Sarah Karon, Author at Wisconsin Watch

Your Right to Know: Voucher schools should be more open

by Sarah Karon May 30th, 2013July 9th, 2018 Why you can trust Wisconsin Watch

Because voucher schools are still classified as “private,” they can — and do — ignore Wisconsin’s open records and meetings laws. It’s a double standard that
undermines transparency and shields information from parents and the public.

Charles Pietrowski’s mother, Mary, fell and broke her hip at Sunrise Care Center in Milwaukee in January 2010. The nursing home did not report the incident to the Wisconsin health department, as required by law, and the state did not investigate the injury for more than seven months, the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism found. The state later determined that Pietrowski fell due to negligence.

A Frail System, Government, Health & Welfare, Justice & Safety

Wisconsin nursing homes fail to report deaths, injuries

by Sarah Karon February 18th, 2013June 12th, 2014 Why you can trust Wisconsin Watch

Attorneys for families of residents say that facilities’ failure to report serious injuries or deaths related to abuse or neglect is not uncommon. Far more often, they say, the state health department only learns about a case of alleged neglect or abuse after a family member files a complaint. Advocates for health care providers stress that incidents of neglect and abuse are extremely rare, and can come to regulators’ attention in a variety of ways.

A Frail System, Government, Health & Welfare

Center’s inquiries prompt state policy changes

by Sarah Karon February 18th, 2013May 30th, 2014 Why you can trust Wisconsin Watch

In response to the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism’s inquiries into an accident involving a 88-year-old woman at a Milwaukee nursing home, the state Department of Health Services launched an internal review, which concluded that state officials did not properly respond. As a result, the department says it has reviewed its intake procedures and made changes to ensure that complaints against nursing homes are triaged appropriately and investigated in a timely fashion.

Government, Health & Welfare, Justice & Safety

How tort reform bill changed state law

by Sarah Karon February 17th, 2013June 19th, 2014 Why you can trust Wisconsin Watch

A breakdown of what changed under Wisconsin’s Act 2, passed in January, 2011.

Government, Health & Welfare, Justice & Safety

How to find nursing home inspection reports

by Sarah Karon February 17th, 2013June 19th, 2014 Why you can trust Wisconsin Watch

In January, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services began publishing state inspection reports of nursing homes, assisted living facilities and other health care providers on its website. Records are available from July 2012 onward.

A Frail System, Government, Health & Welfare, Justice & Safety

New state law conceals records of abuse, neglect in nursing homes

by Sarah Karon February 17th, 2013June 12th, 2014 Why you can trust Wisconsin Watch

A new Wisconsin law, which went into effect in February 2011, bars families from using state health investigation records in state civil suits filed against long-term providers, including nursing homes and hospices. It also makes such records inadmissible in criminal cases against health care providers accused of neglecting or abusing patients.

A Frail System, Government, Health & Welfare

What to do if you suspect neglect or abuse

by Sarah Karon February 17th, 2013May 30th, 2014 Why you can trust Wisconsin Watch

Some advice on what to do if you think a loved one has been neglected or abused in a nursing home or assisted living facility.

Environment, Government, Health & Welfare

Under legal pressure, Wisconsin coal-fired power plants curb emissions

by Sarah Karon November 19th, 2011June 18th, 2014 Why you can trust Wisconsin Watch

Dairyland and other Wisconsin coal-fired plants have begun lowering emissions, but not necessarily in response to demands by pollution regulators. Many of the changes have resulted from pressure and lawsuits brought by the nonprofit Sierra Club, which has campaigned for a decade to cut emissions from coal combustion. But enforcement is inconsistent, and some residents living in the shadow of coal plants are concerned their health may be affected.

Government, Justice & Safety, Security after 9/11: 10 Years Later

Emergency response often uncoordinated in post-9/11 era

by Sarah Karon September 11th, 2011June 12th, 2014 Why you can trust Wisconsin Watch

Every year, state and local agencies in Wisconsin perform multiple exercises to test emergency response capabilities, funded by federal homeland security grants created after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

Economy, Frac Sand Rush

Explainer: What is fracking?

by Sarah Karon July 31st, 2011March 11th, 2014 Why you can trust Wisconsin Watch

Find out more about the hydraulic fracturing process and how Wisconsin “frac sand” is used to drill for gas and oil.

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