Geri Aston

Chicago, IL USA

Professional Experience

I am a Chicago-based journalist who has covered health care for more than 25 years, first as a reporter, then as an editor and now as a freelancer. My specialties are policy reporting, health care quality, hospital issues and general health topics. I'm experienced in news, feature and editorial writing, as well as editing. I'm skilled at taking complex subjects and making them accessible to readers. I can write for any audience, from doctors and hospital CEOs to consumers. I enjoy both hard-hitting pieces and light, consumer-oriented articles. Although health care is my area of expertise, I'm versatile enough to write about almost any subject.

Total Media Industry Experience

29 Years

Media Client List (# assignments last 2 yrs)

Health Forum (6-10), Money Media (1-2)

Corporate Client List (# assignments last 2 yrs)

Lumeris (10+)

Other Work History

American Medical News, government editor, 1999-2008; American Medical News, Washington reporter, 1996-1999; AHA News, reporter, 1992-1996; Vero Beach (FL) Press-Journal, education and general assignment reporter, 1989-1991; St. Louis Post-Dispatch, reporting intern, 1989

Awards

American Society of HealthCare Publication Editors, 2014 Bronze Award, Best Feature Article Series; ASBPE 2014 Silver Regional Award, Editorial Excellence, Feature Series

Associations

Association of Health Care Journalists

General

Can You Beat the Data Thieves?

(Hospitals & Health Networks 4/4/2016)

Nearly 100 million electronic health records were compromised in 2015. Now hospitals are stepping up their game -- using a combination of technology, policy and training to lessen the chances that bad actors will succeed.

How to Strengthen Pediatric Services In Your Hospital

(Hospitals & Health Networks 10/7/2016)

Hospital leaders adapt their pediatric care to changing health care environment.

Beyond OB-GYN: 3 Ways To Rethink Women’s Services

(Hospitals & Health Networks 6/14/2016)

When it comes to health care, the differences between men and women go way beyond their reproductive roles.

Behavioral Health Care: Four ways hospitals are improving

(Hospitals & Health Networks 5/11/2015)

The hectic, stressful nature of the typical emergency department makes it a less-than-ideal setting for mental health care. Nevertheless, hospital EDs have become a major component of the nation’s de facto behavioral health system. Here’s a look at innovative approaches hospitals are taking to improve care and access for patients with behavioral health concerns.

Creating a Health Care Safety Net that Works

(Robert Wood Johnson Foundation/Aligning Forces for Quality 11/1/2014)

An innovative diabetes care initiative in Western New York is using the power of suggestion to help patients embrace better diets and healthier lifestyles.

Cyber Crime: A Growing Threat

(GE Healthcare Forward Thinking 8/1/2016)

Ransomware is just the latest method cybercriminals are using against hospitals, and it likely won’t be the last.

Three Robust Approaches to Dementia Care

(Hospitals & Health Networks 3/15/2017)

The incidence of dementia is rising as the senior population in the U.S. grows, and hospitals are developing new, efficient ways to care for those afflicted.

Obesity: Chronic Condition, Not a Character Flaw

(Hospitals & Health Networks 1/15/2017)

Treating obesity as a chronic disease means that the goal is no longer weight loss for the sake of weight loss any more than the goal of diabetes treatment is to lower blood sugar simply for the sake of lower blood sugar.