Sammy Caiola
Former Healthcare Reporter
Sammy Caiola has been covering health care in California for the last seven years. Before joining CapRadio in 2017, Sammy was a health reporter at The Sacramento Bee. She has degrees in journalism and gender studies from Northwestern University.
Over time, Sammy has developed an interest in trauma and its impact on mental and physical wellbeing. Her major projects have explored Black child mortality, suicide in rural towns, health care for undocumented Californians and the aftermath of sexual assault. She was part of a National Edward R. Murrow Award-winning project about aging, and was recognized by the Society of Professional Journalists for her breaking news coverage of the 2020 racial justice demonstrations.
Sammy is an amateur musical theatre performer and an avid hiker. She hails from Long Island, New York.
COVID vaccines are rolling out for younger kids in Northern California. Here's what to know.
November 4, 2021
Pharmacies and doctors’ offices are starting to administer COVID-19 vaccinations to children ages 5-11 following federal approval. Here’s what parents need to know.
Covered California enrollment starts with extra federal boost for low and middle-income families
November 1, 2021
Enrollment for Covered California, the state’s health insurance marketplace, is now open. And this year, health officials say there is extra federal assistance available to low and middle-income families.
Sacramento’s ‘safe ground’ locations help unhoused people, but advocates say more need to open before winter
October 27, 2021
Six months after its opening, a city of Sacramento program to let unhoused people camp and park in an empty lot is getting some people indoors. But advocates say it’s not enough, especially with cold weather approaching.
Can we gather this winter? COVID-19 is slowing in California, but experts still say to be careful.
October 14, 2021
COVID-19 vaccines will likely spare California from another fall and winter surge, but the pandemic isn’t over and precautions are still needed this holiday season.
Sacramento County could ban flavored e-cigarettes, menthol under proposed ordinance
October 14, 2021
Supervisors are introducing a rule that would ban the sale of flavored tobacco products, such as flavored e-cigarettes and menthol cigarettes. These products are already banned in about 100 California jurisdictions, including the city.
Restorative Justice Group Offers Closure, Redemption For Both Survivors And Perpetrators Of Sexual Violence
August 23, 2021
For some sexual assault survivors, going to the police isn’t a safe or appealing option. Restorative justice offers a way for perpetrators and the people they’ve harmed to meet in a supervised setting.
Sacramento Homeless Outreach Groups Continue Efforts To Raise Vaccination Rates As Delta Variant Spreads
August 18, 2021
Advocates for unhoused Sacramentans say immunization rates are low, but more outreach and city-sanctioned campsites could help improve the situation.
Governor Newsom Is Mandating Vaccines For Teachers, Health Care Workers. Disability Advocates Say It Should Apply To Caregivers, Too
August 12, 2021
Health care workers in group settings must be fully immunized by the end of September under a new state order. Disability advocates say the rule should also apply to home care workers.
East Area Rapist Survivor Creates New Support Space for Sacramento Assault Victims
August 9, 2021
One year after Joseph DeAngelo was sentenced to a life in prison for committing a string of rapes and murders in the 1970’s and 1980’s, survivors of his crimes are speaking up and inviting others to do the same.
People In Nursing Homes, Day Centers Are Vulnerable To The Delta Variant. State Officials Say Staff Vaccine Requirements Could Protect Them.
August 6, 2021
All Californians who work in health care facilities must be fully vaccinated by the end of September, according to a new state order. It’s an effort to protect people in congregate settings.