BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Association of Health Care Journalists - ECPv6.15.11//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://healthjournalism.org X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Association of Health Care Journalists REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H X-Robots-Tag:noindex X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/New_York BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20230312T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20231105T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20240310T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20241103T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20250309T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20251102T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20260308T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20261101T060000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240924T130000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240924T140000 DTSTAMP:20260403T185642 CREATED:20240909T165350Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240924T210625Z UID:56348-1727182800-1727186400@healthjournalism.org SUMMARY:Hospital mergers and health care price increases: A primer for reporters DESCRIPTION:Hospital mergers — market consolidation — can lead to health care price increases of anywhere from 3% to 65%\, according to a 2022 RAND Corporation review. The FTC’s director of the Bureau of Economics has said hospitals that merge may charge 40% to 50% more than if they hadn’t merged. \n\n\n\nMergers can also result in layoffs and lower tax revenues and have a negative impact on patient care by reducing access to some health care services. With so much research confirming negative effects and as health care prices continue to rise\, what — if anything — can be done to slow market consolidation and/or reduce the harms to patients and local economies? \n\n\n\nJoin New York Times reporter Reed Abelson; health care cost economist Zachary K. Goldman\, Oregon Health Authority; and executive editor of The Source on Healthcare Price and Competition Katie Gudiksen\, University of California San Francisco\, as they explore those questions and talk about what some states\, like Oregon\, have done to try to control cost growth. \n\n\n\nThis series builds on a recent webinar series produced by AHCJ and Investigative Reporters & Editors (IRE) on the business of health care called “Follow the Money.” Once journalists are trained on how to “follow the money” of health care\, the Peterson-Milbank-supported webinar series will dive into cost drivers and look at solutions. Journalists will learn about ways that states\, employers and other stakeholders can promote affordable health care and will be able to tell these stories in the context of their state and local 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\nModerator\n\n\n\n\nReed Abelson\n\n\n\nReporter\, New York TimesReed Abelson is fascinated by the changing landscape of American medicine as more doctors and nurses work for hospitals and corporations\, and large health conglomerates account for a greater share of the care we get. Abelson also covers the business of health insurance and how it has changed since the debut of the Affordable Care Act and the increasing privatization of government programs like Medicare and Medicaid. Abelson aims to be endlessly curious about how the health care system works — and doesn’t — in the United States. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nZachary Goldman\n\n\n\nHealth care cost economist\, Oregon Health AuthorityZachary Goldman is the health care cost economist at the Oregon Health Authority\, where he has worked for 8 years. He currently focuses on Oregon’s Health Care Market Oversight Program and the Sustainable Health Care Cost Growth Target Program. Prior to joining the Oregon Health Authority\, he was a senior policy specialist at Covered California\, the state-based health insurance marketplace. He also worked for a federally qualified health center as a project manager and later as the clinic administrator.  Zachary earned his Bachelor of Arts degrees from Brandeis University and a Master of Public Policy degree from the University of California\, Berkeley. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nKatie Gudiksen\, Ph.D.\n\n\n\nExecutive editor\, The Source on Healthcare Price and CompetitionKatie Gudiksen\, Ph.D.\, is the executive editor for The Source on Healthcare Price and Competition. Dr. Gudiksen is an expert in health care reform and the drivers of health care costs\, with a special interest in market consolidation and state policies to address market power. She has helped draft model legislation to improve state merger review processes and to prohibit anticompetitive terms in contracts between insurers and health systems. \n\n\n\nHer current work focuses on evaluating the options states have to restrict excessive provider prices\, including cost-growth benchmarks and state public options. Her work has been published in Health Affairs\, Frontiers in Health Services\, the Harvard Journal on Legislation\, and the New England Journal of Medicine\, and covered by media outlet such as the Financial Times and The Wall Street Journal. \n\n\n\nShe has successfully worked with various state policymakers and stakeholders by commenting on bill language\, presenting to various state agencies and officials\, testifying as expert witness at state legislative hearings\, and participating in briefings and informational sessions in California\, Nevada\, Connecticut and Oregon.  URL:https://healthjournalism.org/blog/2024/09/hospital-mergers-and-health-care-price-increases-a-primer-for-reporters/ CATEGORIES:Health Policy,Webinar END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241016T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241016T160000 DTSTAMP:20260403T185642 CREATED:20240926T154653Z LAST-MODIFIED:20241015T151112Z UID:56696-1729090800-1729094400@healthjournalism.org SUMMARY:Biased devices: Reporting on racial bias in health algorithms and products DESCRIPTION:Doctors measure health in many ways\, from routine blood tests for cholesterol or kidney function to using devices like spirometers to test lung function or pulse oximeters for blood oxygen levels. But the results of these routine tests can be misleading because some tests and devices are skewed by algorithms that produce different results depending on a person’s race or ethnicity. Some devices don’t work as well for people with darker skin tones. \n\n\n\nThese biases can lead to delayed diagnoses and care for Black\, Hispanic\, Asian\, and other communities of color. Now\, clinicians\, regulators and researchers are working to address inequities caused by the misuse of race. \n\n\n\nThis webinar will cover the fast-moving\, complex space of racial disparities in algorithms and devices. Join Doris Duke Racial Equity in Clinical Equations Civic Science Fellow Jyoti Madhusoodanan and AHCJ Health IT Beat Leader Karen Blum to learn how these algorithms and devices work\, how bias creeps in\, the toll it takes\, and efforts to solve this problem. \n\n\n\nPanelists for this discussion are University of Michigan pulmonologist Michael Sjoding\, who presented evidence to an FDA advisory committee on how racial bias in pulse oximeters endangers Black patients; and University of Pennsylvania gastroenterologist Shazia Siddique\, who recently led an AHRQ-funded systematic review on clinical algorithms and racial disparities. \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 IT Beat LeaderKaren 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\n\nModerator\n\n\n\n\nJyoti Madhusoodanan\n\n\n\nDoris Duke Racial Equity in Clinical Equations Civic Science FellowJyoti Madhusoodanan is AHCJ’s Civic Science Fellow\, covering race in health algorithms as part of a year-long fellowship funded by the Doris Duke Foundation. She is an independent science and health journalist who regularly covers biomedical research\, health equity\, clinical trials\, and the translation of basic research into clinical care. Her reporting on race adjustments in clinical algorithms was supported by a 2020 project fellowship from the MIT Knight Science Journalism program; reporting on other topics has received fellowship support from the Alicia Patterson Foundation\, the GSA Journalists in Aging program\, and others. Madhusoodanan is a senior contributor to Undark magazine and her work regularly appears in Nature\, Scientific American\, and other outlets. She also serves on the Board of Directors of the National Association of Science Writers. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nShazia Siddique M.D.\, M.S.H.P.\n\n\n\nGastroenterologist & health policy researcher\, University of PennsylvaniaDr. Shazia Siddique M.D.\, M.S.H.P.\, is assistant professor of medicine\, division of gastroenterology; associate director for research\, Center for Evidence-Based Practice; director of research\, Center for Healthcare Improvement and Patient Safety (CHIPS); senior fellow\, Leonard Davis Institute for Health Economics\, University of Pennsylvania. \n\n\n\nSiddique is a physician-scientist with expertise in health services research and health equity. She is currently an Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology\, Senior Fellow at the Leonard Davis Institute for Health Economics\, and Senior Scholar for the Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the University of Pennsylvania. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMichael Sjoding\, M.D.\, M.Sc.\n\n\n\nAssociate professor of medicine\, University of Michigan Division of Pulmonary and Critical CareDr. Sjoding received his medical degree from Loyola University in Chicago. At the University of Michigan\, he completed a Pulmonary and Critical Care Fellowship and received a master’s degree in health care research. His research focuses on developing novel digital tools to improve hospital care for patients with acute respiratory diseases. URL:https://healthjournalism.org/event/biased-devices-reporting-on-racial-bias-in-health-algorithms-and-products/ CATEGORIES:Algorithms and Health Disparities,Health IT,Webinar ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://healthjournalism.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Biased-devices-webinar-featured-img.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241017T130000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241017T140000 DTSTAMP:20260403T185642 CREATED:20240719T210628Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240719T210631Z UID:55297-1729170000-1729173600@healthjournalism.org SUMMARY:Lunch and Learn: Building a niche beat as a freelance health journalist DESCRIPTION:At AHCJ’s Lunch and Learns\, freelancer members chat about a designated topic over Zoom every third Thursday of the month at 1 p.m. Eastern Time. The Zoom link is always the same. URL:https://healthjournalism.org/event/lunch-and-learn-building-a-niche-beat-as-a-freelance-health-journalist/ CATEGORIES:Freelancers,Lunch and Learn END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241017T143000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241017T153000 DTSTAMP:20260403T185642 CREATED:20240919T171719Z LAST-MODIFIED:20241017T213942Z UID:56599-1729175400-1729179000@healthjournalism.org SUMMARY:Reporting the respiratory triple threat: Preparing for flu\, COVID and RSV season DESCRIPTION:The winter respiratory illness season now includes three major pathogens that people need to prepare for by getting available vaccines and following the usual hygiene protocols to reduce risk of infection and transmission: influenza\, COVID-19\, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). \n\n\n\nJoin Dr. Demetre Daskalakis\, director of the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases\, and Health Beat Leader for infectious diseases Tara Haelle to hear about the CDC’s tools and resources for covering the upcoming flu/COVID-19/RSV season. Join us for this opportunity to get the answers you need to prepare your coverage. \n\n\n\nThis webinar is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. \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 Infectious Diseases Health Beat LeaderTara 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\nDemetre Daskalakis\, M.D.\, MPH\n\n\n\nDirector\, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory DiseasesDemetre Daskalakis\, M.D.\, MPH\, is the Director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD). Most recently\, he served as the Director of the Division of HIV Prevention in CDC’s National Center for HIV\, Viral Hepatitis\, STD\, and TB Prevention. Dr. Daskalakis has been recognized nationally and internationally as an expert in HIV prevention and has focused much of his career on the treatment and prevention of HIV and other STIs as an activist physician with a focus on LGBTQIA+ communities. He also served as the Deputy Coordinator of the White House’s Mpox Response\, where he led vaccination and public education efforts that helped to halt advancement of the virus. \n\n\n\nDr. Daskalakis began his career as an attending physician at Bellevue Hospital in New York City and later served in several public health capacities there\, including the Deputy Commissioner for the Division of Disease Control at the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. He also served as the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene incident commander during the measles outbreak of 2018-2019 and the 2020 COVID-19 public health emergency. Dr. Daskalakis received his Doctor of Medicine from the New York University School of Medicine and received a Master of Public Health from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. URL:https://healthjournalism.org/reporting-the-respiratory-triple-threat-preparing-for-flu-covid-and-rsv-season/ CATEGORIES:Infectious Diseases,Webinar END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241024T083000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241025T170000 DTSTAMP:20260403T185642 CREATED:20240702T205033Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240918T174019Z UID:54718-1729758600-1729875600@healthjournalism.org SUMMARY:Where policy and people meet: An AHCJ summit on mental and behavioral health DESCRIPTION:What happens when good intentions meet the reality of the challenging\, real world of mental and behavioral health access? Join us for this 1.5-day AHCJ summit in Washington\, D.C.\, where we will explore that question and provide a closer look at the experiences of people striving to provide support and those who need it. \n\n\n\nWe’ll talk about: \n\n\n\n\nSubstance use prevention strategies that actually work in schools.\n\n\n\nHow a 988 technology tweak could make a big difference to people in crisis.\n\n\n\nThe role physicians could play in suicide prevention with their patients who have access to firearms.\n\n\n\nHow to report on unhealthy alcohol use in a country where drinking is the norm.\n\n\n\nWhat people on the front lines are doing to improve cultural competence and fill gaps in the continuum of care.\n\n\n\n\nWe are offering lunch on Thursday and continental breakfast on Thursday and Friday. \n\n\n\nProgram details coming soon. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRegistration is limited to the first 100 participants. \n\n\n\nHotel\n\n\n\nThere will be a small block of rooms available near the event at the Kimpton Hotel Monaco for those who are traveling. The rate of $369 includes a $30 fee that will be waived for a net total of $339. The last day to book your hotel at the group price is Sept. 30. \n\n\n\nBook your hotel\n\n\n\nVenue\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nLocal Host\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSponsors URL:https://healthjournalism.org/training-events/workshops-summits/fall-summit-2024/ LOCATION:The Pew Charitable Trusts\, 901 E St NW #10\, Washington\, District of Columbia\, United States CATEGORIES:Event,Workshops | Summits END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241121T130000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241121T140000 DTSTAMP:20260403T185642 CREATED:20240830T202633Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240830T202637Z UID:56293-1732194000-1732197600@healthjournalism.org SUMMARY:Lunch and Learn: Do you need an accountability partner? DESCRIPTION:Accountability partners give each other feedback and encouragement on freelance goals and hold each other accountable for taking the next steps. During this discussion\, we’ll share our freelance challenges\, such as battling procrastination\, re-pitching when a pitch is rejected\, shifting to different outlets and increasing productivity. We’ll also offer tips for finding and keeping an accountability partner. Maybe you’ll find a partner who can help you realize your goals. \n\n\n\nAt AHCJ’s Lunch and Learns\, freelancer members chat about a designated topic over Zoom every third Thursday of the month at 1 p.m. Eastern Time. The Zoom link is always the same. URL:https://healthjournalism.org/event/lunch-and-learn-do-you-need-an-accountability-partner/ CATEGORIES:Freelancers,Lunch and Learn END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241121T130000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241121T141500 DTSTAMP:20260403T185642 CREATED:20241108T220959Z LAST-MODIFIED:20241122T163939Z UID:57276-1732194000-1732198500@healthjournalism.org SUMMARY:'No one can see you now': What states are doing to boost primary care DESCRIPTION:Evidence abounds that access to primary care improves health and lowers costs. According to one estimate\, the U.S. could save $67 billion a year if everyone saw a primary care provider as their main source of care. And yet\, only 5% of health care spending in this country goes to primary care\, less than in any other Western democracy. \n\n\n\nThis webinar will examine what actions states — which regulate the insurance industry and run the Medicaid programs — have taken to increase spending on primary care and what effect these efforts can have on costs. \n\n\n\nAHCJ Board President Felice Freyer\, an independent journalist\, will lead the discussion with three national experts on the topic. \n\n\n\nRelated webinars\n\n\n\n\nHow rising health care prices are harming employers and families\n\n\n\nHospital mergers and health care price increases: A primer for reporters\n\n\n\n\nThis webinar series\, supported by the Peterson-Milbank Program on Sustainable Health Care Costs\, covers the affordability of health care by diving into health care cost drivers and looking at solutions. Journalists will learn about ways that states\, employers and other stakeholders can promote affordable health care and will be able to tell these stories in the context of their state and local 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\nModerator\n\n\n\n\nFelice J. Freyer\n\n\n\nIndependent journalistPresident\, AHCJ Board of Directors \n\n\n\nFelice J. Freyer is a health care journalist based in Rhode Island. For 10 years until last spring\, she was a health reporter at the Boston Globe\, where the crisis in primary care was among the topics she covered. Before the Globe\, Freyer was the medical writer at the Providence Journal. Now working independently\, she has published articles in the Boston Globe Magazine and Harvard Public Health Magazine\, as well as teaching journalism at Emerson College. She was elected to the AHCJ board in 2009 and currently serves as its president. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nChristopher F. Koller\n\n\n\nPresident\, Milbank Memorial FundFormer Rhode Island Health Insurance Commissioner \n\n\n\nChristopher F. Koller is President of the Milbank Memorial Fund and Publisher of the Milbank Quarterly. The Fund is a more than 100-year-old operating foundation that improves population health and health equity by connecting leaders with evidence and sound experience. \n\n\n\nBefore joining the Fund in 2013\, he served the state of Rhode Island for eight years as the country’s first health insurance commissioner. Prior to that\, he was CEO of Neighborhood Health Plan of Rhode Island. He has served in numerous national and state health policy advisory capacities and was elected to the National Academies of Science Engineering and Medicine in 2023.  Koller is also a professor of practice in the School of Public Health at Brown University. He resides in East Providence\, R.I. with his wife\, Colette Cook. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nDiane Rittenhouse\, M.D.\, MPH\n\n\n\nSenior fellow\, MathematicaProfessor of family medicine and health policy\, UCSF \n\n\n\nDiane Rittenhouse\, M.D.\, MPH\, has two decades of experience researching health care organization\, delivery\, finance\, and workforce — and translating that research into policy.  She received a Generalist Physician Faculty Scholar award from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and has been recognized in the United States and Europe as a leading primary care researcher.  \n\n\n\nCurrently\, she is leading several projects focused on optimizing the primary care team workforce; strengthening the connection between primary care and health equity; diversifying California’s physician workforce; and understanding and supporting independently owned physician practices. She serves as an expert advisor for the development of the Health of U.S. Primary Care Scorecard recommended by the National Academies of Sciences\, Education and Medicine.  Dr. Rittenhouse is a family physician who practiced for 10 years in a community-based faculty practice at the University of California\, San Francisco. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMatthew Probst\, PA-C\n\n\n\nPhysician assistant and primary care provider\, Sunrise Medical Clinic \n\n\n\nMatthew Probst is a Physician Assistant and Primary Care Provider at Sunrise Medical Clinic in Las Vegas\, New Mexico. He is also Director of Rural Engagement for the University of New Mexico Office for Community Health. In 2019 he was the American Academy of Physician Assistants PA of the Year and recipient of the Primary Care Community Leadership Award and the National Association of Rural Mental Health Schumacher Award for Excellence in Clinical Service. \n\n\n\nIn 2020\, U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich named him a Hometown Hero\, and New Mexico Magazine recognized him as a True Hero for COVID-19 response. In 2021\, Mr. Probst was the New Mexico Alliance of School-Based Health Center Champion and the National Organization of State Rural Health Offices Community Star. In addition to the National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services\, Matt currently serves New Mexico on the Health Care Workforce Committee\, the Primary Care Council\, and the Aging and Long-Term Services Division Policy Advisory Committee. URL:https://healthjournalism.org/blog/2024/11/no-one-can-see-you-now-what-states-are-doing-to-boost-primary-care/ CATEGORIES:Event,Insurance,Webinar ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://healthjournalism.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/No-one-can-see-you-now-upcoming-webinar-featured-img.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241212T130000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241212T140000 DTSTAMP:20260403T185642 CREATED:20240830T202930Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240830T202936Z UID:56298-1734008400-1734012000@healthjournalism.org SUMMARY:Lunch and Learn: Jump start your freelance biz into 2025 DESCRIPTION:The new year is the perfect time to reassess your freelance business. Some freelancers formally do this — even holding a solo business retreat at a hotel or other venue\, where they can review their past work\, evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of their freelance business and consider other paths forward. We’ll hear from freelancers who have done this successfully — and discuss other ways to pause and reset for 2025. \n\n\n\nAt AHCJ’s Lunch and Learns\, freelancer members chat about a designated topic over Zoom every third Thursday of the month at 1 p.m. Eastern Time. This event takes place on the second Thursday of the month due to the holidays. The Zoom link is always the same. URL:https://healthjournalism.org/event/lunch-and-learn-jump-start-your-freelance-biz-into-2025/ CATEGORIES:Freelancers,Lunch and Learn ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://healthjournalism.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Lunch-and-Learn-Logo.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241218T140000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241218T150000 DTSTAMP:20260403T185642 CREATED:20241209T184750Z LAST-MODIFIED:20241218T225048Z UID:57648-1734530400-1734534000@healthjournalism.org SUMMARY:What Kennedy could do: Reporting on U.S. vaccine policy and the powers of the HHS Secretary DESCRIPTION:President-elect Trump’s choice for Secretary of Health and Human Services\, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.\, could significantly impact the perception and uptake of vaccines. Whether he or any of Trump’s other vaccine-skeptical nominees receive Senate confirmation\, signs suggest the incoming administration may attempt to change long-established vaccine policy in the U.S. \n\n\n\nThis webinar will cover the ins and outs of how vaccines are approved and recommended\, how vaccine injuries are adjudicated and compensated\, and the powers of the HHS Secretary over those procedures. We’ll cover what the secretary has the power to undo\, what checks and balances exist on those powers\, and what the potential consequences of those actions could be. \n\n\n\nLed by AHCJ Health Beat leader for infectious disease Tara Haelle\, this webinar will prepare reporters for anticipating possible policy moves in the new administration. \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\nHealth Beat Leader for Infectious Diseases\, AHCJ \n\n\n\nTara 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 diseases\, 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\nDorit Rubinstein Reiss\, LLB\, Ph.D.\n\n\n\nJames Edgar Hervey Chair in Litigation\, UC Law San FranciscoDorit Rubinstein Reiss\, LLB\, Ph.D.  is a professor of law and the James Edgar Hervey Chair in Litigation at UC Law San Francisco (formerly UC Hastings). She specializes in vaccine law and policy\, including exemption laws and tort liability related to non-vaccination. She also teaches administrative law and public health law. She published in law reviews\, peer-reviewed journals and blogs on legal and policy issues related to vaccines and co-authored a book on Vaccines Law and Policy with Professor Y. Tony Yang. URL:https://healthjournalism.org/what-rfk-jr-could-do-reporting-on-u-s-vaccine-policy-and-the-powers-of-the-hhs-secretary/ CATEGORIES:Health Policy,Infectious Diseases,Webinar ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://healthjournalism.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/RFK-Vaccine-Webinar-Dec-2024-featured-img.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250115T130000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250115T140000 DTSTAMP:20260403T185642 CREATED:20241219T212508Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250115T230433Z UID:57836-1736946000-1736949600@healthjournalism.org SUMMARY:Be careful out there: A digital safety primer for journalists DESCRIPTION:More than 40 percent of journalists dealt with threats and online harassment in 2022. When policymakers turn their attention to science and health issues such as vaccination\, access to abortion care\, and the health dangers of climate change\, journalists covering these topics must be prepared to protect themselves amidst online communities that can mirror — or amplify — harmful rhetoric. \n\n\n\nJoin AHCJ and the National Association of Science Writers (NASW) for a webinar with Alison Joyce\, a senior analyst on the Information Security team at The New York Times\, and Tat Bellamy-Walker\, program manager of Digital Safety Training and Resources (Media) at PEN America as they share best practices and resources on digital safety for journalists. \n\n\n\nAttendees will learn how to gauge their own risks\, assess their habits and leave with a list of resources they can deploy to improve their digital safety. \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\nJyoti Madhusoodanan\n\n\n\nCivic Science Fellow\, AHCJJyoti Madhusoodanan is AHCJ’s Civic Science Fellow\, covering race in health algorithms as part of a year-long fellowship funded by the Doris Duke Foundation. She is an independent science and health journalist who regularly covers biomedical research\, health equity\, clinical trials\, and the translation of basic research into clinical care. \n\n\n\nHer reporting on race adjustments in clinical algorithms was supported by a 2020 project fellowship from the MIT Knight Science Journalism program; reporting on other topics has received fellowship support from the Alicia Patterson Foundation\, the GSA Journalists in Aging program\, and others. \n\n\n\nMadhusoodanan is a senior contributor to Undark magazine and her work regularly appears in Nature\, Scientific American\, and other outlets. She also serves on the Board of Directors of the National Association of Science Writers. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAlison Joyce\n\n\n\nSenior analyst\, New York Times Information Security TeamAlison Joyce is a Senior Analyst on the Information Security team at The New York Times. She specializes in providing tailored training and awareness to staff across the organization on digital security policies and best practices. \n\n\n\nAlison has successfully built internal security programs for the newsroom\, business departments and senior leadership. Prior to joining The Times\, she spent six years working in the financial industry as an Incident Response Analyst. Alison earned a master’s degree in Cybersecurity Policy and Governance from Boston College. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTat Bellamy-Walker (He/They) is the Program Manager of Digital Safety Training and Resources (Media) at PEN America. Previously\, Bellamy-Walker was a communities reporter at The Seattle Times and a newsroom equity team committee member. Bellamy-Walker is program co-director of the Trans Journalists Association’s Peer Career Network\, the organization’s inaugural mentoring program.\n\n\n\nBefore joining The Seattle Times\, they worked for NBC News’ diversity verticals and as a digital editor/reporter at Gay City News. Their work has also appeared in The Daily Beast\, Inc. Magazine and on CNN. In 2023\, they were selected for IWMF’s HEFAT training in Austin\, Texas. Bellamy-Walker later shared digital safety tips in a local journalists webinar with the Council on Foreign Relations. They have also been a panel speaker at Investigative Reporters and Editors\, NABJ\, NAHJ and NLGJA. \n\n\n\nBellamy-Walker has a Master’s in Journalism with a concentration in Health and Science from the Craig Newmark School of Journalism. URL:https://healthjournalism.org/be-careful-out-there-a-digital-safety-primer-for-journalists/ CATEGORIES:Algorithms and Health Disparities,Event,Freelancers,Webinar ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://healthjournalism.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Be-Careful-out-there-digital-safety-primer-for-journalists-webinar-featured-image.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250116T130000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250116T140000 DTSTAMP:20260403T185642 CREATED:20241218T172459Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250113T172937Z UID:57802-1737032400-1737036000@healthjournalism.org SUMMARY:Lunch and Learn: Tips and tools to meet your goals DESCRIPTION:At AHCJ’s Lunch and Learns\, freelancer members chat about a designated topic over Zoom every third Thursday of the month at 1 p.m. Eastern Time. The Zoom link is new for 2025. URL:https://healthjournalism.org/event/lunch-and-learn-tips-and-tools-to-meet-your-goals/ CATEGORIES:Freelancers,Lunch and Learn END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250129T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250129T130000 DTSTAMP:20260403T185642 CREATED:20250114T182714Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250129T230549Z UID:58087-1738152000-1738155600@healthjournalism.org SUMMARY:Finding and sharing hospital prices with your audience DESCRIPTION:In 2001\, the federal Department of Health and Human Services required all hospitals to post the prices they charge patients for services. Many\, but not all\, hospitals have complied with this rule. Still\, finding the actual prices that hospitals charge for 300 non-urgent (called “shoppable”) services is challenging if not impossible for most consumers. \n\n\n\nThat gives journalists an opportunity to empower consumers by finding and publishing hospital price information and to ensure that hospitals are complying with the now four-year-old federal rule. \n\n\n\nDuring this AHCJ webinar\, journalists will learn to gather price information from hospitals and compare prices among multiple hospitals. You’ll hear from a Colorado journalist who put transparency to the test when she was expecting a baby and learn from two experts about tools and resources you can use to find prices. \n\n\n\nYou’ll walk away with the ability to find out what hospitals charge\, including what health insurers will pay hospitals and what consumers can expect to pay out of pocket for each service. \n\n\n\nThis webinar series\, supported by the Peterson-Milbank Program on Sustainable Health Care Costs\, covers the affordability of health care by diving into health care cost drivers and looking at solutions. Journalists will learn about ways that states\, employers and other stakeholders can promote affordable health care and will be able to tell these stories in the context of their state and local 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\nJoseph Burns\n\n\n\nAHCJ Health Policy Beat LeaderJoseph 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\nPatricia Kelmar\n\n\n\nSenior director\, Public Interest Research GroupKelmar directs PIRG’s health care campaigns\, supports its state offices on state-based health initiatives and works with patient advocates nationwide. Previously\, she worked as a senior policy advisor at the New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute\, as an associate state director at AARP New Jersey and as a consumer advocate at NJPIRG. In 2022\, she was appointed to the federal Ground Ambulance and Patient Billing Advisory Committee. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nKiana Moore\n\n\n\nCEO\, Moore ConsultingKiana Moore is the CEO of Moore Consulting\, in Washington\, D.C. For its clients\, Moore Consulting analyzes data to measure outcomes and Inform health care policy. Those clients include the federal Agency for Healthcare Quality and Research\, the CDC\, CMS\, the National Institutes of Health and the National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMegan Wingerter\n\n\n\nHealth care reporter\, The Denver PostMegan Wingerter\, health care reporter for The Denver Post. Wingerter is an award-winning journalist who joined the Denver Post in February 2019 as an education reporter and switched to health in 2020. She previously worked at The Oklahoman\, Kansas News Service\, The Topeka (Kansas) Capitol-Journal and The Muskegon (Michigan) Chronicle. She has won awards for business coverage in Kansas and for column writing in Michigan. URL:https://healthjournalism.org/blog/2025/01/finding-and-sharing-hospital-prices-with-your-audience/ CATEGORIES:Health Policy,Webinar ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://healthjournalism.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Hospital-Prices-Webinar-featured-img-Updated.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250213T140000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250213T150000 DTSTAMP:20260403T185642 CREATED:20250128T204528Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250213T224626Z UID:58252-1739455200-1739458800@healthjournalism.org SUMMARY:Unraveling the myth: ProPublica's investigation into a bad doc and a reckless hospital DESCRIPTION:The infamous “Dr. Death” case in Texas showed just how little oversight there often is of physicians. When confronted with a neurosurgeon who was maiming and killing patients\, multiple hospitals looked the other way. Meanwhile\, the state medical board dragged its feet in taking punitive action\, and Texas malpractice law discouraged private lawsuits. \n\n\n\nNow\, ProPublica reporter Dave McSwane has investigated yet another shocking case of prolonged physician misconduct — this time in a very different setting. Montana oncologist Thomas Weiner\, who was beloved by his patients and their families as well as his staff\, now stands accused of numerous legal and ethical breaches that harmed and killed patients. \n\n\n\nAmong the infractions: treating patients for cancers they didn’t actually have\, changing end-of-life care directives without patient consent\, and improperly prescribing narcotics. In this webinar\, McSwane will talk about what he’s learned about why\, in this case\, hospital officials and fellow physicians remained silent about their suspicions that Weiner was harming patients\, and why federal regulators and health plans failed to step in to stop the abuses. \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\nMary Chris Jaklevic\n\n\n\nAHCJ Health Beat Leader for Patient SafetyMary Chris Jaklevic is AHCJ’s health beat leader for patient safety based in Chicago. She’s an independent journalist who has covered health care finance\, clinical care and medical research for a variety of professional and consumer publications. Her interest in patient safety issues and the potential harms of medical interventions was honed by her experience as a contributor to HealthNewsReview.org\, a project that aimed to improve health care journalism by critiquing the accuracy and balance of media messages about medical treatments and tests. She’s a longtime AHCJ member and served on the board for two terms. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nJ. David McSwane\n\n\n\nReporter\, ProPublicaJ. David McSwane is a reporter in ProPublica’s Washington\, D.C.\, office. Previously\, he was an investigative reporter for the Dallas Morning News\, where his reporting on the state’s outsourced Medicaid system\, which benefited companies that systematically deny care to sick children and disabled adults\, spurred multiple legislative reforms. Before that he wrote for the Austin American-Statesman and a small Florida newspaper. McSwane’s reporting has spurred new laws and state and federal criminal investigations\, forced belt-tightening lawmakers to invest in social programs and won some trinkets along the way\, including Harvard’s Goldsmith Prize for Investigative Reporting\, the Worth Bingham Prize\, a Scripps Howard award\, an IRE award and the Peabody. He’s a four-time Livingston Award finalist. URL:https://healthjournalism.org/unraveling-the-myth-propublicas-investigation-into-a-bad-doc-and-a-reckless-hospital/ CATEGORIES:Patient Safety,Webinar ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://healthjournalism.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Propublica-investigation-feb-13-webinar-featured-img.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250219T130000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250219T140000 DTSTAMP:20260403T185642 CREATED:20250210T184709Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250220T161517Z UID:58509-1739970000-1739973600@healthjournalism.org SUMMARY:Decentralized: Navigating the future of inclusive clinical trials DESCRIPTION:Decentralized clinical trials have emerged as a promising approach to overcome traditional barriers\, enhance representation\, and improve the quality of research by bringing biomedical studies directly into communities. However\, recent policy changes under the Trump administration\, including the removal of FDA guidance on clinical trial diversity\, have raised concerns about the future of inclusive research. \n\n\n\nRead more about decentralizing clinical trials here. \n\n\n\nIn this webinar\, Ray Dorsey\, M.D.\, professor of neurology and the director of the Center for Human Experimental Therapeutics at the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York\, and Ramita Tandon\, Chief Clinical Trials Officer at Walgreens\, will discuss how decentralization is reshaping clinical research. They will explore the potential of pharmacy-based trials and strategies for increasing patient engagement. \n\n\n\nJoin us for an insightful conversation on the future of clinical trials and what it means for patients\, researchers\, and the healthcare industry. \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\nJyoti Madhusoodanan\n\n\n\nAHCJ Civic Science FellowJyoti Madhusoodanan is AHCJ’s Civic Science Fellow\, covering race in health algorithms as part of a year-long fellowship funded by the Doris Duke Foundation. She is an independent science and health journalist who regularly covers biomedical research\, health equity\, clinical trials\, and the translation of basic research into clinical care. Her reporting on race adjustments in clinical algorithms was supported by a 2020 project fellowship from the MIT Knight Science Journalism program; reporting on other topics has received fellowship support from the Alicia Patterson Foundation\, the GSA Journalists in Aging program\, and others. Madhusoodanan is a senior contributor to Undark magazine and her work regularly appears in Nature\, Scientific American\, and other outlets. She also serves on the Board of Directors of the National Association of Science Writers. \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 Equity Beat LeaderLara 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\nRay Dorsey\, M.D.\n\n\n\nProfessor of Neurology\, University of RochesterRay Dorsey\, M.D.\, is the David M. Levy Professor of Neurology at the University of Rochester and one of the world’s most read\, cited\, and followed neurologists. With his colleagues\, he wrote “Ending Parkinson’s Disease: A Prescription for Action\,” a book that provides a prescription for preventing and ending the world’s fastest growing brain disease. \n\n\n\nDorsey previously directed the University of Rochester’s Center for Health + Technology\, was elected chair of the international Huntington Study Group\, led the movement disorders division and neurology telemedicine at Johns Hopkins\, and consulted for McKinsey & Company. He completed his undergraduate degree at Stanford University and pursued his medical education and neurology training at the University of Pennsylvania where he also earned an MBA in healthcare management from the Wharton School. \n\n\n\nIn 2015\, the White House recognized Dorsey as a “Champion for Change” for Parkinson’s disease. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRamita Tandon\n\n\n\nChief BioPharma Services Officer\, WalgreensAs Chief BioPharma Services Officer at Walgreens\, Ramita Tandon is responsible for leading and driving growth for the Company’s biopharma services\, which includes Walgreens Clinical Trials. In her role\, Ramita works across the healthcare and life sciences industries to enable next-generation clinical trials\, with the goal of making treatments equitable and accessible to patients. \n\n\n\nRamita brings more than 25 years of leadership and operational experience across a portfolio of industry-leading businesses in real-world evidence and patient-centered health outcomes. Since spearheading the launch of Walgreens Clinical Trials in June 2022\, Ramita and her team have been working to make clinical research an inherent care option for patients across the nation when the standard of therapy is not a viable option. \n\n\n\nThrough its tailored efforts and collaboration with biopharma companies\, Ramita and her team have connected with more than 17 million people for potential recruitment into a sponsor-led clinical trial\, with that number growing daily. Research shows that only 5% of the U.S. population participates in clinical trials and nearly 80% of trials fail to meet their enrollment goals in the timeline presented\, which often contributes to delays in getting novel therapies to patients. \n\n\n\nUltimately\, Ramita and her team’s main goal is to bring community pharmacy-led clinical trials to patients quicker by meeting them where they want to be met…in their own communities. URL:https://healthjournalism.org/decentralized-navigating-the-future-of-inclusive-clinical-trials/ CATEGORIES:Algorithms and Health Disparities,Event,Health Equity,Webinar ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://healthjournalism.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Decentralized-clinical-trials-webinar-ad.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250220T130000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250220T140000 DTSTAMP:20260403T185643 CREATED:20241218T173643Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250113T173038Z UID:57804-1740056400-1740060000@healthjournalism.org SUMMARY:Lunch and Learn: Freelancer free-for-all DESCRIPTION:At AHCJ’s Lunch and Learns\, freelancer members chat about a designated topic over Zoom every third Thursday of the month at 1 p.m. Eastern Time. The Zoom link is new for 2025. \n\n\n\nFor February’s freelancer free-for-all\, journalists can bring any question or issue they want to discuss and we’ll share advice. URL:https://healthjournalism.org/event/lunch-and-learn-freelancer-free-for-all-2/ CATEGORIES:Event,Freelancers,Lunch and Learn END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250221T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250221T130000 DTSTAMP:20260403T185643 CREATED:20250131T202324Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250221T210049Z UID:58347-1740139200-1740142800@healthjournalism.org SUMMARY:Reporting on the crucial role doctors play in gun violence prevention DESCRIPTION:Gun suicides reached an all-time high in 2023\, and almost 4% of gun-related deaths in the United States were unintentional shootings — the worst year on record for unintentional shootings by children. \n\n\n\nAt the same time\, firearms are used in more than three out of five intimate partner homicides in the United States. Yet more than half of clinicians report that they avoid discussing firearm access and safety with patients because they don’t feel equipped to do so or worry about alienating their patients. \n\n\n\nIn this webinar\, trauma surgeon Dr. Joseph Sakran will talk about how the medical community must overcome its reticence\, take responsibility and prepare to have these difficult conversations. \n\n\n\nHe’ll talk through a new resource guide from the gun violence prevention organization Brady United that helps clinicians talk to their patients about firearm access and safety. He will also share how health care journalists can cover firearm access and highlight story ideas. \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\nKaitlin Washburn\n\n\n\nAHCJ Health Beat Leader for Firearm ViolenceKaitlin Washburn is AHCJ’s health beat leader for firearm violence and trauma and an independent journalist based in Chicago\, primarily working for the Chicago Sun-Times. She was a gun violence reporter for two years in Missouri for The Kansas City Star as a Report for America corps member. Previously\, Washburn was an agriculture reporter covering the omnipresent industry in California’s Central Valley for The Sun-Gazette\, also as a part of RFA. Previously\, Washburn had internships at the Morning Call in Pennsylvania\, the Center for Responsive Politics in Washington\, D.C. and The Oregonian in Portland. She spent three years as a researcher for Investigative Reporters and Editors\, based at The University of Missouri. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nJoseph Sakran\, M.D.\n\n\n\nBoard Chair and Chief Medical Officer\, Brady UnitedTrauma surgeon\, Johns HopkinsAn award-winning researcher and pioneer in promoting firearm injury prevention\, Dr. Sakran’s dedication to his field is rooted in his lived experience of trauma from gun violence.  \n\n\n\nAt the age of 17\, Dr. Sakran was nearly killed after being shot in the throat with a 38-caliber bullet after a high school football game. \n\n\n\nAn active leader at the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore\, Dr. Sakran serves as the executive vice chair of Surgery\, director of Clinical Operations for Surgery\, and associate professor of Surgery and Nursing. His public health research — specifically on firearm injury prevention — has been recognized by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and Academy Health. \n\n\n\nDr. Sakran gained international prominence in 2018 when the NRA told doctors concerned about gun violence to “stay in their lane” and avoid addressing the topic. Dr. Sakran spoke out to illustrate that healthcare professionals are on the frontlines of this epidemic. In response\, Dr. Sakran launched @ThisIsOurLane\, a grassroots movement of medical professionals committed to reducing firearm injuries and deaths. URL:https://healthjournalism.org/reporting-on-the-crucial-role-doctors-play-in-gun-violence-prevention/ CATEGORIES:Firearm Violence,Webinar ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://healthjournalism.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Reporting-on-the-crucial-role-doctors-play-in-gun-violence-prevention-webinar-img.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250226T130000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250226T140000 DTSTAMP:20260403T185643 CREATED:20250130T182023Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250226T200532Z UID:58316-1740574800-1740578400@healthjournalism.org SUMMARY:How research misconduct harms patients and science DESCRIPTION:Fraud\, manipulation and research misconduct can lead scientists down a slippery slope\, affecting drug development\, grant funding\, and patients’ lives. Scientists working in the field of Alzheimer’s research are under enormous pressure to maintain grant funding\, publish\, and\, ultimately\, find a cure. For decades\, their primary focus has been preventing or eliminating amyloid plaque in the brain\, an approach that builds on prior research discoveries. We’re now learning that decades of research may have been misguided\, or even fraudulent. \n\n\n\nCharles Piller\, an investigative journalist for Science and author of “Doctored: Fraud\, Arrogance\, and Tragedy in the Quest to Cure Alzheimer’s\,” has reported on clear signs of manipulated images by a top National Institute of Aging scientist\, found multiple examples of deception by other Alzheimer’s researchers\, and exposed questionable behavior by FDA officials about who had a role in Alzheimer’s drug development and approvals. \n\n\n\nPiller collaborated with Matthew Schrag\, M.D.\, Ph.D.\, a top neuroscientist at Vanderbilt University\, who first spotted these instances of data manipulation. Piller’s reporting was a wake-up call for many in the scientific community\, including at the National Institutes of Health. \n\n\n\nIn this webinar\, Piller and Schrag will discuss what they uncovered\, how the situation spiraled\, how to spot red flags on questionable papers\, and what journalists should know about the future of Alzheimer’s research. \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. She 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\nCharles Piller\n\n\n\nInvestigative journalist\, ScienceCharles Piller is an investigative journalist for Science magazine whose work has appeared in the Los Angeles Times\, the New York Times\, the Sacramento Bee\, and other publications. Piller has been honored with many national journalism awards and is the co-author of “Gene Wars: Military Control over the New Genetic Technologies” and the author of “The Fail-Safe Society: Community Defiance And The End Of American Technological Optimism” and “Doctored: Fraud\, Arrogance\, and Tragedy in the Quest to Cure Alzheimer’s.” He has reported on public health\, biological warfare\, infectious disease outbreaks\, and other topics from the United States\, Africa\, Asia\, Europe\, and Central America. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMatthew Schrag\, M.D.\, Ph.D.\n\n\n\nAssistant professor of neurology\, Vanderbilt University Medical CenterMatthew Schrag\, M.D.\, Ph.D.\, is an assistant professor of neurology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and a principal investigator at Schrag Lab\, who studies the overlap between vascular and cognitive neurological diseases. His research focuses on the mechanisms of vascular degeneration in cerebral amyloid angiopathy and how this contributes to cognitive impairment in Alzheimer’s disease. \n\n\n\nDr. Schrag’s investigative work is independent of his job at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and is not speaking on behalf of the university for this webinar. URL:https://healthjournalism.org/how-research-misconduct-harms-patients-and-science/ CATEGORIES:Aging,Medical Studies,Webinar ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://healthjournalism.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/How-research-misconduct-harms-patients-and-science-webinar-featured-img.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250305T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250305T130000 DTSTAMP:20260403T185643 CREATED:20250226T153044Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250305T221837Z UID:58704-1741176000-1741179600@healthjournalism.org SUMMARY:Make facts matter again: Pushing back against misinformation and disinformation DESCRIPTION:It’s exhausting and disheartening to work as a journalist these days\, dutifully reporting the facts only to see accurate reporting engulfed and overwhelmed by misinformation and disinformation — especially on social media. The consequences are dire — for example\, declining vaccination rates and a growing number of measles outbreaks. \n\n\n\nWhile there is no simple solution to the misinformation epidemic\, the situation isn’t hopeless\, and journalists still play a vital role in conveying accurate\, nuanced information about health. Join us to hear from Stephan Lewandowsky\, a cognitive scientist at the University of Bristol and one of the lead original authors of “The Debunking Handbook\,” as he talks about how misinformation spreads\, why people cling to it — rejecting accurate information — and what he thinks journalists can do to help address this crisis. \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 DiseasesTara Haelle is 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\nStephan Lewandowsky\, Ph.D.\n\n\n\nChair of Cognitive Science\, University of BristolProfessor Stephan Lewandowsky\, Ph.D.\, is a cognitive scientist at the University of Bristol whose research examines the consequences of the clash between social media architectures and human cognition\, such as countermeasures to the persistence of misinformation and the spread of “fake news” in society\, and how platform algorithms may contribute to the prevalence of misinformation. \n\n\n\nHe also studies the factors that determine whether or not people accept scientific evidence. He has received a range of prestigious research awards across multiple continents and has published more than 200 peer-reviewed articles since 2000. He also authored a report on Technology and Democracy in 2020 that has helped shape EU digital legislation. URL:https://healthjournalism.org/make-facts-matter-again-pushing-back-against-misinformation-and-disinformation/ CATEGORIES:Infectious Diseases,Webinar ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://healthjournalism.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Make-Facts-Matter-Again-Webinar-image.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250307T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250307T130000 DTSTAMP:20260403T185643 CREATED:20250221T140908Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250304T160346Z UID:58653-1741348800-1741352400@healthjournalism.org SUMMARY:Telehealth on the line: What could happen this spring? DESCRIPTION:As part of the American Relief Act signed by President Biden in December\, certain telehealth benefits for Medicare beneficiaries were extended only until the end of March 2025 — instead of a three-year extension as proposed in a Continuing Resolution. These benefits and the Acute Hospital Care at Home waiver program are now set to expire on March 31. Some areas\, like in-home cardiology rehabilitation visits\, were left out of this extension. \n\n\n\nIn this AHCJ webinar\, Kyle Zebley\, senior vice president of public policy for the American Telemedicine Association and executive director of ATA Action — an affiliated advocacy group — will spell out what services are covered in this extension\, what was omitted\, and what updates we might expect to see during the next few weeks of President Trump’s second administration. You’ll walk away with story ideas and insights to inform your reporting. \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 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\nKyle Zebley. Photo by Christopher Huang\n\n\n\n\n\n\nKyle Zebley\n\n\n\nSenior VP of public policy\, American Telemedicine Association & executive director\, ATA ActionZebley works with and on behalf of the American Telemedicine Association and members of ATA Action (an affiliated advocacy organization) and like-minded organizations to eliminate barriers to the expansion of telehealth and ensure patients\, providers\, and payers can realize the benefits of virtual care. \n\n\n\nPrior to joining ATA\, Zebley was the chief of staff in the Office of Global Affairs at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. He collaborated with senior leadership from HHS\, the White House and other cabinet departments to develop\, advise and promote U.S. global health policy\, including in areas such as drug pricing\, medical devices\, global health security and non-communicable diseases. \n\n\n\nHe is a sought-after policy expert and frequently quoted in major media coverage of telehealth. In January 2022\, Zebley was named by Politico as one of the “Four Washington players poised to shape digital health in 2022.” URL:https://healthjournalism.org/event/telehealth-on-the-line-what-could-happen-this-spring-2/ CATEGORIES:Health IT,Webinar ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://healthjournalism.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/UPDATED-Telehealth-on-the-line-webinar-featured-img.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250312T130000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250312T140000 DTSTAMP:20260403T185643 CREATED:20250228T202603Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250312T211451Z UID:58734-1741784400-1741788000@healthjournalism.org SUMMARY:Finding sustainable work you love in an era of relentless layoffs DESCRIPTION:If you’re a health journalist who has recently been laid off or bought out\, you might feel lost\, discouraged\, angry or scared. Even if you’re gainfully employed as a staffer or freelancer\, you probably experience waves of uncertainty about the profession and your place in it from time to time. We get it — and we’re here to offer not just encouragement and community\, but also advice from writers\, editors and recruiters with personal experience and an intimate understanding of the journalism landscape today. \n\n\n\nJoin AHCJ freelance beat leader Anna Medaris\, a staff reporter-turned happy freelancer\, as she leads a conversation with writers and editors who were laid off in 2023 or 2024 about their paths to sustainable and satisfying work since. The webinar will also feature industry experts who will share where journalism jobs are now\, how journalism skills can be applied to other industries\, and how we all can gain some control over careers in a volatile profession. \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\nAnna Medaris\n\n\n\nAHCJ Freelance Beat Leader(She/her)Anna Medaris is a freelance health and lifestyle journalist with 15 years of experience writing features\, narratives\, explainers\, and news hits for publications including the Washington Post\, Women’s Health\, Vox\, Cosmopolitan\, US New & World Report\, Everyday Health\, AARP\, Monitor on Psychology\, among others. She left her last full-time role as health correspondent for Business Insider to go freelance full time in June 2023. \n\n\n\nAnna is passionate about\, and skilled in\, telling sensitive human-interest stories\, critiquing quirky cultural trends\, and answering questions you didn’t know you had. She’s appeared on the “TODAY Show\,” “Good Morning America\,” Hulu’s “Age of Influence\,” and many podcasts and local TV and radio stations. Anna also serves as AHCJ’s New York City chapter lead and as a writing coach through the New York Writing Room. She graduated with high honors from the University of Michigan in 2009 and later earned her master’s in interactive journalism from American University. She’s an avid swimmer who lives in Brooklyn with her husband and their basset rescue\, Lou Longbody. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nChandra Turner\n\n\n\nFounder\, The Talent FairyEditorial recruiter and career coach(She/her)Chandra is the founder of The Talent Fairy\, a boutique recruiting agency that connects brands with editorial leaders to elevate their storytelling and content products. When she’s not seeking out new talent\, Chandra works as a career coach\, helping editors\, content marketers\, and other content strategists find new jobs they love\, or thrive in the ones they’ve got. A former editor herself (Parents\, CosmoGirl\, Cosmopolitan)\, she is a vocal advocate for editorial talent; she believes that their skills are infinitely valuable — inside and outside of traditional media. #editorsmakethebesthires \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nLiz Szabo\n\n\n\nVeteran health reporter(She/her)Liz is a reporter with 30 years in journalism\, including more than two decades covering health and science at publications such as USA TODAY\, The Virginian-Pilot\, and KFF Health News. An independent journalist since 2023\, Liz has been covering medical news for The New York Times\, NBC News\, Scientific American\, Medscape\, AARP\, and other publications. \n\n\n\nLiz has won numerous state\, local\, and national journalism awards\, including the Victor Cohn Prize for Excellence in Medical Science Reporting and the National Headliner Awards’ first place prize. Her investigation of dangerous doctors for The Virginian-Pilot won two National Press Club Awards and spurred the state legislature to pass a new law to better protect patients. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMelissa Dahl\n\n\n\nIndependent health journalist(She/her)Melissa Dahl is an award-winning journalist with more than 15 years of experience on staff at publications like New York magazine\, Bustle Digital Group and NBC News. She is the author of “Cringeworthy: A Theory of Awkwardness\,” published by Penguin Random House in 2018\, and is now working on her second book. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRebecca Aguilar\n\n\n\nFreelance reporter(She/her)Rebecca is a freelance reporter who believes that part of surviving the news business is being prepared for the unexpected. She has experienced a layoff\, firing\, and newsroom downsizing in her career. The Emmy Award-winning journalist remains in the news after four decades because she has found that you create your path to success by tapping into your network and what you know.  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nPhoto by Lori Hoffman/Bloomberg\n\n\n\n\n\n\nZachary Tracer\n\n\n\nSenior editor for business and policy\, STAT(He/him)Zach oversees business and policy coverage at the health and medicine publication STAT. He joined STAT in June after being laid off from Business Insider in early 2024. Zach worked at Business Insider for more than five years\, where he built and led the health care team. He began his journalism career at Bloomberg News\, covering financial services and then the health insurance industry. URL:https://healthjournalism.org/blog/2025/03/finding-sustainable-work-you-love-in-an-era-of-relentless-layoffs/ CATEGORIES:Freelancers,Webinar ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://healthjournalism.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Sustainable-work-after-layoffs-webinar-img.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250320T130000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250320T140000 DTSTAMP:20260403T185643 CREATED:20241218T173953Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250113T173738Z UID:57808-1742475600-1742479200@healthjournalism.org SUMMARY:Lunch and Learn: Pitching your ideal publication DESCRIPTION:At AHCJ’s Lunch and Learns\, freelancer members chat about a designated topic over Zoom every third Thursday of the month at 1 p.m. Eastern Time. The Zoom link is new for 2025. URL:https://healthjournalism.org/event/lunch-and-learn-pitching-your-ideal-publication/ CATEGORIES:Event,Freelancers,Lunch and Learn END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250417T130000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250417T140000 DTSTAMP:20260403T185643 CREATED:20250401T220127Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250401T220131Z UID:59052-1744894800-1744898400@healthjournalism.org SUMMARY:Lunch and Learn: Need Advice? Ask a Freelancer! DESCRIPTION:At AHCJ’s Lunch and Learns\, freelancer members chat about a designated topic over Zoom every third Thursday of the month at 1 p.m. ET. \n\n\n\nFor April\, we’ll crowdsource advice to your freelance challenges\, such as how to handle being ghosted by an editor\, having “scope creep” in your assignment\, and finding a home for a cherished story idea. URL:https://healthjournalism.org/event/lunch-and-learn-need-advice-ask-a-freelancer/ CATEGORIES:Freelancers,Lunch and Learn ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://healthjournalism.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Lunch-and-Learn-Logo.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250502T130000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250502T140000 DTSTAMP:20260403T185643 CREATED:20250313T211446Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250313T211450Z UID:58902-1746190800-1746194400@healthjournalism.org SUMMARY:PitchFest Prep Session 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. Bring your pitches. As time allows\, you’ll have a chance to practice a pitch and get some input from fellow attendees and the committee. \n\n\n\nPitchFest will be held at Health Journalism 2025 in Los Angeles. URL:https://healthjournalism.org/event/pitchfest-prep-session/ CATEGORIES:Event,Freelancers,Webinar END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250515T130000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250515T140000 DTSTAMP:20260403T185643 CREATED:20250401T221828Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250401T221833Z UID:59059-1747314000-1747317600@healthjournalism.org SUMMARY:Lunch and Learn: What's in your contract? DESCRIPTION:Update: This session has been moved from April to May. Find the April Lunch and Learn here. \n\n\n\nAt AHCJ’s Lunch and Learns\, freelancer members chat about a designated topic over Zoom every third Thursday of the month at 1 p.m. Eastern Time. The Zoom link is new for 2025. \n\n\n\nFor May\, we’ll talk about freelance contracts; understanding terms\, negotiating terms and new issues for the current times. URL:https://healthjournalism.org/event/lunch-and-learn-whats-in-your-contract-2/ CATEGORIES:Freelancers,Lunch and Learn ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://healthjournalism.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Lunch-and-Learn-Logo.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250521T130000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250521T140000 DTSTAMP:20260403T185643 CREATED:20250501T202845Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250521T204237Z UID:59425-1747832400-1747836000@healthjournalism.org SUMMARY:Health care in court: A prep session for a big June DESCRIPTION:Buckle up: The Supreme Court is expected to rule before the end of June in a number of cases with significant implications for health in America. With transgender health care\, Planned Parenthood funding\, preventive care\, and several environmental cases\, among others\, in the balance\, what’s the best way to prepare to cover these important stories? \n\n\n\nThis webinar will highlight the big cases and point you toward resources and strategies for writing solid court-related stories on deadline. You’ll hear from Chris Geidner\, also known as Law Dork for his Substack newsletter on court happenings\, and Alison Tanner of the National Women’s Law Center. They’ll talk about what to look for\, how to find an expert to help you interpret accurately and other tricks to reporting on the legal stuff with less stress. \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\nAlice Miranda Ollstein\n\n\n\nSenior health care reporter\, POLITICOAlice Miranda Ollstein is a senior health care reporter for POLITICO\, with a focus on sexual and reproductive health. \n\n\n\nHer coverage of state and federal health policy developments on Capitol Hill\, within government agencies\, in the courts\, and on the campaign trail draws connections between decisions made by elected officials and their impact on the ground. She has broken stories on the Covid-19 response\, the strategies of both anti-abortion and pro-abortion-rights groups\, and both the Biden and Trump transitions. \n\n\n\nAlice graduated from Oberlin College in 2010 and has been reporting in D.C. ever since\, covering the Supreme Court\, Congress and national elections for TV\, radio\, print\, and online outlets. Her work has aired on Free Speech Radio News\, All Things Considered\, WAMU and WTOP\, and her writing has been published by Talking Points Memo\, The Atlantic\, and La Opinión. She was elected in 2016 as an at-large board member of the DC Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. In 2017\, she was named one of the New Media Alliance’s “Rising Stars” under 30. She is the author of a forthcoming book on the broader health care impacts of post-Roe abortion restrictions\, set to be published by The New Press. \n\n\n\nAlice grew up in Santa Monica\, California and began freelancing for local newspapers in her early teens. When not working on a story\, she can be found riding her bicycle around the region\, attempting to grow vegetables in her backyard\, and playing with her nephews. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nChris Geidner\n\n\n\nLaw DorkChris Geidner is an award-winning journalist who covers the Supreme Court\, law\, and politics at Law Dork. His more than two decades in journalism includes widely recognized coverage of the courts\, LGBTQ issues\, the criminal legal system\, and other complex legal and political questions. \n\n\n\nHe previously worked as the Supreme Court correspondent and legal editor at BuzzFeed News and has written for many publications\, including The New York Times and MSNBC. Among other recognition\, Geidner was named Journalist of the Year by NLGJA\, the LGBTQ journalists’ association\, in 2014. \n\n\n\nBefore moving to Washington\, D.C.\, in 2009\, Geidner was a practicing lawyer in Columbus\, Ohio. He attended Ohio State University’s Moritz College of Law\, where he was Editor-in-Chief of the Ohio State Law Journal. It was in law school that Geidner originally started the Law Dork blog. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAlison Tanner\n\n\n\nSenior litigation counsel for reproductive rights and health\, National Women’s Law CenterAlison Tanner (she/her) litigates cases defending and expanding access to reproductive health care\, including emergency abortion care and assisted reproductive technologies. \n\n\n\nPreviously\, she was a staff attorney at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit and the Steven Gey Constitutional Litigation Fellow at Americans United for Separation of Church and State. She graduated magna cum laude from the Georgetown University Law Center\, where she was Editor-in-Chief of the Georgetown Journal of Gender and the Law. URL:https://healthjournalism.org/health-care-in-supreme-court-a-prep-session-for-a-big-june/ CATEGORIES:Health Equity,Health Policy,Webinar ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://healthjournalism.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/health-care-in-court-webinar-featured-img.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250529T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250601T235959 DTSTAMP:20260403T185643 CREATED:20241218T171428Z LAST-MODIFIED:20241218T171436Z UID:57800-1748476800-1748822399@healthjournalism.org SUMMARY:Health Journalism 2025 DESCRIPTION:Get ready to join us on the West Coast! The Association of Health Care Journalists is thrilled to announce Health Journalism 2025 will take place in Los Angeles from May 29 to June 1\, with four days of fun field trips\, inspiring sessions\, hands-on workshops and invaluable networking opportunities.  \n\n\n\n“I’m looking forward to seeing everyone in L.A.\, hopefully including a large contingent of our West Coast members and friends\,” said Felice J. Freyer\, AHCJ board president. “We try to vary our location to accommodate folks far and wide. What doesn’t vary\, though\, is the quality of the learning and networking you’ll always experience at AHCJ’s annual conference.” \n\n\n\nIn a time when the pursuit of truth and accountability is more critical than ever\, join us for a vital gathering of journalists\, health care professionals\, policymakers and experts to confront the pressing challenges and opportunities shaping health care and journalism today.   \n\n\n\nThis year’s conference will also include the 21st annual Awards for Excellence in Health Care Journalism\, which are now accepting entries. \n\n\n\nHealth Journalism 2025 will feature an inspiring lineup of keynote speakers\, hands-on workshops\, thought-provoking panel discussions\, immersive field trips\, and powerful networking opportunities. This is more than a conference – it’s a platform to strengthen your reporting\, amplify underrepresented voices and explore the vital intersections of health\, equity and policy in a rapidly evolving landscape. URL:https://healthjournalism.org/training-events/health-journalism-2025/ CATEGORIES:Annual Conference ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://healthjournalism.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Los-Angeles-HJ25-banner.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250709T130000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250709T140000 DTSTAMP:20260403T185643 CREATED:20250620T202914Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250624T202953Z UID:59889-1752066000-1752069600@healthjournalism.org SUMMARY:Rest deprived? Why rest\, not just sleep\, matters DESCRIPTION:If you’re getting sufficient sleep but still feeling mentally burnt out\, at a loss for creativity\, or frequently distracted\, the solution isn’t necessarily quitting your job or taking a vacation—it’s understanding what types of rest you really need and how to get them most effectively. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nIn this webinar co-hosted by the National Association of Science Writers and the Association of Health Care Journalists\, Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith\, an internal medicine physician\, will talk about the seven types of rest—from physical and sensory to creative and social—and how health and science communicators can recharge in ways that support their craft without sacrificing other aspects of their lives. \n\n\n\nThe session\, moderated by NASW’s Joy Drohan and AHCJ’s Anna Medaris\, will include plenty of time for Q&A with Dr. Dalton-Smith\, author of “Sacred Rest: Recover Your Life\, Renew Your Energy\, Restore Your Sanity.” \n\n\n\nAttendees are invited to look over or take Dr. Dalton-Smith’s free “Rest Quiz” beforehand\, an option that includes submitting contact information for Dr. Dalton-Smith’s mailing list. \n\n\n\nRegistration is free and open to all interested professionals and students. \n\n\n\nThe webinar recording will be made available to NASW members. \n\n\n\nA reminder that per NASW’s Code of Conduct attendees must use their name as their Zoom display name in order to be admitted. Please review the code for additional expected behaviors. \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\nAnna Medaris\n\n\n\nAHCJ Freelance Health Beat LeaderIndependent journalistAnna Medaris is a freelance health and lifestyle journalist with 15 years of experience writing features\, narratives\, explainers\, and news hits for publications including the Washington Post\, Women’s Health\, Vox\, Cosmopolitan\, US New & World Report\, Everyday Health\, AARP\, Monitor on Psychology\, among others. She left her last full-time role as health correspondent for Business Insider to go freelance full time in June 2023. \n\n\n\nAnna is passionate about\, and skilled in\, telling sensitive human-interest stories\, critiquing quirky cultural trends\, and answering questions you didn’t know you had. She’s appeared on the “TODAY Show\,” “Good Morning America\,” Hulu’s “Age of Influence\,” and many podcasts and local TV and radio stations. Anna also serves as AHCJ’s New York City chapter lead and as a writing coach through the New York Writing Room. She graduated with high honors from the University of Michigan in 2009 and later earned her master’s in interactive journalism from American University. She’s an avid swimmer who lives in Brooklyn with her husband and their basset rescue\, Lou Longbody. \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\nJoy Drohan\n\n\n\nIndependent science writer and editorJoy is an independent environmental science writer and editor with three decades of experience in translating complex environmental topics into clear\, compelling narratives. She has authored or edited a wide range of scientific and popular materials\, including books\, peer-reviewed journal articles\, grant proposals\, reports\, web content\, magazine articles\, and educational curricula. \n\n\n\nHer experience includes water quality\, watershed management\, PFAS\, microplastics\, hydrogeology\, sea-level rise\, wildfire ecology\, natural gas development\, waste management\, and risk communication. \n\n\n\nHer clients reflect the breadth and depth of her expertise. She has worked with leading universities (Penn State\, North Carolina State University\, University of Maryland)\, national and state environmental agencies (National Park Service\, US Department of Agriculture\, US Fish and Wildlife Service)\, publishers (W. W. Norton & Co.\, Island Press\, Santa Fe Institute Press)\, scientific and nonprofit organizations (Interstate Technology Regulatory Council\, American Society for Enology and Viticulture\, The Conservation Fund)\, and private companies. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSaundra Dalton-Smith\, M.D.\n\n\n\nInternal medicine physician\, speaker and authorDr. Saundra Dalton-Smith is a Board-Certified internal medicine physician\, speaker\, and award-winning author. She is an international well-being thought-leader featured in numerous media outlets\, including Prevention\, MSNBC\, Women’s Day\, FOX\, Fast Company\, Psychology Today\, INC\, CNN Health\, and TED.com. \n\n\n\nShe is the author of numerous books\, including her bestseller “Sacred Rest: Recover Your Life\, Renew Your Energy\, Restore Your Sanity\,” which includes insight on the seven types of rest needed to optimize your productivity\, increase your overall happiness\, overcome burnout\, and live your best life. Her newest book is “Being Fully Known: The Joyful Satisfaction of Beholding\, Becoming\, and Belonging.” More than 250\,000 people have discovered their personal rest deficits using her free assessment at RestQuiz.com. Learn more about Dr. Saundra at DrDaltonSmith.com. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThis event is not intended to be a substitute for therapy. We encourage participants to use the resources below to explore therapy or other forms of professional help as needed. If you have thoughts of harming yourself or others\, please contact a doctor immediately and/or contact: \n\n\n\n988lifeline.org or dial or text 988 (Available in 240 languages within the United States) \n\n\n\nAdditional resources for mental health support\, many of which are specific to media\, can be found at the Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma. This re-cap of the October 2020 ScienceWriters session “Taking care of yourself” has some tips and links to additional resources\, as well. URL:https://healthjournalism.org/event/rest-deprived-why-rest-not-just-sleep-matters/ CATEGORIES:Freelancers,Webinar ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://healthjournalism.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/why-rest-not-just-sleep-matters-webinar-img-1.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250716T130000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250716T140000 DTSTAMP:20260403T185643 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 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250801T140000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250801T150000 DTSTAMP:20260403T185643 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 ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://healthjournalism.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/32-Upcoming-Webinar-Newsletter-Ad-18.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250819T140000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250819T150000 DTSTAMP:20260403T185643 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 ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://healthjournalism.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Criminalization-of-homelessness-updated-image-2.png END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR