
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.
Lawsuit Targets Illinois’ Child Welfare Agency Over Children Languishing in Psychiatric Hospitals
The suit against the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, filed on behalf of hundreds of children, claims holding them after doctors clear them for release compounds their trauma.
by Duaa Eldeib,
Federal Judge Puts Independent Review of Troubled Psychiatric Hospital on Hold
With Aurora Chicago Lakeshore Hospital set to lose government funding, and children in state care no longer there, judge concludes investigation unnecessary.
by Duaa Eldeib,
A Chicago Psychiatric Hospital Will Lose Federal Funding Over Safety and Abuse Issues Involving Children in State Care
At the same time, a federal judge said he will appoint a monitor to oversee the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. “The stakes cannot be higher,” the judge said.
by Duaa Eldeib,
9-Year-Old Alleges Staff Member at Chicago Psychiatric Hospital Choked and Restrained Her
The report brings the number of investigations by Illinois’ child welfare agency into allegations of abuse or neglect at Aurora Chicago Lakeshore Hospital to 19 since January.
by Duaa Eldeib,
ACLU of Illinois Demands Removal of Children in DCFS Care From Troubled Chicago Hospital
More allegations of sexual abuse at Aurora Chicago Lakeshore Hospital, already under government scrutiny, have surfaced.
by Duaa Eldeib,
Chicago City Council Members Seek Hearing on Psychiatric Hospital
Aldermen ask for hearing to address allegations of sexual and physical abuse at Aurora Chicago Lakeshore Hospital.
by Duaa Eldeib,
Illinois DCFS Agrees to Outside Inquiry at Psychiatric Hospital Where Children Have Reported Abuse
Under mounting pressure, the state child welfare agency agreed to a broad investigation, but the American Civil Liberties Union and other advocates said they will remain vigilant.
by Duaa Eldeib,
Illinois Child Welfare Agency Agrees to Stop Sending Children to Psychiatric Hospital Where Children Reported Abuse
The Department of Children and Family Services’ inspector general and the American Civil Liberties Union say a limited investigation doesn’t go far enough.
by Duaa Eldeib,
Reporting on the Layers of Potential Harm for Children in Psychiatric Hospitals
It’s a systemic problem involving the agency charged with caring for those children.
by Duaa Eldeib,
Lawmakers Call for Independent Inquiry at Psychiatric Hospital After ProPublica Illinois Report on Abuse of Children
One legislator said she was “disgusted” by the revelations and said the children “deserve to be safe.”
by Duaa Eldeib,