Senior Correspondent & Special Projects Editor
I was a Los Angeles Times reporter and senior fellow at the USC Annenberg Institute for Justice and Journalism. I am on the adjunct faculty at USC Annenberg and have been a fellow at the Poynter Institute of Media Studies, the Freedom Forum and UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism.
<p>While a weekend snowstorm raged in Washington, D.C., a small group of health care advocates gathered in a conference room at the Hyatt Regency Hotel and were treated to a history lesson as well as a glimpse into the cold realities of Indian Country.</p><p>The topic: American Indian Health Policy. And unlike the weather that everyone talks about, a trio of speakers addressed a subject they insist is largely overlooked.</p>
<p>Native Americans experience higher disease rates than other Americans for problems ranging from diabetes and heart ailments to mental illness and suicides, which contribute to their lower life expectancy. Get tips from a veteran journalist for covering these health issues.</p>
