Marshall Allen (journalist)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Marshall Allen | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 20, 1972 Portland, Oregon, U.S. |
| Died | May 19, 2024 (aged 52) Colleyville, Texas, U.S. |
| Education | University of Colorado Boulder, Fuller Theological Seminary (MA) |
| Occupation | Journalist |
| Known for | 2011 Goldsmith Prize for Investigative Reporting |
| Spouse | Sonja Allen |
| Children | 3 |
Marshall Allen (March 20, 1972 – May 19, 2024) was an American journalist who, with Alex Richards, won the 2011 Goldsmith Prize for Investigative Reporting for reporting on patient safety in Las Vegas hospitals as a reporter at the Las Vegas Sun. The series of articles was also a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Local Reporting in 2011.[1][2][3]
Allen was born March 20, 1972, in Portland, Oregon, the second son of Darrell and Polly Allen.[4] He graduated from Fuller Theological Seminary, with a Master's degree in Theology. For three years, he and his wife Sonja served as missionaries associated with Young Life in Nairobi, Kenya.[5]
Allen was a staff writer at the Pasadena Star-News, and the News-Press and Foothill Leader Newspapers.[6] He was a reporter for the Las Vegas Sun, from 2006 to 2011.[7] He was a 2009 Fellow of the Association of Health Care Journalists (AHCJ).[8] The "Do No Harm" project was based on data mining, and analyzing hospital records turned over to the State of Nevada.
Allen reported on health care for ProPublica[9] and taught investigative health reporting at the City University of New York Graduate School of Journalism.[10] In 2018, Allen was named a "Top Doctor" in the State of New York. Despite carrying no medical credentials, he was able to pay $99 to receive the award.[11]
After the success of his book Never Pay the First Bill, Marshall Allen founded the Allen Health Academy, a platform dedicated to empowering individuals and employers with strategies to lower healthcare costs and navigate the complexities of the healthcare system.[12][13] Students have saved a reported $1.65M in medical bills as a result of Allen's curriculum.[14]
Allen died of a heart attack on May 19, 2024, at the age of 52. ProPublica, his former employer, published his obituary.[4][15]
After Allen's death, friends and colleagues launched the Marshall Allen Project to equip working Americans and employers with knowledge, strategies, and tools to lower health care costs.[16][better source needed]
Allen insisted that uncovering truth was fundamental to his Christian faith.[5]
