A native of Des Moines, Andie Dominick never pictured herself as an award-winning editorial writer. However, on April 16, she was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for her work covering the privatization of Medicaid in Iowa.

The Pulitzer Prize, established in 1917, honors those who have achieved excellence in journalism, literature, music and drama. Each year prizes are given to artists in 21 categories including, but not limited to, public service, feature photography, poetry and editorial writing, the category Dominick won.

This is the 17th Pulitzer Prize that The Des Moines Register has won. It is the first prize that they have won since 2010.  

According to the Pulitzer Prize website, Dominick was awarded the Pulitzer “for examining in a clear, indignant voice, free of cliché or sentimentality, the damaging consequences for poor Iowa residents of privatizing the state’s administration of Medicaid.” From Jan. 31 to Nov. 13, 2017, Dominick wrote numerous editorials covering the topic of privatized medicaid in Iowa, nine of which were honored with the Pulitzer.

Dominick became involved with The Des Moines Register during her childhood. She often helped her brother complete his paper route in the morning and afternoon. Her father frequently wrote letters to the editor as she was growing up. As quoted on the Des Moines Register Opinions Facebook page, Dominick says she “grew up on The Des Moines Register.”

Dominick attended Iowa State University and received a Bachelor’s Degree in English in 1994. Immediately after finishing undergraduate work, she moved onto a Master’s Degree in literature and creative writing, which she received in 1997.

“I had great professors in the English department [at Iowa State]. I spent a lot of time reading and doing homework,” Dominick said. “I remember [college] as a very busy time but, I think if you’re serious about school, it is going to be a busy time. It can be a lot to juggle.”

Upon graduation, Dominick taught in the English Department at Iowa State for four years and wrote the book “Needles: A Memoir of Growing Up with Diabetes” before applying to be an editorial writer at the Des Moines Register.

Since 2001, Dominick has worked for The Register’s editorial board mainly covering topics such as healthcare, human services and social issues. She was also recognized as a Pulitzer finalist in 2014 for a series on job licensing.

Since working for the Des Moines Register, Dominick has developed a passion for healthcare advocacy. As someone who has struggled most of her life with a chronic disease, she understands the necessity of health insurance and medical care. She chooses to advocate for Iowans by writing editorials such as her prize winning work.

“The difference with editorial writing is that you take a position and advocate for people. You’re not just reporting facts, you are also trying to persuade people to think about things a different way,” Dominick said.

Dominick currently lives in Ames with her husband and three dogs. The couple have three grown children: one in the United States Army, one attending DMACC, and the third attending Iowa State.

Winning the Pulitzer has been an overwhelming, yet humbling experience for Dominick. She hopes to continue helping Iowans with her editorials at The Register. 

“We will just keep doing the work we do. It’s really an honor [to receive this award] but, also humbling,” Dominick said. “It’s really nice to be recognized but, the work is the most important thing we do. We will continue to advocate for Iowans and try to get lawmakers to listen.”