Elena Rivera
Health ReporterElena Rivera is the health reporter at KERA.
Before joining KERA, Elena covered health in Southern Colorado for KRCC and Colorado Public Radio. Her stories covered pandemic mental health support, rural community health access issues and vaccine equity across the region. She also worked as a daily show producer with Georgia Public Broadcasting and a reporter and host with Blue Ridge Public Radio. She has won awards for arts and culture reporting, podcasting and team coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic in Colorado from the Society of Professional Journalists.
Elena got her start as a reporter and producer at KBIA, Mid-Missouri’s NPR station. She has a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri.
Outside of her public radio work, she serves as a mentor to emerging audio producers and reporters as the captain of the New Voices program with the Association of Independents in Radio (AIR).
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In Texas, many uninsured people can access Medicaid if they get pregnant. But 2 months after giving birth, the coverage ends. Advocates say new moms need a full year, to improve maternal health. -
Texas abortion bans focused attention on the state's already high maternal mortality rate. Proposed legislation could let otherwise uninsured women stay on Medicaid up to a year after childbirth.
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Hours on the phone trying to find a doctor and limited postpartum care are only some challenges pregnant people face. But advocates and birth workers hope this legislative session will extend coverage and address gaps in the system.
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After little movement in the 2021 legislative session, politicians and policy advocates hope there’s more traction on maternal and postpartum health bills this legislative session.
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COVID-19 cases have been steadily increasing since Thanksgiving, with more than 18,000 new cases this past week. On top of that, doctors are dealing with an influx of RSV and flu patients.
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The Texas Department of State Health Services and Texas Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Review Committee's report is finally out after months of delays.
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One year after the COVID-19 omicron variant began its spread across Texas, doctors are concerned about the effects of 'long COVID' — even as case numbers and hospitalizations have declined.
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Children’s hospitals around the country are grappling with an early peak of respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV.
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A new study from UT Austin shows the number of abortions performed in Texas dropped dramatically in the months following Senate Bill 8.
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Since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade this summer, it’s put a spotlight on pregnancy prevention efforts, like sex education.
