Rebecca Smith
Health ReporterRebecca Smith is an award-winning reporter and producer for the KBIA Health & Wealth Desk. Born and raised outside of Rolla, Missouri, she has a passion for diving into often overlooked issues that affect the rural populations of her state – especially stories that broaden people’s perception of “rural” life. She created a conversations-based journalism project, Missouri Health Talks, in 2016 that empowers people throughout the state to share their stories of access to healthcare – in their own words.
She has degrees in both Journalism and Chemistry from Truman State University in Kirksville, Missouri, and often says health reporting is the perfect marriage of individual’s stories and reporting on science.
You can reach her at smithbecky@missouri.edu or 573-882-4824.
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Kayla Keller and Hannah Pond both work at the Halo Girls Home in Jefferson City, a residential program for homeless and at-risk girls ages 16-21 who are pregnant, parenting, and non-parenting. -
Flu season is underway, and while cases are still low in Missouri, medical professionals are watching a variant called "subclade K" that has been dominant overseas. KBIA's Rebecca Smith recently sat down with George Turabelidze, an epidemiologist with the Missouri Department of Health & Senior Services, about what this could mean for Missourians. -
Hannah Dolan lives in Jefferson City and was diagnosed with ADHD as an adult. She spoke about the importance of talking about and normalizing neurodivergent experiences. -
An increasing number of alpha-gal syndrome cases in Missouri means more people are looking for a mammal-free way to eat out. KBIA’s Rebecca Smith brings us the story of some restaurants in the southern part of the state that are adapting their menus. -
Tisya Cooke is a Jewish transgender woman and spoke about her experiences coming out and about how she personally defines gender affirmation. -
Craig Fontenot and Dr. Kelly Cleary both work at Food Allergy Research & Education, or FARE — a national non-profit focusing on food allergies. They spoke about what people can do to make holiday gathering safe and more comfortable for everyone. -
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While the federal government has reopened and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, benefits have been reinstated — for LGBTQ+ individuals, the ability to access food assistance remains difficult and uncertain. -
The Center Project is an LGTBQ+ community center in Columbia that serves mid-Missouri. Mel Constantine Miseo is a board member and spoke about the recently announced food share for the holidays — where anyone needing help can come to the Center Project and receive shelf stable foods. -
More and more cases of alpha-gal syndrome are being diagnosed in Missouri, but because the condition does not have to be reported to the state, it’s hard to know just how common it truly is. And without an accurate count, it can be hard for funding and policy decisions to be made.
