Rural Dispatch: December 2023

Inside the Pentagon’s Painfully Slow Effort to Clean Up Decades of PFAS Contamination
By Hannah Norman and Patricia Kime Cost estimates balloon and complications mount as the Defense Department grapples with PFAS pollution at hundreds of its bases and surrounding communities.

Mysterious Morel Mushrooms at Center of Food Poisoning Outbreak
By Keely Larson Illustration by Oona Zenda Federal officials issued their first guidelines on preparing morel mushrooms after a deadly food poisoning outbreak in Montana, noting the toxins in the delicacy aren’t fully understood.

‘Forever Chemicals’ in Thousands of Private Wells Near Military Sites, Study Finds
By Patricia Kime New research finds that private wells near more than 82% of select military sites were contaminated with PFAS chemicals.

‘Forever Chemicals’ Found in Freshwater Fish, Yet Most States Don’t Warn Residents
By Hannah Norman Graphics by Lydia ZurawIllustration by Oona Zenda At least 17 states have issued PFAS-related fish consumption advisories, KFF Health News found. But with no federal guidance, what is considered safe to eat varies significantly among states, most of which provide no regulation.

Doctors on (Video) Call: Rural Medics Get Long-Distance Help in Treating Man Gored by Bison
By Arielle Zionts A rural South Dakota medic said using an ambulance video system to communicate with a doctor gave him peace of mind as he treated a patient who was seriously injured when gored by a bison.

Food Sovereignty Movement Sprouts as Bison Return to Indigenous Communities
By Jim Robbins Native American leaders see bison herds and ancestral gardens as ways to bring healthy eating to their people.

Being Black and Pregnant in the Deep South Can Be a Dangerous Combination
By Lauren Sausser Being Black has always been dangerous for pregnant women and infants in the South. And researchers say things are continuing to move in the wrong direction.

Journalists Delve Into Gun Violence, Medicaid’s ‘Unwinding,’ Opioid Lawsuits, and More
KFF Health News and California Healthline staffers made the rounds on national and local media this week to discuss their stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.

Watch: She Had a Home and a Good-Paying Job. Then Illness and Debt Upended It All.
By Noam N. Levey and Hannah Norman A chronic health diagnosis and medical debt reordered Sharon Woodward's life.

People With Disabilities Hope Autonomous Vehicles Deliver Independence
By Tony Leys A pilot project in northern Minnesota aims to pave the way for fully autonomous vehicles to offer independence for people who can’t drive.

Millions in Opioid Settlement Funds Sit Untouched as Overdose Deaths Rise
By Katheryn Houghton and Aneri Pattani Some states haven't begun using opioid settlement funds intended to help curb the opioid epidemic. Meanwhile, more than 100,000 Americans died of an overdose last year.