Health & Wellness News

Reporter Brittany Sweeney's dishwasher recently caught fire. She tells how a smoke detector and extinguisher made all the difference

A recently released hospital performance report shows a significant increase in hospital mortality rates from 2017 to 2022. The Pennsylvania Health Care Coalition on Cost Containment releases the report each year.

A Muhlenberg College professor has launched a campaign this month to inform residents about the health risks of radon, as well as improve access to testing and mitigation. The Lehigh Valley is home to the highest radon levels ever recorded in Pennsylvania.

A comprehensive review by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine of scientific research looked at the health effects of cannabis and its compounds for a range of conditions.

PPL Electric Utilities offers tips to customers designed to keep them safe and warm during the winter season.

The CEO of St. Luke's University Health Network addressed the potential merger of competitor Lehigh Valley Health Network with Jefferson Health. CEO Rick Anderson sent a message to St. Luke's thousands of employees.

Is it COVID-19, RSV, or the flu? Doctors are saying it could be any of the three or even whooping cough. Respiratory illnesses are on the rise following the holiday season and there may not be a reprieve for a while.

January is National Radon Action Month, and officials from the American Lung Association are offering a limited supply of free radon test kits for commonwealth residents, including those in the the Lehigh Valley.

Resources for grandparents who are raising their grandchildren are limited. A Pennsylvania nonprofit is working to change that in the new year.

Take a look at stories that ran throughout the week of which we are most proud, had a profound impact on readers or that you might want to look at again.

The 75,000-square-foot St. Luke’s Sportsplex features more than two dozen indoor courts and almost the same number outside.

The most popular names have been a constant the past few years, according to the major health networks. But one trend that emerged in 2023 in the Lehigh Valley seems to be tied to sports — specifically, the success and popularity of the Philadelphia Phillies. Taylor Swift also may be having an impact.

Bucks County tests come back negative for the coronavirus in case of people exposed at at private gathering.

New CDC guidelines say employees shouldn’t go to work if they’re feeling sick to help limit the spread of the coronavirus.

Gov. Tom Wolf held a press conference Friday morning and confirmed the first two presumptive positive cases of 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Pennsylvania.

Bethlehem-based Lehigh University has cancelled its study-abroad program in Italy.

Pennsylvania is now able to test for coronavirus. The health department announced yesterday [Tuesday] that samples will be processed by a state lab in Exton.

Heath officials across the greater Lehigh Valley are keeping an eye on recent international travelers to countries with coronavirus outbreaks. 

Local Lehigh Valley colleges are confronting the risk of infection for students studying overseas and traveling for spring break.

The Pennsylvania Health Department may start conducting its own lab tests for the coronavirus later this week. Currently the CDC is handling all testing for the virus. 

There are no cases of coronavirus in Pennsylvania. But officials across the Lehigh Valley are getting ready as cases pop up in a handful of other states. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is saying it’s not a matter of if, but when more cases are diagnosed here in the United States.