Kathlyn Stone (stonekat@comcast.net) is a St. Paul-based independent journalist who has covered general news and business, international trade, and health care news and policies for public and professional audiences since 1980.
She brings an insider’s understanding to her coverage of government and politics, late-breaking science, consumer health news, and public policy. In addition to newspaper and magazine reporting, and before making the commitment to free lance forevermore, she worked in media relations and communications for the American Academy of Neurology, and state agencies including the Minnesota Trade Office-Department of Trade & Economic Development, Vermilion Community College, Energy Information Office and spent two tiring (but extremely insightful!) sessions as a writer with the Minnesota Senate’s public information office. She’s been a consultant to the Nonviolent Peace Force, Mayo Clinic, Citizens for Election Integrity-Minnesota, Festival of Nations, U of M Center for Spirituality & Healing, and several business start-ups. Through these experiences Stone has developed a healthy scepticism of politicians, public relations practitioners, and media organizations that put profit before truth. She considers experts—often unsung heroes among government or corporate staff, scientific researchers and passionate activists—who speak truthfully and knowingly about an issue to be top sources.
Along with medical trade press, Stone’s writing can be found in alternative media including CounterPunch, the BlackCommentator, ElectronicIraq, TruthOut, and OhMyNews, among others. She is a volunteer editor at OpEdNews. Stone maintains a portfolio of science and health writing at kathystone.squarespace.com and is the publisher and editor of Flesh and Stone.
Recently published:
By Kathlyn Stone , TC Daily Planet
The American Medical Association has come out against President Obama’s “public option” for health care reform, but the AMA doesn’t represent all physicians. Some physicians’ groups support the public option but others think it doesn’t go far enough to fix changes in a badly broken system. Dr. Oliver Fein, president of the progressive Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP), found a warm welcome in the Twin Cities last week. Fein was here to present PNHP’s vision for a national single payer health program. PNHP has 16,000 members, including 300 in Minnesota. MORE »
By Kathlyn Stone , TC Daily Planet
Budget cuts to state dental care programs proposed by Gov. Tim Pawlenty will be an expensive shift that will end up costing state taxpayers more, say Minnesota dentists.
The governor has proposed eliminating dental care for adults receiving General Assistance, Medical Assistance, MinnesotaCare, and the Critical Access Provider Payment Program, and replacing it with an ER care program on Jan. 1, 2010. MORE »
By Kathlyn Stone , TC Daily Planet
Trends in unintended pregnancies and health care for the elderly are topics Twin Cities community health leaders are closely following. Minnesota’s patchwork of government, and non and for-profit public health care providers must stay flexible if they hope to meet evolving needs in the communities, according to panelists taking part in an April 2 policy forum sponsored by Community Shares of Minnesota. MORE »
By Kathlyn Stone , TC Daily Planet
When the brother traveled to Italy to bolster his sister after she was hospitalized with a stroke, it seemed inconceivable that they’d soon both be battling cancer. But that’s exactly what happened to Mikael Rudolph. MORE »
By Kathlyn Stone , TC Daily Planet
Blood. It’s one of those things you take for granted until you or someone close to you needs some in a hurry. MORE »