How an agency charged with protecting public health gave talking points to the lead-battery industry.
A lack of mental health professionals in rural counties is made worse by high rates of substance abuse, financial stress and isolation, which contribute to depression.
Are California regulators in denial about the dangers of lead? The state's response to previous lead-poisoning crises raise plenty of doubts.
A data-driven look at opioid addiction in San Diego found that old assumptions about addiction hotspots were outdated. Reporter Leo Castaneda shares this and other field lessons he learned along the way.
Are California hospitals doing a better job of preventing serious mistakes in the wake of a state program that issues high-profile penalties for such errors? One reporter finds reasons for doubt in the data.
A reporter sets out to investigate the impact of the federally funded program for Women, Infants, and Children on Native families. Is the diet made possible by the program doing more harm than good in California's Native American communities?
If you have a story that needs to be told, don't wait for a huge attachment to show up in your inbox. Hunt for the data that will help you tell your story. And keep in mind that a data expert can be an invaluable guide along the way.
Starting in 2007, California’s hospital administrative penalties program was designed to bring greater accountability to hospitals that commit “never events” and put patients in immediate jeopardy. So, what does the data tell us about how well it's working?
It just got even easier to see whether your hospital has a significant infection problem. If state and federal agencies were racing to provide the most useful information in the simplest to understand format, Hospital Compare just took the lead.
Online maps make cool tools, but do they foster cleaner, safer health care? The public knowledge and peer pressure they create can be powerful forces to get hospitals addressing their infection problems.
