Sarah Fentem
Health ReporterSarah Fentem reports on sickness and health as part of St. Louis Public Radio’s news team. She previously spent five years reporting for different NPR stations in Indiana, immersing herself deep, deep into an insurance policy beat from which she may never fully recover.
A longtime NPR listener, she grew up hearing WQUB in Quincy, Illinois, which is now owned by STLPR. She lives in South St. Louis, and in her spare time likes to watch old sitcoms, meticulously clean and organize her home and go on outdoor adventures with her husband Elliot. They have a dog named Ginger.
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Researchers and state officials in Illinois and Missouri are preparing to welcome thousands of people who hope to catch the next total solar eclipse to the southern parts of their states in early April.
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Scientists at Washington University have found that patients hospitalized with the flu can display long-term effects similar to those found in long COVID patients. The scientists studied Veterans Administration records to compare outcomes of the two viruses.
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Abortion providers in the Metro East say that since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, some anti-abortion protesters have tried to intimidate and harass people in an attempt to dissuade them from having abortions. Providers at a roundtable in Springfield on Tuesday said they want Illinois lawmakers to consider more protections for patients and clinics.
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Yamelsie Rodriguez, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood for St. Louis and Southwest Missouri, has announced she will be stepping down from her position at the end of the month. Rodriguez did not give a reason for her departure.
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A St. Louis family-owned funeral home purchased the 19th-century building and converted it into an operation for performing alkaline hydrolysis — a water-based alternative to traditional cremation.
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A newly released report from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services concludes owners of a north St. Louis nursing home put residents and staff at risk when they abruptly shut the facility down in December.
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St. Louisan John Gaal has called for airlines to stock the overdose-reversal drug naloxone after he used the spray to revive a person during a Southwest flight to Las Vegas in 2022. The airline now has announced that starting this year it will include naloxone in its on-air medical kits.
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Open enrollment to buy health coverage on the federal health insurance marketplace ended on Tuesday. In Missouri, more than 300,000 people have signed up for health plans. The number of people buying plans on healthcare.gov has increased since 2020, with Missouri’s enrollment on track to hit a record high in 2024.
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Transit officials say a $1 billion expansion of the MetroLink that would connect north and south St. Louis along Jefferson Avenue will rely on federal transit grants.
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During a rally Monday, U.S. Rep. Cori Bush called for a federal investigation into the abrupt closure of Northview Village nursing home. Workers said more than three weeks after the closure that they still have not received owed wages.
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St. Louis officials cited the rise in transmission of coronavirus cases and other respiratory illnesses for the updated mandate.
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BJC Healthcare has formally closed the deal that merges the St. Louis-based company with Saint Luke's Health System in Kansas City, officials announced Monday. The $10 billion merger creates a system that comprises 28 hospitals across Kansas, Illinois and Missouri.