Membership: Benefits
Why join AHCJ?
An annual professional conference and smaller regional workshops, with an educational program by our Center for Excellence in Health Care Journalism, to advance your skills, hear insightful speakers, and meet others who face the same challenges you do. (See for example, Health Journalism 2007 and plans for Health Journalism 2008.)
Regional chapter groups, which organize social gatherings and meetings with sources.
Events that will generate immediate stories and sources.
Online resources to help you do your job better.
Online information about job openings and freelance opportunities.
Free access to the Cochrane Library, a clinical research database (a $235 value!). Read more about what the Cochrane Library offers.
Free access to Annual Reviews, which publishes reviews in 34 disciplines within the biomedical, physical and social sciences. This would cost thousands of dollars if you signed up on your own. Read more about what Annual Reviews offers.
Free access to Health Affairs, the respected health policy journal (a $125 value!). Read more about what Health Affairs offers.
Free access to the American Journal of Public Health, dedicated to original work in research, research methods, and program evaluation in the field of public health. (a $200 value!). Read more about what the American Journal of Public Health offers.
Alerts about upcoming news events.
An electronic discussion group, offered either as regular e-mails or a once-a-day digest e-mail.
A group on LinkedIn to help you connect with other AHCJ members.
A quarterly newsletter that provides timely and helpful articles about meeting the challenges of covering this complex beat.
A committee for freelance affairs.
A committee for freedom-of-information concerns.
An online bookstore for members' books, AHCJ publications and other books.
Alerts about fellowships, awards and contests.
To join: Apply online or download this PDF.
Above all, AHCJ advocates for journalists. We work with institutions and sources to promote the free flows of information. We encourage the journalism industry to broaden training opportunities on this beat. Together, we can achieve what no individual could alone.
Member Web site - Be sure to visit the AHCJ home page often. Useful information is added all the time. In the Members' Section, we have job postings, great resource links, back issues of HealthBeat, the AHCJ newsletter, and a special section for freelancers. We want to be a regular stop and the first place you turn when you start a story.
Newsletter - The newsletter, HealthBeat, is published quarterly. The editor is Phil Galewitz, a reporter at The Palm Beach Post.
Electronic discussion list - The list is a private service for AHCJ members. The AHCJ's board members take turns administering the list. If you're a member, you're automatically added to the list, but you can opt out. Here's how an electronic mailing list works: Any member can send a message simultaneously to all other subscribers simply by sending an e-mail message to the list's address. Through this service, AHCJ members can hold ongoing discussions, seek help with a story and request information, among other things. The list has an online archive.
Conferences - More than 400 people gathered for Health Journalism 2007 in Los Angeles, March 15-18. Top experts and newsmakers in health care as well as experienced journalists share tips and offer resources to help our members. We expect more than 500 attendees for Health Journalism 2008.
AHCJ office - The Association's office staff's regular working hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. central time, Monday through Friday. Feel free to e-mail or call with questions or comments. Our telephone number is 573-884-5606.
Volunteers - AHCJ depends on its members to produce its newsletter and to run a strong organization. If you're interested in joining a committee, producing something for the newsletter or Web site or serving on the board, please contact the AHCJ office.