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 wound care clinic, independent of the area hospitals, is now open in Salisbury Township. The office is staffed with physical therapists to treat a wide range of injuries. -
Lehigh Valley Health Network placed the last steel beam to complete the frame of their medical office building and new emergency room in Montgomery County. This is the network’s first hospital in that county and it’s set to open in the fall of 2024.
-
With around 1 million people expected to attend Musikfest this year, health and safety take top priority for organizers. Everything from cooling misters to medical tents will be on site.
-
A Lehigh Valley healthcare provider is considering prescribing the latest FDA-approved Alzheimer's medication to their patients. The drug Leqembi was granted full regulatory approval this month.
-
Good Shepherd Rehabilitation is opening a new hospital in Center Valley. The 78-bed facility opens to rehab patients Sunday, July 30th.
-
Those with lingering COVID-19 symptoms are part of the group of people who should stay indoors when smoke from the Canadian wildfires is particularly bad, says a Lehigh Valley doctor. He says people living with any type of lung problem should be aware of what’s happening outside.
-
The WHO says aspartame, in large amounts, can cause cancer. A local dietician is weighing in with how bad it really is and what substitutions are out there.
-
A program that brings mindfulness to schools continues their efforts through summer. The Mindful Child Initiative serves more than 350 classrooms throughout the year and visits playgrounds throughout the summer.
-
Supplying summer lunches for free. That’s what the health educators from Weller Health Education are doing at Lehigh Valley Health Network’s 17th Street campus.
-
If approved, the facility would make for LVHN's third "neighborhood hospital," as two others are being built in Lower Macungie and Gilbertsville in Montgomery County.
-
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.
-
Getting healthier in the new year is popular resolution, but sticking to it is the hard part. An Allentown woman is sharing how she kept with her fitness goal, even through a life-threatening diagnosis.
-
Lehigh Valley Health Network and Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals announced plans to merge this week. A healthcare analyst weighs in on what these types of deals mean for employees and patients.
-
If ultimately completed, the combined health care system would operate 30 hospitals and more than 700 outpatient sites, with more than 62,000 employees, according to LVHN and Jefferson Health.
-
Pa.'s governor wants more students to take advantage of the universal free breakfast program in schools across the state. He is challenging administrators to promote the program and increase participation.
-
A respiratory illness is plaguing dogs in 16 states, including Pennsylvania. The Lehigh Valley Humane Society is weighing in on the signs and symptoms of the virus.
-
A new hospital in the St. Luke’s University Health Network is now open. The ribbon was cut on the orthopedic hospital Wednesday and patients will start being seen at the South Whitehall Township location next week.
-
Strep throat is common this time of year among children, but as cases are on the rise a local doctor stresses the importance of getting kids tested and on medication. The bacteria can also cause a condition called scarlet fever.
-
A local pediatrician says they’ve had to narrow the number of Lehigh Valley children who can receive a new RSV preventative antibody treatment because of a shortage of the product. She believes the treatment maker underestimated the demand.
-
Holiday parties and drinking go hand-in-hand, but when does it become a problem? A local emergency room doctor talks about the short and long term impacts of alcohol consumption.
-
The Alzheimer’s Association recently teamed up with the Hispanic Center Lehigh Valley to hold an informational event for Spanish speaking seniors. A language barrier can stop people from getting the information they need.
-
The inflation Reduction Act went into effect this year, which caps the price of 10 prescription drugs for Medicare recipients at $35 per month. Now, Congresswoman Susan Wild is talking about a few more bills to make medications more affordable.
