Harriet Blair Rowan

Harriet Blair Rowan was a digital reporter for KFF Health News until February 2020.

@HattieRowan

The Measles Success Story In California Shows Signs Of Fading

California’s highly touted gains in vaccinating school children against measles stalled last year, possibly related to an increase in the number of students who have been exempted from vaccinations on medical grounds.

In California, Doctors Accused Of Sexual Misconduct Often Get Second Chances

The state medical board grants probation in more than a third of cases, a California Healthline analysis found. Even as other institutions adapt to lessons of the #MeToo movement, the board plans no major changes, saying it has always prioritized discipline for sexual misconduct.

After Terribly Deadly Flu Season, California Aims To Track Deaths More Closely

During the previous flu season, 329 Californians under 65 died from flu-related complications, but state officials acknowledge that is just a fraction of the actual death toll. Why? The state’s public health department hasn’t counted deaths in the vulnerable, 65-and-over age group. That’s changing.

Smoke-Filled Snapshot: California Wildfire Generates Dangerous Air Quality For Millions

Smoke from the deadly and destructive Camp Fire has caused air quality readings to spike into “hazardous” and “unhealthy” levels for millions of people far outside of the burn zones. Is smoky air the new normal for California?

Spending Against Dialysis Ballot Measure In California Breaks Record

Dialysis companies have contributed more than $110 million to defeat an initiative on California’s Nov. 6 ballot that would limit their profits — breaking the $109 million record set by the pharmaceutical industry in 2016.

Dirty Air And Disasters Sending Kids To The ER For Asthma

Children in some California counties visit emergency rooms for asthma at nearly double the statewide rate, which experts attribute largely to air pollution that is likely to worsen as wildfires and other environmental disasters increase in severity.