Rural newspapers honored by Association of Health Care Journalists

The Association of Health Care Journalists recognized several rural newspapers during this week's announcement of winners in this year’s Awards for Excellence in Health Care Journalism. Awards will be presented on March 29 in Denver during the organization's annual conference.

In the Consumer division for small newspapers, Cindy Uken of the Billings Gazette won the top prize for her series on suicide called "State of Despair." Gazette Publisher Mike Gulledge said, “This series continues to be recognized for approaching what has normally been a taboo. We are so proud of Cindy and The Gazette staff’s hard work, but we’re even more pleased that her reporting has helped create a substantial change for the better in Montana.” (Read more) To read Uken's series click here, here, here, and here.

Second-place went to Todd Bookman of New Hampshire Public Radio for his series on planning for the end, which can be read here, here, and here. Third-place went to Karen Stassi, of the Healthcare Journal of New Orleans, for her story on organ donation and transplantation.

In the Health Policy small division Jonathan Cohn of The Atlantic won first-place for his story about technology in medicine and how it could displace the need to see an actual person in a story called "The robot will see you now." Second-place went to John Ramsey of the the Fayetteville (N.C.) Observer for his series on prescription pills. The series can be read here, here, and here. Third-place went to Laurence Hammack and David Ress of The Roanoke Times for its series on understanding Obamacare.