Lauren M. Whaley

Multimedia reporter Lauren M. Whaley produces radio stories, photographs and audio slideshows for the center and its partner organizations. She covers topics ranging from pregnancy and birth to mental illness to dialysis and diabetes. She's interested in sound-rich radio stories, character-driven photography essays and everything in between. She has contributed stories to Southern California Public Radio, KQED Public Radio, The New York Times and the Los Angeles Times, among others.  She is president-elect of the national Journalism & Women Symposium. While living in Wyoming, she worked as a newspaper reporter, blog editor and freelance magazine writer. She earned her master's degree in specialized science journalism from the University of Southern California, her bachelor's from Bowdoin College and spent summers in her early 20s taking high school girls on Arctic canoe expeditions. She hails from Baltimore.

Contact
email: whaley@usc.edu
office: 626-457-4173


Articles & Blog Entries By This Author

April 9, 2013
Article

Video: "Ask Emily:" A new column answering questions about Obamacare

March 26, 2013
Article

Blog: Born again after trying to end it all

John survived his suicide attempt. 

Martina Castillo threatened to take her own life. 

Both ended up in Sutter General’s Emergency Department in Sacramento. And both signed up for a unique suicide prevention program that would change their lives.

After being discharged from the hospital, each was matched with a suicide prevention specialist from WellSpace Health. The specialist would call each participant every few days for a month just to check in.

A phone call? Sounds kind of simple. Kind of small. Kind of obvious. A number popping up on someone’s cell phone who just left the ER after a suicide attempt. 

March 25, 2013
Article

Video: "Reporter's Notebook:" Does immigration reform mean health reform benefits for immigrants?

March 15, 2013
Article

Center project receives accolades in another national awards competition

The Scripps Howard Foundation has recognized "Mental Breakdown," a CHCF Center for Health Reporting project produced in partnership with the Modesto Bee, as a finalist in its awards competition.

Last month, the series won second place in the Health Policy category of the Association of Health Care Journalists' national competition.  

The project, which included 12 story and photo elements and ran over three days, was led by project writer Jocelyn Wiener, Modesto Bee reporter Ken Carlson and Center multimedia journalist Lauren Whaley.

March 14, 2013
Article

Suicide Prevention Resources

March 14, 2013
Blog entry

Born again after trying to end it all

March 14, 2013
Article

Preventing subsequent suicide attempts one phone call at a time

Every day in California, nine people die by suicide. It’s the 10th leading cause of death in the state and nationwide. According to a recent study, More than half a million adults in California seriously thought about killing themselves in 2009. It’s such a big problem that just this past fall, the California Mental Health Services Authority launched a statewide campaign called Know the Signs as part of a larger Suicide Prevention Initiative. 

But, in Sacramento, there’s a unique partnership between Sutter Medical Center and WellSpace Health that takes a hands-on approach to this devastating problem. It’s a suicide prevention arrangement that targets people who have already tried to take their own lives. And it’s all done over the phone. Reported for KQED Public Radio.

March 5, 2013
Article

Video: "Reporter's Notebook:" Will there be enough doctors to see California’s newly insured poor?

February 26, 2013
Blog entry

Cal State San Marcos launches new palliative care course for chaplains

January 31, 2013
Blog entry

Medicare announces medical equipment prices for expanded competitive bidding program