Kristen Schorsch
Reporter, Government and Politics
Previously, she covered health care, government, crime, courts, higher education and news of the weird (think coffin parties) for Crain’s Chicago Business, the Chicago Tribune, the Daily Southtown and the Iowa City Press-Citizen.
Kristen has won more than a dozen local and national awards for her work. Her stories have sparked policy changes and spurred investigations.
Kristen is a former longtime board member of the Chicago Headline Club and helps organize the club’s annual FOIAFest about public information and transparency. She has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Illinois and is a proud Daily Illini alumna.
Stories by Kristen Schorsch
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What The Closing Of Another Hospital Pediatric Unit Could Mean For Chicago Parents
With few young patients, Saint Mary Hospital joins a wave of shuttering pediatric units — increasing health care barriers for parents and kids.
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With $1 Billion In Federal COVID-19 Relief Funds, Cook County Plans A Hiring Spree
County board President Toni Preckwinkle said she also expects a deficit next year, but no new taxes or tax hikes to fill the gap — yet.
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A New Deal Gives Mayor Lori Lightfoot Unique Control Over Old Mercy Hospital
WBEZ on Wednesday obtained a copy of an agreement Lightfoot helped negotiate that outlines the new stipulations for Insight Chicago to operate the hospital.
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What Chicago’s Fight Against The Pandemic Could Teach Us About Fixing Health Care
Community organizations say they became true partners with government and big hospitals to fight the pandemic. Now they’re hoping that approach could help solve the city’s long standing health inequities.
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Chicago’s Plan To Flood Areas With COVID-19 Vaccines Improved Racial Equity. Now It’s Ending.
A WBEZ analysis shows Protect Chicago Plus improved vaccination rates in some targeted communities, but the impact was uneven. Some worry even those gains will fade.
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Chinatown Found Its Own Solution For Bringing Vaccines Closer To Home
The city’s rollout did not prioritize the residents, who face language barriers and poor access to health care, so the community opened its own clinics.
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What The Pause On Johnson & Johnson Shot Means For The Chicago Area
The state public health department says the pause comes out of “an abundance of caution” as federal regulators investigate rare cases of people getting blood clots after receiving the shot.
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Here’s One Reason Why Chicago’s COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Appears So Unequal
Some of the small, community clinics that serve Chicago neighborhoods hardest-hit by the pandemic are also the ones least equipped to vaccinate them.
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How One Chicago ZIP Code Got 500 Times More Vaccine Doses Than Another
While some Chicago ZIP codes got saturated with vaccine shipments, others saw doses trickle in — making it harder for some to find vaccines close to home.
