Dr. Pam, whom I just began following on Twitter, shares this interesting article about which medicine will define America as we head toward historic health reform. Worth a read. If the New England Journal is having this debate, it suggests a sea change in thinking about medicine and medical technology and its role in improving health for all. Please share your thoughts!

The goal was anything but modest. On Monday, 22 leaders from San Francisco Bay Area public health and journalism circles gathered in Oakland to brainstorm about ways to transform the way journalists report on health.

Ambitious stories will tackle critical community health issues such as industrial contamination, the environmental factors that contribute to obesity, and the underlying causes of health disparities in urban environments.

National Health Journalism Fellows today toured Watts and came away with a more nuanced understanding of the health and socioeconomic issues facing this economically stressed but still hopeful Los Angeles community. At the Watts Labor Community Action Committee Center in the heart of Watts, Fellows learned about health disparities and HIV/AIDS among blacks from public health officials, policy experts, community leaders and journalists.

Using Google Maps to tell stories can be a tricky business at first, but it gets easier with practice and is a great tool for journalists covering everything from fires to public health.

That was the message from three Los Angeles Times online journalist/techies: database producer Ben Welsh, Flash producer Sean Connelley, and editorial artist Thomas Suh Lauder at a Wednesday panel for the National Health Journalism Fellowships.

In 2003, Oakland, California, was one of the most dangerous cities in America. The Oakland Tribune ran a static map with thumbnail photos of victims overlayed on a map of the city. Sean Connelly, journalist and photographer, visited victims' families, but even for him, the real people involved were becoming a blur.