the public about science\, medicine\, and vaccines.   \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nJessica Steier\, DrPH\, PMP\n\n\n\nFounder and CEO\, Unbiased ScienceAn accomplished public health expert specializing in science communication\, Dr. Jessica Steier is committed to providing clients — and the general public — with accurate\, unbiased\, and methodologically sound information. Through her podcast and other public avenues\, she strives to connect citizens with accurate evidence about the forces that affect all of our lives. \n\n\n\nWhile working in both the private sector and academia\, she has built a career founded on providing data-driven solutions in real-world environments and communicating the importance of “old school” scientific values in contemporary education and public discourse. At her professional core\, Steier is dedicated to rigorous scientific inquiry and bettering the health and welfare of communities. \n\n\n\nShe is the CEO of Vital Statistics Consulting (VSC)\, which specializes in health program and policy evaluation using data science and advanced analytics. With a team of expert consultants\, VSC helps its clients improve healthcare outcomes while managing the cost challenges of this demanding sector. \n\n\n\nSteier is also the founder of “Unbiased Science.” It underpins a diverse social media platform dedicated to translating complex scientific concepts into everyday language. The essence of this endeavor is pushing back against the wave of pseudoscience and misinformation that the Internet and other social forces have recently unleashed. Its motto — “No Nonsense\, Just Science” — is meant to capture Steier’s direct and impassioned approach to disseminating technical knowledge in our technologically-driven culture. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nFacilitator\n\n\n\n\nJesse L. Goodman\, M.D.\, M.P.H.\n\n\n\nDirector\, Georgetown University COMPASSProfessor of medicine and infectious diseasesChair\, Expert Vaccine Analysis Team (E-VAT)Jesse L. Goodman\, M.D.\, MPH is Professor of Medicine and Infectious Diseases and Attending Physician at Georgetown University. He was previously Chief of Infectious Diseases at the University of Minnesota where his laboratory isolated the causative agent of human granulocytic anaplasmosis.  \n\n\n\nFrom 2003-2009\, he served as Director of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER)\, regulating vaccines\, blood and cell and gene therapies\, and then as Chief Scientist of the U.S. FDA until 2014\, serving in U.S. leadership for numerous public health responses. He is a member of the National Academy of Medicine and has served on numerous WHO\, CDC\, NIH\, NAM and other advisory committees and previously served as a member of GSK’s board\, chairing its science committee.
URL:https://healthjournalism.org/preparing-for-reporting-on-autism-vaccines-and-related-science/
CATEGORIES:Health Policy,Infectious Diseases,Webinar
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250819T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250819T150000
DTSTAMP:20250819T212318Z
CREATED:20250814T203629Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250819T212318Z
UID:60688-1755612000-1755615600@healthjournalism.org
SUMMARY:Reporting on 'sweeps' and the criminalization of homelessness: How to handle the story
DESCRIPTION:The Trump administration is making clear its intention to banish\, arrest or imprison people who are homeless in the nation’s capital\, as well as threatening forced treatment for those struggling with substance use disorders. But front-line workers\, activists and experts are expressing skepticism about this old and failed approach to homelessness.  \n\n\n\nSo what is the state of affairs in D.C.? How are people who work on homelessness responding to the impending campaign\, and what is the likelihood that other cities will take a similar approach? This webinar will equip reporters to cover the story in their own cities and towns with guidance from a national reporter who is covering the D.C. story\, an addiction researcher\, a longtime activist and a journalist who did a year-long project on homelessness. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nModerator\n\n\n\n\nKatia Riddle\n\n\n\nHealth correspondent\, NPRFormer AHCJ fellow \n\n\n\nKatia Riddle is a correspondent at NPR covering mental health. She has reported extensively on the impact of events such as Hurricane Helene\, Los Angeles wildfires and the loneliness epidemic.  \n\n\n\nPrior to her current role\, she covered public health including reproductive rights and homelessness. She won a 2024 Gracie Award for a series on reproductive rights\, and was an AHCJ U.S. Health System Reporting Fellow from 2023-2024. \n\n\n\nRiddle lives in Portland\, Oregon with her husband and three kids. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nPhoto by Nancie Battaglia\n\n\n\n\n\n\nBrian Mann\n\n\n\nNational addiction correspondent\, NPRBrian Mann is NPR’s first national addiction correspondent. He also covers breaking news in the U.S. and around the world. \n\n\n\nMann began covering drug policy and the opioid crisis as part of a partnership between NPR and North Country Public Radio in New York. After joining NPR full time in 2020\, Mann was one of the first national journalists to track the deadly spread of the synthetic opioid fentanyl\, reporting from California and Washington state to West Virginia. \n\n\n\nAfter losing his father and stepbrother to substance abuse\, Mann’s reporting breaks down the stigma surrounding addiction and creates a factual basis for the ongoing national discussion. \n\n\n\nMann has also served on NPR teams covering the Beijing Winter Olympics and the war in Ukraine. \n\n\n\nDuring a career in public radio that began in the 1980s\, Mann has won numerous regional and national Edward R. Murrow awards. He is author of a 2006 book about small town politics called Welcome to the Homeland\, described by The Atlantic as “one of the best books to date on the putative-red-blue divide.” \n\n\n\nMann grew up in Alaska and is now based in New York’s Adirondack Mountains. His audio postcards\, broadcast on NPR\, describe his backcountry trips into wild places around the world. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nKeith Humphreys\, OBE\, Ph.D.\n\n\n\nEsther Ting Memorial Professor\, Stanford University Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral SciencesCIGH fellow\, Stanford Center for Innovation in Global HealthKeith Humphreys is the Esther Ting Memorial Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University. His research addresses addictive disorders and the translation of science into public policy.  In addition to over 400 scientific publications\, he has written extensively for outlets like The Washington Post and The Atlantic. \n\n\n\nDr. Humphreys’ public policy work includes testimonies to U.S. House and Senate Committees\, to the Canadian and U.K. parliaments\, and in many state legislatures. He served on the White House Commission on Drug-Free Communities during the Bush Administration and as Senior Policy Advisor in the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy under President Obama. He created and co-directs the Stanford Network on Addiction Policy\, which brings scientists and policy makers together to improve public policies regarding addictive substances. To recognize his service to addiction-related scholarship and policy\, Queen Elizabeth II made him an Honorary Officer in the Order of the British Empire in 2022. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nLisa Daugaard\n\n\n\nCo-executive director/policy\, Purpose. Dignity. Action.Lisa Daugaard is Co-Executive Director/Policy at Purpose. Dignity. Action. (PDA)\, formerly the Public Defender Association\, based in Seattle. She joined the Defender Association in 1996 as a public defense staff attorney\, later served in multiple management positions and led TDA’s Racial Disparity Project\, combatting racial discrimination in\, and generated by\, the criminal legal system at the height of mass incarceration\, from 2000-2013.  \n\n\n\nFrom 2001-2008\, Lisa led a successful selective enforcement litigation challenge to drug arrests of Black people in Seattle. The settlement of that litigation effort resulted in an agreement by SPD and the King County Prosecutor’s Office to launch a pilot pre-booking diversion framework for drug offenses\, which came into being in 2011 as the Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) model. Lisa was founding Co-Chair of the Seattle Community Police Commission\, & served on the CPC until 2019.   \n\n\n\nIn 2019\, she was awarded a MacArthur Fellowship for work building consensus around community-based responses to illegal behavior related to unmet behavioral health needs and extreme poverty. From 2020-present\, she has helped design and implement JustCARE\, a response to unsheltered homelessness in the Seattle area combining low-barrier entry with non-congregate shelter\, intensive case management\, and aftercare\, that has allowed resolution of over 40 large encampments without dispersal or displacement of individuals to other areas. \n\n\n\nLisa grew up in the Seattle area\, attended the University of Washington\, was an anti-apartheid activist at Cornell University in the mid-1980s while occasionally attending class and earning an MA\, and obtained her JD from Yale Law School (class of 1992). After law school\, she worked in New York City as a fellow at the ACLU National Legal Department\, leading a successful challenge to the first US detention camp at Guantanamo (for HIV-positive Haitian asylum seekers); as Legal Director of the Coalition for the Homeless; and as Organizing Project Director at the Urban Justice Center.
URL:https://healthjournalism.org/reporting-on-sweeps-and-the-criminalization-of-homelessness-how-to-handle-the-story/
CATEGORIES:Event,Health Equity,Health Policy,Webinar
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250801T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250801T150000
DTSTAMP:20250722T145809Z
CREATED:20250717T200012Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250722T145809Z
UID:60334-1754056800-1754060400@healthjournalism.org
SUMMARY:From big picture to local story: Reporting on the impact of the megabill
DESCRIPTION:The 2026 budget act signed into law on July 4 will impact the health of millions of Americans — especially those on Medicaid and other safety net programs including SNAP. How can journalists wrap their arms around these massive changes?  \n\n\n\nPanelists will highlight what aspects journalists should pay close attention to right now and how to use the power of storytelling to make these coming changes real for audiences. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nModerator\n\n\n\n\nLara Salahi\n\n\n\nAHCJ Health Beat Leader for Health EquityLara Salahi is AHCJ’s health beat leader on health equity. She’s an award-winning\, independent health journalist based in Boston\, whose work has appeared in local\, national and international television and digital news outlets. She is also the Distinguished Professor of Journalism at Endicott College in Beverley\, Mass. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nModerator\n\n\n\n\nJoe Burns\n\n\n\nAHCJ Health Beat Leader for Health Policy and InsuranceJoseph Burns is AHCJ’s health beat leader on health policy and insurance. He’s an independent journalist based in Brewster\, Mass.\, who has covered health care\, health policy and the business of care since 1991. Burns has written for a variety of publications\, including The New York Times\, Fortune\, Hospitals & Health Networks\, and Medical Economics\, among others.  \n\n\n\nEarly in his journalism career\, Burns worked as a reporter in Connecticut\, first for The Wallingford Post (a weekly)\, and then The Meriden Record-Journal (a daily)\, and later for The Hartford Courant (the largest daily newspaper in the state and the nation’s oldest newspaper). For The Courant\, he was a reporter\, copy editor and regional news editor. During this time\, he also taught news writing at the University of Connecticut. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nJoanne Kenen\n\n\n\nJournalist-in-Residence\, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public HealthContributing writer\, Politico MagazineLong-time health reporter on and off Capitol Hill. Oversaw all the health coverage at Politico for about a decade – now I’m a contributing writer to Politico Magazine\, and the Journalist-in-Residence at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health\, where I also teach. I’m a regular on the KHN “What the Health” podcast. I was AHCJ’s first topic leader (on health reform) and the conferences are a highlight of my year. @JoanneKenen \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nKristen Jordan Shamus\n\n\n\nHealth reporter\, Detroit Free PressShamus’ work has taken her across the Mitten State\, the U.S. and to Europe. There\, she covered the stories of children who were evacuated from war-torn Ukraine to eastern Poland. She also led coverage of the coronavirus pandemic and its impact on Michiganders.  \n\n\n\nOver the past two decades\, Shamus has worked as a reporter\, an editor and columnist including at the Oakland Press and the News-Herald Newspapers. Shamus was among 20 journalists selected in 2019 for a National Press Foundation fellowship\, was a Mayo Clinic-Cronkite Medical Journalism fellow and a finalist for three consecutive years for the Richard Milliman Michigan Journalist of the Year award from the Michigan Press Association Foundation. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nKatherine Hempstead\, Ph.D.\n\n\n\nSenior policy officer\, Robert Wood Johnson FoundationHempstead works on healthcare issues\, mostly those related to health insurance\, costs\, and access to care\, using data and analyses to illuminate policy discussions at the federal and state levels. She is particularly interested making new sources of data that can inform policy available to researchers and the public sector. Hempstead frequently speaks and writes about health insurance and other healthcare topics. She is also an active researcher\, and has authored numerous articles in the peer reviewed literature.
URL:https://healthjournalism.org/event/from-big-picture-to-local-story-reporting-on-the-impact-of-the-megabill-2/
CATEGORIES:Aging,Event,Health Equity,Health Policy,Insurance,Webinar
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250716T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250716T140000
DTSTAMP:20250708T174100Z
CREATED:20250708T171925Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250708T174100Z
UID:60159-1752670800-1752674400@healthjournalism.org
SUMMARY:AHCJ German Health Care Study Group informational webinar
DESCRIPTION:Join us for an informational webinar about the AHCJ German Health Care Study Group\, a weeklong\, immersive experience in Berlin this October. Selected U.S.-based journalists will explore Germany’s health system — one that delivers universal coverage and strong outcomes without medical debt.  \n\n\n\nSupported by The Commonwealth Fund\, the program covers airfare\, lodging\, meals\, local transportation and more. Participants will leave with deeply reported stories and new perspectives on cost\, coverage\, equity and care delivery. \n\n\n\nLearn how to apply\, ask questions about the program and get tips for strengthening your application.
URL:https://healthjournalism.org/event/ahcj-german-health-care-study-group-informational-webinar/
CATEGORIES:Fellowships,Webinar
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