The IRE Resource Center is a major research library containing more than 23,250 investigative stories — both print and broadcast. These stories are searchable online or by contacting the Resource Center directly (573-882-3364 or rescntr@ire.org) where a researcher can help you pinpoint what you need. Browse or search the tipsheet section of our library below. Stories are not available for download but can be easily ordered by contacting the Resource Center:
Search results for "health inspections" ...
-
How safe is your restaurant?
"The story was an explanatory piece about how food inspections are conducted on restaurants in Florida, and most importantly, about how crucial they are to keep the public safe from food borne illness outbreaks. But the story had a computer-assisted component because we analyzed inspections and used some of those findings to tell the story. Furthermore, we provided a searchable database for our readers to allow them to search their favorite restaurant’s latest food inspections. "
Tags: restaurants; health; safety; database; inspections
-
Is Your Nail Salon Safe?
"What began with the idea of looking at electronic inspection data turned into a story about health safety in nail salons and the potential of getting an infection or diseases when consumers visit unsafe shops."
Tags: nail salons; health; sanitation; infections; disease; manicures; hepatitis
-
Who's Watching Out for Me?
"Pennsylvania's dog wardens have been extremely lenient in policing licensed dog kennels. Our analysis of kennel inspection records, the first of its kind, showed that the vat majority of inspections recorded not a single violation, and even when violations were found, authorities almost never took firm action."
Tags: dogs; animals; health; inspections; Right to Know law; kennels
-
Danger on Your Plate
The Center for Investigative Reporting hired the food analysis lab of the Sarajevo Veterinary School to test food samples purchased in farmers' markets, food shops and stalls to determine food safety. Center reporters found problems with contamination, government inspection, labeling, waste, and NGO's that collect money but "really do little to guard consumers against bad food."
Tags: food safety; Mad Cow Disease; CIN; Linking Agricultural Markets to Producers; LAMP; E.coli; proteus; alfotoxins; bacteria; fungi; food handling; TRACES animal tracking; smuggling; World Health Organization; Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations; EU
-
Patients in Danger: The Caremark Investigation
Caremark, one of the biggest health-care organizations in the nation, was failing to provide necessary health care to customers. KHOU's investigation found that this included Caremark limiting dosages and refill amounts for necessary drugs like insulin for diabetics or anti-rejection drugs for transplant patients, often going against the physician's written prescription. Caremark employees in multiple states had a mandate to change these prescriptions as the company attempted to save money. In addition, "used" medications which had been returned to Caremark were simply relabeled and sent out again without testing. This practice is illegal, because for instance a drug like insulin loses half its effectiveness if not properly refrigerated. Also, Caremark employees informed KHOU of cover-ups that occurred during government inspections.
Tags: Drugs; Caremark; insulin; health care; prescription
-
Recipe for Trouble
The authors investigated the role of food establishment inspectors and Pennsylvania's broken restaurant inspection system.
Tags: public safety; food establishments; food poisoning; food establishment inspectors; CDC health reports; Department of Agriculture; FOIA; food-born illnesses
-
The Deadliness Below: Decades of Dumping Chemical Arms Leave a Risky Legacy
The Army secretly dumped at least 64 million pounds of chemical weapons off the coastlines of 11 states and 16 other countries, didn't tell anyone about it, and 20 years ago stopped checking the few sites that were ever inspected. The weapons are incredibly dangerous, likely are leaking, and will pose a threat for generations. The Army doesn't know where all the dumpsites are located, and admits that more likely exist than have been discovered.
Tags: chemicals; military; Armed Forces; government conspiracy; environment; water pollution; public safety; public health; chemical weapons; offshore dumping
-
A Death in McAllen
This investigation by the Texas Observer looks into nursing home abuse and state legislation protecting owners from non-economic damages in civil suits. What they found was a 2003 Texas law placed a $250,000 cap on damages, heavily lobbied by nursing home companies, directly affected the number of nursing home inspections and leaves little punishment for nursing homes who abuse, or even kill, their patients. The story also tells the tale of Noe Martinez Jr., a patient who died in McAllen Nursing Center due to gross negligence in July 2004. The state only fined the center $1,300 for his death. Because caring for Medicaid patients like Martinez costs nursing homes up to $1,800 per year, the center more than likely saved money because of his death.
Tags: abuse; elderly; McAllen Nursing Center; civil lawsuits; lobbying; CAR; politics; negligence; non-economic damage caps; health care
-
Discounted lives
The KC Star analyze the Occupational Safety and Health Administration inspection database for the Kansas City metropolitan area, reviewed public records and interviewed more than 100 people in order to determine how well OSHA protects workers. The study found that OSHA fines employees in workers' deaths less than it should and downgrades its most serious violations in workers' deaths, hurting workers who are trying to sue employees. OSHA is behind in its safety standards.
Tags: CAR; worker safety; corruption; OSHA; Occupational Safety and Health Administration; Kansas City; Missouri; health; inspections; workplace
-
Bad Practices Net Hospitals More Money
This three part series delves into the various problems that plague Medicare. One issue that comes up is how the system is set up so that hospitals get more money for each visit, even if those extra visits are a result of an infection picked up in an unsanitary ward. As a result, the highest quality health care providers end up with substantially less funding. The articles also touch on how the Medicare system encourages unnecessary surgery and a possible conflict of interest with the hospital inspectors.
Tags: Medicare; Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organization; American Medical Association; hospital inspections; doctors; clinics; HMOs; insurance