Health & Wellness News

Patient advocates protested Wednesday outside Lehigh Valley Health Network's Cedar Crest Campus.

Our daily list of useful information, chosen to inform and enhance your day, includes news you can use and then some!

The Lehigh Valley will host a marathon for the first time since the pandemic started. Registration will open this month for the St. Luke’s D&L RaceFest.

Lehigh Valley Health Network was victimized in a cybersecurity attack last month. The network said it refused to pay a ransom. Now, patient information and photos have been posted on the dark web, according to LVHN.

Today, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs announced $52.5 million in grants intended to prevent suicide. Named for Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox, the suicide prevention grant program is now in its second year. Its goal is to fund community-based organizations that work with veterans and their families. Last year, the VA gave awards to three groups in Pennsylvania, including more than $530,000 to St. Luke’s Penn Foundation in Carbon County. Eighty recipients won awards nationwide in the program’s first year. Grant applications are due by May 19 with awards expected to be announced in September. Selected organizations will receive funding for 2024. More information on how to apply is available at mentalhealth.va.gov.

Drug shortages seem to be a big issue in the wake of the pandemic. Children's pain medication and other prescriptions have been hard to get in the past few months because of supply chain issues.

The proposed legislation, Senate Bill 8, would remove out-of-pocket costs and require 100% coverage for preventative breast cancer screenings and genetic testing. Proponents say it would be the first of its kind in the nation.

Starting Monday, March 6, Lehigh Valley Health Network will no longer require coronavirus face masks for the public inside hospitals and health care facilities in areas not associated with patient care.

Musician James Casey talks to a Lehigh Valley company about his fight with colon cancer. He is using his platform to tell others about the importance of getting screened.

Toastique, whose founder is a Lehigh Valley native, is finally coming to Bethlehem.

Many school nurses say the pandemic made them feel burned out, stressed out, and exhausted. Now, some are working to catch up on work that didn't get done during that time.

Wild, D-Lehigh Valley, missed votes in Congress this week as a result of her condition. Her office's communications director made the announcement on social media.

County Executive Lamont McClure said the closings mark the end of a significant chapter in the county’s COVID-19 response. More than 3.5 million cases and 50,000 deaths in Pennsylvania have been attributed to COVID since 2020.

The Peeps chick paid a visit to Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital to help celebrate the pediatric hospital's 12th anniversary.

Andy Wright endorses LVHN's Executive Health Program for its thorough, efficient one-day health assessments, costing $3,900, offering extensive tests, results reviews, and a year of follow-up coaching.

The president of the Midway Manor Community Association says the money will be used to update playground equipment and a snack stand, as well as buy youth sports uniforms and equipment.

The Veterans Affairs clinic in South Whitehall Township is hosting a free event Wednesday aimed at helping veterans enroll in VA health care and understand the PACT Act. More people are now eligible for benefits following changes to the law.

Fountain Hill native Evelyn Smith gives a nod to living a good, simple and long life, with family and close friends for a pre-birthday celebration.

The second annual Greenway Pride event in Bethlehem drew a warm crowd despite the damp weather. Attendees said the Lehigh Valley needs more events and places that cater to the region's LGBT community.

Northampton County Council tabled a measure Thursday night that would declare the county a “sanctuary” for abortion access.

Changes to breast cancer screening recommendations are out from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. A Lehigh Valley Health Network physician is calling for more frequent screenings than those in the updated recommendations.

Reporters Ryan Gaylor and Brittany Sweeney talk about a Bethlehem school resource officer arraigned on multiple sex crimes and a merger between LVHN and Jefferson University Hospital.

Northampton Community College hosted the Lehigh Valley’s annual Safety & Health Expo. The Lehigh Valley Safety Committee welcomes people from around the area to the free event.

A new behavioral health hospital is being built in Hanover Township, Northampton County. Ground was broken Wednesday for Lehigh Valley Health Network’s new facility on the LVHN-Muhlenberg campus.