Pa. measles cases prompt CVS to push vaccine statewide
Following the confirmation of at least five measles cases in Pennsylvania, CVS Health reminded patients of its services that offer the measles vaccine to unvaccinated commonwealth residents. Pennsylvania’s first measles case of the year was reported in Montgomery County outside of Philadelphia on March 2, and the second was reported...
A stroke survivor speaks again with the help of an experimental brain-computer implant
Scientists have developed a device that can translate thoughts about speech into spoken words in real time. Although it’s still experimental, they hope the brain-computer interface could someday help give voice to those unable to speak. A new study described testing the device on a 47-year-old woman with quadriplegia who...
Under the new Trump administration, this year’s Transgender Day of Visibility has a different tenor
On the campaign trail, Donald Trump used contentiousness around transgender people’s access to sports and bathrooms to fire up conservative voters and sway undecideds. And in his first months back in office, Trump has pushed the issue further, erasing mention of transgender people on government websites and passports and trying...
Mexico bans junk food sales in schools in its latest salvo against child obesity
MEXICO CITY — A government-sponsored junk food ban in schools across Mexico took effect Saturday, officials said, as the country tries to tackle one of the world’s worst obesity and diabetes epidemics. The health guidelines, first published last fall, take a direct shot at salty and sweet processed products that...
Top vaccine official resigns from FDA, criticizes RFK Jr. for promoting ‘misinformation and lies’
WASHINGTON — The top vaccine official with the Food and Drug Administration has resigned and criticized the nation’s top health official for allowing “misinformation and lies” to guide his thinking behind the safety of vaccinations. Dr. Peter Marks sent a letter to Acting FDA Commissioner Sara Brenner on Friday saying...
Deadly, drug-resistant fungus CDC calls ‘urgent threat’ is spreading in hospitals
A deadly, drug-resistant fungus that preys on the sick and old is continuing to spread in hospitals and senior care facilities across the country, killing more than 1 in 3 infected. Candida auris, a type of yeast that can cause life-threatening illness, was first identified in the U.S. in 2016...
Michigan patient dies after contracting rabies from organ transplant
A Michigan resident died earlier this year after contracting rabies from an organ transplant, health officials said. The patient had the organ transplanted at a hospital in Ohio in December and died in January, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services spokesperson Lynn Sutfin said. A subsequent investigation that also...
Health and Human Services to lay off 10,000 workers, close agencies in a major restructuring
WASHINGTON — In a major overhaul, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will lay off 10,000 workers and shut down entire agencies, including ones that oversee billions of dollars in funds for addiction services and community health centers across the country. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. criticized...
Kansas measles cases double to 23 and new Ohio outbreak sickens 10
A measles outbreak in Kansas doubled in less than a week to 23 cases and has “a possible link” to outbreaks in Texas and New Mexico that have sickened more than 370, the state health department said Wednesday. And health officials in Ohio say a single case identified in Ashtabula...
Trump to nominate acting CDC director Susan Monarez for the position, White House official says
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump will nominate Susan Monarez, the acting director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and a longtime federal staffer, to the permanent position, a White House official confirmed Monday. Trump abruptly withdrew the nomination of his first pick, David Weldon, earlier this month....
Target brand green beans recalled over unknown foreign object risk
Target’s brand of green beans have been recalled due to a foreign object contamination risk — and Pennsylvania is affected. Del Monte Foods issued a voluntary recall last month for nearly 200,000 cans of the Target brand Good & Gather Cut Green Beans, Today reported. The cans affected are “Best...
Covid spurred both public health advances and science skepticism
One of the nation’s most outspoken vaccine experts believes the U.S. is already forgetting a critical lesson reinforced during the covid-19 pandemic: Vaccines save lives. Dr. Peter Hotez said increased vaccine hesitancy, misinformation and politicization are jeopardizing people’s health. As dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor...
Pandemic led to radical, lasting changes in health care industry
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Pandemic led to radical, lasting changes in health care industry
When covid-19 struck, Natalya Rodriguez, fresh out of nursing school, watched as a flood of overwhelmed colleagues abandoned the health care field. Nothing had prepared nurses in the U.S. for a pandemic — or the death and fear it brought. The National Council of State Boards of Nursing estimated 100,000...
Researchers say U.S. government tried to erase sexual orientation from their findings
Two California researchers said Friday a U.S. government health publication instructed them to remove data on sexual orientation from a scientific manuscript that had been accepted for publication. The researchers also said they were told to remove the words “gender,” “cisgender” and “equitable” from their paper, which looked at smoking...
Tuberculosis cases in the U.S. rose to their highest levels in more than a dozen years
NEW YORK — Tuberculosis continued to rise again in the U.S. last year, reaching its highest levels in more than a dozen years. More than 10,300 cases were reported last year, an 8% increase from 2023 and the highest since 2011, according to preliminary data posted this month by the...
High school students flock to career day at Westmoreland Hospital
About 200 high school students gathered Friday at Independence Health System’s Westmoreland Hospital in Greensburg to learn about jobs in the medical field. Students from at least six Westmoreland County school districts — Greensburg Salem, Greensburg Central Catholic, Hempfield Area, Jeannette, Penn-Trafford and the Central Westmoreland Career and Technology Center...
Allegheny Health Network to move workers into North Side’s Nova Place
Allegheny Health Network is preparing to move into Nova Place on Pittsburgh’s North Side. The Nova location will house 200 of the medical system’s remote clinical workforce and other employees beginning in 2026. The new lease is 20 years. Employees on that team include digital nurses, teleICU clinicians and virtual...
This cutting edge hair loss treatment is a repurposed drug from the 1990s
WASHINGTON — The latest trend in treating hair loss may sound familiar — essentially, it’s a repurposed drug first popularized in the 1990s. Back then, TV viewers were inundated with ads for Rogaine, a sticky topical solution that could help treat thinning hair when applied to the scalp. Now dermatologists...
Cancer survivors support those newly diagnosed through AHN’s Ambassador Program
Rachel Machen recalls getting a string of online mammogram reminders from her physician’s office and pushing them to the bottom of her to-do list. “I’m young, and I had no family history. I felt so healthy,” said Machen, 44, of Oakmont. “My diagnosis came as a 100% shock.” Machen spent...
Measles cases reach nearly 300 in Texas and New Mexico. Here’s what you should know
Measles outbreaks in West Texas and New Mexico are now up to nearly 300 cases, and two unvaccinated people have died from measles-related causes. Measles is caused by a highly contagious virus that’s airborne and spreads easily when an infected person breathes, sneezes or coughs. It is preventable through vaccines...
How much sleep do you really need? Experts say it depends
Chances are, if you’re reading this, you got some sleep last night. But are you feeling rested? Experts say it’s an important question to consider. Most of us spend a third of our lives sleeping, but you may need more or less than eight hours a night. The number of...
Highmark Health reports $209M in 2024 losses
Despite reporting $209 million in operating losses for 2024, Highmark Health executives said they are optimistic about the future of the Pittsburgh-based health care insurer and provider. Officials on Thursday released the 2024 earnings report. Highmark’s $11.7 billion in cash and investments and net assets of $9.8 billion mean it...
Reflecting on RFK Jr.’s 1st month as health secretary
WASHINGTON — There sat Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the nation’s top health official, at a Steak ‘n Shake with Fox News host Sean Hannity, raving about the fries. “Steak ‘n Shake has been great, we’re very grateful for them,” Kennedy said, in between nibbles of fries that the Midwestern franchise...
Trump administration yanks CDC director nomination just before Senate hearing
WASHINGTON — The White House withdrew the nomination of former Florida congressman Dr. David Weldon to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention because he wasn’t assured of getting enough Republican support to be confirmed. The Republican-controlled Senate health committee announced Thursday morning that it was canceling a planned...
