It makes for a sad spring when I can’t attend the annual Association of Health Care Journalists conference.
It's 6 p.m. You're tired and hungry. Food is the No. 1 thing on your mind.Your favorite fast-food restaurants line the roads home – McDonald's, Taco Bell, Domino's. So what's for dinner?
This story explores how a Utah hospital attempts to slow the revolving door of asthma hospitalizations. It is a sidebar to the third part of May's series on health disparities in Salt Lake City.
The most powerful moment for me while reporting on a recent project on prescription drug abuse deaths was seeing the Rev. Donnie Coots standing among the ruins of his once thriving drug rehabilitation center.
In a remarkable shift in public perceptions about children's health, unhealthy eating and obesity are now seen as the greatest threats to California's kids, according to the latest statewide voter survey from the Field Poll. In years past, illegal drug use was named as the biggest health risk but after concerted public health campaigns at the state and federal level, public awareness about childhood obesity has spread widely.
In an effort to promote healthier eating habits among students, Merced County school officials are eliminating foods high in fat from school meal offerings and replacing them with fruits, vegetables and other nutritious alternatives. This is part three in a four-part series.
Part one: Convenience often trumps nutrition
In Del Norte County, groups such as the Children's Health Collaborative seek funding in a push to provide more nutritious meals at high schools and encourage students to make healthier food decisions.
Prescription drug abuse is growing nationwide, but West Virginia was one of the first places hit by the problem. When I picked this topic, I didn't realize how complex it was. The drugs are widely available. Doctors are struggling to treat pain with effective medications without supplying drug abusers. And prescription drug crimes have proven difficult to prosecute.
This is the second in a four-part series examining prescription drug abuse in West Virginia.
Utah is considered one of the healthiest states in the nation — but not everyone benefits. This is part two in a series examines the wide disparities in health based on residents’ education, ethnicity and environment.