Center for Health Journalism announces 2026 Impact Fund for Reporting on Equity in Health and Health Care grantees
The Center for Health Journalism is delighted to announce the selection of 10 talented journalists who will participate in our 2026 Impact Fund for Reporting on Equity in Health and Health Care.
Journalists in the 2026 class come from a range of media outlets, including Arizona Luminaria, Block Club Chicago, Capital B News, Concord Monitor, INDY Week and The Assembly, Prism, South Dakota Searchlight, Straight Arrow News, and The Morning Sentinel.
“This initiative nurtures reporting that explores health equity in all its complexity – from investigations into equity issues facing rural communities, to the challenges facing people with disabilities and transgender populations seeking quality care, to health providers at birthing centers serving Black patients who are trying to get a foothold despite formidable obstacles,” said Center for Health Journalism Founding Director Michelle Levander. “Thanks to the ongoing support of the Commonwealth Fund, reporters will be able to travel for their reporting, obtain valuable resources and produce richly reported stories that likely would not have been possible otherwise.”
Working with the Center over the next five months, the grantees also will explore topics including efforts to combat diabetes and other chronic illness for Native American communities by replacing standard surplus foods with culturally rich and healthy foods in a federal nutrition program, the lack of access to obstetric and gynecological services, and inequities facing people with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.
The Center is awarding close to $50,000 in reporting and engagement grants. We will provide one-on-one mentoring throughout the program. The initiative also includes four webinars on the themes of equity in health and health care that are open to all interested journalists as well as a wider audience.
The Impact Fund for Reporting on Equity in Health and Health Care is supported by the Commonwealth Fund, a national, private foundation based in New York City that supports independent research on health care issues and makes grants to improve health care practice and policy.
”One thing all Americans – regardless of geography, economic status, race, or gender – agree on is that health care in the U.S. is unaffordable, inaccessible, and inequitable for many,” said Barry Scholl, senior vice president for communications at the Commonwealth Fund. “It’s up to outstanding journalists like these 10 grantees to shed light on where the system is broken, and to point to solutions that can lead to a fairer and more efficient experience for all. It’s an honor to once again partner with the Center on this important project to support excellence and continuous learning for health care journalists.”
Here are the 2026 grantees:
Lee Hawkins, freelance
Makenzie Huber, South Dakota Searchlight
Hannah Kaufman, The Morning Sentinel
Beatriz Limón, Arizona Luminaria
Alexandra Martinez, Prism
McKenna Oxenden, Straight Arrow News
Manny Ramos, Block Club Chicago
Andrea Richards, INDY Week and The Assembly
Randi Richardson, Capital B News
Rachel Wachman, Concord Monitor