Childhood vaccination rates fall again as exemptions set another record
NEW YORK — U.S. kindergarten vaccination rates inched down again last year and the share of children with exemptions rose to an all-time high, according to federal data posted Thursday. The fraction of kids exempted from vaccine requirements rose to 4.1%, up from 3.7% the year before. It’s the third...
How much will that procedure cost? You might not find the full answer at Independence Health, report claims
All five of Independence Health System’s hospitals failed this year to fully comply with federal rules ordering them to post prices online for their services, according to a report released this week by an advocacy group. The Philadelphia-based Pennsylvania Health Access Network found Independence’s hospitals — Butler Memorial, Clarion, Frick,...
Justice Department subpoenas UPMC for information on gender-affirming care
Pittsburgh-based health system UPMC has been subpoenaed by the Department of Justice over its program for gender-affirming care for trans men and women. UPMC, which represents 40 hospitals and 800 doctors’ offices statewide, on Tuesday said it remained “steadfast in its commitment” to providing “exceptional care” for all patients. In...
Trump administration is launching a new private health tracking system with Big Tech’s help
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is pushing an initiative for millions of Americans to upload personal health data and medical records on new apps and systems run by private tech companies, promising that will make it easier to access health records and monitor wellness. Leaders from more than 60 companies,...
FDA vaccine chief leaving agency after less than 3 months
WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration’s polarizing vaccine chief is leaving the agency after a brief tenure that drew the ire of biotech executives, patient groups and conservative allies of President Donald Trump. Dr. Vinay Prasad “did not want to be a distraction” and was stepping down from his...
West Nile, Jamestown Canyon viruses found in Westmoreland mosquitoes; Lyme risk high
Westmoreland Conservation District is urging residents to take precautions against tick and mosquito bites as samples of the pests collected in the county have tested positive for Lyme disease, West Nile virus and a less familiar new threat — Jamestown Canyon virus. Chrissy Edwards-McCune, West Nile Virus coordinator for the...
$58 million in medical debt erased for over 43,000 Pittsburgh residents
Pittsburgh City Councilman Bobby Wilson on Monday announced that more than 43,000 city residents saw their medical debt erased. This comes after Wilson, D-North Side, in 2023 sponsored a bill that allocated $1 million in federal covid-19 relief money to contract with a company that bought dischargeable health care debt...
A mother’s fight to save son shows tragic consequences of Pa.’s failure to build better mental health system
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. Sign up for our free newsletters. Editor’s note: Sue, Robert, and Jonathan are pseudonyms. Their names and some details have been changed to protect their...
Allegheny County reports more West Nile Virus seen in mosquito samples
Allegheny County Health Department officials Monday announced additional mosquito samples have tested positive for West Nile virus, spurring additional mosquito treatments throughout the area. The health department will treat areas in the Pittsburgh neighborhoods of Point Breeze, Regent Square, East Hills, Homewood and Highland Park. Also treated will be the...
Skin Solutions Dermatology and Cosmetics debuts walk-in clinic in O’Hara
Getting a prompt dermatologist appointment can be challenging, but a new dermatology practice in O’Hara is taking steps to make appointments a thing of the past — at least on Tuesdays. Skin Solutions Dermatology and Cosmetics offers a same-day, walk-in clinic from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Tuesday. Implementing...
Pittsburgh VA abruptly cancels town hall tour after just 1 stop
Without explanation, the Veterans Affairs Pittsburgh Healthcare System has canceled a series of town halls in Western Pennsylvania and Eastern Ohio. The agency broke the news in a bare-bones press release Thursday. What was supposed to be a regional tour where veterans could interact directly with leaders of the Pittsburgh...
East Huntingdon facility among bankrupt nursing homes scheduled for auction
A 35-bed nursing home in East Huntingdon is among six facilities in Western Pennsylvania targeted for sale this year. A public auction will be held in September to transfer ownership of Scottdale Healthcare & Rehabilitation Center in East Huntingdon, a closed facility in Jefferson Hills, the 67-bed Beaver Healthcare and...
Pharmacies are disappearing across Pa. as operators blame a broken payment system
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 — Hundreds of pharmacies across Pennsylvania have gone out of business in recent years, data obtained by Spotlight PA show, and pharmacists say legislation...
UPMC, GoHealth partner to run 81 urgent-care clinics in Pa., W.Va.
UPMC and MedExpress clinics recently got a makeover and a new name — UPMC-GoHealth Urgent Care — but services are staying mostly the same. In October, UPMC and national chain GoHealth Urgent Care partnered to rebrand and renovate 80 clinics across Pennsylvania and West Virginia, including 33 in the Pittsburgh...
The U.S. fertility rate reached a new low in 2024, CDC data shows
The fertility rate in the U.S. dropped to an all-time low in 2024 with less than 1.6 kids per woman, new federal data released Thursday shows. The U.S. was once among only a few developed countries with a rate that ensured each generation had enough children to replace itself —...
Podcast: How Medicaid cuts could affect nursing homes
Medicaid cuts may be on the horizon after President Donald Trump signed the controversial “Big Bill,” legislation aimed at eliminating fraud, waste and abuse across various government and bureaucratic systems. Many Americans are concerned about potential ripple effects on publicly funded programs. It will take time to assess how the...
Bacteria risks found at all Lake Erie beaches in Pennsylvania, report says
Health risks were found at all of Lake Erie’s Pennsylvania beaches last year, a new report says. The beaches tested in 2024 were found to be potentially unsafe for swimming on at least one day, according to the PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center’s latest analysis of bacteria testing titled “Safe...
Greensburg woman appointed to leadership role at Independence Health
Dr. Mary Elizabeth Kovacik Eicher always wanted to work close to her hometown. A clinical neurologist who joined Excela Health in 2019, Kovacik Eicher was named to a key leadership role last week by Independence Health, which was formed in the merger of Excela and Butler health systems in 2023....
Pittsburgh VA on pace to lose 3% of workforce by year’s end
More than 200 federal workers providing or supporting medical care for Pittsburgh-area veterans have left their jobs this year as the Trump administration pressures agencies to slim down. By its own count, the Veterans Affairs Pittsburgh Healthcare System has lost 238 employees since January, with another 87 set to leave...
Kamins give $65M for UPMC Presbyterian tower project, medical research
Philanthropists Daniel G. and Carole L. Kamin on Tuesday continued their recent giving spree by announcing $65 million toward UPMC’s Presbyterian hospital tower and medical research. The research portion of the gift is geared toward studying the brain and heart and is specifically in response to cuts in federal research...
Overdoses lead to Pa. crackdown on nitazenes, a powerful class of opioids
The Pennsylvania Department of Health has criminalized nitazenes, a class of synthetic opioids that can be even stronger than fentanyl, as overdose deaths in the state mount. Nitazenes are temporarily labeled a Class I controlled substance as of Saturday, meaning it’s illegal to possess, distribute or manufacture them in the...
West Nile virus detected in Allegheny County, 7 neighborhoods to get sprayed
After mosquito samples tested positive for West Nile Virus, the Allegheny County Health Department announced today that seven neighborhoods will be treated this week. On Thursday from 8 to 11 p.m., residents in the Hazelwood, South Side Slopes, Arlington, Mt. Oliver, Carrick, Knoxville and Beltzhoover areas should expect to see...
More than 5.2 million pools sold across the U.S. and Canada are under recall after reports of 9 deaths
NEW YORK — More than 5.2 million aboveground swimming pools sold across the U.S. and Canada over the last two decades are being recalled after nine drowning deaths were reported. The recall covers a range of Bestway, Intex Recreation and Polygroup pools that were sold by major retailers as far...
Brown University study flags 4 Southwestern Pa. nursing homes ‘at risk’ under Medicaid cuts
Four Southwestern Pennsylvania nursing homes could be in trouble after approval of the federal spending plan described by President Donald Trump as the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” according to a Brown University study. But the variation in funding formulas could limit the impact on facilities identified in the study, according...
Health care experts: Medicaid cuts threaten Pennsylvania’s nursing home industry
Zach Shamberg fears federal Medicaid adjustments approved in President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” will worsen a nursing home climate already strained by insufficient care reimbursements and staffing challenges. Shamberg, president and CEO of the Pennsylvania Health Care Association, joined a chorus of health care experts speaking out against...
