Natalie Krebs
Natalie Krebs is the health reporter for Iowa Public Radio.
Natalie joined Iowa Public Radio in May 2019. She previously worked as an independent producer in west Texas covering everything from immigration at the U.S.-Mexico border to environmental issues in the Permian Basin.
Natalie is a native Minnesotan. She holds a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Texas at Austin.
Natalie’s favorite public radio program is The World.
-
Thirteen states across the U.S., including much of the Midwest, introduced bills this year that could give some rights to embryos and fetuses usually associated with people. None passed but people in the fertility world are concerned that lawmakers will try again and what that means for reproductive rights. -
As the senior population in the U.S. grows, so do efforts to help older Americans stay at home — and out of hospitals and nursing homes.
-
Abortion restrictions will likely affect Black women the most. Many are concerned about the impact on Black maternal mortality, and the risk of criminalization. -
The launch of 988 is something that’s been celebrated as a long-time need by mental health advocates and law enforcement agents. But rolling out the service is proving to be complicated. -
A new study shows alcohol use increased during the pandemic for those 21 and older, but finding treatment can be a challenge. -
Home health care workers are among the lowest paid, shifting the burden of long-term care to aging and overstressed family members or assisted living centers, which are often understaffed themselves. -
More seniors and people with disabilities are choosing to stay in their homes, and home health aides are vital to providing them basic assistance. The profession is projected to be one of the fastest growing nationally in the next decade, but it’s getting harder to recruit and retain these workers. -
In Iowa, midwives who are specially trained in home birth are pushing for licensure, as interest in home births rises and rural labor and delivery units continue to shutter. -
While cancer death rates in the U.S. have declined in recent years, racial disparities persist. Midwestern states — including Iowa, Illinois, Missouri and Indiana — have some of the highest rates of cancer mortality for Black residents in the country. Public health advocates have worked for years to close the racial gap, but some worry the pandemic will delay progress. -
A year and a half after COVID-19 outbreaks tore through many of the nation's meatpacking plants, workers and their towns are still working on ways to enhance safety.
