In the 1990s when I started medical school, nobody warned me how my job was going to hurt me emotionally. Maybe it’s better they didn’t, as I might have been scared away.  I must admit, there were a few omens I foolishly ignored early on. Still, I could not have […]

A grassroots program is responding to Charleston’s substance use epidemic, but stigma and an open police investigation are keeping people from getting help. This story was originally published by Mountain State Spotlight. For more stories from Mountain State Spotlight visit their website. On a Wednesday evening in mid-October, people gathered […]

On a hazy morning in early August, palliative care nurse Kelly Graham stood on the corner of Biltmore Avenue within a mile of downtown Asheville to participate in a national day of action organized by National Nurses United. She hoped to join the union in just six weeks.  Behind her […]

Women in Appalachia face some of the highest rates of cervical cancer in the country. They are also among the groups of women least likely to receive cancer screenings.  The Ohio State University Professor Electra Paskett has dedicated much of her career to understanding the reasons behind why women in Appalachia are more […]

Kelly Browning doesn’t wait for Lyle Marcum to come to the door. She knocks and then pushes the glass door open, like she’s been there many times before. Lyle stays where he is, sitting on a brown love seat, the TV on, and he calls for his dog, Lyla. “Get […]