10 selected for 2009-10 AHCJ-CDC fellowships
The Association of Health Care Journalists has announced the selection of the second class of AHCJ-CDC Health Journalism Fellows. The 10 journalists will spend a week studying a variety of public health issues at two Atlanta campuses of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The fellowship program will include presentations, roundtable discussions and lab tours on epidemiology, global disease prevention efforts, obesity, vaccine safety, pandemic flu preparedness, autism and many other topics.
The 2009-2010 AHCJ-CDC fellows are:
- Corey Binns, freelance, New York
- Kate Dailey, Newsweek, New York
- Vicky Eckenrode, StarNews, Wilmington, N.C.
- Carin Gorrell, Self magazine, New York
- Elaine Appleton Grant, New Hampshire Public Radio, Concord, N.H.
- Daniel Keller, freelance, Glenside, Pa.
- James T. Mulder, The Post-Standard, Syracuse, N.Y.
- Ginger Rough, The Arizona Republic, Phoenix
- Rebecca Ruiz, Forbes, New York
- Mary Shedden, The Tampa Tribune, Tampa, Fla.
Fellows will tour the CDC director’s National Emergency Operations Center, meet sources on policy and research and learn how to tap the agency’s abundant resources to produce better stories. The training will take place in December at CDC’s Atlanta and Chamblee campuses.
The CDC is charged with protecting public health and safety by preventing and controlling diseases and injuries; enhancing health decisions by providing credible information on critical health issues; and promoting healthy living through strong partnerships with local, national and international organizations.
AHCJ is a nonprofit membership organization of more than 1,100 journalists interested in health and health care. It conducts training and creates other educational materials through its Center for Excellence in Health Care Journalism. AHCJ is housed at the Missouri School of Journalism.
AHCJ members awarded fellowships, grants
AHCJ members Stephanie Innes, Peter Korn, Viji Sundaram and Megha Satyanarayana are among the 15 National Health Journalism Fellows and five Dennis A. Hunt Fund for Health Journalism grantees who will attend the National Health Journalism seminar next week.
The six-day seminar will give the fellows and grantees a chance to learn more about health reporting and discuss their in-depth projects.
Innes, with Arizona Daily Star colleague Mariana Alvarado, will look at the link between obesity and socioeconomic standing.
Korn, of the Portland Tribune, is looking into a little-known and largely ignored Oregon law concerning written patient notification of “serious adverse events” in hospitals.
Sundaram, of New America Media, will look at how cultural practices can transcend borders and how enterprising businesses are building a market around these mores, with a focus on the growing number of fertility clinics that cater to many Asian cultures’ preference for a son.
Satyanarayana writes about consumer health, public health and poverty for the Detroit Free Press.
First class of AHCJ-NLM fellows announced
Six journalists have been named fellows in the program, created this year to increase reporters’ access and understanding of the considerable resources available at the National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health.
The journalists chosen to take part this year are:
- John Fauber, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
- Lynya Floyd, Essence Magazine
- Jeff Hansel, Rochester, Minn. Post-Bulletin
- Shari Rudavsky, The Indianapolis Star
- Douglas Podolsky, Consumer Reports
- Heidi Splete, Global Medical News Network
The weeklong visit to the NIH campus, set for Sept. 13-17, will allow hands-on workshops about how to use and get the most from several government research databases, such as PubMed, MedlinePlus, ClinicalTrials.gov and ToxNet. Fellows also will meet with senior NLM and NIH researchers and officials for exclusive informational sessions.
The fellows were selected from dozens of qualified applicants, which points to the need for these kinds of training opportunities, said AHCJ Executive Director Len Bruzzese. “We hope to continue working with the National Library of Medicine to offer this training regularly,” he said.
“The bonus will be more and better stories.”
AHCJ is an independent, nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing public understanding of health care issues. With more than 1,100 members, its mission is to improve the quality, accuracy and visibility of health care reporting, writing and editing. The association and its Center for Excellence in Health Care Journalism are based at the Missouri School of Journalism.
Bernstein, Silberner awarded Carter Fellowships
AHCJ members Elizabeth Bernstein and Joanne Silberner have been awarded Rosalynn Carter Fellowships for Mental Health Journalism for 2009-10.
Bernstein, of The Wall Street Journal, will examine the impact of the economic recession on people with mental illnesses while Silberner, of National Public Radio, will produce radio stories about the treatment of mental illnesses in developing countries.
In its press release, the Carter Center says it received a record number of applicants for the fellowships this year. The fellowships allow journalists to pursuing topic - from their own newsroom - that may not otherwise be brought to the public’s attention. Fellows in the United States receive a stipend of $10,000 to study and report on a particular issue within the field for one year and receives training on covering mental health issues from leading experts.
Projects that past fellows have done have been recognized by Mental Health America, the American Psychological Association, Amnesty International and AHCJ, as well as Emmy and Pulitzer Prize nominations.
Fellows will learn about using NIH research
Monday is the deadline to apply for this fellowship, which includes travel expenses, lodging and stipend for a week at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md.
AHCJ has teamed up with the National Library of Medicine to present the first AHCJ-NLM Fellowships. AHCJ will select four journalists to spend a week on the NIH campus. The selected journalists will:
- Learn how to explore the latest NIH research
- Learn to understand and interpret biomedical statistics
- Take advantage of NLM’s data, programs and resources for stronger stories
- Get hands-on training in PubMed, MedlinePlus, ClinicalTrials.gov, ToxNet and Household Products Database
This is an opportunity to get some intensive training that will make you more valuable in any market - without asking your editors or managers to fork over hard-to-find training money. Apply today!
Fellows to spend a week studying at CDC
The first class of AHCJ-CDC Health Journalism Fellows will learn about public health issues at two Atlanta campuses of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The fellowship program, supported by the CDC Foundation, will include presentations, roundtable discussions and lab tours on epidemiology, global disease prevention efforts, obesity, vaccine safety, pandemic flu preparedness, autism and many other topics. Fellows will tour the CDC director’s National Emergency Operations Center, meet sources on policy and research and learn how to tap the agency’s abundant resources to produce better stories.
Find out who the fellows are and learn more about the program.
AHCJ fellows hear from CDC experts
Filed under: Government, Health journalism, Member news
AHCJ’s Midwest fellows just spent three days in Atlanta meeting with experts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Carter Center on a variety of health issues.
The Midwest fellows, from left to right: Elana Gordon, KCUR-Kansas City; Morgan Smith, KCTV-Kansas City; Alan Bavley, The Kansas City Star; Kathleen O’Dell, The Springfield (Mo.) News-Leader; Jeannine Koranda, The Wichita Eagle; Sandra Jordan, St. Louis American; Tammy Worth, independent journalist; Liz Zamora, KTKA-Topeka; Duane Schrag, Salina Journal.
Highlights included a discussion with CDC Director Julie Gerberding about efforts and goals to collaborate with other nations – addressing climate change, poverty, food safety, illness and disaster response. Another CDC priority focuses on reducing health and economic consequences of the leading causes of death and disability.
In CDC laboratories, fellows stood 30 feet away – through thick walls and windows – from deadly diseases from around the world. In a different lab, where viruses such as SARS were originally identified, fellows used an electron microscope to see slides of infected tissues and heard step-by-step explanations of lab procedures. Labs at the CDC’s Environmental Health Labs gave the fellows a chance to see the facilities where the CDC detects deadly toxins. In one special room, the fellows saw hundreds of cartons of cigarettes, ready for testing on sensitive equipment for levels of nicotine, tar and other ingredients.
The fellows visit included a tour of the CDC Director’s Emergency Operations Center, a secured series of rooms that allow CDC employees to monitor disasters or disease outbreaks and manage response.
CDC speakers unveiled a preview of an embargoed report on childhood injuries and deaths, including statistics by state. Other experts gave a primer on public health and the latest developments and research on vaccines, obesity, autism, climate change and genetic testing.
In a side trip to The Carter Center, fellows heard details of international efforts to eradicate diseases and improving mental health and toured the presidential museum.
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Health Journalism 2010, AHCJ's annual conference, features a world-class program with story ideas, sources, stronger reporting skills, chances to meet newsmakers and network with other journalists.
- Health and education: Covering these intersecting beats
- Reporting on the business of health care
- Health reporting resources for journalists on state and local government beats
- Shortened Lives: How location, lifestyle affect health
- Covering a complex story for the long haul
- Aging in the 21st Century: Presentations and tip sheets
- AHCJ calls for better information from Joint Commission Web site
