Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporter Guy Boulton and his team of O'Brien student interns investigated the social determinants of health across the country, including here in Milwaukee.

Marquette students Vanessa Rivera, Alexa Jurado, and Annie Mattea collaborated with Boulton on the series.

The first installment of the series was published in September 2022. This Milwaukee Journal Sentinel story breaks down how social services can be more important to health than access to medical services despite the U.S. health care system accounting for a fifth of the economy. Jurado contributed to this report.

 

Works published to date:

September 15, 2022
The U.S. pours money into health care, then holds back on social services. But those services often can do more to improve health

September 21, 2022
What if doctors could write prescriptions for adequate housing? More than anything else, it might improve a person's overall health

September 23, 2022
Milwaukee's Housing First programs shows how lifting people out of homelessness can improve health, and cut costs

September 29, 2022
More than one in 10 households experience food insecurity. Solving that problem would be a huge step toward improving health

October 5, 2022
How healthy eating leads to reduced spending on prescription drugs, emergency room visits and hospitalizations

October 6, 2022
The U.S. embraces personal responsibility. But is our emphasis on health care over social services the result of blaming those in need?

December 27, 2022

Parish nurses provide an important connection to communities in need, but few of them remain