Jazmin Orozco Rodriguez

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jorozco@kff.org
@jazmin1orozco

Feds Try to Head Off Growing Problem of Overdoses Among Expectant Mothers

Homicides, suicides, and drug overdoses have driven rising rates of pregnancy-related death in the U.S. This fall, six states received federal funding for substance use treatment interventions to prevent at least some of those deaths.

Tribal Health Workers Aren’t Paid Like Their Peers. See Why Nevada Changed That.

Community health workers, who often help patients get to their appointments and pick up prescriptions for them, have increasingly been recognized as an integral part of treating chronic illnesses. But state-run Medicaid programs don’t always reimburse them equally, usually excluding those who work on tribal lands.

Medical Exiles: Families Flee States Amid Crackdown on Transgender Care

As more states restrict gender-affirming care for transgender people, some are relocating to more welcoming destinations, such as California, Illinois, Maryland, and Nevada, where they don’t have to worry about being locked out of medical care.

Foster Kids in Casino Hotels? It Happened in Rural Nevada Amid Widespread Site Shortages

A nationwide decline in foster home spots has led to dire situations in some rural areas, including northeastern Nevada, where a state social worker has been pleading with community leaders to help address a shortage that left officials housing children in casino hotels.

Doctor Shortages Distress Rural America, Where Few Residency Programs Exist

Patients in rural northeastern Nevada soon will have fewer providers and resources, after a local hospital decided to close its medical residency program. Nationally, the number of rural residency slots has grown during the past few years but still makes up just 2% of programs and residents nationwide.

Mobile Clinics Got Rolling in the Pandemic. A New Law Will Help Them Cast a Wider Safety Net.

Mobile clinics that provided covid-19 testing and vaccines at the peak of the pandemic are now being used to provide a range of health services in hard-to-reach communities. A law passed late last year allows qualified health care centers to use federal grants to expand the fleets.