Insights

You learn a lot when you spend months reporting on a given issue or community, as our fellows can attest. Whether you’re embarking on a big new story or seeking to go deeper on a given issue, it pays to learn from those who’ve already put in the shoe leather and crunched the data. In these essays and columns, our community of journalists steps back from the notebooks and tape to reflect on key lessons, highlight urgent themes, and offer sage advice on the essential health stories of the day. 

Author(s)
By Kristen Hwang

Thirty years ago, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was ready to declare syphilis a dead disease. The cure was simple: Penicillin. We had defeated smallpox in 1949. The elimination of syphilis felt like an inevitable medical success. But in 2014, Fresno County issued a health alert for