Connecticut Health Investigative Team | In-depth Journalism on Issues of Health and Safety

A Dangerous Mix: High Ozone Levels And Obesity

By Christine Woodside | July 9, 2020

For the 29% of Connecticut adults who live with obesity, summer brings a difficult form of air pollution. Ground-level ozone is the colorless, odorless gas formed when auto exhaust reacts with sunlight at temperatures above 80 degrees. Ozone can be dangerous for people who have higher body mass indexes.

I-Team In-Depth

A Surge In COVID-19 Testing Needed Before Connecticut Can Reopen Safely

By Steve Hamm | May 6, 2020

Leslie Radcliffe looks ahead to the planned reopening of Connecticut’s economy beginning on May 20 with a mix of hope and anxiety. Hope, because people in her working-class Hill neighborhood in New Haven will be able to return to work, but anxiety because she’s worried that the “reopening” won’t go smoothly. In particular, she is concerned about testing for coronavirus. Will there be enough testing so the disease won’t catch fire again and threaten the lives and livelihoods in her predominantly black and Latinx neighborhood? Radcliffe, an administrative assistant at Yale University, has been working from home, but last week she began driving her brother to his job at Costco.

I-Team In-Depth

Children And Parents Feel The Strain Of Confinement

By Sujata Srinivasan | April 29, 2020

Weeks into staying home from preschool, Betty, 4, threw herself on the floor and had a screaming meltdown. She had had a Zoom meeting with her class earlier that day, and every little thing was setting her off.

I-Team In-Depth

Nursing Homes Prove To Be Ideal Breeding Ground For The Coronavirus Pandemic

By Cara Rosner | April 22, 2020

As cases of COVID-19 surged throughout Connecticut and the nation, “a perfect storm” of circumstances rendered nursing homes unable to handle the crisis, hastening the virus’ spread and deaths, experts say.

I-Team In-Depth

Pandemic Exposes Stark Health Disparities Generations In The Making

By Kate Farrish | April 16, 2020

Soon after Minerva Cuapio, a 48-year-old Mexican immigrant who lives in New Haven, was laid off from her job at a dry cleaner in March, she developed a headache, an itchy throat and a dry cough.

Then came the shortness of breath that really worried her daughter, Izarelli Mendieta, 29, of New Haven.

Pushed To The Limit: Community Health Centers Ramp Up Telemedicine While Juggling Declines In Patient Visits, Furloughs And Sick Care Providers

By Lisa Backus | April 2, 2020

Community health centers that provide medical care to 400,000 low-income patients throughout the state are adapting to the coronavirus pandemic by shifting to telemedicine and reconfiguring the way the staff is offering in-person health services.

As Coronavirus Spreads, Church Leaders Weigh The Needs Of Congregants

By Lisa Backus | March 20, 2020

As an ordained pastor, the Rev. Robyn Anderson will preach via the web Sunday, sharing a message of hope and healing with members of Blackwell AME Zion Church as her parishioners deal with the economic and personal toll brought on by the worldwide coronavirus pandemic.

I-Team In-Depth

Coronavirus Stresses Nursing Home Infection-Control Practices

By Cara Rosner and Susan Jaffe | March 12, 2020

As coronavirus cases increase, posing heightened risks to the elderly, nursing homes will face growing scrutiny from state health inspectors.

In Connecticut and nationally, complying with federal infection-control requirements is a challenge for some nursing homes.

I-Team Ticker

UPDATED: Coronavirus In Connecticut

There was 1 new COVID-19 death reported, for a total of 4,432, and hospitalizations increased by 3 to total 69 since yesterday, according to the state Department of Public Health (DPH).
Lost Lives: Son’s Death Becomes A Mother’s Resolve To Stop Urban Gun Violence

Janet Rice’s home is filled with pictures of her son, Shane Oliver, a tall, gregarious man who never began a day without checking on his grandmother and never ended one without having a long talk with his mother.
State Disciplines Two Physicians, Fines A Bolton Doctor

The state Medical Examining Board voted Tuesday to discipline two physicians including issuing a $4,000 fine and one-year probation to a Bolton doctor who prescribed opioids to at least two patients but failed to provide adequate drug screening and documentation.
Nurses Disciplined For Drug Abuse, Care Lapses, Falling Asleep At Work

Over the past several months, the state Board of Examiners for Nursing has disciplined the following nurses for improper patient care, drug abuse and falsifying license paperwork, among other violations.
Yale: Medicaid Expansion Tied To Early Breast Cancer Detection

In states where Medicaid was expanded under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), women are more likely to receive breast cancer diagnoses at an early stage, compared with women in other states, new research shows.
Deaths In Nursing Homes Show Steady Decline

The pace of coronavirus deaths in nursing homes has slowed to its lowest level since mid-April, but cases rose to 8,322 up from 7,875 the week prior.
Ombudsman’s Facebook Chats Are Lifeline For Families Worried About Loved Ones In Nursing Homes

Families with loved ones in nursing homes–unable to visit while getting frustratingly sparse information about them–have found a champion in Mairead Painter.