Kentucky’s health challenges are so woven together, like one of those old crochet projects, interconnected and complex.

Every time I write a Kentucky health story, I’m reminded of when I was 13 and my “GrandG” taught me to crochet. It took weeks for my fingers to find their way and steadily stitch together yarn that took the shapes of scarves, blankets, potholders.?

Often, because I was new at it, my needle slipped and my yarn project unraveled. The links came undone so easily, because they were all so connected.?

I see Kentucky’s health challenges as so woven together, they’re like one of those old crochet projects, interconnected and complex. And like a crochet project, it’s difficult to repair one tear or examine one problem without considering the whole thing.?

I’m up for that challenge, though. I live in Louisville now, but I’m a farm girl from West Kentucky who’s used to hard work. And when I write about health-care deserts, it hits home. Where I grew up, the nearest hospital was about 40 minutes away. When I needed medical care, my mother had to drive me far out of the county to see a doctor, past miles of farmland. It would have been much more inconvenient, I realize, without a vehicle.?

A little more about me: I have an 80-pound Belgian Malinois rescue from the Kentucky Humane Society. I love the outdoors and truly believe Kentucky is one of the most beautiful states in this country. I am a first generation college graduate and got my education start in the community college system, which I will always love.?

A health beat background

Before joining The Kentucky Lantern I worked at?The Courier Journal in Louisville, where I covered health most recently, starting in 2020. Before becoming a health reporter, I covered higher education and breaking news. In 2021, my work was among the stories honored by the Pulitzer Prizes for our coverage of the Breonna Taylor police killing and subsequent protests in Louisville.?

I fell in love with covering health during the pandemic, which feels like an odd thing to admit. COVID-19’s extended presence in Kentucky has been a drain on everyone, including me. But I loved getting to untangle misinformation, getting to write about people’s illnesses and the complexities of accessing health care.?

While exhausting work, it was human work – broken and, in its own way, beautiful.?

I wrote about a young man who died from COVID-19 while his wife was giving birth to their son, whom he never met. This tragic story struck a chord with my readers. Some saw how serious the pandemic was for the first time after that, they told me. I wrote about vaccine misinformation and distrust, struggling business owners who had to close and lose income and grassroots work across the state to address inequities.?

I’m excited to continue this work at The Kentucky Lantern. I’ll cover all things health, including abortion issues, pregnancy, mental health, Medicaid, adverse childhood experience (ACEs), COVID-19, diabetes, cancer, LGBTQ and women’s issues, and more.?

My metaphorical door is always open to you — my work email is [email protected]. Please reach out any time with your ideas and questions.?

Let’s do some amazing journalism together.?

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