UPMC acquires another Ireland hospital
UPMC has acquired a third hospital in Ireland, the Pittsburgh-based health system announced Monday. The system is expanding services at Aut Even Hospital in Kilkenny. The 105-year-old hospital will be renamed UPMC Aut Even Hospital. Terms of the sale were not disclosed. Aut Even will be operated in addition to...
U.S. allows emergency covid-19 vaccine in bid to end pandemic
WASHINGTON — The U.S. gave the final go-ahead Friday to the nation’s first covid-19 vaccine, marking what could be the beginning of the end of an outbreak that has killed nearly 300,000 Americans. Shots for health workers and nursing home residents are expected to begin in the coming days after...
What you need to know about the covid vaccine
Americans could start receiving a covid-19 vaccine as early as this month, as three drugmakers have produced vaccines deemed highly effective. Health and government officials are moving quickly to organize the distribution and delivery systems for the vaccines. Three drugmakers — AstraZeneca, Moderna and Pfizer — are seeking regulatory approval...
Many Black Americans don’t trust the covid-19 vaccine; here’s why and what’s being done
WASHINGTON — Confronted with widespread distrust of government in communities of color, the Trump administration is turning to historically Black colleges and churches for help to alleviate fears about the coming coronavirus vaccines and promote them to a population that has been at high risk during the pandemic. Surgeon General...
AHN appoints vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion
Allegheny Health Network on Thursday announced the appointment of a vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion. Veronica Villalobos will fill the position, working closely with AHN’s recently hired Chief Clinical Diversity and Inclusion Officer, Dr. Margaret Larkins-Pettigrew. Together, they’ll strive to build an inclusive workforce and address health disparities...
FDA panel endorses widespread use of Pfizer covid-19 vaccine
WASHINGTON — A government advisory panel endorsed widespread use of Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine Thursday, putting the country just one step away from launching an epic vaccination campaign against the outbreak that has killed close to 300,000 Americans. Shots could begin within days, depending on how quickly the Food and Drug...
AP-NORC poll: Only half in U.S. want shots as vaccine nearsVideo
WASHINGTON — As states frantically prepare to begin months of vaccinations that could end the pandemic, a new poll finds only about half of Americans are ready to roll up their sleeves when their turn comes. The survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research shows about a...
Contact tracing and case investigations in Pa. remain a struggle in fight against covid
Even as covid-19 cases skyrocket across Pennsylvania and case investigators prioritize who they will call, state officials on Tuesday urged everyone to please answer the phone and cooperate when investigators and contact tracers reach out to them. “In order to effectively contact trace, we need Pennsylvanians to participate in case...
UPMC names new president of Center for Emergency Medicine
UPMC appointed a new president of the Center for Emergency Medicine of Western Pennsylvania, which focuses on prehospital care and paramedic services. James Houser will succeed Doug Garretson, who retired in October. Houser will run the critical care air ambulance service, STAT MedEvac, with helicopters throughout the Western Pennsylvania region,...
Pittsburgh doctor: ‘Covid vaccines are lights at the end of the tunnel, but we’re still in the tunnel’Video
Coronavirus vaccines produced by Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna are likely to be released later this month. The announcements bring excitement for what could be the beginning of the end of the pandemic. But some people have concerns about the safety of the vaccines. Just how safe are vaccines? How do they...
Gene-editing treatment shows promise for sickle cell disease
Scientists are seeing promising early results from the first studies testing gene editing for painful, inherited blood disorders that plague millions worldwide, especially Black people. Doctors hope the one-time treatment, which involves permanently altering DNA in blood cells with a tool called CRISPR, may treat and possibly cure sickle cell...
Eastern Pa. companies partner in development of ingestible vaccine
Two Eastern Pennsylvania companies are working on creating ingestible covid-19 vaccines in drinkable and capsule forms, and leaders hope they could be on the market sometime next year. The vaccine work comes from a partnership between VaxForm and U.S. Specialty Formulations, the latter of which plans to expand its Allentown...
Nurses wanted: Swamped hospitals scramble for pandemic helpVideo
OMAHA, Neb. — U.S. hospitals slammed with covid-19 patients are trying to lure nurses and doctors out of retirement, recruiting students and new graduates who have yet to earn their licenses and offering eye-popping salaries in a desperate bid to ease staffing shortages. With the virus surging from coast to...
Pa. to administer free covid tests in counties without health departments
Pennsylvania health officials announced Tuesday the state will begin administering free covid-19 testing in counties that do not have their own health departments. Only six Pennsylvania counties have their own health departments, including Allegheny and Erie counties in Western Pennsylvania. Other counties are Philadelphia, Montgomery, Chester and Bucks. “Our goal...
Pa. officials share mental health resources for pandemic and holiday season
Isolation through the holiday season could exacerbate the country’s existing mental health crisis amid the covid-19 pandemic. Officials on Tuesday reminded Pennsylvania residents of available resources for mental health and substance abuse treatment. “We know that these decisions and spending an important time of year away from loved ones can...
West Virginia hospitals to trim elective surgeries as coronavirus cases soar
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Hospitals across West Virginia will reduce elective surgeries to ensure there is enough space to accommodate coronavirus patients as the number of cases continues to surge, Gov. Jim Justice said Monday. Hospitals will be able to maintain their available bed capacities “at this moment,” Justice said at...
Yes, you can get covid twice; don’t be alarmed, scientists say
SAN DIEGO — Data from San Diego County suggests that few residents have gotten covid-19 twice so far, echoing findings from researchers across the globe. The Union-Tribune asked the County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency for the number of people who’ve tested positive for the coronavirus twice,...
U.K. stocks up on vaccines, hopes to start coronavirus shots in daysVideo
LONDON — Britain said Sunday it has secured 2 million more doses of a promising coronavirus vaccine as it gears up to launch within days the country’s most ambitious inoculation program in decades. The U.K. has had Europe’s deadliest coronavirus outbreak, with more than 58,000 confirmed virus-related deaths. It now...
CDC: U.S. covid-19 death toll could reach 321,000 by mid-December
ATLANTA — A new report issued this week by the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the coronavirus death toll could reach up to 321,000 by the middle of December. According to the CDC’s “COVID-19 Forecasts: Deaths,” models are predicting the number of coronavirus deaths will likely increase...
AstraZeneca likely to run fresh global vaccine trial, CEO says
AstraZeneca Plc. is likely to conduct an additional global trial to assess the efficacy of its covid-19 vaccine, according to the company’s chief executive officer, after current studies raised questions over its level of protection. The new trial would be run instead of adding an arm to an ongoing U.S....
As covid cases rise, overwhelmed case investigators and contact tracers forced to adaptVideo
The rapid influx of new covid-19 cases in Allegheny County has resulted in changes to the health department’s case investigation procedure, as overwhelmed case investigators and contact tracers work to keep up with the pace of the virus. “They haven’t been able to reach every case, and they’re spending less...
Wiping down groceries? Experts say keep risk in perspective
NEW YORK — Cleaning wipes are harder to find on store shelves, and businesses are reassuring customers with stepped up sanitation measures. In New York, the subway system is shut down nightly for disinfecting. To avoid any traces of the coronavirus that might be lurking on surfaces, Americans have been...
Rite Aid expands covid-19 testing program
WILKES-BARRE — Asymptomatic testing will now be available for individuals 13 and older at existing Rite Aid testing sites, the company announced Tuesday. To continue to provide its customers with an essential service during the pandemic, Rite Aid is updating its covid-19 testing program through its partnership with the U.S....
Duchess of Sussex reveals she had miscarriage in the summer
LONDON — The Duchess of Sussex has revealed that she had a miscarriage in July, giving a personal account of the traumatic experience in hope of helping others. Meghan described the miscarriage in an opinion piece in the New York Times on Wednesday, writing that “I knew, as I clutched...
OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma pleads guilty in criminal case
Purdue Pharma pleaded guilty Tuesday to three criminal charges, formally taking responsibility for its part in an opioid epidemic that has contributed to hundreds of thousands of deaths but also angering critics who want to see individuals held accountable, in addition to the company. In a virtual hearing with a...
