Highmark Health cuts 118 jobs
Highmark Health laid off 118 employees this week across the regional health insurer’s operations, the company said. The layoffs occurred across all departments and included a small number of management positions, said Lynn Seay, a Highmark Health spokeswoman. With the layoffs announced Wednesday, Highmark has eliminated 259 positions this year,...
UPMC partners with Florida company to develop cancer medicines
UPMC is partnering with a Florida pharmaceutical company to build a manufacturing center in Oakland to create novel medicines that could be a new way to treat cancer and other diseases. The Pittsburgh health care system is collaborating with PharmaLogic Holdings Corp. to develop radiopharmaceuticals, an emerging field in health...
UPMC plans to acquire Washington Health System
UPMC is acquiring Washington Health System, adding to the Pittsburgh health care giant’s massive footprint. WHS announced the deal on Tuesday, saying the two health care providers have signed a nonbinding letter of intent to integrate the Washington-based health system into UPMC. “Our primary focus is to ensure the residents...
More than 1 million people are dropped from Medicaid as states start a post-pandemic purge of rolls
More than 1 million people have been dropped from Medicaid in the past couple months as some states moved swiftly to halt health care coverage following the end of the coronavirus pandemic. Most got dropped for not filling out paperwork. Though the eligibility review is required by the federal government,...
Suicides and homicides among young Americans jumped early in pandemic, study says
NEW YORK — The homicide rate for older U.S. teenagers rose to its highest point in nearly 25 years during the covid-19 pandemic, and the suicide rate for adults in their early 20s was the worst in more than 50 years, government researchers said Thursday. The Centers for Disease Control...
UPMC contractor detects patient data breach
A contractor for UPMC said it discovered a data breach that could have impacted customer and patient information. Tennessee-based Intellihartx LLC said it found that its secure file transfer service provider, Fortra, “experienced a data security incident.” The company undertook an investigation to figure out the scope of the incident....
Few rehab centers for addicted teens offer recommended medicine
Only 1 in 4 residential treatment centers for teens offers a recommended medicine for opioid addiction, according to a study that exposes an important gap in care. Posing as an aunt or uncle seeking help for a fictitious 16-year-old who survived a fentanyl overdose, researchers called U.S. rehabs and asked...
‘Obamacare’ will still cover prevention for HIV, other illnesses amid court battle
The government can keep enforcing “Obamacare” requirements that health insurance plans cover preventative care — such as HIV prevention, some types of cancer screenings and other illnesses — while a legal battle over the mandates plays out, under a court agreement approved Tuesday. The pact approved by the 5th U.S....
Here’s the skinny on the diabetes drug Ozempic and its popularity as a weight loss wonder
For Diane Lang, the big push to focus on her health and weight came from her grandchildren. “I was exhausted,” she said. “When they would visit, I would just try to keep up with them. I want to run with them and play with them. I want to be here...
Despite financial turbulence, Independence Health CEO holds optimistic perspective for merged system
The CEO of the merged Excela Health and Butler Health systems is committed to keeping the organization’s five hospitals operating, despite currently enduring millions of dollars in losses. “We are taking a look at all the assets across the system. Every one of the five hospitals is very important to...
UPMC doctor steps aside as head of cardiothoracic surgery after false billing settlement
A cardiothoracic surgeon at UPMC who was at the center of a federal investigation is stepping aside as chair of the health system’s Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery. Dr. James Luketich will continue to have a role within the health system, according to UPMC spokesman Paul Wood. Luketich will continue to...
Newer heart transplant method could allow more patients a chance at lifesaving surgery
WASHINGTON — Most transplanted hearts are from donors who are brain-dead, but new research shows a different approach can be just as successful and boost the number of available organs. It’s called donation after circulatory death, a method long used to recover kidneys and other organs but not more fragile...
American Red Cross: Shortfall of blood donations last month
American Red Cross officials said they experienced a “concerning shortfall” in blood donations last month, collecting 26,000 fewer donations than needed to meet patient needs in May. World Blood Donor Day is June 14, and Red Cross officials are offering a $10 gift card for donors through the end of...
It’s Global Running Day, here’s where to run in Pittsburgh all summer long
Wednesday is Global Running Day, a day that encourages people to get out and go for a run worldwide. Global Running Day’s beginning The holiday began in the United States as National Running Day in 2009. It continues to promote being physically active and the benefits of running for exercise...
Dementia, Alzheimer’s have out-sized impact on Black community, leaders say
As senior pastor at Destiny of Faith Church, the Rev. Brenda Gregg often listens to the struggles of her congregants and offers support. Sometimes, she hears about their troubles even before their doctors do. “One of the things we believe that the church is a trustful entity in the neighborhood....
VA set to open $92 million multi-specialty outpatient clinic in Monroeville
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs outpatient clinic behind Monroeville Mall won’t just provide a nearby medical facility for the eastern suburbs — the region of Western Pennsylvania with the highest concentration of veterans. It also will clear congestion on “Cardiac Hill” in Pittsburgh’s Oakland neighborhood, where VA officials soon...
Pollution, weather, climate change all affect start, severity of allergy season
April showers bring May flowers, but those blooms can bring sneezes and sniffles along with itchy, watery eyes. As the region heads into the summer months, tree and grass pollen coupled with other irritants are ushering in suffering for those affected by allergies, according to local experts. Tree and grass...
Allegheny Health Network trims losses as patient volume climbs
Allegheny Health Network shrank its losses during the first three months of the year, citing higher patient numbers and increased membership in its insurance units. The 14-hospital system on Wednesday reported an operating loss of $36.2 million for the first quarter compared to a loss of $105.5 million during the...
Sick workers tied to 40% of restaurant food poisoning outbreaks, CDC says
Food workers who showed up while sick or contagious were linked to about 40% of restaurant food poisoning outbreaks with a known cause between 2017 and 2019, federal health officials said Tuesday. Norovirus and salmonella, germs that can cause severe illness, were the most common cause of 800 outbreaks, which...
Allegheny General Hospital considers new construction, eliminating shared hospital rooms
A long-range development plan for Pittsburgh’s Allegheny General Hospital includes the potential for new buildings in the North Side campus and a goal of making all hospital rooms single occupancy. The proposed master plan, which lays out development goals for the next decade, was presented to the Planning Commission on...
North Huntingdon woman battles 2 autoimmune diseases
After finding the correct combination of diet, exercise and holistic medicine, Cara Zanella found a way to live with the rheumatoid arthritis that affected her life for nearly two decades. She was able to do it without the use of medication, but the North Huntingdon woman with a passion for...
U.S. surgeon general calls for action on social media to ‘protect kids now’
The U.S. surgeon general is warning there is not enough evidence to show that social media is safe for children and teens — and is calling on tech companies, parents and caregivers to take “immediate action to protect kids now.” With young people’s social media use “near universal” but its...
Acrisure donates $7.5M to to UPMC Children’s Hospital Foundation for heart treatments
Financial technology company Acrisure on Thursday donated $7.5 million to the UPMC Children’s Hospital Foundation to help advance clinical care, research and the patient experience for children and families at the facility’s Heart Institute. The donation is said to be the largest corporate gift received by the foundation. “This is...
U.S. study finds 1 in 10 get long covid after omicron, starts identifying key symptoms
WASHINGTON — About 10% of people appear to suffer long covid after an omicron infection, a lower estimate than earlier in the pandemic, according to a study of nearly 10,000 Americans that aims to help unravel the mysterious condition. Early findings from the National Institutes of Health’s study highlight a...
Covid-19 pill Paxlovid gets full FDA approval
WASHINGTON — Pfizer received full approval on Thursday for its covid-19 pill Paxlovid that’s been the go-to treatment against the coronavirus. More than 11 million prescriptions for Paxlovid have been dispensed since the Food and Drug Administration allowed emergency use in late 2021. The emergency status was based on early...
