Brittany Sweeney
Health and wellness reporterI’m LehighValleyNews.com’s health and wellness reporter and also host “Living in the Lehigh Valley,” PBS39's health and wellness show. I have covered health-related topics for Lehigh Valley Public Media, contributing to PBS39 and 91.3 WLVR, since 2018. Winning the 2020 Emmy Award for Video Journalist is something I am proud of accomplishing while working for Lehigh Valley Public Media. I grew up in Montgomery County and I'm passionate about telling compelling stories in my home state of Pennsylvania. I'm a graduate of Temple University (go Owls!) and spent most of my career working as an anchor and reporter for NBC affiliates in Northeast Pennsylvania and Ohio. When I'm not covering news around the Lehigh Valley, I can be found exploring the great outdoors with my family. Contact me at BrittanyS@lehighvalleynews.com or 610-984-8170.
-
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.
-
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.
-
Resources for grandparents who are raising their grandchildren are limited. A Pennsylvania nonprofit is working to change that in the new year.
-
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.
-
Lehigh Valley Health Network plans to merge with Jefferson Health, but deals like this are nothing new to the Philadelphia-based system. For nearly a decade, Jefferson has been combining forces with hospitals in two states.
-
Getting physical and mental health in check is a popular new year resolution. Lehigh Valley health leaders are explaining how they plan to accomplish their goals for 2024.
-
The city of Allentown is participating in National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. There are three area drop-off locations for unwanted or expired medications.
-
The Kindness Project expands into the Poconos as foster families need more resources to take in children. The non-profit offers free living essentials to kids in foster care.
-
Lehigh Valley Health Network is now scheduling appointments for the latest bivalent vaccine for kids as young as 5 years old. Parents have to make an appointment.
-
80 boxes were packed and handed out to kids across the Wilson Area School District.
-
Rachel Rutter is one of 10 women to be nationally honored by the 2022 L'Oréal Paris Women of Worth for her work with immigrant children in Pennsylvania.
-
Toddlers take to an Upper Macungie park to celebrate their graduation from the NICU. The party made a comeback after being canceled for the last two years because of the pandemic.
-
Monkeypox is getting a name change in parts of the country, but the change has not made its way to the Lehigh Valley yet. New York City’s health department recently announced it now will refer to the infectious viral disease as MPV.
-
The Lehigh Valley now has one-stop shop for breast cancer diagnosis and treatment. St. Luke's University Health Network opened the first clinic of this kind in the country.
-
Hurricane ravaged Florida continues to get help from Red Cross volunteers from the Lehigh Valley. One Lehigh County woman said she’s been asked to extend her two-week deployment, as more help is needed.
-
Red Cross: People who spent time in U.K., Ireland, France can give blood again
-
AAA East Central said that last winter season, it answered 259,423 calls about battery issues and replaced 57,051 batteries. It says now is the time to prepare your car for colder temperatures.
-
For the 2022-23 season, vaccine providers are expected to supply as many as 173.5 million to 183.5 million doses of influenza vaccines to people in the United States, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.
