Olivia Aldridge
Health Care ReporterWhat I cover
I report on issues related to health in Travis County and the surrounding region. My work centers on local health care systems and resources — how they fit together and how they function. I’m also interested in following trends in the health care workforce and state-level decisions that affect local access to medical care.
Plus, I’m game for the occasional fun tangent, like my obsessive search for a lost time capsule.
My background
I’m from a tiny, rural town in Georgia called Monticello. Growing up, I rarely saw places like my home reflected in the media I consumed, and I wanted to hear the voices and challenges of my neighbors amplified more often. That background is at the core of why I’m passionate about local news.
I started my career as a reporter and producer for NPR member station South Carolina Public Radio. There, I focused on South Carolina’s recovery from a series of devastating floods and hurricanes. I also delved into some fun local oddities, like a small town’s belief in a giant cryptid lizard creature.
My entry into health reporting came at Community Impact, where I reported on communities in Central and Southwest Austin. During the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, I led coverage of the pandemic in Austin, reporting on everything from the development and rollout of vaccines to hiring challenges in the nursing workforce.
I also spent a year launching, hosting and producing three local news podcasts for Community Impact covering the Austin, Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth metro areas.
Journalistic ethics
Radio may be an auditory medium, but I strive to be more of a listener than a talker. My best days at work are the ones where I get to sit down and listen to someone tell me their story without being rushed by a pressing deadline. I care about representing people honestly and with respect. I also care about being precise with the language I choose — every word carries weight.
-
Vaccine hesitancy was rising even before COVID-19 emerged – but the pandemic exacerbated the trend. More kindergartners are opting out of school vaccine requirements, and state lawmakers are trying to make it even easier to do so. -
Aunque en la zona de Austin se ha confirmado un solo caso de sarampión, no se trata de un brote. Dicho esto, he aquí una guía sobre cómo y cuándo vacunarse contra el sarampión. -
While the Austin area has confirmed a case of measles, there is not an outbreak. That said, here's a guide to how and when to get vaccinated for measles.
-
En medio del brote de sarampión, la tasa de vacunación infantil del ISD de Austin no alcanza la metaLa tasa de vacunación contra el sarampión de Austin ISD para su el nivel de kinder es inferior a la de los distritos escolares vecinos. -
An unvaccinated infant was exposed to the virus while vacationing with family overseas, Austin Public Health said.
-
Austin ISD's measles immunization rate for its kindergarten class is lower than that of neighboring school districts.
-
Los expertos en salud pública atribuyen el brote actual al descenso de los niveles de vacunación. -
Public health experts attribute the current outbreak to declining vaccination levels.
-
El programa puente de Central Health ofrece una alternativa a la sala de urgencias cuando las personas sin vivienda tienen necesidades de salud. -
Central Health's bridge program offers an alternative to the emergency room when unhoused people have health needs.
