This piece looks at the only majority-black nursing home in Illinois that earned the highest possible rating from Nursing Home Compare. The home is also noteworthy because it received that mark while having more than 85 percent of resident care paid for by Medicaid.
This story distills a national analysis of nursing home data and finds that Illinois is the worst state in the country for black seniors seeking nursing home. Illinois has the highest number of poorly rated majority black facilities in the country and just one black nursing home that received an excellent rating from Nursing Home Compare.
We looked at black and white homes where a high percentage of resident care was paid for by Medicaid and found that the disparities between the two groups actually increased, rather than shrunk as some owners with whom we had spoken predicted.
Health care reporters know how rarely hospitals suspend a doctor's privileges. Those rights are granted and revoked by other doctors, and doctors are loathe to set a precedent by saying a botched surgery or missed diagnosis should bar a doctor for life.
That's why it was a big deal when the Reston Hospital Center in Virginia took away Dr. Bahram Tafreshi Moshiri's right to practice there in November 2001.
John Golenski is executive director of the George Mark Children's House, a children's respite and end-of-life care facility in San Leandro, Calif., for children with life-limiting or terminal illnesses. All care is informed by the principles of palliative care. Additional support services are available to all family members, and services are provided regardless of a family's ability to pay. Golenski joined the George Mark Children's House after a long career in clinical services, health care ethics and health policy. From 1978 to 1979, he was executive director of the Shanti Project.
Journalists are using geographic information software (GIS) to map data for stories and graphics about toxic health threats, prescription medicine abuse and EMS response times. Here are more ideas for using GIS in your health reporting.
