NIHCM Foundation Announces Over $400K in Journalism Grants

Washington, D.C., January 28, 2020 - NIHCM Foundation has awarded 14 grants for health care journalism including investigative reporting and educational opportunities for reporters.

"High-quality journalism has a tremendous impact in advancing health care, and it is even more important in an election year where health care is a top voter issue. We are pleased to increase our support for health reporting this year and we hope to continue to grow our grant program in the years ahead," said Nancy Chockley, Founding President and CEO of NIHCM.

This year’s grantees are:

Health Reporting

PBS NewsHour - Adverse Childhood Experiences

Adverse childhood experiences can have broad and long-lasting effects on health. This broadcast series will explore the problem and approaches to improving outcomes.

Healthcare Triage - The Opioid Crisis
In a video series, host Aaron E. Carroll and the Healthcare Triage team will review the latest research regarding the opioid crisis, including its strain on the health care system and promising solutions.

The Oregonian & OregonLive - Suicide Prevention
The national suicide rate has risen almost 30% in the last two decades. In this project, Carol Cruzan Morton will explore innovative community-led approaches to suicide prevention.

The Columbus Dispatch - How Consolidation Impacts Patients
Building on their award-winning reporting on the drug supply chain and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), this project will investigate mergers surrounding the PBM industry and the impact on consumers.

STAT - Health Care and the 2020 Elections
As the high cost of health care remains a top voter concern, this project will support data visualization products on health policy issues leading up to the 2020 elections.

Side Effects Public Media - "Sick" Season Two
The podcast "Sick" reports on what goes wrong in the places meant to keep us healthy. In Season Two, hosts Jake Harper and Lauren Bavis will investigate medical treatments that go awry.

Undark Magazine - Chronic Kidney Disease
This series will investigate the treatment and management of chronic kidney disease, from dialysis centers and transplants to Medicare payments and hospice care, and the ethical issues attending each.

Michelle Andrews - Breast Cancer Treatment
Given the rise in double mastectomies that may not be medically necessary, Michelle Andrews will report a series examining women’s attitudes, clinician behaviors, and research on breast cancer treatment.

National Public Radio/Dawn Fallik - The Loneliness Epidemic
One in five Americans say they feel lonely or socially isolated. In a radio series, Dawn Fallik will explore this epidemic of loneliness, from causation to consequences to treatment.

The Conversation - Aging
The U.S. is ill-prepared to handle health care issues related to the ongoing shift to an older population with longer lifespans. This series of articles will explore research and evidence-based solutions for problems related to aging.

Educational Opportunities for Reporters

Journalist's Resource, a project of Harvard Kennedy School’s Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Polic

Leading up to and through the 2020 election, JournalistsResource.org will expand its health coverage with roundups and summaries of peer-reviewed research on health care and policy, as well as tip sheets with best practices for reporting on research.

USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, Center for Health Journalism "Health Matters" Webinar Series

These webinars bring in leading researchers and reporters to educate journalists on timely health care topics and to share insights on how to cover these issues in their communities.

Alliance for Health Policy "Beyond the Beltway" Webinar Series
These webinars educate journalists on the nuances of emerging issues in health care policy from a variety of perspectives, including academia, advocacy, the media and the private sector.

The Health Coverage Fellowship – Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation
This fellowship is an intensive, residential training program followed by a year of mentorship for journalists to strengthen their understanding of health care issues.

Enter the NIHCM Awards

NIHCM Foundation supports health care journalism and research not only through grant programs, but also through the NIHCM Awards. Submit your best work from 2019 by February 3, 2020, for a chance to be recognized and win up to $20,000.