Missouri Archives

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Roe v. Wade on the Ropes

The newly conservative Supreme Court will hear a case that could overturn the nationwide right to abortion and cause political upheaval. Meanwhile, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s abrupt announcement that vaccinated people can take off their masks in most places has caused upheaval of its own. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet and Mary Ellen McIntire of CQ Roll Call join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Plus, for extra credit, the panelists recommend their favorite health policy stories of the week they think you should read, too.

May 20, 2021

COVID-19

Stark Racial Disparities Persist in Vaccinations, State-Level CDC Data Shows

Black Americans’ vaccination rates still trail all other groups, while Hispanics show improvement. Native Americans show the strongest rates nationally.

By Hannah Recht, Rachana Pradhan, and Lauren Weber

May 20, 2021

The Last Drugstore

Covid Shot in the Arm Not Enough to Keep Pharmacies in Business

Pandemic lockdowns exacerbated long-standing economic pressures on pharmacies — and forced many owner-operated shops to evolve or risk closing their doors.

By Markian Hawryluk

May 5, 2021

Virtual Care Spreads in Missouri Health System, Home to ‘Hospital Without Beds’

In 2015, St. Louis-based Mercy health system opened what officials called the world’s first “hospital without beds.” Since the pandemic, Mercy has incorporated telehealth throughout its system, part of a national acceleration in virtual care that proponents laud but critics say is happening too fast.

By Eric Berger

April 23, 2021

Underfunded And Under Threat

Public Health Experts Worry About Boom-Bust Cycle of Support

Congress has poured tens of billions of dollars into public health since last year. While health officials who have juggled bare-bones budgets for years are grateful for the money, they worry it will soon dry up, just as it has after previous crises such as 9/11, SARS and Ebola. Meanwhile, they continue to cope with an exodus from the field amid political pressure and exhaustion that meant 1 in 6 Americans lost their local health department leader.

By Michelle R. Smith, The Associated Press, Lauren Weber, and Hannah Recht

April 19, 2021

COVID-19

Snag a Vaccine Appointment, Then Face the Next Hurdle: How to Get There?

For some, a vaccine appointment a few hours away is no biggie. For others, it’s a major barrier to gaining protection from the coronavirus.

By Rae Ellen Bichell

April 19, 2021

Missouri ‘Voted for This Lie,’ Says State Rep Trying to Block Medicaid Expansion

Even with extra federal dollars and a flush budget, Show Me State Republicans are putting up roadblocks to the voter-approved constitutional amendment that would give 275,000 people health insurance.

By Sebastián Martínez Valdivia, KBIA

April 6, 2021

KHN on the Air

Journalists Dive Deep Into Roots of Vaccine Distrust in Prisons and Covid’s Toll on Public Health

KHN and California Healthline staff made the rounds on national and local media this week to discuss their stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.

April 3, 2021

COVID-19

How One State’s Public Health Defunding Led to Vaccination Chaos

The underfunding of public health and political backlash destabilized Missouri’s vaccine rollout, creating racial inequity and forcing some residents to drive hours to get shots.

By Lauren Weber

March 26, 2021

Inmates’ Distrust of Prison Health Care Fuels Distrust of Covid Vaccines

Many inmates at Western Missouri Correctional Center, like their peers in prisons across Missouri and the nation, are hesitant about getting vaccinated against covid-19 because they don’t trust prison health care.

By Eric Berger

March 25, 2021

POSTCARD FROM TERRE HAUTE

Indiana School Goes Extra Mile to Help Vulnerable Kids Weather Pandemic

Many students at Sarah Scott Middle School in Terre Haute, Indiana, deal with poverty, dysfunction and stress. Since the pandemic hit, teachers and administrators have struggled to give kids and families the support they need.

By Giles Bruce

March 23, 2021

COVID-19

Need Amid Plenty: Richest US Counties Are Overwhelmed by Surge in Child Hunger

Hunger among kids is skyrocketing, even in America’s wealthiest counties. But given the nation’s highly uneven charitable food system, affluent communities have been far less ready for the unprecedented crisis than places accustomed to dealing with poverty and hardship.

By Laura Ungar

March 18, 2021

COVID-19

For Spring Season, Young Athletes Get Back in the Game Despite Covid Risk

With schools opening up classrooms, millions of young athletes are also getting out on fields and courts. But pandemic precautions and delays are spurring conflicts among parents, coaches and doctors.

By Laura Ungar

March 16, 2021

Architectural columns and Jesse Hall on the campus of University of Missouri

University of Missouri Settles Lawsuits Over Knee Surgeries Involving Veterinarian

The University of Missouri settled a collection of 22 medical malpractice and false advertising lawsuits over knee surgeries for $16.2 million. One doctor involved in the cases is among Missouri’s highest-paid state employees; the other is a veterinarian.

By Lauren Weber

March 12, 2021

Firefighters — ‘Health Care Providers on a Truck’ — Signal Pandemic Burnout

Grappling with stagnant pay and a lack of personal protective equipment, firefighters are even more frustrated to find they are lower down the vaccine priority list than health care workers despite serving on the front lines of the medical system.

By Sandy West

March 5, 2021

COVID-19

After Nearly 60 Years of Marriage, This Missouri Couple Stayed Together to the End

Arthur and Maggie Kelley of St. Louis died 30 days apart. Maggie died of complications of dementia in November. Arthur, who had moved into her nursing home to be with her, died a month later of covid. Their family held a double funeral.

By Cara Anthony

Feb. 8, 2021

COVID-19

‘We’re Not Controlling It in Our Schools’: Covid Safety Lapses Abound Across US

As President Biden calls for more support to help schools hold in-person classes, public health experts say schools can be relatively safe if they take well-known steps to prevent covid. But a KHN investigation shows many districts and states have ignored health advice or written their own questionable safety rules for schools.

By Laura Ungar

Jan. 26, 2021

Are Public Health Ads Worth the Price? Not if They’re All About Fear

Public service announcements about drug use or other public health problems often fall short, public health marketing experts say, because they incite people’s worst fears rather than giving people solutions.

By Eric Berger

Jan. 19, 2021

COVID-19

Black Americans Are Getting Vaccinated at Lower Rates Than White Americans

Black Americans are receiving covid vaccines at a much lower rate than their white peers due to a combination of mistrust and access issues, leaving them behind in the mission to vaccinate the nation’s population.

By Hannah Recht and Lauren Weber

Jan. 17, 2021

As the Vulnerable Wait, Some Political Leaders’ Spouses Get Covid Vaccines

Spouses of governors and federal leaders are getting early access to scarce doses of covid-19 vaccines. Some officials have argued their inoculation sets an example for the public and shows the vaccines to be safe and effective. But critics say those doses should go to more vulnerable people first.

By Laura Ungar

Jan. 8, 2021

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