UPMC announces more layoffs, cuts
UPMC is laying off 100 employees and cutting an additional 200 vacant positions as part of ongoing cost-saving measures at the Pittsburgh-based health giant. This comes after UPMC cut 1,000 jobs in April. “Targeted adjustments are frequently made to improve organizational efficiencies and eliminate redundancies,” UPMC said in a statement....
Why are Pittsburgh buildings lit in teal?
Forget red — Pittsburgh is painting the town teal. Several local buildings were illuminated in the color teal Friday and joined more than 1,300 sites in all 50 states and 16 additional countries “going teal” for the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America’s Light the World in Teal Program. It was the...
Breast cancer diagnosis in Black women and the need for early detection
Alexis Russell, 40, and her husband, through their contracting firm, Russell General Contracting, are working on the historic restoration of notable buildings across the city, including the August Wilson House, the New Granada Theater and the Greenwood Smithfield Building. Russell’s day may include meetings, contract reviews, emails and site visits...
Mission of Mercy Pittsburgh offers dental, vision and hearing care at free clinic
Michael Kirk of McKeesport got his teeth cleaned; James Pearson of Mount Washington had an eye exam; and Rev. Marshall Richbourg of Pittsburgh’s Hill District received two new hearing aids — all at no cost. They were three of the hundreds of patients to receive free dental, vision and hearing...
From faith to fashion: Squirrel Hill salon brings wigs to life for diverse community
Chami Saks wears a wig daily — for religious reasons. She is an Orthodox Jewish woman, and in her faith, women’s hair becomes sacred once they marry. While each family has their own customs based on who can see the woman’s hair, generally only the woman’s husband, children and other...
Texas hospitals must now ask patients whether they’re in the U.S. legally. Here’s how it works
Texas hospitals must ask patients starting Friday whether they are in the U.S. legally and track the cost of treating people without legal status following an order by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott that expands the state’s clash with the Biden administration over immigration. Critics fear the change could scare people...
‘Life changing’: At-home dialysis allows assistant DA to focus on work while she awaits kidney
By day, Jennifer Dupilka fights for justice for crime victims as an assistant district attorney at the Westmoreland County Courthouse. At home, she has a different kind of battle — against her own body. Four days a week, her husband, Ray Dupilka, leaves his job as a county detective and...
McDonald’s E. coli case count rises as federal officials inspect an onion grower
WASHINGTON — Federal officials on Wednesday reported more cases of E. coli poisoning among people who ate at McDonald’s, as government investigators seeking the outbreak’s source identified an “onion grower of interest” in Washington state. The Food and Drug Administration said 90 people across 13 states have fallen ill in...
Apple AirPods Pro’s new hearing aid feature could help people face a problem they’d rather ignore
Some Apple AirPods wireless headphones can be used as hearing aids with a new software update available Monday. It’s a high-profile move that experts applaud, even if they only reach a small portion of the millions of Americans with hearing loss. An estimated 30 million people — 1 in 8...
Testing rules out beef patties as the source of E. coli outbreak, McDonald’s says
LOS ANGELES — McDonald’s announced Sunday that Quarter Pounders will again be on its menu at hundreds of its restaurants after testing ruled out beef patties as the source of the outbreak of E. coli poisoning tied to the popular burgers that killed one person and sickened at least 75...
State Sen. Kim Ward, a breast cancer survivor, crusades to get patients treatment they need
Kim Ward didn’t want anyone to know. When the state Senate majority leader from Hempfield was diagnosed with breast cancer in November 2020, she told almost no one. Not her staff. Not her friends. Not even her mom. When she went for chemotherapy at the UPMC Hillman Cancer Center in...
Coverage for breast cancer early detection varies
Nearly 400,000 new cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed in the United States this year, according to the American Cancer Society, with women at a 1-in-8 risk of developing the disease. Advocacy groups are continuing to push for early detection and treatment, which save lives and money. Experts say...
This Halloween, be safe when trick-or-treating by watching for cars
The scariest things lurking around the corner on Halloween aren’t monsters or ghosts. According to doctors, it’s cars. Halloween is one of the deadliest days of the year for pedestrians, especially for kids. “There’s a lot of focus on the risks of candy that might be a little misplaced,” said...
New limits, oversight for Pa.’s medical marijuana doctors proposed in response to Spotlight PA investigation
Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan, and nonprofit newsroom producing investigative and public-service journalism that holds power to account and drives positive change in Pennsylvania. HARRISBURG — The Pennsylvania Department of Health would be empowered to impose new limits on doctors who want to practice in the state’s medical marijuana...
As walking pneumonia cases rise nationally, how does Western Pa. fare?
With cold and flu season heating up, cases of walking pneumonia are increasing across the United States. But is the illness on the rise in Western Pennsylvania as well? Local health care experts shared mixed thoughts. What is it? Walking pneumonia is a mild lung infection that can be caused...
McDonald’s says onions from California grower linked to deadly E. coli outbreak
A California grower was the source of fresh onions linked to a deadly E. coli food poisoning outbreak at McDonald’s, officials with the restaurant chain said Thursday. Meanwhile, other fast-food restaurants — including Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, KFC and Burger King — pulled onions from some menus. McDonald’s officials said...
Officials find no evidence bird flu is spreading between people after Missouri investigation
NEW YORK — Health officials said Thursday that there’s no evidence bird flu is spreading between people after investigating a mysterious infection in Missouri. The illness reported last month was different from the 30 other bird flu infections in people in the U.S. so far this year. Those cases have...
EPA imposes stricter standards to protect children from exposure to lead paint
WASHINGTON — Two weeks after setting a nationwide deadline for removal of lead pipes, the Biden administration is imposing strict new limits on dust from lead-based paint in older homes and child-care facilities. A final rule announced Thursday by the Environmental Protection Agency sets limits on lead dust on floors...
What to know about E. coli and the McDonald’s outbreak
A food poisoning outbreak tied to McDonald’s Quarter Pounders was caused by a common type of E. coli bacteria that can cause serious illness and death. Particularly vulnerable are young children, older people or those with weakened immune systems. About 50 people have fallen ill in the McDonald’s outbreak, and...
Women in states with bans are getting abortions at similar rates as under Roe, report says
Women living in states with abortion bans obtained the procedure in the second half of 2023 at about the same rate as before the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, according to a report released Tuesday. Women did so by traveling out of state or by having prescription abortion...
Walking pneumonia cases up sharply among children
ATLANTA — Cases of “walking pneumonia” have been rising sharply in the United States since the spring, especially among young children, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC said it’s closely tracking the recent surge of these infections to better understand any changes in the illnesses...
Deadly E. coli outbreak linked to McDonald’s Quarter Pounders sickens dozens in 10 states
E. coli food poisoning linked to McDonald’s Quarter Pounder hamburgers has sickened at least 49 people in 10 states, including one person who died and 10 who were hospitalized, federal health officials said Tuesday. The death was reported in an older person in Colorado, and one child has been hospitalized...
Hospitals’ IV fluid shortage may impact surgeries for weeks
Surgery schedules around the country may be washed out for several more weeks while a crucial IV and sterile fluids factory remains shut down for hurricane-related damage. People often plan non-emergency surgeries in the fall and early-winter months when their insurance coverage will pick up more of the bill, but...
Escalating medication errors pose grave risks for Pennsylvania patients
A Pittsburgh-area woman died after having an allergic reaction to an antibiotic she was given not once, but twice, during surgery to repair a hernia. During the first surgery, the procedure was halted because of the allergic reaction. The second time, the surgeon insisted she get the antibiotic because he...
3 states renew effort to reduce access to the abortion drug mifepristone
Three states are renewing a legal push to restrict access to the abortion medication mifepristone, including reinstating requirements it be dispensed in person instead of by mail. The request from Kansas, Idaho and Missouri filed Friday would bar the drug’s use after seven weeks of pregnancy instead of 10 and...
