Health & Wellness News

The merger is expected to be finalized later in the summer. Once fully approved, the two health care behemoths will form a partnership resulting in a regional provider overseeing 30 hospitals and more than 700 outpatient care sites.

The Allentown branch of the Greater Valley YMCA is back open following a fire last June. The reopening Monday brought back regulars for workouts — and the public can try it out for free through the end of May.

Easton Public Market will celebrate its eighth anniversary on Friday, May 17, with a special party featuring vendors, the band A Few Good Men, and a fundraiser benefiting Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital.

Good Shepherd Rehabilitation is hosting a stroke risk screening event. About every 40 seconds someone has a stroke in the United States, but the health condition is preventable.

The powerful animal tranquilizer is showing up in supplies of illicit drugs and is contributing to a growing number of overdose deaths, including in the Lehigh Valley.

A Lehigh Valley based group is working to connect first responders with mental health and other resources. Those who protect and serve are often faced with traumatic situations, now there's help to process feelings formed on the job.

The safety of a skin care procedure that draws patients’ blood and uses it in the healing process is coming into question. A Lehigh Valley nurse explains how to stay safe while receiving a vampire facial.

Nicotine pouches seem to be growing in popularity, especially among the younger generations. A local doctor weighs in on the risks of using this type of product.

The two weeks of donations for the Boutique at the Rink cancer support fundraiser opened this weekend as volunteers accepted, sorted and placed “cream of the crop” clothing, housewares, sporting equipment and more on tables and racks inside the Earl Shaeffer Memorial Ice Rink on Illick's Mill Road in Bethlehem. The sale runs from May 28-June 1. Volunteers are still needed.

Some of the most beloved characters from the "Star Wars" movies paid a visit to the kids at Lehigh Valley Reilly Children's Hospital. The fun was planned to start May the Fourth festivities early and bring a smile to the kids' faces.

A bi-annual safety report for general hospitals ranks a portion of the Lehigh Valley as one of the best patient safety areas in the nation. The report grades the facilities on how well they prevent medical errors, accidents and infections.

Allentown’s first ever Community Health Needs Assessment is out. Three areas have been identified as the highest priority and include loneliness and social isolation, safe, stable and affordable housing, and upward economic mobility.

Grant Wahl, sports reporter, died from aortic aneurysm covering the world cup. A doctor from Lehigh Valley Health Network explains the signs and symptoms of the condition.

A state advisory board is questioning the rigor of telemedicine appointments for marijuana cards and advertising by marijuana businesses.

“We don’t want to see any more individuals die from an opioid use disorder that don’t need to die,” said Barbara Durkin, director of Lackawanna/Susquehanna Office of Drug and Alcohol Programs.

Lehigh Valley Health Network is one of three hospital systems in the country chosen to participate in the study. Oncologists with LVHN are looking for patients to participate.

Members of Pennsylvania’s Medical Marijuana Advisory Board are publicly questioning the Wolf administration’s oversight of doctors and third-party certification companies.

State officials expanded the order earlier this year to include four different forms of the drug, including a nasal spray and a syringe option with two injectable single-dose vials of naloxone.

Pennsylvania will receive more than $2 billion from two pharmacy chains.

Hiring for Good Shepherd Rehabilitation's new hospital in Center Valley is set to start in the new year. Construction is on track at the site across from the Promenade shops.

A Lehigh Valley neurologist explains what stiff person syndrome is after singer Celine Dion reveals her diagnosis.

Dozens of students say a 6-year-old horse named Pippa lifted their spirits. Organizers tout the health and psychological benefits of equine therapy.

The Community Connections Partnership joins social workers from the city's Health Bureau with police officers to connect people who need help with social services. The police chief says the program has been successful, but the idea is not universally popular.

The real specimens that will be on display at Da Vinci Science Center are designed to compare and contrast healthy bodies and organs with those that are diseased, with an emphasis on common ailments along with cardiovascular issues and dementia.