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Kate Walters

Reporter

About

Kate Walters is a reporter covering Covid-19 and the many ways the pandemic has impacted our lives. She's covered personal experiences of community members, state and local policies, affects on the healthcare system, and more. In the past, Kate has reported on homelessness for KUOW, as well as general assignment stories ranging from city hall politics to sea stars. Originally from Australia, Kate studied journalism at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT). She started her career in public radio at WXXI in Rochester, NY.

Location: Seattle

Languages: English

Pronouns: she/her/hers

Stories

  • caption: A drug overdose rescue kit is pictured in Buffalo, N.Y. The Biden administration plans to increase access to clean needles, fentanyl test strips and naloxone to combat drug overdose deaths.

    Fentanyl death toll continues to surge in King County

    King County continues to face an alarming number of drug-related fatalities, many related to the potent synthetic opioid, fentanyl. According to county data, there were 3 fentanyl-involved deaths in 2015. In recent years, such deaths have risen dramatically, totaling 712 last year.

  • caption: A photo from the U.S. Attorneys Office for Utah shows fentanyl-laced fake oxycodone pills collected during an investigation. The drugs are generally foreign-made with a very close chemical makeup to the dangerous opioid.

    New state dashboard shows rising drug-related deaths

    A new state dashboard gives further insight into the number of drug-related deaths and hospitalizations occurring in Washington. The dashboard shows there were 7,598 fatal overdoses from 2017 through 2021, the majority related to opioids. Deaths have been climbing sharply for the past few years.

  • caption: Seattle Children's Hospital is shown on Thursday, November 14, 2019, in Seattle.

    Washington hospitals continue to report financial losses

    Hospitals across Washington state continue to see steep financial losses, according to the Washington State Hospital Association (WSHA). Last year it amounted to a $2.1 billion operating loss across the board, following hundreds of millions in losses in 2021.

  • caption: Stephen Pan administers an updated Covid-19 booster shot to Barbara Birnbaum at her home in Seattle on Monday, February 13, 2023

    Can those who need it rely on King County's in-home vaccination program moving forward?

    The Covid-19 pandemic has had painful and devastating impacts, including lost lives, lost health, lost jobs, and disproportionate burdens in communities of color. But the past few years have also brought about changes that filled previously unmet needs and offered solutions. One such change is a push to make sure some of King County’s most vulnerable residents have access to vaccines.

  • caption: Hospital assistant Tracy Chambers, right, talks with another staff member in a hallway in the acute care unit, where about half the patients are COVID-19 positive or in quarantine after exposure, of Harborview Medical Center, Friday, Jan. 14, 2022, in Seattle.

    WA legislators weigh mandating nurse-to-patient ratios in hospitals

    Nurses across Washington state are experiencing the stress of short staffing in hospitals. One solution currently being proposed in the state legislature is the creation of nurse-to-patient ratios, requiring a cap on the number of patients a hospital nurse can care for at any given time.

  • caption: Example of the kind of real-time feedback generated by the AI system to increase expression of empathy.

    Can AI help increase expression of empathy?

    These days, someone seeking mental health support can find a variety of online communities to talk through what they’re feeling. In these communities, peers are usually responding, and empathy is key. A team led by University of Washington researchers studied whether AI can help peer supporters interacting on text-based online platforms respond with more empathy.