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Blake Farmer

Latest Stories (109)

Last-minute COVID vaccine appointments raise questions about equity

Feb 1, 2021
States like Tennessee are learning about the perils of scheduling vaccinations while vaccine supply is unpredictable.
David Gibbs, 86, raced down to a church on short notice to get vaccinated against the coronavirus. However, seniors who are homebound, don't drive or don't use the internet may find it harder to arrange a vaccination.
Blake Farmer/WPLN News

Logistical challenges just beginning for nation's vaccination drive

Jan 18, 2021
As eligibility expands, the tasks involved in scheduling and managing distribution become more complex.
Sally Kohn of Tennessee enlisted a neighbor in the medical field to help her arrange her coronavirus vaccination.
Blake Farmer/WPLN News

As COVID-19 vaccines roll out, researchers still seek diverse pool for clinical trials

Dec 30, 2020
Latinx and Black participants are underrepresented in typical clinical vaccine trials.
A sign calling for trial volunteers at the Research Centers of America in Hollywood, Florida, in August.
Leila Macor/AFP via Getty Images

In some isolated rural areas, COVID-19 is hitting hard

Nov 13, 2020
Grundy County, Tennessee, is seeing new cases of COVID-19 every day, but health services are not readily available there.
In Tennessee, the National Guard has resumed running weekend drive-thru testing sites in rural communities, where COVID-19 testing is sometimes only available at the local health department.
Blake Farmer/WPLN News

How one Nashville haunted house is trying to stay safe — and scary — this Halloween

Oct 13, 2020
The attraction operators are finding ways to open with modifications. For instance, screaming in peoples' faces is off limits.
Nashville Nightmare owner Brad Webb, left, walks the city’s health director, Dr. Michael Caldwell, through a haunted school attraction ahead of opening weekend.
Blake Farmer/WPLN News

In Nashville's dominant health care sector, a lack of diversity in the upper ranks

Sep 3, 2020
Industry leaders say the lack of diversity also contributes to health disparities, like higher rates of chronic conditions in Black Americans.
Bobby Frist, chairman of the Nashville Health Care Council’s board of directors, speaks at an event. He's encouraging member companies to take meaningful action on racial inequity.
Donn Jones Photography and the Nashville Health Care Council

Teachers weigh their options as some districts reopen with in-person classes

Jul 30, 2020
Some choose to quit due to health concerns rather than go back into the classroom.
Teachers in Tennessee passing out food to students.
Courtesy Tennessee Department of Education

A company rebounds after learning hard lessons from COVID-19 outbreak

Jun 8, 2020
The virus sickened about a dozen employees at a Nashville tire distributor. Now those workers are trying to put their experience to good use..
The sales team at Dunlap & Kyle sits just outside General Manager Adam Waldrup's office, and most of them contracted COVID-19, with the first confirmed case April 2.
Blake Farmer/WPLN News

Congress said COVID-19 tests should be free, but who might end up paying?

Jun 3, 2020
Some major health systems say they are sitting on millions of dollars in billing.
Vanderbilt University Medical Center has been holding back many bills related to COVID-19 testing for fear of a backlash from patients, who might be surprised that they owe anything.
Blake Farmer/WPLN

Volunteers are making masks to help with COVID-19 shortages. Who will use them?

Apr 3, 2020
Some hospitals are accepting homemade face masks, but they may have limited uses.
Oluwatosin Fagbuyi, a graduate student at Tennessee State University, has been helping keep the school’s 3D printers running, molding headbands as part of a face shield for medical workers.
Blake Farmer/ WPLN