Health & Wellness News

Sweltering heat is hitting the Lehigh Valley and causing an uptick in emergency room visits. An ER doctor is sharing how his team helps lower the body temperature of patients suffering from heat-related illness.

Miller-Keystone Blood Center is now Lehigh Valley Health Network's secondary blood supplier. The blood bank is redistributing it supply and taking on more hospitals in need of the life-saving products.

Digital navigators are individuals trained to help inform, educate, lead others to success.

The plans reward full work weeks and filling in at moments of urgent need at the 911 Center, Jail, and Cedarbrook Senior Home.

Join Megan Frank at 9:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. every Friday for Insights with LehighValleyNews.com on WLVR. This week, she's joined by politics reporter Tom Shortell and health reporter Brittany Sweeney.

A Pennsylvania think tank brings together medical providers and researchers to look at where the state's health care system can be improved. The panel, held by the Commonwealth Foundation, said cost, access, and attention to care are the most important issues to those who live in PA.

The FDA recently approved a new medication for those suffering from Alzheimer's Disease. A Lehigh Valley doctor said it could be an option for his local patients suffering from mild cases.

A Lehigh Valley representative introduced two gender affirming care bills recently. One would protect those in the LGBTQ community, the other would protect their medical providers.

Another heat advisory has made its way to the Lehigh Valley, accompanied by an air quality alert. While temperatures aren't expected to be as high as the last heat wave, the heat index could still hit triple-digits Monday and Tuesday.

A dancing duo from the greater Lehigh Valley is heading south to compete in the Transplant Games of America. The couple is part of Gift of Life's Team Philly made up of 150 people.

Fireworks are a popular fun way to celebrate the 4th of July, but they can also be dangerous. Allentown's police and fire officials say every year they see a serious injury or fatality caused by fireworks.

On July 1, the YMCA of Bucks and Hunterdon counties will merge with the Greater Valley YMCA in Pen Argyl to form the River Crossing YMCA.

Though COVID-19 vaccines have been widely available for months, Pennsylvania health authorities are pushing to get more people vaccinated.

More than a month into the school year, Pennsylvania’s mask mandate for schools is still in place while schools and parents have adopted routines for keeping kids safe while remaining in the classroom.

Concerns over students’ mental health made headlines last year.

Just like businesses, school cafeterias are being hit by supply chain and labor shortage issues. Meaning in this pandemic, even the school lunch menu is TBD.

At a press conference on Sept. 30, Gov. Tom Wolf signaled the commonwealth’s school mask mandate will end when children under 12 can be vaccinated against COVID-19.

Pennsylvania is allocating $655 million from the American Rescue Plan Act to help the child care industry recover from the pandemic.

Nurses throughout the state will soon have easier access to student loan relief, and more opportunities for apprenticeships and hospital residencies through a new $6.5 million initiative.

Anti-abortion activists at the state Capitol Monday decried efforts to increase government funding for abortions and called on the General Assembly to pass the Down syndrome abortion ban and to regulate the disposal of fetal remains.

Allegheny County has a new rule on the books aimed at lowering air pollution levels during weather events that trap industrial fumes near the ground.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, health experts and community leaders have warned about the racial and economic disparities amplified by the coronavirus.

Over the summer, Pennsylvania state officials said school mask policies would be left up to local districts.

After the March 2020 pandemic shutdown of non-life-sustaining businesses, more than 42,000 businesses applied to the Wolf Administration to stay open.