Alexa Hornbeck
Alexa Hornbeck was a health care reporter for The Well News from March 2021 to August 2022. She has experience covering health and medicine topics. Her reporting focused on stories at the intersection of health, politics, social trends and science. She tracked health policy changes, women’s health and telemedicine news.
Prior to joining the TWN, Hornbeck worked for hyper local publications in San Francisco, California, and New York City. She attended the University of California, Berkeley, where she received graduate degrees in public health and journalism. Her undergraduate degree was completed in literary studies at The New School in New York City.
Recent Work
EAST LANSING, Mich. — Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., who serves as chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security... Read More
EAST LANSING, Mich. — Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., who serves as chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, is taking new actions to hold Michigan polluters accountable for contaminating the environment with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, which are a... Read More
WASHINGTON — The phone was quiet as Danny Fouts, a 48-year-old retired coal miner with a thick Kentucky accent, tried... Read More
WASHINGTON — The phone was quiet as Danny Fouts, a 48-year-old retired coal miner with a thick Kentucky accent, tried to take another breath. The ventilator gushed out more oxygen into his body, helping his lungs to function. His lungs were damaged from inhaling dust after... Read More
Sens. Cory Booker, D-N.J., and Rand Paul, R-K.Y., are helping terminally ill patients who have exhausted all approved treatment options... Read More
Sens. Cory Booker, D-N.J., and Rand Paul, R-K.Y., are helping terminally ill patients who have exhausted all approved treatment options get access to care not yet approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The July 26 legislation is called the Right to Try Clarification Act. In May... Read More
The Office of Inspector General and Department of Health and Human Services on July 20 warned practitioners to exercise caution... Read More
The Office of Inspector General and Department of Health and Human Services on July 20 warned practitioners to exercise caution when entering arrangements with purported telemedicine companies. According to the fraud alert, dozens of investigations of fraud schemes have revealed that telemedicine companies are intentionally paying physicians... Read More
A study released on Tuesday from researchers at the University of Bristol examines the question of whether concerns about the effects of... Read More
A study released on Tuesday from researchers at the University of Bristol examines the question of whether concerns about the effects of fertility treatment on children’s development are warranted. Since the first child was born by way of in vitro fertilization, a number of questions have been raised... Read More
A new report released by a wellness company called Life Extension examines the best and worst states for wellness in the U.S.... Read More
A new report released by a wellness company called Life Extension examines the best and worst states for wellness in the U.S. According to the findings, California ranks number one for the best state, followed by Arizona and Florida, while Alabama ranks the worst, followed by Oklahoma and... Read More
Delaware Gov. John Carney is working to improve maternal and infant health after signing multiple pieces of legislation on July... Read More
Delaware Gov. John Carney is working to improve maternal and infant health after signing multiple pieces of legislation on July 25 to better support new moms and babies. The legislative package includes 6 bills — H.B. 340, H.B. 344(S), H.B. 342, H.B. 345, H.B. 343 and H.B. 234— all aimed at removing barriers... Read More
An article published on July 27 in Nature offers new insights into milk consumption and the evolution of lactose tolerance. The study... Read More
An article published on July 27 in Nature offers new insights into milk consumption and the evolution of lactose tolerance. The study finds that famine and exposure to infectious diseases explain our ability to consume milk and other dairy products. To conduct the study, scientists from the University... Read More
A study published in the journal Hypertension on July 25 finds that daytime napping on a regular basis is associated with higher... Read More
A study published in the journal Hypertension on July 25 finds that daytime napping on a regular basis is associated with higher risks for high blood pressure and stroke. To conduct the study, researchers from China used a napping frequency survey and information from UK Biobank, a large... Read More
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BELMONT, Calif. — At first the idea sounds about as un-Silicon Valley as one can get. After all, the basic... Read More
BELMONT, Calif. — At first the idea sounds about as un-Silicon Valley as one can get. After all, the basic concept underlying radar was proven in 1886, when a German physicist named Heinrich Hertz showed that radio waves could be... Read More
As we head into this election year with a likely rematch between two relatively unpopular candidates, it may seem political divisions... Read More
As we head into this election year with a likely rematch between two relatively unpopular candidates, it may seem political divisions are higher than ever. Many controversial issues like immigration, taxes and debate over foreign aid dominate the news, so much... Read More
PHOENIX, Ariz. — A 46-year-old Ohio man has been sentenced to 30 months in prison for sending death threats to... Read More
PHOENIX, Ariz. — A 46-year-old Ohio man has been sentenced to 30 months in prison for sending death threats to an Arizona election official. The sentencing of Joshua Russell, of Bucyrus, Ohio, came after he pleaded guilty to one count... Read More
ORLANDO — The company that runs Walt Disney World reached a settlement Wednesday with appointees of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis... Read More
ORLANDO — The company that runs Walt Disney World reached a settlement Wednesday with appointees of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis who were exerting controversial regulatory control over the huge tourism complex. The settlement resolves some of the disputes that arose... Read More
President Joe Biden on Thursday announced new steps to protect consumers who buy short-term health insurance plans that critics say amount to junk. A... Read More
President Joe Biden on Thursday announced new steps to protect consumers who buy short-term health insurance plans that critics say amount to junk. A new rule finalized by the Democratic president's administration will limit these plans to just three months. And the plans can... Read More
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — For the first time in 27 years, the U.S. government is changing how it categorizes people by race and... Read More
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — For the first time in 27 years, the U.S. government is changing how it categorizes people by race and ethnicity, an effort that federal officials believe will more accurately count residents who identify as Hispanic and of Middle Eastern... Read More