Mary Scott Hodgin
Health and Science Reporter
An award-winning journalist from Birmingham, Mary Scott Hodgin joined WBHM as the Health and Science Reporter in 2018. In addition to a strong interest in Alabama's biodiversity and medical landscape, she has reported extensively on the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as issues related to mental health care and criminal justice.
From 2019 through 2022, Mary Scott led the development of WBHM’s first narrative podcast, “Deliberate Indifference," which traces how Alabama’s prisons became among the nation’s most dangerous, culminating in a years-long battle with federal officials. The series won a highly coveted National Edward R. Murrow Award in the Podcast category for Small Market Radio in 2023.
Mary Scott has received multiple Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards and Alabama Associated Press Media Editor awards. She was twice recognized by the Alabama Broadcasters Association as the state's “Best Large Market Radio Reporter."
A native of Birmingham, Mary Scott earned two undergraduate degrees from the University of Alabama and her Master of Business Administration from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She is fluent in Spanish and enjoys exploring the outdoors, listening to music and experimenting in the kitchen.
Mary Scott wants to know what's on your mind. Let her know what health and science questions you have.
Court ruling offers temporary victory for Alabama birth centers
The preliminary injunction requires Alabama public health officials to license birth centers that meet certain national standards.
In Alabama’s Paint Rock Valley, researchers count every tree thicker than a pencil
In an effort to better understand the biodiversity of north Alabama, scientists are conducting a “tree census,” with the goal of studying roughly 100,000 trees for 50 years.
After 12 years and a pandemic, Jefferson County’s health officer steps down
Dr. Mark Wilson is well-known for leading residents through the COVID-19 pandemic, but his legacy includes a larger effort to expand the role of public health.
With spread of fentanyl, opioids kill record number of Black men in Birmingham
The number of opioid overdose deaths among Black men in Jefferson County has quadrupled since 2019, sparking action from residents and health experts.
Nature-based education on the rise in Alabama
At least three forest schools have opened across Alabama in recent years. It's part of a nationwide movement to teach kids in nature.
NIH selects UAB’s Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo to replace Dr. Anthony Fauci
Marrazzo, who has led UAB's Division of Infectious Diseases since 2016, served as a national expert throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
Alabama providers sue over threat of prosecution for abortion assistance
In two lawsuits filed Monday, abortion-rights advocates and reproductive healthcare providers accuse Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall of violating the U.S. Constitution.
To meet rising demand, UAB emergency room begins $73 million expansion
After experiencing a 20% increase in patient volume over the past five years, the hospital plans to double treatment capacity in its emergency department.
How hard is life after prison? This simulation in Birmingham offers a taste
Across the country, U.S. justice officials are hosting simulated experiences to highlight the barriers many people face after leaving prison.
Alabama’s hemlocks face threat from a deadly insect
In the Bankhead National Forest, Eastern Hemlock trees foster unique habitat for a wide range of species. But a deadly insect is moving closer and closer.
Cahaba lily season draws crowds, inspires conservation efforts
Alabama is thought to be home to one of the world's largest populations of the unique flower, which is only in bloom for a few more weeks.
Alabama health officials seek to eliminate cervical cancer by 2033
A new campaign aims to dramatically increase rates of HPV vaccination, cancer screening and follow-up care.
Birmingham officials launch violence intervention program at UAB hospital
The initiative connects gunshot survivors with resources to try to stop the cycle of violence.
At Lovelady Center, women find hope after surviving fentanyl
Four women share stories of using and recovering from the deadly opioid fentanyl.
Increasing popularity of Alabama’s Pinhoti Trail sparks economic opportunity
A growing number of hikers are tackling Alabama's longest continuous footpath and trail communities are welcoming the growth.
Health advocates hope Narcan’s over-the-counter status will bypass Alabama’s strict laws
Public health officials say the federal rule change should expand access to the overdose-reversing medication, after years of navigating tough state restrictions on who can dispense Narcan.
After botched executions, Alabama will try lethal injection again
Alabama paused executions for three months after the state failed to execute two men and took more than three hours to kill another man. Now, after an internal review and a rule change, prison officials will resume the procedure.
Alabama medicinal plants inspire new UAB art exhibit
The new art exhibit showcases handmade books, sculptures and drawings inspired by medicinal plants found in Alabama.
In the quest for new cancer treatments, researchers look to outer space
The Southern Research team is studying how bacteria reacts in the microgravity environment, and whether it prompts the development of novel cancer therapies.
After deadliest year on record, families remember loved ones lost in Alabama prisons
Two hundred sixty-six incarcerated people died inside Alabama's prisons in 2022, and dozens have died so far in 2023.
Red Mountain Cut features time capsule of Alabama’s robust geologic history
A national natural landmark, the road cut along Birmingham's Red Mountain Expressway documents more than a hundred million years of geologic history and was once an educational centerpiece.
Alabama health officer reflects on lessons learned from COVID-19
Dr. Scott Harris describes the challenges of navigating three years of the COVID-19 pandemic, marked by political divisions and mistrust.
This swampy paradise is Alabama’s winter haven for sandhill cranes
As many as 25,000 sandhill cranes migrate to Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge every winter, along with a handful of highly endangered whooping cranes.
Residents worry about unknown health impacts of toxic landfill fumes
Officials have advised people to stay inside, seek medical care if they feel sick and relocate if necessary, a response that frustrates many residents.
Advocacy group helps Mexican families in Alabama reunite after decades apart
Some Mexican immigrants living in the U.S. hadn't seen their parents for decades. An advocacy group in Alabama is working with Mexican officials to reunite dozens of families in time for the holidays.
Organización ayuda a familias mexicanas reunirse después de décadas separadas
Algunos inmigrantes mexicanos que viven en los Estados Unidos no han visto a sus padres por décadas. Una ONG en Alabama trabaja con las autoridades mexicanas para reunir a decenas de estas familias.
The story of Alabama’s favorite homegrown Christmas tree
The Leyland cypress is a holiday staple for Alabama farmers. But the non-native tree has a surprising history.
Alabama’s Hunting 101 workshops target newcomers — and conservation dollars
State leaders hope to reverse a decades-long decline in hunting participation rates and secure more funding for wildlife restoration.
Alabama health providers warn of unusually early flu activity
In recent weeks, outpatient providers across Alabama have reported high levels of influenza-like illness, with kids facing the highest risk of hospitalization.
New mental health crisis center aims to interrupt revolving door of jail and ER visits
The new clinic in Jefferson County will offer short-term crisis care to people who might otherwise wait hours at a hospital or wind up in jail.
Scottsboro is home to the largest gray bat summer cave. They’re leaving for the winter
At Sauta Cave anywhere from 200,000 to 500,000 gray bats emerge to feast on insects. It’s thought to be the largest emergence of bats east of the Mississippi River, a spectacle that draws curious onlookers from across Alabama.
New data show how often Alabama uses solitary confinement
Survey numbers from 2021 show that roughly five percent of people in Alabama's prisons are housed in isolation for at least 22 hours a day for 15 days or more.
