Health & Wellness News

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.

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.

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.

Canine experts emphasize how dangerous and, in some cases, deadly, human foods can be to dogs.

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.

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.

In the first 10 months of the pandemic, Pennsylvania saw a significant increase in child fatalities and near-fatalities stemming from abuse and neglect.

One in eight women will develop breast cancer during their lifetime according to the American Cancer Society.

A new report says Lehigh Valley residents breathed in heavily polluted air for more than 50 days last year.

Flu season is ramping up in Pennsylvania amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and people are being urged to get flu shots to avoid further strain on the healthcare system.

Though COVID-19 vaccines have been widely available for months, Pennsylvania health authorities are pushing to get more people vaccinated.

More than a month into the school year, Pennsylvania’s mask mandate for schools is still in place while schools and parents have adopted routines for keeping kids safe while remaining in the classroom.

Concerns over students’ mental health made headlines last year.

Just like businesses, school cafeterias are being hit by supply chain and labor shortage issues. Meaning in this pandemic, even the school lunch menu is TBD.

At a press conference on Sept. 30, Gov. Tom Wolf signaled the commonwealth’s school mask mandate will end when children under 12 can be vaccinated against COVID-19.

Pennsylvania is allocating $655 million from the American Rescue Plan Act to help the child care industry recover from the pandemic.

Nurses throughout the state will soon have easier access to student loan relief, and more opportunities for apprenticeships and hospital residencies through a new $6.5 million initiative.

Anti-abortion activists at the state Capitol Monday decried efforts to increase government funding for abortions and called on the General Assembly to pass the Down syndrome abortion ban and to regulate the disposal of fetal remains.