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Olivia Aldridge, Health Care Reporter for KUT News. Feb. 7, 2024. Renee Dominguez/KUT News

Olivia Aldridge

Health Care Reporter

What I cover

I report on issues related to health in AGÕæÈ˰ټÒÀÖ County and the surrounding region. My work centers on local health care systems and resources â€� how they fit together and how they function. I’m also interested in following trends in the health care workforce and 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 .

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.