Health writing

As a newspaper reporter covering state legislatures, I wrote regularly about laws and regulation affecting health care finance and insurance. Examples from the Duluth (Minn.) News-Tribune:

• "Counties could face charity health-care tab." Summary: "Hospitals and clinics that absorb the cost of treating the uninsured went to the state for relief. The state is sending them to their neighboring counties." May 11, 1999. Click here to view article.

• "Bill would replace 'sick tax.'" Summary: "Love the government program, hate the tax. That's what the health-care industry has been saying for years about MinnesotaCare -- that the state should keep subsidizing health insurance for the working poor, but stop imposing special taxes on health-care services and insurance premiums to pay for the program.." February 19, 1999. Click to view article.

• "Tinkering with insurance laws." Summary: "State rules requiring insurance companies to provide certain types of coverage have grown increasingly complex. Now lawmakers are on the verge of approving an experiment that would let the state scrap the old rules and start from scratch for certain insurers that provide policies for the employees of small businesses." May 10, 1999. Click to view article.

• Legislative roundup including "suing HMOs," "senior prescriptions," and "veterans care." April 1, 1999. Click to view article.

As national features editor for an Internet news service, I designed and updated a content section devoted to health.

• In addition to posting news stories, I recruited columnists and edited and posted their work in these categories (click for examples): Daily Health Tip, Stress Busters, Diet and Fitness, and HMO Headaches.

• I coordinated a team in producing interactive content packages on subjects including health. Example: National nurse shortage.

As a public outreach specialist at USAID/Egypt, my special assistance to the Health and Population staff included:

• Helping lead logistical planning for an October 22, 2003 visit by the mission director to Minya to announce USAID/Egypt's new strategy for health and family planning including coordinated communications. To view a press release I wrote about the event, click here.

• Editing the staff's presentation for an intensive program review by then-Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Liz Cheney.

• Writing internal and public documents about the Healthy Mother/Healthy Child project (Click to view an example) including polio eradication (example).

• I also wrote about education and environmental activities that included health education components, including the outreach programs New Horizons/New Visions, Alam Simsim Parent Outreach, and village environmental assistance.

Click to see more work samples: Internet | Newspaper | Magazine | Brochures