Health & Wellness News

Legislators worked to establish penalties for xylazine use and trafficking in an attempt to lessen its presence in Pennsylvania's illicit drug supply. Some say doing so made way for a new, unclassified veterinary tranquilizer to take its place — medetomidine.

Nearly a year after the Biden administration designated xylazine as an "emerging threat" to the United States, Gov. Josh Shapiro classified it as a schedule III drug, making unauthorized possession a crime in Pennsylvania. Experts say the move has partly served to clear the way for new illicit substances to enter the drug market.

Proposed federal budget cuts would impact programs such as the free summer meal program for children in the Allentown School District.

The $2.75 million payment to the federal government resolves allegations that a pharmacy technician stole controlled substances on about 40 occasions and the health network failed to institute proper controls.

Despite not being approved for human consumption, veterinary tranquilizers are infiltrating the illicit drug supply in Pennsylvania. Harm reduction specialists and health care professionals say these overdoses can't be approached solely with naloxone, the opioid overdose reversal drug.

A generous donation from a Lehigh Valley native and others funds free swim lessons for children and adults in the River Crossing YMCA's Safety Around Water, or SAW, swim education program.

The bill would limit the manufacture, sale, distribution and use of firefighting foam containing PFAS, also known as forever chemicals, beginning in 2026.

Xylazine, an animal-grade tranquilizer that's not approved for human use, has taken Pennsylvania's illicit drug supply by storm. Known on the streets as "tranq," it accounted for almost 1 in 4 overdose deaths in Pennsylvania by 2023. Last year in Lehigh County, it was a contributing cause of death in 20 of the 112 deadly overdoses, or 17.9 percent of cases.

The funding comes from the commonwealth’s Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure program, a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Known as "tranq" on the streets, an animal tranquilizer named xylazine infiltrated drug supplies throughout Pennsylvania since 2019. Its presence in the Lehigh Valley has grown, with deadly consequences.

With the Lehigh Valley under an extreme heat warning through Wednesday, area doctors are urging residents to keep hydrated and stay cool.

The U.S. Senate could vote on the proposed One Big Beautiful Bill Act this week. If passed, millions of Americans would lose access to Medicaid and SNAP benefits in order to fund border security and tax cuts to wealthy Americans.

Lisa Dente, 41, a teacher at Five Points Elementary School in Upper Mount Bethel Township, will run the Boston Marathon for the first time since the bombing in 2013 to raise money for PTSD victims.

Chris Yarnell is working to help Veterans.

Here are tips and tools for Pennsylvanians who use Medicaid to requalify for coverage after a pandemic-era federal moratorium on kicking people off Medicaid has ended.

An organ transplant recipient and the donor’s Lehigh Valley family are sharing their experience in order to encourage others to become organ donors. April is National Donate Life Month.

The decision came with a decline in COVID-19 cases in the areas LVHN serves.

Muhlenberg College announced its second academic partnership with Villanova University today. This partnership will allow Muhlenberg prehealth students to earn a second bachelors in nursing at Villanova’s M. Louise Fitzpatrick College of Nursing in an accelerated time frame.

It would potentially take one of the pills used in a medication abortion off the market

The Easton site of Miller Keystone Blood Center has been relocated to a bigger, more visual space. Those who work there hope it will bring in more donors.

Lehigh Valley Health Network is implementing a new system that helps improve care and cut costs for patients and the system. The data analytic app will help reduce wasteful spending and assist clinicians in making informed decisions.

'American Hospitals: Healing A Broken System' is a documentary about the rising cost of hospital care. A businessman and filmmaker, both from the Lehigh Valley, produced the film that can be screened in Bethlehem this month.

An egg hunt was held for visually impaired children this week. The Allentown Fire Department Bomb Squad and Sights for Hope teamed up for the event.

The offices that help Pennsylvanians keep their Medicaid benefits are facing persistent vacancies and a heavy workload. Advocates and staff fear people could lose coverage as a result.