Health & Wellness News

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.

New therapies for sickle cell disease could be available in the Lehigh Valley next year. The FDA approved the treatments earlier this month for people 12 and older. The disease disproportionately affects people who are Black and of certain other descents.

Lehigh Valley Health Network plans to merge with Jefferson Health, but deals like this are nothing new to the Philadelphia-based system. For nearly a decade, Jefferson has been combining forces with hospitals in two states.

Getting physical and mental health in check is a popular new year resolution. Lehigh Valley health leaders are explaining how they plan to accomplish their goals for 2024.

Getting healthier in the new year is popular resolution, but sticking to it is the hard part. An Allentown woman is sharing how she kept with her fitness goal, even through a life-threatening diagnosis.

Canine experts emphasize how dangerous and, in some cases, deadly, human foods can be to dogs.

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.

Lehigh Valley Health Network and Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals announced plans to merge this week. A healthcare analyst weighs in on what these types of deals mean for employees and patients.

If ultimately completed, the combined health care system would operate 30 hospitals and more than 700 outpatient sites, with more than 62,000 employees, according to LVHN and Jefferson Health.

Pa.'s governor wants more students to take advantage of the universal free breakfast program in schools across the state. He is challenging administrators to promote the program and increase participation.

A respiratory illness is plaguing dogs in 16 states, including Pennsylvania. The Lehigh Valley Humane Society is weighing in on the signs and symptoms of the virus.

News Director Jen Rehill talks to reporters Will Oliver and Brittany Sweeney.

Financial assistance is on the way to help a Lehigh Valley nonprofit that assists women who have been sex trafficked. Bloom for Women can now make upgrades to the housing they offer and begin providing services to men and children with the money.

Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry is alerting consumers of scammers selling sunglasses to view the eclipse on April 8 that do not protect one's eyes from potentially permanent damage.

Lehigh County is pulling the Child Advocacy Center, which serves children who may have been abused, out of Lehigh Valley Health Network. The new center may lack a medical specialist in the field.

A local oncologist is giving some insight into the cancer diagnosis of Kate Middleton. The St. Luke's doctor specializes in gastrointestinal cancers and talks about what the Princess of Wales could be experiencing.

As Miller-Keystone Blood Center is set to no longer be the primary supplier of one of its largest customers, supporters are speaking out about what the nonprofit center has done for them. Blood donors, recipients and coordinators are sharing their life-saving stories.

The women of Sixth Street Shelter in Allentown were hosted for a luncheon to culminate National Women’s Month. The women executives from Bear Creek Mountain Resort met with them to talk about women in leadership and business.

WLVR's Megan Frank talks with journalists Brittany Sweeney and Jay Bradley.

For the third year in a row, St. Luke's University Health Network topped health systems in Pennsylvania for charitable giving, according to the Lown Institute.

St. Luke's University Health Network is offering a health and wellness program to businesses in the Lehigh Valley aimed at keeping employees safe. The program has already helped reduce the instances of workplace injuries.

Psychedelic mushrooms are being studied by the medical community to treat issues like anxiety and depression. A Muhlenberg College professor is weighing in with where the research stands and if we could see the legalization of the drug anytime soon.

U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra toured St. Luke's University Health Network facilities in Allentown Monday while making time to speak with Latino voters about the 2024 presidential campaign.

New policy to combat systemic racism is in place at LVHN. The Valley's largest employer has new protocols in place following accusations of racism from a resident.