Health & Wellness News

Emergency calls for house fires increase in the winter months as people spend more time indoors using supplemental heating sources. Four officials say being prepared and having a family fire plan can be the difference between life and death.

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 discussion comes after Lehigh County Controller Mark Pinsley in August released a report that raises concerns about how child abuse accusations are handled in the county.

Allentown officials and City Center representatives have said the new zoning regulations will lay the "framework" for the developer's ambitious plans.

The Allentown School District held Unity Day events at its 15 elementary schools on Wednesday. The message at each focused on bullying prevention, as October is National Bullying Prevention Month.

Several cases of the disease have been identified since school began in August.

The festival, scheduled Oct. 21-22, will feature 5K and 10K races on Saturday and half marathon and half marathon relay races on Sunday. A half marathon relay also allows for a three-person team to run two five-mile legs and one 5K leg.

Lehigh County Commissioners' Human Services Commission will discuss the county’s Office of Children and Youth Services (OCYS) at its meeting on Wednesday.

A bill aimed at allowing nurse practitioners to practice on their own is being touted in the state capital. State Sen. Lisa Boscola was in Harrisburg Tuesday showing support for Senate Bill 25 which would allow Nurse Practitioners full practice authority.

More than a half-hour of passionate pleas didn't slow down Lehigh County commissioners as they signed off on Heather Reed's promotion to lead the Child and Youth Services department, which is mired in controversy.

Another pediatric emergency room now is open in the Lehigh Valley. St. Luke’s University Health Network on Monday opened the Isaacman Family Children’s Emergency Room, after establishing a children’s hospital this past June.

The conflict in Israel has played out across social media. The graphic nature of the videos and stories can have an impact on your mental health, according to a Lehigh Valley therapist.

WLVR's Megan Frank talks with reporters Tom Shortell and Brittany Sweeney.

The Kellyn foundation aims to bring healthier, more accessible food options to people in the area. Their mobile farmers market goes all year round and now they are working with local farms to help grow their operations.