Starting today, youll see a new byline on the Health Blog. Ive long been a fan of The Wall Street Journals health and health-business coverage, and Im looking forward to being a part of it by continuing the strong three-year tradition of this blog. Whether delivering the latest breaking news, bringing you expert insights or digging up tidbits you wont find anywhere else, the goal is to keep the Health Blog your first and most trusted source of health-related news. Ill be helped out by plenty of contributions from staffers at the Journal, WSJ.com and Dow Jones Newswires. We also hope to expand the blogs scope even more to appeal not just to those in medical-related industries, but to anyone who is interested in his or her own health.
I joined the Journal from U.S. News & World Report, where I covered health and medicine for many years. Before that, I wrote about business for USN&WR, TheStreet.com and Bloomberg News. Ive had the chance to write about the science of cancer metastasis, why the notion of superfoods is silly, medical fraudster John Brinkley (Google his name and goat for some entertainment on your lunch break) and London casinos. I hope to bring the same eclecticism to this blog in pursuit of making the Health Blog uniquely informative and interesting.
And theres plenty of raw material ahead: the effects of health-care overhaul, the often-contentious debate on the effectiveness of screenings and new drugs and how information technology is changing the business — just to name a few looming issues. Im thrilled to start the conversation today, and I hope youll be vocal with your input in comments and emails to [email protected].