Alex Smith

Alex Smith began working in radio as an intern at the National Association of Farm Broadcasters. A few years and a couple of radio jobs later, he became the assistant producer of KCUR's magazine show, KC Currents. In January 2014 he became KCUR's health reporter.

Rural Areas Send Their Sickest Patients To The Cities, Straining Hospital Capacity

By Alex Smith • Nov 23, 2020

Registered nurse Pascaline Muhindura has spent the last eight months treating COVID-19 patients at Research Medical Center in Kansas City, Missouri.

But when she returns home to her small town of Spring Hill, Kansas, she's often stunned by what she sees, like on a recent stop for carryout.

Missouri To Vote On Medicaid Expansion To Uninsured Adults

By Alex Smith • Aug 3, 2020

ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:

So Far, Much Of Missouri Seems Untouched By COVID-19 — So Rural Docs Want Aggressive Action Now

By Alex Smith • Mar 31, 2020

In the past several weeks, as metro Kansas City began working to avoid being overwhelmed by Covid-19 like big cities elsewhere, rural places like Wright County in southern Missouri have been barely touched by the disease.

But Wright County family physician Dr. David Barbe, along with other health care providers who work in remote parts of the state, have been pleading with Gov. Mike Parson to force their patients and neighbors to shelter in place.

Pediatricians Stand By Meds For ADHD, But Some Say Therapy Should Come First

By Alex Smith • Sep 30, 2019

When children are diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, stimulant medications like Ritalin or Adderall are usually the first line of treatment.

In Tiny Doses, An Addiction Medication Moonlights As A Treatment For Chronic Pain

By Alex Smith • Sep 23, 2019

Lori Pinkley, a 50-year-old from Kansas City, Mo., has struggled with puzzling chronic pain since she was 15.

She's had endless disappointing visits with doctors. Some said they couldn't help her. Others diagnosed her with everything from fibromyalgia to lipedema to the rare Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.