Jacqueline Fellows

We've followed Jacqueline Fellows' evolution from Capitol Hill correspondent to leading healthcare business analyst and journalism educator. Currently contributing to HealthLeaders Media while shaping media's future at SMU, her work sits at the intersection of policy, practice, and pedagogy.

Key Coverage Areas

  • Healthcare Economics: Hospital financial models, insurance reimbursement trends, and value-based care transitions
  • Workforce Development: Innovations in medical education and clinician retention strategies
  • Media Innovation: Digital storytelling techniques and journalism curriculum modernization

Achievement Highlights

  • 2015 Jesse H. Neal Award Finalist for healthcare business reporting
  • 2008 Gracie Allen Award for women-focused investigative reporting
  • Named Tennessee's Best Newscaster (2010) by Associated Press

Pitching Preferences

Fellows prioritizes stories that demonstrate:

  • Policy Practicality: How legislation changes day-to-day healthcare operations
  • Educational Synergy: Initiatives bridging journalism and STEM fields
  • Southern Perspectives: Underreported innovations in Gulf Coast/Mid-South health systems

Get Media Pitching Contact Details for your press release!

More About Jacqueline Fellows

Bio

Career Trajectory: From Public Radio to Healthcare Journalism and Academia

Jacqueline Fellows has carved a multifaceted career spanning broadcast journalism, healthcare business reporting, and academia. Her early work as a morning edition host and reporter for Nashville Public Radio positioned her as a trusted voice in political and military coverage, including embedded reporting on troop deployments from Fort Campbell during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars[1]. This foundation in public radio honed her ability to distill complex policy issues into accessible narratives—a skill she later applied to healthcare journalism.

Transitioning to HealthLeaders Media, Fellows emerged as a leading analyst of the business side of healthcare. Her interviews with CEOs of major health systems, AMA leadership, and frontline medical professionals bridged the gap between boardroom strategies and patient care realities[1][5]. Today, as a professor of practice at Southern Methodist University, she trains future journalists in digital storytelling while continuing to contribute to industry publications[3][4].

Representative Works: Bridging Policy and Practice

This 2025 analysis compares labor movements in Tennessee and Wisconsin, showcasing Fellows' ability to contextualize local issues within national trends. By interviewing union leaders, policymakers, and workers, she highlights how Tennessee's right-to-work laws create distinct challenges for organized labor compared to Midwestern states. The piece demonstrates her knack for weaving historical context with current legislative battles[10].

Beat Analysis and Pitching Recommendations

Healthcare Business Innovation

Fellows consistently explores how health systems balance financial sustainability with care quality. Pitches should focus on innovative reimbursement models, value-based care initiatives, or hospital-physician partnership structures. For example, her reporting on accountable care organizations demonstrates particular interest in payment reforms that prioritize patient outcomes over service volume[1][5].

Medical Education Evolution

With her academic role, Fellows shows growing interest in journalism pedagogy and healthcare training reforms. Story ideas might examine simulation technology in medical schools or interdisciplinary training programs addressing clinician burnout. Her work advising SMU's Daily Campus newspaper suggests interest in media literacy initiatives[1][4].

Health Policy Implementation

Focus pitches on the real-world impacts of legislation rather than partisan debates. Fellows' reporting often highlights how policies affect hospital operations or change patient experiences. A successful pitch might explore Medicaid expansion effects on rural emergency departments or cybersecurity regulations for healthcare providers[1][10].

Awards and Recognition

"Her reporting on a camp for young women gave voice to underrepresented communities while maintaining rigorous journalistic standards." - Gracie Allen Award Committee
  • Gracie Allen Award (2008): Recognized for nuanced reporting on gender issues, this honor from the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation underscores Fellows' commitment to elevating marginalized perspectives[1].
  • Jesse H. Neal Award Finalist (2015): As business journalism's equivalent of the Pulitzer Prize, this nomination celebrated her comprehensive coverage of Affordable Care Act implementation challenges[1].

Pitching Best Practices

  • Lead with data visualization opportunities: Fellows frequently uses infographics to explain complex healthcare finances—include suggestions for visual storytelling.
  • Highlight Texas/Mid-South angles: While her work has national relevance, she maintains strong connections to Southern healthcare markets.
  • Connect business strategies to human outcomes: Successful pitches balance financial analysis with patient/provider narratives.
  • Leverage academic research: As an educator, she values studies with practical applications for healthcare administrators.
  • Avoid pharma-focused pitches: Her work centers on care delivery systems rather than drug development or medical devices.

Top Articles

Discover other Health journalists

At PressContact, we aim to help you discover the most relevant journalists for your PR efforts. If you're looking to pitch to more journalists who write on Health, here are some other real estate journalist profiles you may find relevant:

Deborah Kotz

🌎  Country:
💼  Publication:

Christa Sgobba

🌎  Country:
💼  Publication:

Karen Iorio Adelson

🌎  Country:
💼  Publication:

Jennifer Moss

🌎  Country:
💼  Publication:

Meredith Cohn

🌎  Country:
💼  Publication:

Manny Alvarez

🌎  Country:
💼  Publication:

Jacqueline Fellows

🌎  Country:
💼  Publication:

Linda Sechrist

🌎  Country:
💼  Publication:

Melinda Beck

🌎  Country:
💼  Publication:

beth skwarecki

🌎  Country:
💼  Publication: