Stuck in the Hospital: Some Patients Wait Weeks and Months for Long-Term Care

Stuck in the Hospital: Some Patients Wait Weeks and Months for Long-Term Care

Samantha Hawkins marked the seasons of 2010 from a hospital bed at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx. She was admitted in the spring for 83 days, came out for two weeks in early summer, and returned for five and a half months spanning fall and winter. Finally, Hawkins went home for the holidays on Dec. 21. For her family, the homecoming was a Christmas miracle. At times, her relatives thought she might not make it, said her mother, Lula Hawkins. They held her hands, praying and shoring up each other through one complication after another from kidney disease, congestive heart failure, diabetes and a mysterious inflammatory ailment finally diagnosed as sarcoidosis. “That’s when things started going downhill,” said her older sister, Gwen Cooper. Hawkins has endured a 10-day coma, three mini-strokes, three bouts of pneumonia, plus surgery in August to implant a heart pump. Despite her list of ailments, part of what kept the 45-year-old stuck in the hospital was her lack of insurance. Once upon a time, Hawkins had medical coverage as a housekeeper at a hospital in Westchester County, New York. After she left that job three years ago, she took out a policy on her own, but then the insurance company dropped her. When Hawkins ended up at Montefiore, weeks turned into months as she lay in a hospital bed with no way to cover her stay there or her next level of care. In the meantime, the hospital absorbed her bill while trying to help her find a way to pay for nursing care at her mother’s apartment or for long-term care at a facility willing...

Refereed Journal Article on 2008 Presidential Election

Publication No. 11 Refereed Journal Article Title: Teaching Converged Media Through News Coverage of the 2008 U.S. Presidential Election and Inauguration, Asia Pacifica Media Educator, 20, 2010, 91-102.  Author(s): Lamb, Yanick Rice; Sturgis, Ingrid; and Fancher, Charles B. Published by the Asia Pacific Media Educator, a refereed journal published annually by the School of Journalism and Creative Writing at the University of Wollongong, NSW, Australia Role I helped to conceive, develop and execute coverage of the 2008 presidential election and 2009 inauguration. On Election Day, we worked in the Converged Media Lab from 7 a.m. Tuesday until nearly 4 a.m. Wednesday, when our lead reporter updated her article on President-Elect Barack Obama. We conducted a similar, but smaller operation for the inauguration. I later co-authored this research paper with journalism faculty at Howard University. This project also helped to set the stage for our 2012 presidential coverage and our midterm election coverage in 2014 Scope Upon graduation, this new generation of journalism students will work in converged newsrooms that operate on a continuous news cycle. The converged media coverage of the election and the inauguration illuminated the critical importance of hands-on teaching and guiding students through the complexities of how to use of social media and other eeb-based tools as effective, ethical journalists. Students were required to think critically, work collaboratively and engage in entrepreneurial and innovative problem solving. The projects offered students deadline driven, real-life experiences with people of different backgrounds and cultures – often for the first time – and allowed them to directly experience reporting diverse points of view. Although internships also provide practical experience, there...

Publications and Major Productions

11.      Publications  Major Productions Research and development of FierceforBlackWomen.com, health and wellness website fills a void and addresses disparities by targeting African-American women age 35 and older; finalist for grant from the International Media Women Foundation Research and development of Fully-Connected.com, website fills a void by connecting people of African descent throughout the diaspora with a focus on bridging gaps and stereotypes in the United States; finalist for grants from J-Lab, International Media Women Foundation and UNITY/Ford Foundation Research and development of 101 Magazine and website. I have conducted extensive research on the state of diversity in magazine publishing, magazine journalism curriculum at peer institutions, new magazine launches, and the various types of magazines targeted to college students and other young adults. As I result, I conceived an idea to develop a self-sustaining publication that would combine research and experiential training to prepare diverse students for all facets of magazine publishing, which is far less integrated than newspapers, television and radio. This venture would also help address the needs of the growing number of students majoring in print/online journalism, broadcasting, advertising, public relations, business, law and other areas who are interested in starting or working for magazines. After launching online, the general-interest magazine made its debut in print at the end of Spring 2011. The students are off to a good start. They are gaining hands-on experience in developing an international business targeted to a multicultural audience of undergraduate and graduate students between the ages of 18 and 29. The premiere issue won first place as Best Student Magazine in Region 2 of the Society of Professional Journalists. The...
Despite Venue Shortcomings, Capital Jazz Fest Draws a Loyal Crowd

Despite Venue Shortcomings, Capital Jazz Fest Draws a Loyal Crowd

Published in the Arts Desk section of The City Paper’s website:  The fans lined up as early as 3 a.m. to secure prime real estate in the tent cities or on the sloping main lawn. It looked as if they were leaving for a month-long vacation, towing food and creature comforts on dollies, customized wagons, and platform trucks that contractors use to haul lumber. They brought air mattresses, inflatable chaise lounges, camping beds, and even landscape lights to mark their territory. All this for just a day at the Capital Jazz Fest at Merriweather Post Pavilion. For two decades, many area music lovers have made it a ritual to kick off the summer with some of their favorite jazz, R&B, and hip-hop artists at the festival. The venue was packed to near-capacity on Friday night and sold out Saturday and Sunday, with roughly 20,000 people swarming the 40 acres of Symphony Woods each day to hear artists ranging from Les Nubians to Michael Franks. Adrienne Braswell of Alexandria, Va., sold 233 of those tickets to a group of enthusiasts she calls Braswell’s Circle, which stretches from Georgia to New York. Reconnecting with old friends was one of the best parts of the weekend, said members of the Charlotte, N.C., Jazz Fest Crew. “We’ve been coming every year since 2001,” said Jeannine Chandler, who traveled to Columbia, Md., from Atlanta with her husband. Many fans were hard-pressed to pinpoint the highlight of their highlights. For some, it was hearing Erykah Badu (below) on Friday, Rick Braun on Saturday, or Keiko Matsui on Sunday. Others singled out Kem, Jeff Lorber, the O’Jays, and local favorite Marcus Johnson of Silver Spring, Md. Faith Evans invited some attendees to dance onstage, while Joe and Dwele wandered into the crowd...