Insights

<p><a href="http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/hepc_ez/">Hepatitis C</a> tore through Las Vegas in February 2008, prompting health officials to call for <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/02/28/health/main3886846.shtml">40,… people</a> to be tested for the disease. With estimates of more than 100 cases stemming from the outbreak and possibly thousands of infections that went unreported, it was later declared the largest Hepatitis C outbreak in US history, putting more people at risk than all previous outbreaks combined.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>On Tuesday, I posted <a href="../../../../../../../../blogs/health-journalism-2009-some-years-most-noteworthy-stories">the first half</a> of my “Top 10 list” of noteworthy health journalism. Here’s the second half. It bears repeating: this definitely isn’t a best-of list, and admittedly, it’s print-centric. There’s lots of excellent work out there that I didn’t have a chance to read or view or listen to. But the five stories below are worth reading, and learning from.</p>

<p>Dr. F.D. Toms, a New Jersey doctor, found himself in a bind.</p> <p>Rumors had been running around town that he had been sleeping with another man’s wife. The spurned husband, William Smith, showed up at the doctor’s office demanding to see him.</p> <p>Toms panicked. Seeing Smith charging at him, Toms grabbed a container of <a href="http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9C06E4DE1430E132A2575… acid</a> and threw it in Smith’s face. Toms said later that he thought he had grabbed a bottle of ammonia.</p>

<p>ReportingonHealth’s Antidote blogger, William Heisel, recently <a href="../../../../../../../../blogs/bad-nurses-bad-doctors-and-bad-seeds-part-2-favorite-health-stories-2009">posted</a> his 10 favorite stories of the year. Most of them had an investigative bent. Now, it’s my turn.</p>

<p>I started listing <a href="../../../../../../../../blogs/popsicles-popcorn-and-premarin-antidote%E2%80%99s-favorite-health-stories-2009">my favorite stories</a> of the past year, in no particular order, on Dec. 21. Here is the rest of the list.</p> <p><strong>“<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/21/health/21radiation.html">At VA Hospital, A Rogue Cancer Unit</a>,” Walt Bogdanich, <em>The New York Times</em></strong></p>

<p><em>We have a guest post today from insurance blogger Alan Katz, past president of both the National and the California Associations of Health Underwriters. His <a href="http://alankatz.wordpress.com/">blog</a&gt; is well worth your time if you cover health reform or health insurance. </em><strong><br /></strong></p>

<p>Last week, Antidote spoke with <a href="http://www.upmc.com/MEDIARELATIONS/EXPERTS/Pages/expertspage.aspx?exper…. Doris K. Cope</a>, a seasoned anesthesiologist and pain medicine specialist from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center who is one of the voices behind the new <a href="http://www.lifelinetomodernmedicine.com/ArticlePage.aspx?ID=b07e85fc-d6… Line to Modern Medicine</a> campaign from the American Society of Anesthesiologists.

<p>A few recent stories on how health reform might affect Californians are worth your time: The Los Angeles Times' Lisa Girion's&nbsp; Dec. 18 <a href="http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-health-insure17-2009dec17,0,22041…; and Nov. 16 <a href="http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-mandates16-2009nov16,0,2437457.st…; on the implications of less-stringent federal consumer protections for Californians, who now enjoy greater protections.

<p><em>Antidote</em> started as a way to share innovative investigative ideas in health reporting, in part by highlighting reporters who have done an exceptional job digging for great stories. Starting this week I am going to list 10 of my favorite stories from the year, in no particular order.</p> <p><strong>“<a href="http://www.forbes.com/2009/09/17/smart-choices-labels-lifestyle-health-… Choices Foods: Dumb as they look?</a> ,” Rebecca Ruiz, <em>Forbes, </em>October 2009</strong></p>