Aparna Zalani

Fort Worth, United States

Investigative Producer at CBS News

Investigative Producer CBS News & Stations. 🇺🇸

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Articles

More than 400 nonprofit hospitals chase down patients eligible for free care

2 weeks ago | cbsnews.com | Steve Reilly |Aparna Zalani |Ash-har Quraishi |Kenneth Beard

Alexis Lewis was a 22-year-old trying to do everything right. She was enrolled at a local community college in Knoxville, Tennessee, with dreams of being a nurse while working two jobs, earning just enough to get by. "I was taking care of myself at the time," she said. But, like thousands of Americans every year, Lewis' path was derailed by one trip to the emergency room. "I would have panic attacks and pretty much have to go to the emergency room," Lewis said.
Nonprofit hospitals chase down patients eligible for free care

2 weeks ago | yahoo.com | Steve Reilly |Ryan Beard |Ash-har Quraishi |Aparna Zalani

Alexis Lewis was a 22-year-old trying to do everything right. She was enrolled at a local community college in Knoxville, Tennessee, with dreams of being a nurse while working two jobs, earning just enough to get by. "I was taking care of myself at the time," she said. But, like thousands of Americans every year, Lewis' path was derailed by one trip to the emergency room. "I would have panic attacks and pretty much have to go to the emergency room," Lewis said.
Left temporarily homeless by Helene and Milton, many struggle to pay their mortgages

2 weeks ago | cbsnews.com | Dave Malkoff |Tracy Wholf |Aparna Zalani

Couple paying mortgage on unlivable home Hudson, Florida — Six months after Hurricane Helene hit Beth and Alex Brightman's home in Hudson, Florida, the flood damage is still visible. Since then, they have changed the message at their front door to "Let's not stay home.""It originally said, 'let's stay home,' because that's all we wanted to do, was stay here in our retirement home," Beth explained.
Why donated organs are left unused.

1 month ago | cbsnews.com | Tom Hanson |Aparna Zalani |Rachel L. Gold |Justin Sherman

In the U.S., thousands of donated organs never reach the patients who need them. CBS News found that last year, one in three kidneys recovered from deceased donors were never transplanted. Specialized organ recovery teams made more than 26 million attempts to place these kidneys with transplant centers, offering them again and again in search of a suitable match--before they were ultimately discarded as medical waste. And it's not just kidneys.
Residents must pay to replace private bridges destroyed by Hurricane Helene

2 months ago | aol.com | Dave Malkoff |Aparna Zalani |Justin McCray |Justin Mccray

Jeff Hughes, a woodworker who makes caskets in Newland, North Carolina, takes great care in every cut and saw line — but there's no easy way for him to get them to the funeral home. That's because the bridge he and his neighbors rely on to get to the main road was washed away by Hurricane Helene more than four months ago. The catastrophic storm devastated parts of North Carolina and Tennessee, killing more than 200 people and doing $60 billion in damage.
Hurricane Helene destroyed their local bridge, but residents must pay for its replacement

Feb 4, 2025 | cbsnews.com | Dave Malkoff |Aparna Zalani |Justin McCray |Justin Mccray

Neighbors must pay for bridge destroyed by Helene Jeff Hughes, a woodworker who makes caskets in Newland, North Carolina, takes great care in every cut and saw line — but there's no easy way for him to get them to the funeral home. That's because the bridge he and his neighbors rely on to get to the main road was washed away by Hurricane Helene more than four months ago.
Counterfeit weight loss drugs sold online, feeding demand for cheaper options

Nov 8, 2024 | cbsnews.com | Tom Hanson |Aparna Zalani |Justin Sherman |Ryan Beard

Counterfeit weight loss drugs flood internet Slickly designed websites. Unbelievable markdowns. A simple online search for semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic or Wegovy, can lead consumers down a rabbit hole of seemingly reputable online pharmacies in search of weight loss drugs at a discounted price. The temptation is clear for many Americans, but some of those deals come with a potentially deadly cost.
Families sacrifice time and money caring for loved ones. A new caregiver calculator reveals the high cost.

Oct 14, 2024 | cbsnews.com | Ash-har Quraishi |Aparna Zalani |Ryan Beard |Aaron Munoz

Across the U.S., family members caring for loved ones provide an estimated $600 billion in unpaid services each year, sacrificing time, money and often their well-being to care for aging loved ones, according to an AARP survey. As Congress considers a bill that would provide family caregivers a tax credit, quantifying how much that time is worth is proving to be difficult. Amy Goyer understands the challenge. Caring for her aging parents meant turning her life upside down.
This protocol can save overheating patients. Few states require it.

Aug 17, 2024 | yahoo.com | David Schechter |Kerry Breen |Aparna Zalani

David Schechter, Kerry Breen, Chance Horner, Aparna ZalaniUpdated August 22, 2024 at 10:36 AM·3 min readDuring football practice in Fort Myers, Florida, 17-year-old Zach Martin collapsed. His body temperature hit 107 degrees, and when the ambulance arrived on the scene, he was unresponsive and moaning, according to his mother Laurie Giordano. "I just remember the panic that was setting in in that moment," Giordano said.
Lithium-ion battery fires are on the rise. Are firefighters ready?

Aug 13, 2024 | yahoo.com | Ash-har Quraishi |Aparna Zalani |Ryan Beard |Dilcia Mercedes

The rechargeable batteries that power common items like e-bikes, scooters and electric cars can pose a dangerous new threat to firefighters. They burn hotter and longer — and many fire departments may be unprepared to tackle them. In June, four people were killed and two others seriously injured after a lithium-ion battery malfunctioned and sparked a fire in a first-floor e-bike shop in New York. Fire officials say the blaze quickly spread to apartments above the shop.