I write for nonprofits, universities, hospitals, publications, websites and agencies on medicine, health care, higher ed and social issues. I'm also a book author and ghostwriter.
Telling the Story of Racism’s Role in Depression
Racism, racial injustice, and racist treatment practices are woven into psychiatry’s history up to the present day. That’s why racism continues to deeply affect mental health for people who are Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). Two Columbia University physicians looked at why psychiatrists need to consider how structural racism and other racist experiences affect their patients' lives and depression.
Digging Deep to Understand Pandemic Conflicts
Medical anthropologist Emily Mendenhall, professor in the School of Foreign Service (SFS) at Georgetown University, spent the 2020 pandemic summer in her Iowa hometown, examining the forces behind local reactions to COVID-19 public health recommendations. Her insights shaped her latest book, UNMASKED: COVID, Community, and the Case of Okoboji (Vanderbilt University Press, 2022). My article about Mendenhall and her work appears in the current issue of Georgetown's SFS Magazine.
Bone Loss from Breast Cancer Treatment
Young women aren't supposed to experience bone loss, just as they aren't supposed to be diagnosed with breast cancer. Yet those conditions are related and they both happened to Kiana Wooten, a chef from Monmouth Junction, New Jersey. Chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, and other vital breast cancer treatments may thin and weaken bones — especially if the therapies reduce or block estrogen. My profile of Kiana and what she did about the effects of treatment on her bone health.
Housing for Health
Los Angeles has more than 58,000 homeless adults and children. This case study looks at a multi-pronged "housing first" program that combines efforts from several public departments to help homeless residents gain stability, improve their living situations and address health issues. One in a series of program case studies I wrote for the Center for Health Care Strategies, a nonprofit policy center.
Healing Body and Emotions
Receiving a breast cancer diagnosis at age 43 stirred reminders of shame and hateful taunts Shangrong Lee had experienced growing up. She talked with me about using running and online connections to strengthen herself and her mental health.
Hill Country Community Clinic: Integrating Substance Use Treatment and Support into Primary Care
Using a "whole-person approach," a rural community clinic in California integrates mental health with primary care to provide treatment for opioid use disorder and other substance use conditions. One of several program reports I've written for the Center for Health Care Strategies, a nonprofit policy center.
Mining Social Media to Analyze Change
Being on social media can feel like falling down a rabbit hole into a complex and confusing world. Lisa Singh, research professor at Georgetown University's McCourt School of Public Policy, thrives on making sense of the data found in online messages. My article on Singh and her research, for McCourt's Policy Perspectives magazine, looks at how millions of tweets on COVID-19 and Black Lives Matter provide insight into misinformation, disease spread, social movement growth, and more.
When the Target of Bias Is the Doctor
"We would like a white doctor, please," said the parent of a pediatric patient to an African American physician. Discrimination and overt bigotry from patients is not often discussed among doctors or in medical school, yet many physicians experience it. Winner of the ASJA Article Award 2018 in the trade publication category.
Gender Equity in Medicine Still a Work in Progress
Women now equal men in medical school enrollment across the U.S. Yet that parity hasn't fixed what women in medicine still face: gender discrimination, sexual harassment, lower pay and fewer leadership positions. My cover story for the alumni magazine of the Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University--the last U.S. medical school to admit women (in 1961).
You’re Never Too Old To Be An Organ Donor
Even if you have chronic medical conditions or are older than 65 (or 75 or 85), you can donate your organs after death and help some of the 113,000+ people on the U.S. transplant waiting list.
When Cancer Pain Won’t Go Away
There's more than one way to ease cancer pain. What works for one person may differ from what works for someone else, even with the same cancer diagnosis or type of pain. This article looks at current and near-future approaches to treat pain from cancer and side effects from therapies.
Johns Hopkins: Expanding Interdisciplinary Teams to Care for Patients with Complex Needs
Report on how several pediatric programs at Johns Hopkins are incorporating community health workers as members of care teams, to help patients and families address social and behavioral needs in tandem with medical needs to support improvements in health and well-being. One of several similar projects written for the Center for Health Care Strategies (CHCS), a nonprofit policy center.
Health Disparities Affect Millions in Rural U.S. Communities
Rural Americans—who make up at least 15 to 20% of the U.S. population—face inequities that result in worse health care than that of urban and suburban residents.
These rural health disparities are deeply rooted in economic, social, racial, ethnic, geographic, and health workforce factors.
I NEVER CALLED IT RAPE: The Ms. Report on Recognizing, Fighting, and Surviving Date and Acquaintance Rape
Ground-breaking work looking at the reality of rape between people who know each other. 3rd edition, updated, and e-book published in 2019. Kirkus Reviews called my original book, "Provocative and important," while the San Francisco Chronicle reviewer said, "Painstakingly researched...chilling."
Gateway to Success: Arcadia's Commitment to a Historic Legacy
For 30 years, the Gateway to Success program at Arcadia University has helped hundreds of students make the transition from unsure students to confident college graduates. My article about the program looked at how it supports students from varying backgrounds, many the first in their families to attend college, with academic skills, guidance, and a community. The program also steered students through disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and helped many stay on target with their goals.