Insights

<p>I recently produced a web-only interactive story about a <a href="http://shukakalantari.com/journalist/2010/03/kidney-gives-artist-second…; target="_blank">San Francisco-based artist's quest for a kidney donor </a>for KQED Public Radio's <a href="http://www.californiareport.org/archive/R201003182000&quot; target="_blank">Health Dialogues</a>.

<p>Well, here we go! In a historic 219-212 vote late Sunday night, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a $914 billion health reform package extending health coverage to as many as 32 million Americans</p><p>The Washington Post's Shailagh Murray and Lori Montgomery <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/21/AR20100… up</a> the legislation's enormous significance in the ultimate <a href="http://mediacareers.about.com/od/glossary/g/NutGraf.htm">nut graf</a>:</p>

<p><a href="http://www.reportingonhealth.org/users/mindofandre">Andre Blackman</a>'s conception of public health casts a huge net. He thinks about environments and neighborhoods, data and medicine. He laments the fast food restaurants that fill the spaces of low-income communities, and the parks and fresh produce that do not. "It's a cycle," he says, and one that makes it hard to achieve good health.</p>

<p>You have it all planned out ahead of what may be this weekend's <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/20/health/policy/20whip.html?ref=politic… vote on health reform</a>, right?</p><p>You carefully lined up your uninsured folks, community health advocates, Congressional delegates, doctors, local tea party members and hospital executives: all are on speed dial and waiting for your call over the weekend. Right?</p><p>Well, kudos to those of you who had time to prepare. If you didn't, here are some last-minute resources and ideas that may help you out this weekend:</p>

<p>Even a doctor with dead patients in his past can find startup capital.</p> <p>When Dr. Andrew Rutland was trying to set up shop in the old "Modern Woman's Clinic" building in Chula Vista, he tapped a friend for a loan: Dr. W. Constantine Mitchell.</p> <p>According to records from the California Office of Administrative Hearings, where <a href="../../../../../../../../blogs/california-governor-and-medical-board-should-stand-accused-patient%E2%80%99s-death">Rutland's case</a> before the medical board is currently being heard, Mitchell loaned Rutland $50,000 to help him start his practice.</p>

<p>Valentine's Day should be a national holiday. Until it is, most of us have to work Feb. 14 every year and tango with our valentines at night.</p> <p>Pity poor <a href="http://licenselookup.mbc.ca.gov/licenselookup/lookup.php?LicenseType=A&…. Amanda Waugh</a> then.</p> <p>She couldn't even look forward to a nice dinner and a long conversation about the plays of Tony Kushner over chocolate soufflé, because on Valentine's Day in 2009, she was stuck with the night shift at the La Palma Intercommunity Hospital's emergency room south of Los Angeles.</p>

<p>Sorry, <a href="../../../../../../../../users/jranck">Jody Ranck</a>. I’m giving up on <a href="http://www.netvibes.com/">NetVibes</a&gt; for right now and will stick to my Google and Yahoo readers.</p>

<p><em>This weekend was the second session of the California Endowment Health Journalism Fellowship conferences in Los Angeles, and the <a href="http://www.reportingonhealth.org/fellowships">event</a&gt; provided some fascinating and newsy morsels. Here's a round-up of what some of the speakers had to say (Check out more detailed blog items <a href="http://www.reportingonhealth.org/blogs">here</a&gt; as well.).</em></p>