Association of Health Care Journalists

Viral BS: Medical Myths and Why We Fall For Them
2020-09-10 01:00 (America/New_York)
Sept. 10, 7 p.m. ET
Can your ZIP code predict when you will die? Will testosterone supplements boost your libido? Should you space out childhood vaccines? Does talcum powder cause cancer? Why do some doctors recommend e-cigarettes while other doctors recommend you stay away from them? Health information”•and misinformation”•is all around us, and it can be hard to separate the two. A long history of unethical medical experiments and medical mistakes, along with a host of celebrities spewing anti-science beliefs, has left many wary of science and the scientists who say they should be trusted. How do we stay sane while unraveling the knots of fact and fiction to find out what we should really be concerned about, and what we can laugh off?
Seema Yasmin is an Emmy Award-winning journalist, poet, medical doctor and author. Yasmin served as an officer in the Epidemic Intelligence Service at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention where she investigated disease outbreaks and was principal investigator on a number of CDC studies. Yasmin trained in journalism at the University of Toronto and in medicine at the University of Cambridge.
Yasmin was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in breaking news in 2017 with a team from The Dallas Morning News and recipient of an Emmy for her reporting on neglected diseases. She received two grants from the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting. In 2017, Yasmin was a John S. Knight Fellow in Journalism at Stanford University investigating the spread of health misinformation and disinformation during epidemics. Previously she was a science correspondent at The Dallas Morning News, medical analyst for CNN, and professor of public health at the University of Texas at Dallas.
Register here.

Stat Health Tech Summit
2020-09-09 01:00 - 2020-09-11 01:00
Where health tech meets biotech

Breakthroughs in health and medicine are not just biological — they’re technological. Join us for our next STAT Summit as we assemble top executives, policymakers, and researchers working at the intersection of health and technology. Learn how pharmaceutical companies are weaving the power of Moore’s law into their efforts to develop new medical advances. Hear from experts on how technology companies — from giants like Apple and Google to upstarts just emerging from stealth — are working to improve the lives of patients. And join discussions about how Covid-19 has and will continue to impact health tech breakthroughs.
The 2020 STAT Health Tech Summit will now be presented on September 9-10, beginning at 1 p.m. ET each day.

Covering Coronavirus: The Long Road to Recovery
2020-09-02 01:00
What happens when COVID-19 doesn’t go away? A growing number of patients report symptoms that stretch on for months, and some have been left with organ damage and other debilitating ailments. In this webinar, we’ll consider what kinds of care and support such “long-hauler” patients might need moving forward, and what journalists need to know to tell such stories in their communities. Sign-up here!

COVID Vaccine Research & Deployment: Reconciling Speed & Safety
2020-08-28 01:00
Aug. 28, noon-1:30 p.m. CT
Dr. Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, will moderate an insightful discussion on COVID-19 vaccine research and deployment. National experts will consider challenging ethical issues, including equitable distributionof vaccines, global coordination of vaccine development, challenge trials with deliberate infection of research participants, and what proof of safety and efficacy the Food & Drug Administration should require before a vaccine is deployed. This webinar is free and open to the public.
Read more from our panelists on COVID-19:

Washington Post editorial co-written by Margaret A. Hamburg, MD: 4 former FDA commissioners: Blood plasma might be the COVID-19 treatment we need

New York Times editorial co-written by Seema K. Shah, JD: Before Deliberately Infecting People With Coronavirus, Be Sure It’s Worth It

NPR interview with Nicole Lurie, MD, MSPH: Former Obama HHS Official Discusses The Federal Response To COVID-19 So Far

National Association of County and City Health Officials' 2020 Virtual Preparedness Summit
2020-08-25 01:00 - 2020-08-27 01:00
Fixing Our Fault Lines: Addressing Systemic Vulnerabilities
August 25-27, 2020
How to Join: Contact Andrea Grenadier (AGrenadier@naccho.org) ) to receive an access code allowing you to view the sessions.
Nearly 1,500 professionals will meet virtually at the first and longest running national conference on public health preparedness. Since its beginning in 2006, the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) has taken a leadership role in convening a wide array of partners to participate in the Summit; presenting new research findings, sharing tools and resources, and providing a variety of opportunities for attendees to learn how to implement model practices that enhance the nation’s capabilities to prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters and other emergencies. Over the last decade, the nature of threats to our national health security have changed significantly. These threats to continue to evolve and it is imperative that public health practices adapt to meet the demands of an ever-evolving threat environment.
Each year, the Preparedness Summit features experts from the healthcare and emergency management fields in addition to public health preparedness professionals to address the gaps between these life-saving industries in an effort to work more collaboratively and efficiently in the face of emerging threats.
This year’s theme: Fixing Our Fault Lines: Addressing Systemic Vulnerabilities, will focus on methods to identify systemic weaknesses and highlight tools and policies that can empower all communities, and particularly the ones that are most vulnerable, to address those weaknesses and become more resilient. By bringing hindsight to the table to assess how preparedness and response efforts have fallen short in the past, we can create collective foresight that allows us to anticipate, address, and stabilize current fault lines to prevent them from shattering communities.
The virtual summit will include a wide range of pre-recorded sessions, interactive townhalls, and live content. Find the full schedule of events here. Highlights include:
Tuesday Plenary: COVID-19 Response Briefing: Perspectives from the Field – Where Do We Go from Here?
Date: Tuesday, August 25
Time: 2:30 pm ET
With more than 4 million cases and nearly 150,000 deaths, COVID-19 has been the worst pandemic in U.S. history since the 1918 Spanish Flu. In the months since the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services declared the pandemic a public health emergency, the public health, healthcare and emergency management sectors have worked tirelessly on the front lines to mitigate transmission, deliver care to sick patients, educate communities, and plan for mass vaccination – all within a highly politicized landscape. There is much to be learned from this first phase of response as we continue the effort to slow the spread. In this session, representatives from the Federal, State, Local and Laboratory communities will brief attendees and share their experiences with the pandemic response.
Speakers include:

Dr. John Dreyzehner, MD, MPH, FACOEM, Director, Centers for Preparedness & Response, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Dr. Cathy Slemp, MD, MPH, Former Health Officer & Commissioner, West Virginia Bureau for Public Health

Bill Whitmar, MS, Laboratory Director, Missouri State Public Health Laboratory

Dr. Sherri L. Davidson, PhD, MPH, Interim State Epidemiologist, Alabama Department of Public Health

Jennifer Kertanis, MPH, Director – Farmington Valley Health District, President – NACCHO

Wednesday Plenary: Finding HOPE through Crisis: Managing Stress and Supporting Optimism
Date: Wednesday, August 26
Time: 3:00 pm ET
This session introduces HOPE, redefined as Honesty, Optimism, Professionalism, and Empathy. Each of these concepts can be applied and leveraged to help public health, healthcare, and emergency professionals navigate through sustained operational stress and stay resilient. Participants will learn strategies to harness stress in moments for performance, learn approaches to cultivate optimistic thinking and gratitude, and foster stronger connections with others to support general well-being as well as holistic performance.
Speakers include:

Robert Kadlec, MD, Assistant Secretary, Preparedness and Response, US Department of Health and Human Services

Dr. Gloria Park, PhD, MAPP, Director of Performance Psychology, Consortium for Health and Military Performance

Dr. Gabe Paoletti, EdD, MAPP, Mental Fitness Scientist, Consortium for Health and Military Performance

Thursday Plenary: Addressing Structural Racism in the Era of COVID-19: Past, Present, and Future
Date: Thursday, August 27
Time: 1:00 pm ET
Structural racism exists within every system in the U.S., creating barriers—from community disinvestment by government to unequal allocation of relief and recovery resources—to preparedness, response and resilience for Black, Indigenous, and Hispanic communities. To confront this, emergency and public health managers must understand the roots of inequity and the intersections between health equity, racial justice, public health, and emergency response. This session will contextualize the history of racism in emergency response, provide examples of how communities are currently incorporating racial equity principles into current plans to address COVID-19, and examine how communities can center equity and justice when defining preparedness and response strategies for the future.
Speakers include:

Mariel Torres Mehdipour, Emergency Response Equity Officer, Public Health — Seattle & King County

John Yates, MBA, Director of Racial Equity & Social Justice, NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene

Este Geraghty, MD, MS, MPH, CPH, FACP, GISP, Chief Medical Officer and Health Solutions, Director, Esri

Town hall with Dr. Anthony Fauci
2020-08-18 01:00
Aug. 18, 11:45 a.m.-12:45 p.m. ET
Healthline.com will host a town hall with Dr. Fauci, the Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID). Dr. Fauci will be joined by a panel of medical experts to discuss the latest in COVID-19 research and controlling its spread.
Planned points of discussion will include:

Concerns about going back to school, including kids’ mental health

Conflicting information regarding masks, the spread of COVID-19 and the potential for public distrust

The latest research findings, current vaccine developments and vaccine safety

The impact of conspiracy theories and misinformation

Media are invited to submit questions to be answered by Dr. Fauci and the other panelists during the event.
In addition to Dr. Fauci, health care professionals participating in the town hall will include:

Moderator: Dr. Elaine Hanh Le, Chief Medical Officer, Healthline Media

Mental health specialist: Dr. Timothy Legg, Healthline advisor

Pulmonologist and front-line physician: Dr. Raj Dasgupta, Healthline advisor

Host: Steve Swasey, Vice President, Communications, Healthline Media

Contact: Erinn O’Sullivan, erinn@bospar.com

Town Hall featuring Anthony Fauci, M.D.
2020-08-18 01:00
Aug. 18, 11:45 a.m.-12:45 p.m. EDT
Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, M.D. will headline a live town hall about the ramifications of COVID-19 on Americans’ mental health, back to school and other issues related to the pandemic. Hosted by the leading digital health brand Healthline.com, the event is open to all media and the public at large on Tuesday, August 18, 11:45 a.m.-12:45 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time.
The free online event will focus on the United States’ response to the coronavirus pandemic. Dr. Fauci, who is Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and the nation’s leading expert on infectious diseases with 35 years of service at the National Institutes of Health, will be joined by a panel of medical experts to discuss the latest in coronavirus research, prevention and treatment. More information can be found here.
Dr. Fauci and the assembled experts are also scheduled to address current concerns about the virus. They will debunk myths and examine conflicting information that the general public may have received about COVID-19 and its spread. Planned points of discussion will include:

Concerns about going back to school, including kids’ mental health

Conflicting information regarding masks, the spread of COVID-19 and the potential for public distrust

The latest research findings, current vaccine developments and vaccine safety

The impact of conspiracy theories and misinformation

Journalists and members of the public will have the opportunity to submit questions to be answered by Dr. Fauci and the other panelists during the event.
In addition to Dr. Fauci, health care professionals participating in the town hall will include:

Moderator: Dr. Elaine Hanh Le, Chief Medical Officer, Healthline Media

Mental health specialist: Dr. Timothy Legg, Healthline advisor

Pulmonologist and front-line physician: Dr. Raj Dasgupta, Healthline advisor

Host: Steve Swasey, Vice President, Communications, Healthline Media

Media Contact:
Stacey Grimsrud, 415-271-1028 stacey@bospar.com

National Academy of State Health Policy annual convention
2020-08-17 01:00 - 2020-08-19 01:00
Aug. 17-19, 2020
The National Academy of State Health Policy annual convention will be virtual in 2020. The theme is State Health Policy: Flexibility and Resiliency through COVID-19 and Beyond. Media can get a free #NASHPCONF20 press pass to access concurrent sessions (unless a session is restricted to only state officials), plenaries and the virtual exhibit hall. Contact Jennifer Laudano at jlaudano@nashp.org for more information.

SciLine Media Briefing: Structural Racism and Health in Black Communities
2020-08-13 01:00
Aug. 13, at 2 p.m. ET
Racism is deeply ingrained in a number of U.S. social systems and institutions, where, studies show, it takes a toll on the health of Black individuals. SciLine’s next media briefing will focus on health effects and disparities resulting from: racism within the U.S. health care system, the racial segregation of neighborhoods, and racism-related chronic stress. A panel of scientific experts will summarize the state of research and take your questions.
SciLine Media Briefing: Structural Racism and Health in Black Communities, with an opportunity for Q&A

Dr. Chandra Ford, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)

Dr. Margaret Hicken, University of Michigan

Dr. Hedwig (Hedy) Lee, Washington University in St. Louis

SciLine Director Rick Weiss will moderate the briefing.

Register Here

NOTE: This briefing is open only to members of the media.
Questions? Contact us at sciline@aaas.org.

Returning to K-12 Education:Â Using Science to Keep Children, Teachers, and Staff Safe
2020-08-12 01:00
Aug. 12, 5-6:30 p.m. ET
The thirteenth COVID-19 Conversations webinar will discuss recent data and expert opinions on safely returning to K-12 education during a pandemic, lessons learned from reopening schools in Europe, how to best incorporate pandemic public health practices into schools, and how to plan for Spring 2021.
The webinar will begin with an introduction from the session’s moderator, Wendy Armstrong, Professor of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, and then feature a conversation with a panel of experts, including:

Caitlin Rivers – Senior Scholar, Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security

Dorte Lange – Vice President, Danish Union of Teachers

Donna Mazyck – Executive Director, National Association of School Nurses

The panel discussion will be followed by a Q&A session with the webinar audience.
This webinar has also been approved for 1.5 continuing education credits for CPH, CME, CNE or CHES. Several days after attending the webinar, participants will receive an email on how to claim their credits.
Register to attend the webinar

Systemic Racism & Health: Solutions, Making Change Happen
2020-08-11 01:00
Aug. 11, 1-2 p.m. ET
The COVID-19 pandemic has placed a spotlight on the impact of systemic racism on the health of Black Americans. Long-standing social and economic inequities have contributed to multiple social determinants of health that increase the risk of getting or dying from COVID-19. In the United States, Black Americans are dying at 2.5 times the rate of white Americans, while facing barriers to testing, treatment, and options for prevention and self-protection. This webinar will discuss how systemic racism harms health, and how solutions-based approaches at the state and community level are making a difference.
Speakers will discuss:• How racism harms individual health and has contributed to a public health crisis in America and among Black Americans• A health plan’s comprehensive approach to reducing health disparities, from a state-wide perspective• Public health solutions from a network of more than 20 FQHCs and 70 community health organizations addressing the effects of the pandemic on the uninsured and frontline workers in New Orleans
Featuring:

Camara Phyllis Jones, Emory University; Morehouse School of Medicine

Derek Robinson, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois

Tiffany Netters, 504 HealthNet

A draft agenda is available on this website.
Register Now

Equitable Allocation of Vaccine for the Novel Coronavirus
2020-08-07 01:00
Aug. 7, 3:15 p.m. ET
The National Academy of Medicine will hold a free public workshop to inform a fast-track study that will help policymakers plan for equitable allocation of a limited initial supply of vaccine against COVID-19.
Topics will include (subject to change):

Updates on current vaccine development and distribution activities, including Operation Warp Speed and the World Health Organization’s vaccine allocation framework

Learning from past vaccine allocation experiences in the United States and strategies to ensure public trust and equity

The role of infectious disease dynamics in informing vaccine allocation strategy

Learn more and register.
Study Background: A Framework for Equitable Allocation of Vaccine for the Novel Coronavirus
In response to a request from the NIH and CDC, the NAM and the National Academies have formed an expert committee to develop an overarching framework for equitable allocation of vaccines against COVID-19.
The committee will consider what criteria should be used to set priorities for equitable distribution among groups of potential vaccine recipients, taking into account factors such as population health disparities; individuals at higher risk because of health status, occupation, or living conditions; and geographic distribution of active virus spread. In addition, the committee will consider how communities of color can be assured access to COVID-19 vaccines in the U.S. and recommend strategies to mitigate vaccine hesitancy among the American public.
Learn more >>

For more information, visit the study webpage.
To receive updates on this activity, join our COVID-19 & Infectious Diseases listserv.
For questions, contact COVIDVaccineFramework@nas.edu.
For media inquiries, contact Dana Korsen at dkorsen@nas.edu.

Reporting on the Future of Health Care: Media briefing with Dr. Anthony Fauci
2020-08-06 01:00
Aug. 6, 10–10:45 a.m. EST
This event is reserved for credentialed members of the press. Participants will be speaking on the record.

Join the Alliance for Health Policy and Dr. Fauci for a conversation covering relevant and timely topics.

Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., director, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease
Sarah J. Dash, MPH (moderator), president and CEO, Alliance for Health Policy
Register now.

CDC Telebriefing:Â AFM Outbreak Anticipated for 2020
2020-08-04 01:00
Aug. 4, at noon ET
Health care providers urged to quickly recognize symptoms and hospitalize patients immediately.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) anticipates that 2020 will be another outbreak year for acute flaccid myelitis (AFM), an uncommon but serious neurologic condition. According to the latest CDC Vital Signs report, over half of patients with AFM in 2018 – the most recent and largest outbreak of AFM – were admitted to the ICU, and 1 in 4 of those patients required a ventilator. Pediatricians and frontline providers in emergency departments and urgent care centers should be prepared to quickly recognize AFM and immediately hospitalize patients.
Who

CDC Director Robert R. Redfield, M.D.

Thomas Clark, M.D., M.P.H., Pediatrician and CDC Deputy Director of the Division of Viral Diseases

Dial-In
Media: 888-832-5930
INTERNATIONAL: 1-312-470-7205
PASSCODE: CDC Media
Non-Media: 800-369-1602
PASSCODE: [REDACTED]
Instructions If you would like to ask a question during the call, press *1 on your touchtone phone. Press *2 to withdraw your question.
You may queue up at any time. You will hear a tone to indicate your question is pending.
TRANSCRIPT A transcript will be available following the briefing at CDC’s web site: www.cdc.gov/media.

The Immediate and Lasting Impacts of COVID-19 on Children
2020-08-04 01:00
Aug. 4, noon-1 p.m. EST
COVID-19 has unique implications for child populations regarding physical health, mental development, and social well-being. This webinar from the Alliance for Health Policy will address the specific threats posed by COVID-19 to children in the short- and long-term and provide policy options that may support children’s physical and mental health.
Expert panelists include:
• Tamera Coyne-Beasley, M.D., MPH, Derrol Dawkins MD Endowed Chair in Adolescent Medicine, Children’s of Alabama• Gary Blau, Ph.D., Executive Director, The Hackett Center for Mental Health, a Regional Center for Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute• David Rubin, M.D., MSCE, Director of PolicyLab, Director of Population Health, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia• Wendy L. Price, Psy.D., NCSP, President, National Association of School Psychologists
REGISTER NOW
This briefing is made possible with support from the Children’s Hospital Association.

Conversation with Anthony Fauci, M.D.
2020-08-03 01:00
Aug. 3 at 3 p.m. ET
U.S. News will be hosting a live stream conversation with Dr. Anthony Fauci.
Here’s a free registration link. It will be streaming live from the U.S. News Facebook page too.
We’ll explore where the country goes from here, as the novel coronavirus pandemic deepens and the race for a vaccine heats up. With fall and flu season on the horizon, what can Americans expect as they grapple with the decision to head back to school, work and other daily activities? Fauci has led the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases since 1984 and has advised six presidents on HIV/AIDS and other health issues.

Getting started as an independent journalist
2020-08-03 01:00
Hannah Yoon, independent visual journalist, Mason Trinca, documentary and editorial photojournalist, Sarah Fritsche, independent food writer and editor, and Maddie McGarvey, independent photographer, will discuss how to succeed as an independent journalist. We will talk about healthcare, building your client base, making time for personal projects, invoicing & contracts, how to prepare for slow months and more.
Register here.

Freelance breaking news: Promises and pitfalls
2020-07-30 01:00
Before the novel coronavirus hit, most national media outlets only hired local journalists to cover breaking news until their staff crews could rush to a scene. Now, in the age of the COVID-19 pandemic, many news directors are turning to local independent journalists for coverage, trusting freelance reporters and photographers to supply continuing on-the-spot news.
The SPJ Freelance Community invites you to join Washington, D.C.-area reporter and editor Stephenie Overman as she discusses the issues freelancers face covering this fast moving story.
To register go to:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_096dWXRoTNSSGk97VD71nQ SPEAKERS

Katie G. Nelson, Minneapolis

Haisten Willis, Atlanta

Katie G. Nelson is an award-winning freelance journalist, photographer and filmmaker in Nairobi, Kenya. Nelson covers human rights, global health and accountability issues in the region. Her work has been published by The New York Times, National Geographic, BBC, Al Jazeera, The Telegraph, Associated Press and Public Radio International, among others. She is the vice chair of the Foreign Correspondents’ Association of East Africa. Trained as an investigative journalist, Nelson cut her teeth as a reporter in the United States before moving to East Africa, where she was based. until the COVID-19 outbreak. Her investigations into health care, medical insurance and political finance laws have spurred policy changes at home and abroad. Nelson has a bachelor of arts and a master of public health from the University of Minnesota.
Haisten Willis has been a journalist since 2010, when he finished a master’s degree in mass communication from California State University, Fresno. Since then he has covered everything from sports to politics, business and real estate for local, regional and national news outlets. He’s been an avid news consumer since childhood, and his first journalism job was at his hometown newspaper in the Atlanta suburbs. After spending several years as a reporter and editor at community newspapers and trade magazines, he became a full-time freelancer by choice in 2016. Willis writes for outlets including The Washington Post, U.S. News & World Report and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He’s an active member of SPJ’s Freelance Community and is running for the organization’s national board this fall.

Reporting on school reopenings in the time of COVID-19
2020-07-30 01:00
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Resources

Recorded webcast (For a better experience, choose the Adobe Connect app instead of your browser to view the webcast.)
Blog post: Community transmission rate key to K-12 school reopening
Enriqueta Bond’s presentation
National Education Association page on COVID-19 action
All Hands On Deck: Guidance Regarding Reopening School Buildings
CDC guidelines on school re-openings
National Governor’s Association school reopening guidelines
Education Week: Tracking of School District Re-opening Plans
NYT: Reopening schools is way harder than it should be
AHCJ Core Topic: Coronaviruses/COVID-19
AHCJ Core Topic: Infectious diseases

Thursday, July 30, 11 a.m. ET
Everyone agrees that reopening schools this fall has been a priority for parents, students and teachers, but the nation’s inability to curb the COVID-19 outbreak is leading to an extremely challenging environment for deciding when and if to open schools.
A July 22 AP-NORC poll found that 46% of Americans believe schools need major modifications to deal with the coronavirus pandemic, and 31% think they shouldn’t reopen for in-person learning at all.
Communities are wrestling to answer questions such as:

What conditions are needed for schools to reopen safely?

What role do children play in the transmission of COVID-19?

What do public schools need to have in place to reopen safely or conduct virtual learning?

Three experts, in education policy, the education work force and infectious disease, will help journalists answer these questions and more.
There will be time for Q&A during the webcast. You can submit it ahead of time here.

Enriqueta Bond, Ph.D., chair, National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, Medicine advisory committee on Reopening K-12 Schools in the Time of COVID-19

Lily Eskelsen García, president, National Education Association

Tina Q. Tan, M.D., professor of pediatrics, pediatric infectious diseases attending physician, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine

Moderator: Bara Vaida, AHCJ topic leader/infectious diseases

Tina Q. Tan, M.D., is professor of pediatrics at the Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, and a pediatric infectious diseases attending; medical director of the International Patient Services Program (IPS); co-Director of the Pediatric Travel Medicine Clinic; and director of the International Adoptee Clinic at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. She is board certified in Pediatrics and Pediatric Infectious Diseases. Tan received her medical degree from Louisiana State University School of Medicine in New Orleans. She completed her residency, chief residency, and pediatric infectious diseases fellowship in the Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston. Tan is the chairperson of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Section on Infectious Diseases (SOID).
Lily Eskelsen García (@Lily_NEA) is president of the National Education Association, the nation’s largest labor union. She began her career in education as a school lunch lady and now leads a professional association of 3 million educators. She is the first Latina to lead the NEA and one of the country’s most influential Hispanic educators. Prior to assuming the top post, she served two terms as NEA vice president and secretary-treasurer. Most recently, García was appointed to serve on the Executive Committee as secretary of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, a nonprofit and nonpartisan organization, providing leadership development programs and educational services to students and young emerging Latino leaders.
Enriqueta Bond, M.A., Ph.D., until recently served as president of the Burroughs Wellcome Fund, an independent private foundation that advances medical science and the treatment of disease by supporting research and other scientific, scholarly, and educational efforts. Prior to joining Burroughs Wellcome, Bond served a distinguished tenure at the National Academy of Sciences, most recently as chief executive officer of the Institute of Medicine but also as director of Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, director of the Division of Health Sciences Policy, and senior staff officer. She holds a Ph.D. in biology-biochemical genetics from Georgetown University, an M.A. in biology-genetics from the University of Virginia, and an A.B. in zoology and physiology from Wellesley College.

Enriqueta Bond

Lily Eskelsen García

Tina Q. Tan

Bara Vaida

The Impact of COVID-19 on Latinx Children
2020-07-29 01:00
July 29,”¯10-11 a.m. ET In the wake of COVID-19, racial disparities are being illuminated like never before. Latinx and Black people are contracting the virus at higher rates than white people.
Systemic bias in both policies and practices are often invisible, yet result in significant levels of inequity in communities of color. Examples of inequity include access to and quality of healthcare, nutritious foods, housing, education and other basic needs that help people thrive. The inequity of access and availability leads to real disparities in mortality rates.
Voices for Healthy Kids, an initiative of the American Heart Association and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, is hosting a media briefing for journalists featuring leading experts to address these key questions:• What are the consequences of inequitable policies on Latinx children’s health?• How do we design and justly enforce equitable policies?• How can we better support Latinx children’s health? • What are effective health promotion practices to reach Latinx communities? • What should leaders and businesses do to ensure that Latinx and other children of color are supported during COVID-19 response and recovery?• How can we work to provide support to hard to reach communities? • What’s the role of an everyday resident in ensuring community equity?
WHO • Avenel Joseph, Ph.D., Vice President, Policy, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation• Sarah de Guia, JD, Chief Executive Officer, ChangeLab Solutions • Xavier Morales, Ph.D., MRP, Executive Director, Praxis Project • Amelie Ramirez, Dr.P.H., M.P.H., Director, Salud America! at the Institute for Health Promotion Research at UT Health San AntonioModerator: Eduardo Sanchez, M.D., M.P.H., FAAFP, Chief Medical Officer for Prevention, American Heart Association
Register Here

Addressing Health Misinformation Through Health Literacy Practices
2020-07-29 01:00
The Roundtable on Health Literacy will convene a 75-minute virtual workshop, exploring the rise in health misinformation and examining health literacy strategies to address health misinformation among various populations, especially as it relates to COVID-19.
Speakers include:

Kate Starbird, PhD, Associate Professor, Human Centered Design & Engineering, University of Washington

Nat Gyenes, MPH, Lead of the Digital Health Lab, Meedan

Briony Swire-Thompson, PhD, Senior Research Scientist, Network Science Institute, Northeastern University and Harvard Institute for Quantitative Social Sciences

Sylvia Chou, PhD, MPH, Program Director, Health Communication and Informatics Research Branch, Behavioral Research Program, National Cancer Institute

This webinar will be recorded and live-captioned. The webinar recording and transcripts will be posted on this page.

Covering COVID-19 in Indian Country
2020-07-23 01:00
NAJA to host Covering COVID-19 in Indian Country virtual roundtable July 23

The virtual roundtable series will feature discussions with Indigenous journalists covering the coronavirus pandemic in Indian Country. The first discussion will focus on coverage of the Navajo Nation. NAJA is now accepting pitches for the series.
The Native American Journalists Association recognizes that media professionals, including members working across Indian Country, are working through challenges to sort and assess information quickly as they cover the impact of COVID-19, while also prioritizing their own health and safety. Indigenous communities continue to be disproportionately affected by the pandemic due to pre-existing health vulnerabilities, historical disenfranchisement, and insufficient government support for programs despite treaty obligations.
The Covering COVID-19 in Indian Country virtual roundtable series will continue to serve our membership by highlighting expert strategies for covering the pandemic in Indigenous communities. The series will also inform a “Covering COVID-19 in Indian Country” reporting guide. This guide will provide ethical guidance for journalists covering the pandemic.
The first reporting roundtable will feature four journalists from the Navajo Nation who have covered the outbreak over the past three months. Navajo Nation has one of the highest per-capita infection rates in the U.S.

Tom Arviso, Publisher – Navajo Times

Donovan Quintero, Photojournalist – Navajo Times

Noel Smith, Reporter – Farmington Daily Times

Jourdan Bennett-Begaye, Washington, D.C. Bureau Chief – Indian Country Today

Mary Hudetz, a reporter on the Seattle Times’ investigative team, will moderate.
NAJA will host the “Covering COVID-19 in Indian Country: Navajo Nation” roundtable and live Q&A on Thursday, July 23 at 3 p.m., CT via Zoom and participants may register in advance here. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
The recording will also be available on the NAJA website at www.naja.com.

The “Covering COVID-19 in Indian Country” roundtable series is supported by the following sponsors:

Democracy Fund

Knight Foundation

Google News Initiative

Ford Foundation

COVID Complexities: Converging Threats, Fractured Resources
2020-07-21 01:00
Virtual Meeting of the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense
The ongoing novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has taken the lives of more than 100,000 Americans and damaged the Nation’s economy. As the country reopens, the disease threatens the public, now and into the foreseeable future. Federal support for state, local, tribal and territorial preparedness and biosurveillance will be crucial to addressing further spread of COVID-19. The Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense intends to address national policy and resource needs for response to and recovery from this crisis.
Please join us on July 21, 2020, when we will premiere ”¯COVID Complexities: Converging Threats, Fractured Resources,”¯ a virtual meeting to help the Commission better understand the potential for COVID-19’s reemergence, the country’s efforts to track the spread of the disease, and national readiness to address future biological threats.
Confirmed speakers include:Jared Moskowitz – Director, Florida Division of Emergency ManagementAlexis Madrigal – Co-Founder, The COVID Tracking Project, and Staff Writer, The AtlanticDavid Mitchell – President, International Association of Emergency Medical Services ChiefsSpeakers will discuss the potential for compoundment of the biological threat, disease-tracking needs, hospital preparedness and emergency management challenges.______________________________________________________________Tuesday, July 21, 202010 a.m. – 3 p.m. EDT

Covering Climate, COVID, and Environmental Justice: A Journalists' Roundtable
2020-07-08 01:00
At this moment of reckoning — with COVID, climate change, and racial inequality — it has never been more clear that ensuring a safe environment for all requires understanding the ways in which inequity fosters vulnerability to the impacts of climate change and infectious disease.
Through reporting on environmental injustice, journalists can help the public understand these linkages and share the experiences of under-represented communities with a wider audience. At the same time, the news industry is beginning to reckon with its own history of structural inequality and ongoing racism within the newsroom, which have helped to marginalize the concept of environmental justice and the reporters who cover it.
Join the Society of Environmental Journalists on Wednesday, July 8th from 1-2 PM EST, for a #SEJ2020 webinar with environmental reporters and storytellers who will discuss their experiences covering climate, COVID, and environmental justice.
All journalists welcome.
Register here.

Essential Ingredients: Will China’s Dominance in Raw Materials Imperil the U.S.?
2020-07-07 01:00
Online Briefing
Tuesday, July 7, 10:30 a.m. Eastern
Learn More
They are ingredients essential for everything from livestock feed to advanced weaponry to green technology. And they are increasingly mined or processed in China – upwards of 90% for some. From “rare earth elements” used in wind turbines and jet fighters, to vitamins used in food supplies, these raw materials are vital to American and global commerce. Many countries – including the United States – have essentially outsourced their production to one country: China. But as China grows more powerful, more assertive and more competitive militarily, the Trump administration is eager to reduce U.S. dependence. In this 60-minute briefing, we’ll hear from experts on why the U.S. gave up production of many of these vital materials, what could happen if China locks down exports of them, and the prospects for diversifying vital supply chains.
The briefing will be held on Zoom, and journalists who register may ask questions by audio or chat.
Register
Speakers:

Glenn Luckinbill, director, Supply Chain Innovation Forum, Ivy College of Business, Iowa State University. @ISU_CoB

Jane Nakano, senior fellow, Energy Security and Climate Change Program, Center for Strategic and International Studies. @CSISEnergy

Kristin Vekasi, assistant professor, Department of Political Science and School of Policy and International Affairs, University of Maine. @ProfVekasi

This program is sponsored by the Hinrich Foundation, an Asia-based philanthropic organization that works to advance mutually beneficial and sustainable global trade. NPF retains sole responsibility for programming and content of the briefings.

Investigative journalism and the COVID-19 pandemic
2020-06-30 01:00
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Resources
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Recorded webcast (youtube.com)

Webcast, Tuesday, June 30, at 2 p.m. ET
A collaboration between AHCJ and the Fund for Investigative Journalism
Investigative journalism plays a critical role in understanding the COVID-19 pandemic and its implications. Journalists are uncovering new information about how the public and private sector are responding to the epidemic – and how millions of people are affected.
The Association of Health Care Journalists and the Fund for Investigative Journalism are partnering to hold an online forum, “Covering COVID: Investigative Journalism and the COVID-19 Pandemic.” This one-hour virtual forum will include insights, lessons and tips for reporting around this complicated and fast-moving story.
The discussion will include:

Ivan Oransky, vice president/editorial at Medscape; AHCJ board president

Anu Narayanswamy, data reporter at The Washington Post; FIJ board member

Morgan Baskin, independent journalist covering social welfare

Derek Kravitz, fellow at Columbia University’s Brown Institute for Media Innovation

Moderator: Mark Greenblatt, senior national investigative correspondent at Scripps DC and Newsy; FIJ board president

The Fund for Investigative Journalism is providing emergency rolling grants to freelancers for stories that break new ground related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Association for Health Care Journalists provides comprehensive resources for reporters covering the pandemic.
Resources
Association of Health Care Journalist’s Resource Center re COVID-19
FIJ Board President and investigative correspondent for the Scripps Washington Bureau Mark Greenblatt’s coverage on insurance companies during the pandemic:

Advocates Worry Insurance Providers Could Profit From COVID-19

State Farm, Progressive Join List Of Auto Insurers Issuing Refunds

Data resources suggested by Washington Post Data Reporter Anu Narayanswamy:

Coronavirus counts by county

COVID nursing home data

Centers for Disease Control Provider Relief Fund data

COVID related financial assistance via HHS

SBA PPP loans to public companies

Resources suggested by Ivan Oransky and the Association of Health Care Journalists:

Retraction Watch

Section on retracted coronavirus articles

Retraction Watch Searchable Database

Columbia Journalism Review op-ed (with tips for journalists re working with scientific papers)

Morgan Baskin’s report in the Washington City Paper, on D.C.’s child welfare system and COVID-19
Derek Kravitz and team’s web page at the Brown Institute and Columbia University, including recent coverage using the documents they obtained
Watch a recording of this webcast.

Johns Hopkins experts to discuss how COVID-19 has changed the world
2020-06-29 01:00
COVID-19 has dealt a crippling blow to global public health and devasted the world economy. The pandemic also has vast implications for global security, technology and international relations.
WHAT: In advance of a two-day virtual conference on June 30-July 1, “World Order After Covid-19”, join Johns Hopkins University experts in public health, international governance and global security for a media briefing on national and international trends.
WHEN: 11 a.m. Monday c
WHERE: To receive the Zoom meeting information, please register here: https://jh.zoom.us/j/94532701074?pwd=[REDACTED]
WHO: Speakers will include:

Global Politics and Governance after COVID-19

Hal Brands is the Henry A. Kissinger Distinguished Professor of Global Affairs at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) and a scholar at the American Enterprise Institute.

Francis J. Gavin is the Giovanni Agnelli Distinguished Professor and the inaugural director of the Henry A. Kissinger Center for Global Affairs at Johns Hopkins SAIS.

Technology, Economics, and Climate in the Post-COVID World

Christine H. Fox is Assistant Director for Policy and Analysis at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, a position she has held since 2014. Previously, she served as Acting Deputy Secretary of Defense from 2013 to 2014 and as Director of Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation (CAPE) from 2009- 2013. As director of CAPE, Fox served as chief analyst to the Secretary of Defense.

Global Public Health, Ethics, Food Security, and Transnational Mitigation Strategies

Tom Inglesby will be able to discuss global public health issues including transnational mitigation efforts for COVID-19. He is the director of the Center for Health Security of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Inglesby is also a Professor in the Department of Environmental Health and Engineering in the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, with a Joint Appointment in the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.

Media is also invited to attend the two-day conference, “World Order After COVID-19,” which is free and open to the public. Register for the conference here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-world-order-after-covid-19-forum-registration-109186594042
The event, sponsored by the university’s School of Advanced International Studies and the Henry A. Kissinger Center for Global Affairs, will feature a keynote addresses from former Google CEO and Chairman Eric Schmidt and a Conversation with former U.S. Treasury Secretary Lawrence H. Summers.
Conference agenda (but more details: here):
Tuesday, June 30, 2020
11 a.m.-12 p.m.Opening Comments and Keynote Speaker
12:15-1:30 p.m.Panel 1 – Applied History and Future Scenarios
1:45-3 p.m.Panel 2 – Global Public Health, Ethics, Food Security, and Transnational Mitigation Strategies
3-3:15 p.m.Panel 3 – Global Politics and Governance after COVID-19
4:30-4:45 p.m.Day 1 Closing Remarks
Wednesday, July 1, 2020
9-9:45 a.m.Opening Comments and Keynote Speaker
10-11:15 a.m.Panel 4 – Technology, Economics, and Climate in the Post-COVID World
11:30 a.m.-12:45 p.m.Panel 5 – Grand Strategy and Great-Power Relations after COVID-19
1-2:15 p.m.Panel 6 – American Statecraft and the Post-COVID World
2:30-3 p.m.Day 2 Closing Remarks and Farewell

For more information about either the virtual conference or the media event, please contact Jill Rosen, jrosen@jhu.edu or Miji Bell, miji.bell@jhu.edu.

Tracking Coronavirus Relief Funds
2020-06-29 01:00
Application Deadline: Monday, June 29
Learn More
The National Press Foundation will offer a free online training program for 25 journalists to help them track how federal pandemic assistance funds are being used. The training will be held for two hours per day from July 13-17 (10 hours total).
Fellows will hear from a range of experts in public finance and journalism – people such as Philip Mattera, whose organization Good Jobs First has built a database of recipients of COVID-19 stimulus money, to legendary investigative reporter James B. Steele, who during his career has won two Pulitzer Prizes, two National Magazine Awards and five George Polk Awards. In addition to the sessions with expert speakers, NPF has lined up eight data scientists to serve as confidential coaches who can help journalists bring their investigative stories to successful publication.
Support for this training is provided by the Evelyn Y. Davis Foundation. NPF retains sole responsibility for programming and content.

SciLine Media Briefing: LGBTQ Mental Health
2020-06-25 01:00
SciLine’s next media briefing will cover some of the emotional and physical stressors especially impacting members of the LGBTQ community, including structural disparities such as repeated policy and civil rights changes, and the intersectional experience of the Black LGBTQ population. This on-the-record briefing will be accessible via Zoom, so you can attend and ask questions from wherever you are. This on-the-record briefing will be accessible via Zoom, so you can attend and ask questions from wherever you are.
WHAT: SciLine Media Briefing: LGBTQ Mental Health, with an opportunity for Q&A
WHEN: Thursday, June 25, at 2:00 PM ET
WHO:

John Pachankis, Yale School of Medicine
Madina Agenor, Tufts University
SciLine Director Rick Weiss will moderate the briefing.

NOTE: This briefing is open only to members of the media.
YOUR HOSTS: This media briefing is hosted by SciLine, a philanthropically supported, editorially independent, free service for reporters who cover science, health, and the environment. Based at the nonprofit American Association for the Advancement of Science, SciLine offers journalists access to trustworthy, articulate experts and provides other tools to help make methodically derived scientific evidence easily available to reporters. For more information visit www.sciline.org.
Questions? Contact us at sciline@aaas.org.
Get more information

Fauci to appear with other health officials
2020-06-24 01:00
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s leading voice on the Covid-19 pandemic, will participate in a Sacramento Press Club Facebook Live event at noon on Wednesday, June 24. To view the event, go to The Sacramento Press Club’s Facebook page.
Following Dr. Fauci’s appearance, the Sacramento Press Club will host a panel including Sen. Richard Pan, who has been at the forefront of state health care legislation; Dr. Sara H. Cody, Santa Clara County’s public health director, who was one of the first officials in the country to take action to contain the spread of the virus; and Dr. Sarah Medeiros, an emergency medicine physician at UC Davis Health and co-host of the podcast EM Pulse.
Capital Public Radio’s Sammy Caiola will moderate the conversation with Dr. Fauci. She will join Kaiser Health News’ Samantha Young for the conversation with Drs. Pan and Cody. Our thanks to HealthNet for its generous gift to help the Sacramento Press Club bring you this event, and to support our mission of providing scholarships to student journalists. The event is free. To support our scholarship fund for aspiring journalists, please donate by clicking here.
