Blake Farmer

After a decadelong spate of closures, one rural Tennessee hospital reopens

Blake Farmer

When rural hospitals go out of business, they're frequently gone for good. But now, some comebacks are a welcome sign for communities that have been without easy access to health care.

A box and container of ivermectin arranged in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Thursday, Sept. 2, 2021. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned Americans against taking ivermectin, an anti-parasitic drug, as treatment or prevention against Covid-19.

As constituents clamor for ivermectin, Republican politicians embrace their cause

Blake Farmer

Hospitals and doctors are facing more demands for ivermectin as a Covid-19 treatment, despite no proof it works. In some Republican-dominated states, lawmakers and attorney generals are weighing in.

Hospitals around the U.S., including large academic medical centers like Vanderbilt University's in Nashville, Tenn., have been forced to rely on traveling nurses to keep their intensive care units fully staffed. The demand for travel nurses has driven up their hourly rates, which then motivates more staff nurses to leave in pursuit of a traveling gig.

Worn-out nurses hit the road for better pay, stressing hospital budgets — and morale

Blake Farmer

In areas overwhelmed by COVID cases, hospitals must rely on traveling nurses to operate ICUs. Hospitals pay a premium for that temporary help, while also struggling to keep their staff nurses happy.

Across The COVID-Ravaged South, High-Level Life Support Is Difficult To Find

Blake Farmer

ECMO, the highest level of mechanical life support, functions as a temporary heart and lungs for some of COVID-19's sickest patients. But the waitlist is too long for many patients who need it.

Vanderbilt University Medical Center bought the hospital in Lebanon, Tenn., from Community Health Systems in 2019, but the latter is still suing former patients over unpaid medical bills.

A Health Care Giant Sold Off Dozens Of Hospitals — But Continued Suing Many Patients

Blake Farmer

As Community Health Systems has downsized, what remain are like zombie hospitals – little more than legal entities still taking patients to court even though the new owners don't sue.

In April, a Trousdale County, Tenn., vaccination site administered just a handful of shots throughout the day. Since then, the pace of vaccinations has slowed even more. Rural areas in the South have some of the lowest vaccination rates in the U.S.

As COVID Vaccinations Slow, Parts Of The U.S. Remain Far Behind 70% Goal

Blake Farmer

Vermont and Massachusetts lead the nation, with more than 70% of adults having had at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Southern states such as Tennessee lag far behind.

Pastor J.P. Conway leads the Acklen Avenue Church of Christ in Nashville. When members started telling him they got vaccinated, he began keeping track. Now, he says 99% have been immunized.

Houses Of Worship Grapple With The Vaxxed And Unvaxxed Divide

Blake Farmer

Congregations are figuring out how to safely meet in person now that the COVID-19 vaccine is more widely available. But vaccination remains divisive even as it allows them to come together again.

Sumaya Muhamed and her mother, Suad Abdulla, tout the latter's second vaccine dose at the Salahadeen Center in Nashville, Tenn. After weeks of affectionate cajoling and patient explanation, Muhamed convinced her mother to get the shot.

For Kurdish Americans In Nashville, A Beloved Leader's Death Prompts Vaccine Push

Blake Farmer

Some immigrant groups are closing the ethnic gap on COVID-19 shots. For many Kurdish Americans, their fears about vaccination are entangled with their experiences in refugee camps after fleeing Iraq.

'It's Not A Never Thing' — White, Rural Southerners Hesitant To Get COVID Vaccine

Blake Farmer

A majority of white, rural conservatives in Tennessee are open to getting the vaccine at some point, but at least 45% won't consider it. Rates in Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi are also lagging.

Students stand for the Pledge of Allegiance as they return to in-person learning at St. Anthony Catholic High School in California on March 24. Masks and physical distancing are proving to have some major public health benefits, keeping people from getting all kinds of illnesses, not just COVID-19. But it's unclear whether the strict protocols would be worth the drawbacks in the long run.

Should Masking Last Beyond The Pandemic? Flu And Colds Are Down, Spurring A Debate

Blake Farmer

Hospitalizations are down 62% for childhood respiratory illnesses, a study shows. Masking and physical distancing are keeping a variety of viruses in check, but will these behaviors last?