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.
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KB Brookins es poeta y está haciendo circular una petición para añadir un programa municipal que fomente la alfabetización y las artes en Austin.
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Poet KB Brookins is circulating a petition to add a city program that would promote literacy and the arts in Austin.
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Hundreds of thousands of visitors may descend on Central Texas' green spaces during the total eclipse. What will they do when they have to go?
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Excavating the 25-year-old time capsule was last on the alt-weekly newspaper's to-do list before the Texas Department of Transportation takes possession of its historic building for the upcoming highway expansion.
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The state agency will collect public comment on the proposed rule for at least 30 days before it can be considered for final approval.
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Patients at UT Austin’s Post-COVID-19 Program are still struggling with fatigue, brain fog and a slew of other symptoms months or even years after an initial infection.
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La agencia estatal responde a una petición de dos abogados para aclarar la ambigüedad sobre cuándo están permitidos los abortos de urgencia.
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The state agency is responding to a petition from two attorneys to clear up ambiguity about when emergency abortions are allowed.
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Camp Indigo is a normal day camp. The campers just happen to be transgender and nonbinary.
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The agreement comes after more than a year of negotiations with hospital representatives.