Flu activity is low, but experts worry about a new strain and vaccination rates
NEW YORK — The U.S. flu season is starting slowly, and it’s unclear if it will be as bad as last winter’s, but some health experts are worried as U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data posted Friday shows a new version of the virus has emerged. An early...
Pittsburgh doctors cheer removal of black box warning on hormone therapies for menopause
Pittsburgh-area doctors are welcoming the removal of a black box warning — the strongest available to the federal Food and Drug Administration — from hormone therapies used to treat menopause symptoms. The agency announced the change last week, directing drugmakers to remove prominent labels alerting women of increased risks of...
Independence hospital staffers ‘trying to piece everything together’ in aftermath of merger announcement
Butler Memorial Hospital staffer Tara Erskine is ready for change. Erskine, 30, of Kittanning has worked as a CT scan technologist at the Butler hospital for eight years. A member of the hospital’s technologists union, Erskine is optimistic about Butler Memorial being partnered with West Virginia University Health System. Officials...
Inadequate payment for services nudges small health systems like Independence toward merger, officials say
The merger of smaller regional hospital systems such as Independence Health with a larger health system — this one from West Virginia — is likely being driven, in part, by hospitals hurting from insufficient reimbursement for the cost of treating patients, a Pittsburgh-based health care consultant said. West Virginia University...
CDC website changed to contradict scientific conclusion that vaccines don’t cause autism
NEW YORK — A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website has been changed to contradict the longtime scientific conclusion that vaccines do not cause autism, spurring outrage among a number of public health and autism experts. The CDC “vaccine safety” webpage was updated Wednesday, saying “the statement ‘Vaccines do...
Targeted ultrasound gives Pittsburgh-area doctors new tool against prostate cancer
Men diagnosed with prostate cancer have traditionally faced two choices: Do nothing and hope the tumor doesn’t grow between scans or start aggressive treatment. Those with certain types of medium-risk cancers have lacked tailored care, caught between a surveillance strategy geared toward slow-growing tumors and drastic measures known for their...
As infant botulism cases climb to 31, recalled ByHeart baby formula is still on some store shelves
As cases of potentially deadly botulism in babies who drank ByHeart infant formula continue to grow, state officials say they are still finding the recalled product on some store shelves. Meanwhile the company reported late Wednesday that laboratory tests confirmed that some samples of formula were contaminated with the type...
Independence Health announces merger with WVU Health System
Independence Health System — with hospitals in Greensburg, Latrobe and Mt. Pleasant — announced Wednesday that it will join West Virginia University Health System beginning in fall 2026. The agreement includes an $800 million commitment from the WVU system over the next five years to strengthen Independence Health System’s five...
Artificial heart kept Collier man alive until he could get a transplant
When Landon Shaw was 16, a big, bulky machine sat by his bed. Twelve-foot hoses with attachments connected to both sides of his heart, pushing air to pump blood throughout his body, making a loud whooshing sound. For 17 days, the biventricular assist device, known as a BiVAD, an artificial...
South Carolina looks at most restrictive abortion bill in the U.S. as opponents keep pushing limits
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Sending women who get abortions to prison for decades. Outlawing IUDs. Sharply restricting in-vitro fertilization. These are the strictest abortion prohibitions and punishments in the nation being considered by South Carolina lawmakers, even as opponents of the procedure are divided over how far to go. The bill...
North Carolina resident stops in Pittsburgh advocating for lung cancer patients
For Dusty Donaldson, one journey led to another. After navigating the emotional path of a lung cancer diagnosis, operation, chemotherapy and recovery, Donaldson decided to travel down another road. She purchased a Ford Transit Connect van and drove across the country to create awareness for early detection of lung cancer....
Formula recalled in Pa. after infant botulism outbreak
Pennsylvania is one of 12 states included in an outbreak of infant botulism — linked to ByHeart Whole Nutrition Infant Formula. Parents and caregivers should stop using any ByHeart infant formula products “immediately,” Allegheny County said Friday in an announcement, as all of its products have been recalled. The recall...
Pa.’s independent home care workers get pay raise in state budget but agencies miss out
Pennsylvania lawmakers granted $21 million in additional funding to a sliver of in-home caregivers in the state budget passed Wednesday. Workers directly hired by the people they care for will see their per-hour state payments rise to more than $15 from $13.51, an increase that could make a small dent...
UPMC Altoona attack spurs demand for enhanced workplace safety
Pennsylvania’s top health care union launched a petition drive Wednesday for improved workplace safety after the beating of a worker at UPMC Altoona hospital last week. Service Employees International Union Healthcare Pennsylvania argues the assault of Travis Dunn should be the catalyst for UPMC and other health systems to invest...
FDA removes the black box warning on hormone therapy for menopause
For the past decade, Dr. Heather Hirsch has tried to convince women that hormone therapy drugs are the best way to treat symptoms of menopause and perimenopause. But warning labels on estrogen have scared many women away from getting the care they need. Now the Food and Drug Administration is...
Phages to the rescue? Pitt lab develops viruses to combat antibiotic-resistant bacteria
Bacteria-killing viruses built from scratch in a University of Pittsburgh lab could be a breakthrough in the battle against fearsome antibiotic-resistant infections. Pitt biotechnology researcher Graham Hatfull spearheaded the development of the viruses made entirely of synthetic genetic material in a study set for publication this week in the Proceedings...
U.S. government launches program to lower Medicaid drug prices
The U.S. government on Thursday unveiled a new program to cut prescription drug costs for Medicaid patients by tying prices to those paid in other countries. The announcement follows previous agreements between the White House and pharmaceutical companies to reduce drug prices for Americans, who often pay significantly more for...
Shaler Area senior suffering from kidney failure hopes a donor will be found
Editor’s note: The following story was submitted for the Shaler Area Student Section, a collaboration between TribLive and The Oracle, the student newspaper of Shaler Area High School. For many teenagers, the hardest part of their day is figuring out what to wear or what they will eat for lunch....
Pitt lab launches $42M project to merge latest in wheelchair, robotic arm tech
A laboratory in Pittsburgh’s Bakery Square is poised to make the next breakthrough in wheelchairs, a mostly stagnant industry with huge quality of life implications for millions of disabled Americans. Researchers at the Human Engineering Research Laboratories, a collaboration between the University of Pittsburgh and the U.S. Department of Veterans...
Lilly, Novo near White House deals to cut obesity drug prices, gain Medicare access, media reports
Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk are expected to announce deals with the White House to offer the lowest dose of their weight-loss drugs at $149 per month, in exchange for Medicare coverage, Endpoints News reported on Tuesday, citing sources familiar with the matter. Patients in the U.S. currently pay the...
Attack on UPMC Altoona employee causes cracked skull, brain bleed
A Blair County man is in prison after what UPMC officials deemed a “horrific attack” on one of their employees in Altoona. A patient care technician in the UPMC Altoona emergency department was attacked on Saturday, according to a statement released by UPMC. Bradley S. Lloyd, 40, of Tyrone was...
Sewickley orthodontist has been creating smiles for decades
Dr. Tom Forrest gives patients something to smile about. It’s not just his profession — it’s his passion. People are smiling more than ever for their cell phone cameras and Forrest wants to help those smiles be the brightest. “Since the introduction of the smartphone, everyone now has a camera...
Study says long-term melatonin use may pose heart risks
For many, a good night’s sleep is hard to come by. More than 30% of Pennsylvanians sleep fewer than seven hours a night, according to data from the United Health Foundation. In an effort to fight insomnia and get adequate rest, many turn to over-the-counter sleep aids or supplements like...
Kimberly-Clark’s $50 billion leap into health and beauty tests investor faith
NEW YORK — Kimberly-Clark’s nearly $50 billion offer for Tylenol maker Kenvue is a risky bet that the world’s biggest consumer market, the United States, will keep growing even as lower-income shoppers trim their budgets, according to analysts. The cash-and-stock deal, announced earlier on Monday, is set to close late...
ACA premiums double, adding post Halloween fright for health insurance shoppers
NEW YORK/WASHINGTON — Americans shopping for 2026 health insurance plans from the Affordable Care Act are facing a more than doubling of monthly premiums on average and are likely to postpone signing up in hopes of a last-minute reprieve, or walk away, health experts say. Covid-19 pandemic-era subsidies, due to...
