The National Press Foundation has selected 26 journalists from around the country for the Diagnosing the U.S. Healthcare System 2026 Fellowship. The reporters will gather in Washington, D.C. Sept. 22-24 to hear from experts in public health, research and/or academia, policy, providers and insurance to help them master this topic. The program is designed to fuel story ideas and provide authoritative sources.

The journalists are: 

Anna Barrett | Alabama Reflector | Alabama

Katie Scarlett Brandt | Chicago Health Magazine/Caregiving Magazine | Illinois

Eli Cahan | Rolling Stone | California

Joseph Choi | The Hill | Washington, D.C.

Hailey Cook | Salem Reporter | Oregon

Kimberly Cortez | The Columbian | Washington

David Martin Davies | Texas Public Radio | Texas

Nick El Hajj | Des Moines Register | Iowa

Eva Flowe | The Charlotte Observer | North Carolina

Robert Frederick | KUNM | New Mexico

Katy Golvala | Connecticut Mirror | Connecticut

Krys’tal Griffin | Delaware Online/The News Journal, part of USA Today Co. | Delaware

Nada Hassanein | Stateline | Florida

Justin P. Hicks | MLive Media Group | Michigan

Joe Lawlor | Portland Press Herald | Maine

Sophia Meador | The Nation’s Health | Washington, D.C.

Casey Murray | Houston Chronicle | Texas

Meghan O’Brien | South Dakota Searchlight | South Dakota

Amanda Pérez Pintado | Centro de Periodismo Investigativo | Puerto Rico

Kyle Pfannenstiel | Idaho Capital Sun | Idaho

Shrai Popat | The Guardian | Washington, D.C.

Barbara Rodriguez | The 19th | Iowa

William Skipworth | The New Hampshire Bulletin/States Newsroom | New Hampshire

Lucia Starbuck | KUNR Public Radio | Nevada

Tess Vrbin | Arkansas Advocate | Arkansas

Annalies Winny | Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health | Maryland

This fellowship is sponsored by UnitedHealth Group. The National Press Foundation is solely responsible for its content.