Medicine in America: How People and Communities Access and Receive Care Across the Country

In this creative thesis, I wrote six magazine-style journalism pieces that highlight the experiences of marginalized communities in America and their interactions with the health care system. Through interviews with people from around the country and reviews of data from public health entities such as the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, I looked at varying topics from America's rise in maternal mortality to ableism in the health care system to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Waco's communities of color. After writing these stories, I also photographed, designed and edited them into both a print and digital magazine. Through my work, I was able to better understand and share the health care stories of people not usually represented in media. In doing so, I brought into focus some areas in which the health care system might seek to improve patient-provider experiences and health outcomes for groups of people who experience among the worst levels of health care quality in the country.