From left to right, top row: Anna Vollers, Sofia Resnick, Shalina Chatlani, Kelcie Moseley-Morris, Nada Hassanein. Second row from left to right: ChrisAnna Mink, Meg Wingerter, Emily Brindley, Monica Carrillo-Casas. Third row, from left to right: Jessie Hellmann, Kiley Koscinski, Nicoletta Lanese, Terri Langford.
AHCJ is thrilled to announce the 2026 recipients of two prestigious fellowship programs, each designed to empower journalists in advancing the public’s understanding of health care systems both in the U.S. and globally.Â
Supported by The Commonwealth Fund, these programs offer unparalleled opportunities for journalists to explore pressing health care issues with depth and impact.
The International Health Study Fellowship returns this year for the fifth time, allowing four talented journalists to investigate and compare health care approaches in other countries with the U.S. These projects will highlight lessons that can shape U.S. health policy. This is the first year the program has expanded beyond Europe.
​​Jessie Hellmann of CQ Roll Call: Examining how England has nearly eliminated hepatitis B and C to uncover strategies, outreach efforts, and policy interventions that could inform stronger prevention and treatment in the U.S.
Kiley Koscinski of 90.5 WESA Pittsburgh: Investigating Japan’s approach to dementia care and exploring what policies Pennsylvania can adopt as its population rapidly ages.
Nicoletta Lanese of Live Science: Investigating how a unique government-run program in Japan dramatically and sustainably reduced outpatient antimicrobial overprescription, and what lessons it might offer for similar efforts in the U.S.
Terri Langford of The Texas Tribune: Exploring how Japan’s major investment in high-tech elder care — including robotics and AI — could inform Texas’ approach to easing severe health care workforce shortages amid a rapidly aging population.
The U.S. Health System Reporting Fellowship celebrates its 16th year by supporting five yearlong reporting projects examining health care systems and health equity in the U.S.
Emily Brindley of The Dallas Morning News: Investigating why Texas hospitals report hundreds of surgical errors each year, and whether patients can obtain justice under the state’s strict medical malpractice laws.
Monica Carrillo-Casas of The Spokesman-Review/Spokane Public Radio: Investigating why Latino farmworker communities in rural Washington continue to face disproportionately high rates of long COVID, hospitalizations and deaths compared to white residents.
ChrisAnna Mink of the Central Valley Journalism Collective: Examining how federal Medicaid (Medi-Cal) funding cuts and disruptions to CDC vaccine policies are affecting health care and immunization access, including COVID-19 vaccines, for youth in California’s San Joaquin Valley.
Meg Wingerter of The Denver Post: Investigating a nursing home chain to reveal how ownership structures and regulatory oversight influence system fragility and quality of long-term care.
TEAM: Kelcie Moseley-Morris, Nada Hassanein, Shalina Chatlani, Anna Vollers and Sofia Resnick of States Newsroom: Examining how state lawmakers are diverting hundreds of millions in public funding from community health clinics that provide reproductive care to crisis pregnancy centers with limited services, anti-abortion agendas and minimal oversight.
These fellowships embody AHCJ’s mission to enhance the quality and visibility of health journalism while fostering a diverse and informed community of reporters. Recipients receive travel funds, reporting funds, mentorship and training to bring their ambitious reporting projects to life, enriching public discourse and encouraging meaningful solutions to health care challenges.
Learn more about these groundbreaking programs and how AHCJ can help you cover the health beat.
The Association of Health Care Journalists is an independent, nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing public understanding of health care issues. With about 1,500 members across the U.S. and around the globe, its mission is to improve the quality, accuracy and visibility of health care reporting, writing and editing. The association and its sister organization, the Center for Excellence in Health Care Journalism, provide training, resources and support for journalists, including health journalism fellowships, webinars, networking and conferences.
The Commonwealth Fund is a private foundation that aims to promote a high-performing health care system that achieves better access, improved quality and greater efficiency, particularly for society’s most vulnerable. The Fund carries out this mandate by supporting independent research on health care issues and making grants to improve health care practice and policy. The Fund is based in New York City.