WKSU NEWSROOM FOCUSES ON HEALTH CARE IN 7-PART SERIES
“VITAL SIGNS: DIAGNOSING HEALTH CARE IN NORTHEAST OHIO” BEGINS SEPT. 28
Wednesday September 23, 2009

As Congress continues its debate over the future of a national health-care overhaul, WKSU reporters examine health care choices taking hold at the local level. “Vital Signs: Diagnosing Health Care in Northeast Ohio” features reports from the full WKSU news staff and will air daily during news programming beginning on Monday, Sept. 28. Additional audio, links and images will be available online at www.WKSU.org/news/features/healthcare2009.

Nationally recognized as a health-care hub, Northeast Ohio is home to world-class hospital systems, an aging population and a workforce struggling with changes in employer benefits. Because of the region’s long-standing ties to manufacturing and unionized labor, shifts in the health-care landscape were on the horizon long before President Obama launched his agenda. WKSU’s series provides listeners with insight into the many ways area organizations and individuals are addressing pressing health care issues.

Topics scheduled to be part of “Vital Signs: Diagnosing Health Care in Northeast Ohio” include how small businesses are coping with skyrocketing costs, the effort to boost the number and prestige of primary care doctors, the Cleveland Clinic’s standard salary approach to paying staff physicians, health-care alternatives for those who have lost jobs, high-tech investments in electronic recordkeeping, rural health-care and a move away from duplicative services at near-by facilities. Reports will air Monday through Friday during WKSU broadcasts of NPR’s “Morning Edition” and “All Things Considered.”

“Vital Signs” is presented with support from the Center for Community Solutions and the Greater Akron Canton Area Agency on Aging.

WKSU broadcasts NPR & Classical Music at 89.7 FM, and is a service of Kent State University. WKSU programming is also heard on WKRW 89.3 FM in Wooster, WKRJ 91.5 FM in Dover/New Philadelphia, WKSV 89.1 FM in Thompson, WNRK 90.7 in Norwalk, W298BA 107.5 FM in Boardman, and W239AZ 95.7 FM in Ashland. The station broadcasts three HD Radio channels – adding WKSU-2 Folk Alley and WKSU-3 The Classical Channel to the analog broadcast schedule. The Classical Channel can also be heard in Cleveland at 107.3 HD-3. The WKSU web site is www.wksu.org.

PR09.15 ###       9/23/09

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