Health & Wellness News

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 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.

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.

Lehigh Valley Health Network's first in-person annual community meeting since the pandemic highlighted hospital expansions, a new education center and new stem cell treatments while acknowledging continuing challenges from the pandemic.

Health insurance giant Aetna has shuttered its office space at 1015 Club Ave., in the Lehigh Shopping Center near Union Boulevard in Bethlehem.

The Lehigh Valley Health Network broke ground on its first "neighborhood hospital" of its network and a new health office in Lower Macungie Township Monday.

A group of local leaders is coming together to address the child care crisis families are facing around the Lehigh Valley. The event will address these facilities facing challenges and solutions for how to begin to fix the problems.