
Duaa Eldeib
I report on health care and racial inequity, with a focus on maternal and child health.
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Send me tips and documents about health care, abuse of power, policy changes, Medicaid and vulnerable populations. Reach me by email or securely on Signal at 312-730-4797. I take the protection of my sources extremely seriously.
What I Cover
I cover health care, particularly as it relates to vulnerable populations, including those on Medicaid. I’m reporting on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, National Institutes of Health, Health Resources and Services Administration, and other federal agencies. I center human stories in my reporting and weave together hard-hitting accountability with the narratives of those who were harmed.
My Background
I joined ProPublica in 2017 and have written about the systemic failures that led to the U.S. stillbirth crisis, the ways insurers interfere with mental health care and the fatal consequences of delaying care during the pandemic. I was a producer and reporter on ProPublica’s documentary “Before a Breath.” During the first Trump administration, I wrote about the devastating effects of COVID-19 on Black Americans and collaborated with colleagues to cover the zero-tolerance policy for immigrants.
My series on stillbirths was a finalist for the 2023 Pulitzer Prize in Explanatory Reporting. My reporting has led to exoneration of a mother who was wrongly convicted of murder and the release of young men who were incarcerated as juveniles and later sent to adult prison for minor offenses.
Before joining ProPublica, I was a reporter at the Chicago Tribune, where I was a finalist with two colleagues for the 2015 Pulitzer Prize in Investigative Reporting. I’m based in Chicago.
Rural Counties Consider an Alternative Type of Social Distancing — Kicking Chicago Out of Illinois
In counties where COVID-19 has yet to hit, a timeless topic is flaring up again: Would Illinois be better off without Chicago?
by Logan Jaffe and Duaa Eldeib,
Calls to Illinois’ Child Abuse Hotline Dropped by Nearly Half Amid the Spread of Coronavirus. Here’s Why That’s Not Good News.
Child welfare officials fear the decline in hotline abuse reports is only because children are out of school, and teachers, social workers and counselors aren’t able to see signs of abuse.
by Duaa Eldeib,
Thousands of Foster Children Were Sent Out of State to Mental Health Facilities Where Some Faced Abuse and Neglect
State officials are supposed to send foster children to out-of-state facilities only as a last resort, but in Illinois alone, it has happened dozens of times. In many cases, officials failed to adequately monitor their treatment and well-being.
by David Jackson, Chicago Tribune, and Duaa Eldeib, ProPublica Illinois,
Chicago Psychiatric Hospital Will Lose Federal Money, and Its License Is Threatened After Allegations of Abuse
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services terminated an agreement and accompanying federal funding for Chicago Lakeshore Hospital, and the Illinois Department of Public Health is moving forward with plans to revoke the facility’s license.
by Duaa Eldeib,
A Chicago Psychiatric Hospital Is Under Fire After Child Abuse Allegations. Again.
A new lawsuit calls Chicago Lakeshore a “hospital of horrors,” where children as young as 7 were allegedly sexually abused and others were injected with sedatives and physically attacked — all while officials covered it up.
by Duaa Eldeib,
En una disputa sobre tutela, los hijos de un padre hispanohablante se quedarán con sus padres de acogida eslovacohablantes
El caso es un ejemplo que pone en duda si el Departamento de Servicios para Niños y Familias de Illinois sirve adecuadamente a familias hispanohablantes y cumple con el decreto Burgos de la corte federal.
por Melissa Sanchez y Duaa Eldeib,
In Disputed Custody Case, Children of Spanish-Speaking Father Will Remain With Slovak-Speaking Foster Parents
The case is one example that questions whether the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services adequately serves Spanish-speaking families and lives up to the Burgos federal court consent decree.
by Melissa Sanchez and Duaa Eldeib,
El Departamento de Educación federal quiere frenar la “trama fraudulenta de ayuda estudiantil” en que padres ceden la custodia a través de tutelas dudosas
Un día después de nuestro reportaje, el inspector general del departamento dice que quiere cerrar los agujeros legales de ayuda financiera.
por Jodi S. Cohen, Duaa Eldeib y Melissa Sanchez,
Illinois Lawmakers Call Hearing to “Demand Answers” and Find Ways to Close a Loophole in College Financial Aid Scandal
Legislators said parents who turn over guardianship of their children to get financial aid engaged in a “manipulative practice.” They’re exploring whether they can subpoena parents to testify.
by Jodi S. Cohen and Duaa Eldeib,
U.S. Department of Education Wants to Stop “Student Aid Fraud Scheme” Where Parents Give Up Custody Through Dubious Guardianships
One day after our reporting, the department’s inspector general said it wants to close financial aid loopholes.
by Jodi S. Cohen, Duaa Eldeib and Melissa Sanchez,