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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In response to the report, a DCF official says the state's outreach strategy went "above and beyond" federal requirements and "any notion that Florida has failed in this process is false."
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The Agency for Health Care Administration issued emergency rules outlining some medical exceptions to the state's six-week abortion ban. But doctors are still left with questions and frustration.
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Florida has been a major access point for abortion in the South. Now its residents, along with thousands more in the region, will have to seek abortion care elsewhere after six weeks of pregnancy.
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Navigating reproductive health care can be confusing, especially as abortion policies change in Florida. We break down what's available and what could be coming next.
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The state awarded USF $5 million in recurring funds to create the Florida Center for Behavioral Health Workforce. Millions of Floridians live in an area where mental health professionals are sparse.
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The Do More, Feel Better program trains seniors to help other older adults plan activities, which can boost mental health.
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Tampa General's Transplant Institute had a record year, due in part to innovative technology that expands the donor pool. But thousands of Floridians are still waiting for help.
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Guns are now the leading cause of death among American children. And many more children are injured in shootings, putting them at risk for life-altering disability, pain, and mental trauma.
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The 12-floor, 565,000-square-foot building, adjacent to the hospital's Davis Islands campus, will be named for the Taneja family, major donors to the project. It is slated to open in 2027.
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Overdose deaths have soared, and every state is being impacted. But research suggests states that haven’t expanded Medicaid coverage, such as Florida, are passing up an opportunity to lessen the toll.