Patient Safety and Ethics

Could a family have been spared the heartache of a baby with severe nerve damage if they knew more about the hospital where the mother planned to give birth?

A yearlong effort to obtain basic Medicaid provider data in L.A. was rebuffed. Some health care leaders shut their doors gently. Others slammed them shut.

This reporting is supported by the University of Southern California Center for Health Journalism National Fellowship.

Pharmacy deserts are a growing problem in Chicago. Tribune reporter Eseosa Olumhense discusses how she reported on the worrying trend.

When Jessica Porten sought help for postpartum depression, she wasn't expecting the nurse to call the police to escort her to the ER. She now believes moms need far better help for their mental health needs.

The Argus Leader reviewed hundreds of pages of federal hospital inspection records and legal filings as part of a monthslong investigation into the facilities. And reporters met with dozens of tribal members on visits to the Rosebud and Pine Ridge Indian Reservations.

Once again, Congress is considering a bill that would repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and make major cuts to Medicaid. Next week, the Senate may vote on this latest repeal effort, led by Senators Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Bill Cassidy of Louisiana.

The California Supreme Court just armed would be challengers to the state’s prescription drug tracking system. And defanging the system would have an impact on patient safety.

Does the California Medical Board have the right to check records to see if a doctor is recklessly prescribing drugs? For the past three years, that question has been stuck in the courts.

California has been particuarly aggressive in its data-driven effort to curb high C-section rates at hospitals throughout the state. The results from early pilot projects have been promising.