Pulitzer nods demonstrate breadth of health beat
This week’s Pulitzer announcements demonstrated just how far health journalism spread its wings in 2010, with health-related stories snagging wins and nominations for work related to everything from business to commentary to feature writing. Several AHCJ members were among the nominees, and Covering Health readers will recognize a significant number of the bylines and storylines. We’ve pulled the health-related award text below straight from Pulitzer.org and linked to related content when possible. Winning entries are in bold.
Explanatory Reporting
- Awarded Mark Johnson, Kathleen Gallagher, Gary Porter, Lou Saldivar and Alison Sherwood of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel for their lucid examination of an epic effort to use genetic technology to save a 4-year-old boy imperiled by a mysterious disease, told with words, graphics, videos and other images.
- Staff of The Wall Street Journal
For its penetration of the shadowy world of fraud and abuse in Medicare, probing previously concealed government databases to identify millions of dollars in waste and corrupt practices.- Award entry questionnaire about how the series was reported (AHCJ members only)
- WSJ sues for release of Medicare provider data
- WSJ exposes flaws of Medicare’s pay now, investigate later culture
- WSJ details conflicts that drive spine fusion surgery
- WSJ explains why Medicare data is hidden
- Staff of The Washington Post
For its exploration of how the military is using trauma surgery, brain science and other techniques both old and new to reduce fatalities among the wounded in warfare, telling the story with words, images and other tools.
Editorial Writing
- Awarded to Joseph Rago of The Wall Street Journal for his well crafted, against-the-grain editorials challenging the health care reform advocated by President Obama.
Investigative Reporting
- Walt Bogdanich of The New York Times
For his spotlighting of medical radiation errors that injure thousands of Americans, sparking national discussion and remedial steps. - Sam Roe and Jared S. Hopkins of Chicago Tribune
For their investigation, in print and online, of 13 deaths at a home for severely disabled children and young adults, resulting in a state effort to close the facility.
Public Service
- The New York Times
For the work of Alan Schwarz in illuminating the peril of concussions in football and other sports, spurring a national discussion and a re-examination of helmets and of medical and coaching practices.
Local Reporting
- Marshall Allen and Alex Richards of Las Vegas Sun
For their compelling reports on patients who suffered preventable injuries and other harm during hospital care, taking advantage of print and digital tools to drive home their findings.- Article: DocumentCloud opens a window into inspection reports for readers (Written for AHCJ members by Marshall Allen)
- Award entry questionnaire about how the series was reported (AHCJ members only)
- Allen looks at present, future of Nev. transparency
- Las Vegas Sun caps series by showing solutions
- Quest for profit behind patient safety problems in Las Vegas hospitals
- Hospital infections on rise in Nev., reporters find
- Analysis of billing record data reveals hospital quality issues in Las Vegas
National Reporting
- David Evans of Bloomberg News
For his revelations of how life insurance companies retained death benefits owed to families of military veterans and other Americans, leading to government investigations and remedial changes.
Feature Writing
- Tony Bartelme of The Post and Courier, Charleston, SC
For his engaging account of a South Carolina neurosurgeon’s quest to teach brain surgery in Tanzania, possibly providing a new model for health care in developing countries.- Award entry questionnaire about how the story was reported (AHCJ members only)
Fink wins Dart award for Memorial story
AHCJ member Sheri Fink’s 13,000-word piece on the difficult choices made at Memorial Hospital in the wake of Hurricane Katrina continues its run this awards season, adding the 2010 Dart Award for Excellence in Coverage of Trauma to the Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting, second place in the large magazine category of AHCJ’s 2009 Awards for Excellence in Health Care Journalism, and numerous other honors. It originally ran in The New York Times Magazine and on the ProPublica Web site.
A project of the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, the Dart Center for Journalism & Trauma focuses on reporting on violence, conflict and tragedy. It has awarded the Dart Award for Excellence in Coverage of Trauma since 1994.
Fink wrote an article for AHCJ members about how she reported the story and her insights for others undertaking long-form investigative reporting.
Pulitzer winners, finalists share tips with AHCJ
In yesterday’s post about AHCJ members who won or were finalists for this year’s Pulitzer Prizes, we neglected to mention California Watch’s editorial director, Mark Katches.
Katches, as deputy managing editor for projects and investigations at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, was an editor on Raquel Rutledge’s Pulitzer Prize-winning reports on fraud and abuse in a child-care program for low-wage working parents.
AHCJ has temporarily opened up access to articles and tip sheets that recently were written for us by this year’s Pulitzer winners and finalists. Don’t miss this chance to see what AHCJ members have access to every day.
- Mark Katches: Veteran editor offers tips for finding health stories on any beat
- Charles Ornstein and Tracy Weber: How well does your state oversee nurses?
- Sheri Fink: Covering a complex story for the long haul
And, just as a reminder, The New York Times‘ Michael Moss, who won a Pulitzer for his reporting on contaminated hamburger and other food safety issues, will be on a panel about food safety at Health Journalism 2010.
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- What reporters should know about Alzheimer’s and related dementias
- Apply for fellowships to attend Health Journalism 2012
- AHCJ asks Supreme Court to permit broadcast of arguments in health reform case
- Tips for print, online journalists to embrace broadcast opportunities
- Numbers reveal how often, or how rarely, states check doctors’ disciplinary records
- How I did it: Falsified charts in nursing homes linked to patient care
- Access Denied: Looking at a lack of health care availability
- Transparency & medical errors: Public reporting of patient harm is a potent force
