Highmark Health Plan names president
Tom Doran has been named Highmark Health Plan president, taking the reins of the country’s fourth-largest Blue Cross Blue Shield affiliate with about 6.8 million members. Doran is not new to the Pittsburgh-headquartered health insurer. Most recently, he served as the health plan’s chief operating officer when former health plan...
Survey: 3.3 million U.S. adults displaced by natural disasters
More than 1.3% of the adult population in the United States was displaced by natural disasters in the past year, with hurricanes responsible for more than half of the forced relocations, according to first-of-its-kind survey results from the U.S. Census Bureau. The Household Pulse Survey results said that 3.3 million...
FDA finalizes rule allowing mail-order abortion pills
WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday finalized a rule change that allows women seeking abortion pills to get them through the mail, replacing a long-standing requirement that they pick up the medicine in person. The Biden administration implemented the change last year, announcing it would no longer...
Experts: Next 24 hours critical in Damar Hamlin’s recovery
Experts say the next 24 hours will be critical in the recovery of Damar Hamlin, the Buffalo Bills safety and McKees Rocks native who suffered cardiac arrest during a “Monday Night Football” game at Cincinnati. “It’s hard to say exactly what’s going on. But at this point, they are maintaining...
Merger of Excela, Butler health systems finalized
Ken DeFurio, who served as president and CEO of Butler Health System, will lead the new organization formed by the merger of Butler and Excela Health, officials announced Tuesday. The merger was final as of Sunday, Jan. 1. John Sphon, who was CEO of Excela Health, plans to retire in...
As legal pot grows, more kids sickened by edibles at home
The number of young kids, especially toddlers, who accidentally ate marijuana-laced treats rose sharply over five years as pot became legal in more places in the U.S., according to a study published Tuesday. More than 7,000 confirmed cases of kids younger than 6 eating marijuana edibles were reported to the...
New Alzheimer’s drug undergoes testing
PHILADELPHIA — A new drug designed to ward off Alzheimer’s is being tested at more than 100 sites around the world, including the University of Pennsylvania. Called lecanemab, it consists of antibodies that bind to the abnormal proteins that accumulate in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s. Previous efforts to...
Nonprofit creates free online course to tackle Pennsylvania’s opioid crisis
The Rothman Opioid Foundation for Opioid Research & Education is offering a free online curriculum that will aid current and future prescribers to fight opioid addiction across Pennsylvania and the Appalachian region. Launched in 2019, the Philadelphia nonprofit is dedicated to raising awareness of the risks and benefits of opioids,...
$2.2M federal grant to advance Duquesne’s new college of osteopathic medicine
The first entering class of students at Duquesne University’s proposed college of osteopathic medicine will be outfitted with devices to aid patient examinations in remote areas under an award from the federal government. Money for the portable ultrasound handheld devices is included in a $2.2 million grant to help finance...
China to scrap covid-19 quarantine for incoming passengers
BEIJING — China will drop a COVID-19 quarantine requirement for passengers arriving from abroad starting Jan. 8, the National Health Commission announced Monday in the latest easing of the country’s once-strict virus-control measures. Currently, arriving passengers must quarantine for five days at a hotel, followed by three days at home....
Pitt committee approves up to $10M for land deal in BioForge project
A panel of University of Pittsburgh trustees on Wednesday authorized spending up to $10 million to acquire a piece of property in Hazelwood Green to develop a cell and gene therapy manufacturing facility. The three-acre property known as Lot 18 would become home to BioForge. “BioForge will be designed to...
How are Pa. hospitals handling the worst flu season in years as covid-19 cases rise?
Hospitals around the United States are feeling pressure from multiple fronts: RSV cases among children have been up for months, overloading some pediatric units. The nation, including Pennsylvania, is in the midst of its worst flu season in years. Most recently, covid-19 cases have begun to climb. PennLive has been...
U.S. starts grappling with untreated hepatitis C virus
WASHINGTON — Too many Americans are missing out on a cure for hepatitis C, and a study underway in a hard-hit corner of Kentucky is exploring a simple way to start changing that. The key: On-the-spot diagnosis to replace today’s multiple-step testing. In about an hour and with just a...
Children’s medicine shortage hits as flu season starts fast
Caring for sick children has become extra stressful recently for many U.S. parents due to shortages of Children’s Tylenol and other medicines. Doctors and other experts say the problem could persist through the winter cold-and-flu season but should not last as long as other recent shortages of baby formula or...
Loved or hated, Fauci’s parting advice: Stick to the science
WASHINGTON — Long before the bobbleheads and the “Fauci ouchie,” Dr. Anthony Fauci was a straight-shooter about scary diseases — and “stick with the science” remains his mantra. Fauci steps down from a five-decade career in public service at the end of the month, one shaped by the HIV pandemic...
2 covid-19 deaths reported in Beijing as virus surges
BEIJING — China’s health authorities on Monday announced two covid-19 deaths — the country’s first reported fatalities in weeks — amid an expected surge of illnesses after it eased its strict “zero-covid” approach. Unofficial reports point to a widespread wave of new coronavirus cases, and relatives of victims and people...
ALS patients contend with $158K price tag on new drug
WASHINGTON — For two years, Becky Mourey pushed the Food and Drug Administration to approve an experimental drug for her Lou Gehrig’s disease. She went to members of Congress and health regulators to make the case for Relyvrio, until patient-advocates finally prevailed. In September, Relyvrio became only the third drug...
Health providers advise caution around illness as holidays approach
Home for the holidays? Amid a seasonal squall of viruses that doctors say arrived early and may stay late, there are simple ways to improve your chances of staying healthy. Basic health precautions — wearing a mask when around large groups of people, washing your hands, staying home when sick...
Want to email your doctor? You may be charged for that
WASHINGTON — The next time you message your doctor to ask about a pesky cough or an itchy rash, you may want to check your bank account first — you could get a bill for the question. Hospital systems around the country are rolling out fees for some messages that...
Tensions boil over in UPMC hearing over secret recording
A court hearing over a secretly recorded conversation between two UPMC physicians on Thursday devolved into shouting and threats to have an attorney jailed before cooler heads prevailed. Dr. James Luketich, the head of cardiothoracic surgery for UPMC, filed a motion for an injunction to prohibit the use of the...
U.S. death toll tied to long covid exceeds 3,500, CDC report says
The health challenges that a bout of covid-19 sometimes leaves in its wake can be troublesome, scary and quite mysterious. New research confirms they can be deadly as well. A study released Wednesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that between January 2020 and June 2022, long...
Respiratory virus surge impacting local schools
As respiratory viruses surge, schools and parents have differing opinions on how to handle sick students. With illness on the rise, particularly respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, some schools are sending students home on a daily basis — much to the frustration of some parents, nurses say. Meanwhile, as those...
Huge U.S. study starts sharing gene findings with volunteers
More than 155,000 Americans who shared their DNA for science are about to learn something in return: Do they have some particularly worrisome genes? It’s part of a massive project to unravel how people’s genetics, environments and habits interact to determine their overall health. The National Institutes of Health said...
China students return home amid fears of covid-19 spread
BEIJING — Some Chinese universities say they will allow students to finish the semester from home in hopes of reducing the potential for a bigger covid-19 outbreak during the January Lunar New Year travel rush. It wasn’t clear how many schools were participating, but universities in Shanghai and nearby cities...
Merck, Moderna detail potential skin cancer vaccine progress
Shares of Merck and Moderna jumped Tuesday after the drugmakers said a potential skin cancer vaccine they are developing using the same technology behind Covid-19 preventive shots fared well in a small study. The drugmakers said a combination of the vaccine and Merck’s immunotherapy Keytruda led to a statistically significant...
