Health & Wellness News

Looking to lose the alcohol but still enjoy a drink this January? Bars in the Lehigh Valley have you covered, with craft brews and tasty mocktails which don't need booze to please your palate.

A measles outbreak in Philadelphia has Lehigh Valley health officials on alert. St. Luke’s University Health Network reports that there are no current cases of measles in the Lehigh Valley, but the virus is very contagious.

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.

3D-printed casts are now being made by and administered at St. Luke’s University Health Network. The waterproof plastic casts are an alternative to the plaster or fiberglass casts traditionally used.

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.