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Nicole Hayden
Health reporter
I am a health reporter for the Desert Sun in Palm Springs, California, focusing on public health issues. My 2018 USC CHJ Data Fellowship is focused on homelessness and public health. I am also a participating reporter in the USC Center for Health Journalism Reporting Collaborative project on California’s uninsured. I have worked for the USA Today Network for five years, most recently in California. Previously, I was the lead investigative reporter at the Times Herald in Michigan, where I worked on a yearlong opioid-abuse project that impacted local policy decisions. Further, I wrote many award-winning enterprise stories about homelessness and led an investigation that exposed a pastor who sexually assaulted a woman in his church.
Articles
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The program sheltered thousands during the pandemic, but money — and time — is running out. Only 5% of clients have found a permanent home.
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The western Coachella Valley's three overnight homeless shelters have closed, sending nearly 100 individuals back onto the streets amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
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A woman is seeking shelter from her spouse. A man is disabled. Another has been clean from addiction for 16 years. A mom who lost her job is there with her two kids.
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This story was produced as part of a larger project led by Nicole Hayden, a participant in the USC Center for Health Journalism's 2020 California Fellowship, covering homelessness in the Coachella Valley.
Her other stories include:
Palm Springs shelter avoided COVID-19. Homeless say they need more t
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A 2019 USC Annenberg Center for Health Reporting data fellowship allowed me to learn about the unique health needs of individuals experiencing homelessness in the Coachella Valley....
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Uninsured Californians have traditionally had few options when a mental health crisis strikes, but advocates throughout the state are working to change that
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One question going forward is whether more centrist and independent voters will come to share concerns voiced by Republicans in the state.
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Although the vast majority of individuals experiencing homelessness qualify for Medi-Cal, many fail to enroll and go without the care they need
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Direct Primary Care allows patients to pay a membership fee for basic health services, but it does not include coverage for major medical situations
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A truck driver’s battle over bills for emergency care and lab tests shines a spotlight on failure of nonprofit hospitals to offer uninsured patients “charity care.”