Anna Maria Barry-Jester

Anna Maria Barry-Jester was a senior correspondent for KFF Health News until June 2022.

@annabarryjester

California Hospitals Face Surge With Proven Fixes And Some Hail Marys

KFF Health News Original

California is entering the most critical period in its battle against COVID-19, and may need thousands of hospital beds and ventilators to accommodate a surge of critically ill patients. Hospitals are taking extreme measures, such as using 3D printers to make ventilator parts and turning cafeterias into wards.

California y COVID-19: hospitales se alistan para la crisis con acciones probadas y desesperadas

KFF Health News Original

A medida que California ingresa al período más crítico contra COVID-19, los 416 hospitales, grandes y pequeños, públicos y privados, se esfuerzan por tener la capacidad necesaria para una avalancha de pacientes críticos.

Many Schools Have Closed ― But Not All. What Parents Need To Know About That Tough Call.

KFF Health News Original

Closing K-12 schools is part of a broad strategy to limit public interactions and slow the spread of COVID-19 cases. But the decision is far from easy, with conflicting science about how effective such closures are weighed against the massive disruption to families’ lives.

How To Avoid Coronavirus? Lessons From People Whose Lives Depend On It

KFF Health News Original

As the new coronavirus continues its spread through the U.S., the general public can look for guidance from millions of Americans with weakened immune systems who long ago adopted the rules of infection control that officials tout to avoid contagion.

New California Coronavirus Case Reveals Problems with U.S. Testing Protocols

KFF Health News Original

Disease experts say a new coronavirus case in California underscores the need for more widespread community testing for the illness, as well as problems caused by the delays in getting functional coronavirus test kits to state and local public health agencies. 

When It Comes To The New Coronavirus, Just Who Is A ‘Close Contact’?

KFF Health News Original

Health officials stress that the new coronavirus devastating mainland China continues to pose minimal risk in the United States. The exception involves people who have had “close contact” with someone infected with the virus. So what exactly is close contact?

Public Health Officials Offer Scant Details On U.S. Coronavirus Patients

KFF Health News Original

To date, the U.S. has multiple confirmed cases of the viral infection that originated in Wuhan, China. That includes cases in which the virus passed from person to person within this country. So why don’t health officials share more information with the public?

Homeless Californians Adapt To Camp Sweeps And ‘The Caltrans Shuffle’

KFF Health News Original

Communities across California, frustrated with the growing number of homeless people living on public property, have tasked police and sanitation workers with dismantling encampments they say pose a risk to health and safety. The routine cleanups have spawned another public health concern: the loss of the displaced people’s personal possessions, including medicines.

Wildfire, Floods, Extreme Heat: California Prepares For Climate Change

KFF Health News Original

Kate Gordon, director of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Office of Planning and Research, is tasked with identifying and mitigating the risks of climate change in California. She spoke to KHN about how that work intersects with health, and how residents can get involved.

California Fires Illuminate Trauma And Resilience

KFF Health News Original

The chaos and evacuations prompted by wind-fueled wildfire in Sonoma County pose special challenges for people in need of ongoing medical treatment. Volunteer medical personnel have stepped up to provide care and a sense of stability.

Farmworkers Face Daunting Health Risks In California’s Wildfires

KFF Health News Original

October marks not only fire season in California, but also the peak of the grape harvest. In areas not imminently threatened by the explosive Kincade Fire in Sonoma County’s fabled vineyards, workers labored through heat and smoke, or faced lost wages.