Tennessee is making big changes to its Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program — also known as SNAP, food stamps or EBT — and behind the scenes it’s going to be expensive for taxpayers.
Catherine Sweeney
Catherine Sweeney is WPLN’s health reporter. Before joining the station, she covered health for Oklahoma’s NPR member stations. That was her first job in public radio. Until then, she wrote about state and local government for newspapers in Oklahoma and Colorado. In her free time, she likes to cycle through hobbies, which include crochet, embroidery, baking, cooking and weightlifting.
WPLN discusses: Federal vaccine news is leaving everyone confused — including doctors
Tennessee ranks among the top five states in the nation for Hepatitis B infections, and policy changes in Washington could make it harder to protect newborns from the virus.
Racist graffiti discovered on Meharry Medical College’s campus
Meharry Medical College announced a “non-violent hate crime” occurred on its campus, after racist graffiti was found in a parking garage.
Autopsy sheds light on Byron Black’s painful execution
For the first time since Tennessee adopted a new lethal injection protocol, a post-execution autopsy has been released. It shows that Byron Black developed pulmonary edema — a form of lung damage.
Meharry Medical College and Nashville General Hospital sign two-year service contract
Meharry Medical College and Nashville General Hospital signed a new operating agreement — defining the relationship between the city’s oldest medical school and the city-owned teaching hospital for the next two years.
Looking forward to cooler temperatures? So are dust mites.
Ragweed pollen tends to catch criticism, but there’s another risky substance floating around: dust mites.
WPLN discusses: Unanswered medical questions after execution of Byron Black
Byron Black’s legal team is still trying to figure out what caused the pain he displayed during his execution.
Tennessee heat poses more risks for some medications
The weather scorching Middle Tennessee this summer can be dangerous for anyone — and certain medications can heighten the risk.
Tennessee executes Byron Black despite worries about his heart implant
The state of Tennessee executed Byron Black on Tuesday morning. The 69-year-old was convicted of killing his girlfriend and her daughters in 1988. The execution was carried out by lethal injection despite uncertainty about Black’s heart implant.
Medical ethics and a prisoner’s heart implant complicate next execution in Tennessee
Tennessee’s highest court says the state can execute Byron Black without deprogramming a heart implant. It’s a tension that has intensified because of ethical codes in medicine.
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