Anna Maria Barry-Jester

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

@annabarryjester

Vapers Accuse Officials Of Overreach As Investigation Into Deadly Lung Illness Lags

KFF Health News Original

With federal authorities offering few details about what is causing the deadly outbreak of vaping-related lung illnesses, vaping advocates are crafting an alternative narrative reverberating through online communities.

Camouflaged Vaping Devices Are Hoodwinking Parents And Schools

KFF Health News Original

The vaping hoodie. The vaping watch. The vaping phone case. Each ready to deliver a puff of nicotine (or marijuana) anywhere, anytime. The vaping market is crowded with sleek, camouflaged devices that have teachers and parents struggling to monitor illicit usage of a product that has surged in popularity among high schoolers.

Amid Teen Vaping ‘Epidemic,’ Juul Taps Addiction Expert As Medical Director

KFF Health News Original

Dr. Mark Rubinstein, known for his research into youth vaping, has left UCSF to become executive medical officer at Juul Labs, the nation’s leading producer of e-cigarettes. Juul says the hire will help them reduce teen vaping. Critics see Big Tobacco tactics.

As Temperatures Climb, A New Push To Keep Workers Safe

KFF Health News Original

Over the past decade, more than 350 workers nationwide have died from heat-related illness, and tens of thousands have had heat-related problems serious enough that they missed at least one day of work. Proposed federal legislation, modeled on California regulations, would create the first national standards for protecting workers from heat-related stress.

Vaccine Drama On Display In California’s Capitol

KFF Health News Original

Hundreds of protesters descended on the state Capitol on Thursday, warning against government tyranny and corporate greed. Their target: not taxes, not high-tech surveillance, but a bill that would determine which kids must get their routine shots.

California Vaccine Bill Amended To Appease Governor

KFF Health News Original

In the wake of concerns from Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Medical Board of California, a state senator on Tuesday unveiled significant amendments to his bill to tighten vaccine requirements. A hearing on the measure is likely to draw hundreds of people to the state Capitol on Thursday.

A Proposal To Make It Harder For Kids To Skip Vaccines Gives Powerful Voices Pause

KFF Health News Original

California lawmakers are debating whether to tighten the rules on childhood vaccinations and give the ultimate say to state public health officials. But questions are emerging from unexpected quarters: the state medical board and Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Heat And Violence Pose Twin Threats For Asylum-Seekers Waiting At Border

KFF Health News Original

For Central American migrants who follow U.S. government rules for pursuing asylum, conditions on the Mexican side of the border are sweltering, filled with anxiety and illness. Few people have a clear timetable for when it will get any better.

On The Border, Volunteer Doctors Struggle To Provide Stopgap Care To Immigrants

KFF Health News Original

As recent arrivals are released from detention with severe medical problems ranging from diarrhea to gaping wounds, a makeshift health system of volunteers is overwhelmed. The work is taking a financial and emotional toll.

California busca liderar movimiento para descifrar los traumas infantiles

KFF Health News Original

La doctora Nadine Burke Harris, flamante cirujana general de California, lidera un movimiento para comprender cómo las experiencias traumáticas infantiles generan enfermedades físicas y mentales graves.

California Looks To Lead Nation In Unraveling Childhood Trauma

KFF Health News Original

The Golden State, in a movement spearheaded by its first-ever surgeon general, stands to become a vanguard for the nation in tracing adverse childhood experiences, or ACEs, to the onset of physical and mental illness. But what can a pediatrician, with her 15-minute time slots and extensive to-do list, do about the ills of an absent parent or a neighborhood riddled with gun violence?

Nonprofit Dental Insurer Under Scrutiny For ‘Flagrant’ Spending

KFF Health News Original

Delta Dental of California, with more than 36 million enrollees across the country, is looking to buy a stake in a for-profit insurance company based in Oregon. Consumer advocates are calling on regulators to scrutinize the transaction, arguing that it is just the latest questionable move by the nonprofit dental insurer whose corporate practices may be out of step with its tax-exempt status.