Organ Failure
A Death Sentence: Native Americans Shut Out of the Nation’s Liver Transplant System
Despite being more likely to die of liver disease, Native Americans are far less likely to make the transplant list than White people
Malena Carollo
Investigative Reporter
Malena Carollo investigates broken systems and wrongdoing.
Her most recent investigation found that a sweeping change to an algorithm deciding who gets a life-saving liver transplant hurt patients in several poorer, more rural states in the South and Midwest. Other states, however, benefited significantly—including several whose transplant leaders orchestrated the change behind the scenes. The investigation was copublished with The Washington Post.
Her previous work prompted an investigation by the Florida Attorney General’s office into an auto lender’s predatory practices, highlighted a state-sanctioned loan program saddling homeowners with significant debt, and showed that Florida’s largest power company was among the deadliest for customers. Her work was the basis for an episode of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver.
Malena mentors other journalists through the Investigative Reporters & Editors program with Journalism Mentors.
She earned her master’s degree at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, where she studied investigative and data reporting and practical digital security. When she isn’t working, she enjoys hiking. She is based in Florida.
Show Your WorkOrgan Failure
How We Investigated Racial Disparities in Liver Transplants
We found Native Americans were listed for a transplant significantly less often than other racial groups compared with their number of deaths from liver disease
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Organ Failure
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