Health & Wellness News

1 in 4 menstruating students in the Allentown School District have missed class time because of the lack of access to period products. Funding for free menstrual products for students was approved in the 2024-2025 state budget.

The merger of Lehigh Valley Health Network and Jefferson Health is now complete. The two closed the deal Thursday morning, creating a regional hospital system that oversees 30 hospitals and more than 700 outpatient care sites.

The Lehigh County coroner says the average age of people dying from suicide is getting older. He says his office is tracking the data in an effort to provide more outreach efforts.

Deli meat company Boar's Head has recalled 7 million more pounds of meats potentially affected by a listeria outbreak less than a week after the initial recall.

An Easton-area couple brought home numerous medals from the 2024 Transplant Games of America. They are among seven athletes from Northampton and Lehigh counties who participated.

Gov. Josh Shapiro signed a new law that will regulate pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs. It's intended to save local pharmacies from closing and save patients money on prescription medications.

Allentown School District will partner with Valley Health Partners Community Vision Center during the 2024-25 academic year to offer students comprehensive eye exams. More than 2,300 students failed vision tests last year.

U.S. Rep. Susan Wild touted her bill that she says would protect fertility rights. She held a news conference at the nation's Capitol on World IVF Day this week.

According to Oasis founder Rhonda Miller, the nonprofit agency has assisted around 3,800 participants annually in various groups, programs and events. That number represents about 500 unique families, she said.

Allentown, Bethlehem, and Easton have teamed up with Lehigh Valley Health Network to make the Lehigh Valley a Blue Zone. The initiative was launched this week and will take the next few years to earn the certification.

Lehigh Valley Health Network opens an employee child care center in Bethlehem, across from LVHN Muhlenberg. The River Crossing YMCA will run the program.

A physician response vehicle is now on the roads of the Lehigh Valley to help save lives on the scene of an emergency. The SUV and the team that operates it assist paramedics with critical cases outside the hospital setting.

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.

October is National Dental Hygiene Month. Local health care providers have a few options for those who can't afford dental work.

The Suicide Prevention Coalition of Lehigh County is starting its LOSS Team, which will serve as first responders to assist families caught in the immediate aftermath of a suicide.

LVHN's Deputy Physician in Chief of the Lehigh Valley topper Cancer Institute has a pair of pink shoes for each day of the month. Dr. Lori Alfonse wears her fancy footwear to raise awareness about breast cancer prevention and treatment.

The Bethlehem Township commissioners on Monday unanimously approved both motions. Some residents are still concerned about Medevac helicopters getting too close to nearby neighborhoods.

The Whitehall Township Board of Commissioners is expected on Monday night to accept the bid of a Harrisburg-based civil engineering firm to conduct an evaluation of two recreation projects.

One in eight women are diagnosed with breast cancer, according to the American Cancer Society. A Palmerton woman is now a breast cancer advocate asking everyone to attend an event this October.

Accusations against Lehigh Valley Health Network mirror others across the country, such as the one featured on Netflix's Take Care of Maya.

DeSales University professor Elisabeth Felten is in her second year teaching non-traditional, special needs adults to give them a college experience.

An upcoming event in the Lehigh Valley aims to educate people about perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. It’s a topic not often talked about that plagues a number of new parents.

A local initiative to develop a sustainable farm food infrastructure was instrumental in Pennsylvania Secretary of Agriculture Russell Redding choosing to appear in Easton to announce the theme for the 2024 state Farm Show in Harrisburg.

The Parkland School District acquired the property at 3599 Broadway, next to Cetronia Elementary. The former landowner had previously planned to put a drug and alcohol recovery house there.