Seattle Times series on MRSA epidemic wins national journalism prize

Seattle Times reporters Michael J. Berens and Ken Armstrong won the Clark Mollenhoff Award for Excellence in Investigative Reporting yesterday for their groundbreaking series on the unchecked rise of MRSA infections in the state's hospitals.

The Times series, "Culture of Resistance," published in November, analyzed millions of records to track the swath of one of the nation's most widespread, and preventable, epidemics. Reporters uncovered 672 previously undisclosed Washington deaths attributable to MRSA, or methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, a potentially deadly antibiotic-resistant germ.

The Times investigation led to several new state laws. Hospitals are now required to screen at-risk patients for MRSA, and state health regulators now will conduct surprise inspections at hospitals. They had been required to give hospitals four weeks' notice of any visits.

The award is named for Clark Mollenhoff, the late Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter who conducted groundbreaking investigations into the influence of organized crime in labor unions and businesses. His work in the 1950s led to successful crackdowns on Teamsters union corruption.

The Institute on Political Journalism administers the award, which includes a $10,000 prize. The Seattle Times has won the honor three times in the past eight years, including last year for "The Favor Factory," an investigation into congressional earmarks.

Berens and Armstrong's series previously won top honors from the Society of American Business Editors and Writers in the "projects" category for large newspapers, and from Investigative Reporters and Editors in the "large newspaper" category, which includes those with circulations between 250,000 and 500,000.