Verónica Zaragovia
Health Care ReporterVerónica Zaragovia was born in Cali, Colombia, and grew up in South Florida. She’s been a lifelong WLRN listener and is proud to cover health care, as well as Surfside and Miami Beach politics for the station.
Verónica has a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master's degree in journalism. For many years, Veronica lived out of a suitcase (or two) in New York City, Tel Aviv, Hong Kong, Las Vegas, D.C., San Antonio and Austin, where she worked as the statehouse and health care reporter with NPR member station KUT.
In 2016, she received a Robert Bosch Foundation Fellowship and moved to Germany’s capital city of Berlin where she lived for several years, working as a freelance reporter and radio instructor to American college students at the Center for International Educational Exchange (CIEE). In between that time, she also spent six months in Colombia, reporting on the peace treaty between the Colombian government and the former FARC guerrilla group, with the support of a grant from the Pulitzer Center.
Verónica speaks English and Spanish fluently and can converse in French, German and Hebrew. She loves warm weather and friendly, diverse people, and that’s why Miami will always be home.
Contact Verónica at vzaragovia@wlrnnews.org
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For Amendment 4 to pass in Florida, at least 60% of voters across the political spectrum must vote yes. Now, supporters are trying to energize the yes votes, while opponents are working to weaken their support.
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Hospitals and other medical facilities are increasingly turning to the expertise of healthcare architects, patients, their families, physicians and nurses. The University of Miami Health System has a growing volunteer group helping design more effective care facilities.
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Israeli survivors of the Hamas attack on Oct. 7 visited college campuses in South Florida in April to bring their stories to students and combat antisemitism.
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A Miami-Dade doctor and central Florida woman testified before a committee of top Democratic members of Congress in Fort Lauderdale during a hearing about “the escalating threat to reproductive freedom.”
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Singer, dancer and actress Montana Tucker, from Boca Raton, is back in South Florida to help a Jewish social services nonprofit raise funds for trauma counseling on March 21. The descendant of Auschwitz survivors talked to WLRN about using her social media influence to fight hate.
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Because music helps people with Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia bring out memories, some Jews in South Florida are finding Yiddish songs effective.
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After three consecutive years of spring break violence, Miami Beach officials are implementing monthlong security measures aimed at curbing the chaos, including parking restrictions for non-residents and closing sidewalk cafes on busy weekends.
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Because Florida has chosen not to extend Medicaid eligibility to more uninsured adults, entrepreneurs and health equity advocates are coming up with solutions for those facing medical bills they cannot afford.
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Despite a 2000 law aiming to prevent the abandonment of newborn babies, a dead infant was found in a dumpster in Hollywood. Critics urge lawmakers to help mothers more.
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Miami-Dade County has the nation's highest prevalence of Alzheimer's. But with monthly memory care costs in Florida averaging at more than $8,000 per month, one family talks about the difficult choices to come.
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Emilie Ashbes overcame her drug addiction and is now helping others do the same. The work of IDEA is especially critical in Miami-Dade, which has the nation’s highest HIV infection rate, with dirty syringes, in part, to blame.
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Voters in Hialeah, Homestead, Miami and Miami Beach went to the polls Tuesday with a slate of municipal candidates to choose from. In Surfside, voters chose among five charter amendments.