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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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. -
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. -
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. -
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. -
Some spring break travelers may take drugs, not realizing they're contaminated with the deadly opioid fentanyl. Advocates hope equipping more people with Narcan will save lives. -
Health centers are trying to accommodate as many patients seeking abortions beyond six weeks of pregnancy as they can before the ban goes into effect May 1. After that, most people will have to travel out-of-state for care. -
A state Supreme Court ruling upholding Florida's 15-week ban means a six-week ban can go into effect in 30 days. Advocates who help people access abortions say this will make it harder for patients around the Southeast to get care. -
Some family history websites allow investigators to match DNA samples with relatives, even distant ones. They can then build family trees in the hopes of tracking down the person they're looking for. -
Some advocates argue lawmakers should focus more on expanding mental health support and education to prevent youth gun violence. And they say adults who are negligent with their firearms should be held accountable for helping kids access them. -
Roughly 2,000 more people got abortions in Florida last year than the previous year, according to the latest state data. Out-of-state residents once again fueled the spike.
