Sarah J. Arnquist
sarnquist@gmail.com

Experience

  

The Health Care Blog
April 2008-present

Editor for the rapidly growing site that focuses on health policy, financing and the use of information technology in health care. Responsibilities include editing, reporting, writing and Web site maintenance.

San Luis Obispo Tribune
June 2006 to April 2008

Health reporter for 40,000-circulation McClatchy Co. daily newspaper on California's Central Coast. Reported on public health, policy and business issues, including legislative reform and insurance trends. Broke news on criminal charges against a transplant surgeon; won statewide award for investigation into board-and-care homes for the elderly; won a national public service award for story on migrant farm workers.

Harbage Consulting, Inc., Sacramento, CA
2005 to present

On a freelance basis, edit and research health policy analysis papers for independent consultant, Peter Harbage. Contributed to papers published by California HealthCare Foundation and California Wellness Foundation on topics, such as SCHIP reauthorization, and meaning of state and federal health reform proposals.

Daily Republic, Fairfield, CA
Dec. 2004 to May 2006

As a reporter for 25,000-circulation Bay Area newspaper, covered public health issues, foster care, homelessness and welfare programs. Won statewide awards for stories on mental illness, aging issues and a national health journalism award for series calculating the health costs of the chronically homeless. Stories contributed to the creation of county's aging taskforce and interim care program for medically fragile homeless.

San Francisco Magazine
Fall 2005

Editorial intern responsible for multiple fact checking projects and contributed reporting for a detailed healthy living service guide for the award-winning city magazine.

West Central Tribune, Willmar, MN
Summer 2004

As a reporting intern, independently developed a beat covering local minority groups. Regularly interviewed in Spanish for the 20,000-circulation daily newspaper.

La Prensa de Minnesota
Fall 2003

Reported on Latino issues for the 15,000-circulation bilingual Twin Cities weekly. Stories covered health disparities, police relations and immigration policy.

Education

  
  • Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health, MPH candidate 2009, health policy & economics concentration
  • University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, Minn. BA, Magna Cum Laude 2004 Degrees: Journalism and Spanish

Achievements

  
2008 2nd Place Investigative Reporting, CA Associated Press News Executives Council, 25,001-75,000 circulation
2007 Third place Explanatory Reporting, Inland Press Association, under 75,000 circulation
2007 USC/California Endowment Health Journalism Fellow
2006 First place Fairbanks public service award, CA Associated Press News Executives Council, under 25,000 circulation
2006 Second place, Association of Healthcare Journalists, under 90,000 circulation
2006 First place feature writing, CA Associated Press News Executives Council, under 25,000 circulation
2005 USC/California Endowment Health Journalism Fellow
2005 National Association for Practical & Professional Ethics undergraduate paper contest winner for thesis: The Ethical Race: Can Rural Minnesota Newspapers keep up with their Growing Latino Populations?

Relavant skills

  

Proficient in Spanish

Cultural competence; as a reporter have worked successfully with people of widely varying backgrounds with different languages, cultures, ages, races, etc.

Adobe PhotoShop, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, QuarkXpress, HTML, Microsoft Office, sound editing

Travel & Volunteerism

  

April - July 2008 Marketing and communications internship LifeSpring Hospitals, Hyderabad India; created educational training videos and web site maintenance

Sept. 07-Apr. 08 Volunteer English tutor to Spanish-speaking immigrants in San Luis Obispo, CA

January 2004: Two-week Border Awareness ExperienceÓ in El Paso, Texas and Juarez, Mexico.

Fall 2002: Studied in Santiago, Chile and completed 40-page thesis on Chilean forestry certification.

January 2002: Studied Buddhism in Thailand with the University of St. Thomas.

Summer 2001:Lifeguard at Camp Kiwago, camp for New York homeless children.