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 officials" ...
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IJEC: Mental health on campus
After the mass shootings at Virginia Tech and Northern Illinois, legislatures and university officials nationwide said they were taking extra measures to upgrade mental health treatment for students and to improve security on campuses The Investigative Journalism Education Consortium – a group of faculty and students at Midwest universities - decided to examine what actually had been done. What they found is that the number of college students seeking mental health care from their universities is soaring as is the severity of the mental health problems students have when they arrive on campus. The consortium also found most campuses do not have the number of counselors and resources needed. In addition, we found some universities have moved slowly or not at all to improve security and to develop effective building evacuation plans.
Tags: Mental health; health care; counselors; Midwest universities
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Money to Burn
A 5-month investigation by the Environmental Health News reveals that the chemical industry spent at least $23.2 million over the past five years to lobby California officials and donate to campaigns in an effort to defeat bills that would have regulated flame retardants.
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DNA Deception
When state health officials were sued for storing infant blood samples without parental consent, they said it was for medical research. The Tribune shows that these health officials were also turning over hundreds of dried blood samples to the federal government without informing the public.
Tags: medical research; DNA; blood samples; health officials; public
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"Electronic Health Records: Will They Be Safer and Save Money?"
In this yearlong, multimedia project, reporters Schulte and Schwartz investigated the shift of paper medical records to electronic records. The report drew attention to the "challenges officials are facing in computerizing" the records. Some of the challenges include concerns of privacy and patient well-being.
Tags: records; MAUDE; FDA; Center for Devices and Radiological Health; database
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"Deaths at the State Hospital"
This ongoing investigation reveals major misconduct by the Colorado Mental Health Institute in Pueblo, the largest public psychiatric hospital in the state. The investigative team exposed and detailed the deaths of four patients that resulted from the "mistakes, lack of training, incompetence and possible criminal neglect" carried out by hospital employees. The series also reveals the attempt of state human services officials to cover up the mistakes.
Tags: mental health; patients; grand jury; DA; Pueblo; Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment; database; Pueblo State Hospital; Nexis-Lexis; 441.com; CoCourts.com; Colorado Bureau of Investigation
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60 Billion Dollar Fraud
“Medicare Fraud, a crime that steals an estimated $60 billion a year from the American taxpayer”. Medicare stated they were made efforts to crack down on the fraud, but this investigation proved otherwise. This investigation revealed how easy Medicare fraud is and that zero experience can still result in thousands of dollars from Medicare.
Tags: health care; medical; medicine; officials; federal government; Congress; system; insurance; plan; doctors; hospitals; benefits
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Trouble in the Walls: Contaminated Chinese Drywall
Drywall from China, which has been contaminated, could become one of the” largest consumer disasters in US history”. Gases being released from the drywall are “corroding wires, air conditioners and shorting out electronics, and suspected of causing health problems like severe headaches, respiratory ailments, asthma attacks and nosebleeds”. Many homeowners can’t afford to move and would never be able to sell their homes, so they are trapped with nowhere to turn.
Tags: houses; housing; gypsum board; wallboard; housing market; government; health officials; families; construction; building
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Toxic Legacy: The Story of Boat Harbor
An inlet from the sea in Nova Scotia is the site of an environmental catastrophe wrought by a Scott Paper Company mill. To attract the mill, officials approved using Boat Harbor as a toxic waste treatment pond. The investigation details the actions governmental bodies took in conjunction with Scott Paper that produced the health hazard that Boat Harbor creates for nearby residents today.
Tags: Nova Scotia; Boat Harbor; Scott Paper; mill; toxic; waste; water; residents; lagoon; environment; health; hazard; public;
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Prescription for Profit
Conditions in the county hospital were deplorable, a culture of callousness pervasive and impoverished patients faced many barriers to care. Yet the system is rolling in money, primarily because it raised rates so that it could game federal Medicaid money that was supposed to help the poor. Rather than using it for that purpose, the taxpayer-financed system banked the money or invested it to try to attract insured patients, as highlighted by decisions to purchase a boutique hospital and a clinic in a high-income area. Officials of the healthcare system also misled the public, the hospital board and county officials about the finances and conditions in the hospitals and clinics.
Tags: public health; Medicaid; hospitals; clinics; healthcare system; county government
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The Cruelest Cuts
The investigation revealed how officials in the poultry industry have ignored and threatened injured workers as they created an illusion of safety inside their plants. The practice helped companies boost profits, but it has also jeopardized the health of thousands of poultry workers.
Tags: worker safety; Latino; poultry; OSHA; Raeford Farms; injury; factory