Rural hospitals across the U.S. struggled after routine care was suspended because of COVID-19; and now, the disease is surging in rural areas of Wisconsin.
Author Archives: Parker Schorr
Parker Schorr is a public affairs reporting fellow for the Cap Times newspaper in Madison, Wis. As part of the fellowship, Schorr is embedded in the Wisconsin Watch newsroom focusing on in-depth stories of statewide interest. Schorr joined the Center in May 2019 as an investigative reporting intern. He is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Journalism and Mass Communication, holding degrees in journalism and sociology. He has interned for University Communications and worked as an editor at The Badger Herald, one of UW-Madison’s student newspapers.
Posted inCoronavirus Coverage, Cruel and Unusual?, Health & Welfare, Justice & Safety
Inmates fear ‘the invisible enemy’ in Wisconsin’s overcrowded prisons
While county jails have driven populations down significantly during the pandemic, state prisons have seen just a modest reduction in inmate numbers.
Posted inCoronavirus Coverage, Health & Welfare
As COVID-19 spreads, so do conspiracy theories. A Wisconsin professor teaches ways to confront them.
Ajay Sethi prepares future health practitioners for thorny conversations to help patients make better decisions about coronavirus and other infectious diseases.
Posted inGovernment, Justice & Safety
Wisconsin allows drillers to flout state law — sometimes with deadly results
Two years after Sun Prairie’s fatal explosion, an implicated driller appears to be back in Wisconsin. Regulators cite ‘grave concern,’ but have little recourse.
Posted inCoronavirus Coverage, Health & Welfare
Madison nurses experience desperation and ‘beautiful spots of light’ in COVID-19 hospital ward
Three nurses describe the ‘surreal’ experience of reusing protective equipment to care for gravely ill patients while strangers send food and notes of encouragement.
Posted inCoronavirus Coverage, Government, Health & Welfare, Narrow Margin
Wisconsin’s pandemic election: Long waits, face masks as voters go to polls
Wisconsin’s election during the coronavirus pandemic was marked by lines of voters stretching for blocks on Tuesday in Milwaukee and frustration that some residents — many wearing face masks or respirators — were forced to choose between risking their health and relinquishing their right to vote.
Posted inCoronavirus Coverage, Health & Welfare
Stretched thin already, Wisconsin nurses prepare for coronavirus ‘storm’
The pandemic tests health systems already running lean. Hospitals are short on beds, protective gear and staff, though some see reason for hope.
Posted inHealth & Welfare
Cuts in Wisconsin hospitals push nurses to the limit
Hospital executives are turning to algorithms to slash labor costs. Nurses say they are feeling the pinch, putting patients at risk.
Posted inHealth & Welfare
Catholics run one-third of Wisconsin hospitals, putting many reproductive procedures off-limits
A retired obstetrician says Catholic restrictions kept her from providing the best care to patients: ‘When you have a moral conflict like that, it eats away at you.’
Posted inHealth & Welfare
Catholic hospitals often only choice for women of color in Milwaukee
Expectant mothers in Milwaukee County have a wealth of hospitals to choose from. For the county’s black and Hispanic women, however, the choice is often a false one.
Posted inHealth & Welfare
When Catholic hospitals merge, reproductive services can change
In some cases, changes in hospital ownership broadened access to reproductive services in Wisconsin, in others, it restricted it.
Posted inHealth & Welfare
We need your help reporting on religious health restrictions in Wisconsin’s Catholic hospitals
Catholic hospitals can refuse to provide certain types of reproductive care – even when doing so can be more costly, inconvenient or put a woman’s health at risk. If you’ve been impacted, contact us.