Stephanie Colombini
ReporterI cover health care for WUSF and the statewide journalism collaborative Health News Florida. I’m passionate about highlighting community efforts to improve the quality of care in our state and make it more accessible to all Floridians. I’m also committed to holding those in power accountable when they fail to prioritize the health needs of the people they serve.
Since March 2020, I’ve covered all things COVID-19 and continue to work hard to ensure you have fact-based information to keep yourself and your loved ones safe. I’ve focused on amplifying the voices of people in our community affected by the pandemic, including doctors on the front lines, teachers juggling hybrid learning and residents who have survived the illness.
You can also hear me on WUSF as a fill-in news anchor and midday host on Sundays.
I joined the news team in 2016 and started out producing our weekly public affairs show Florida Matters. I went on to cover military and veterans affairs for the national reporting collaborative the American Homefront Project and continue to report on these topics through a health care lens.
I got my start in radio at WFUV while attending Fordham University in the Bronx. I also covered tri-state area news as a reporter for WCBS Newsradio 880. Some fun highlights include reporting from the field at Yankee Stadium and doing live coverage of the ball drop in Times Square on New Year’s Eve.
I’m forever a New Yorker, but have loved calling Tampa home these past five years. You might see me around town rocking out to live music, enjoying our delicious craft beer scene or paddling out on the water in my kayak. Shoutout to my two fur babies, Frank and Hazel.
Contact Stephanie at 813-974-8705, on Twitter @Steph_Colombini, or by email at scolombini@wusf.org.
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CFO Jimmy Patronis removed Dr. Lisa Gwynn from the Florida Healthy Kids Board for expressing concerns about COVID-19 vaccine access in the state for kids younger than 5. She talks about why she's still worried. -
Abortion pills and other services are legal in Florida despite the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade. But state law makes it harder to access them than in some other states.
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Health officials advise residents not to let their guards down when it comes to infection control as the flu is still more prevalent in the community than it typically is over the summer.
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Knowing not all veterans addicted to drugs are ready to quit, VA doctors are offering clean supplies, mental health care and other services to reduce some of the risks that come with injection drug use.
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COVID-19 vaccines for infants and toddlers could soon be available. Experts want families to prepareFederal health officials could authorize COVID-19 vaccines for children younger than 5 later this week. If they do, health experts say families should act quickly.
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There’s renewed focus on Florida's red flag law but Second Amendment advocates and some law enforcement officials oppose the measure.
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Nurses say they're juggling too many patients at once and say the added workload puts everyone in danger.
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Attendees at the gun violence awareness event in Tampa's Curtis Hixon Park say they want to see a ban on assault weapons, among other reforms. The recent shooting at a Texas elementary school heightened anxiety for families and educators.
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For some contributors, art helps them cope with the stress of working in health care.
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People who worked in labor and service jobs were a lot more likely to die from COVID-19. Researchers say improving ventilation and offering paid sick leave are some ways to protect workers in the future.
