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Deadly Delays

Ellen Gabler and Allan James Vestal

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

  • 2014 |
  • Article |
  • LIVINGSTON AWARD |
  • NATIONAL REPORTING |
  • WINNER |

Gabler found that systematic delays in testing blood samples of newborn babies for deadly disorders led to preventable deaths and disabilities. She spent five months requesting – fighting for – data from every state. Using that data, Vestal built an interactive database providing a look at how individual hospitals in 50 states perform at newborn screening. The series spurred dozens of states to make significant changes to address delays from keeping labs open on weekends to identifying problem hospitals and providing them with regular performance reports.

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