Health


A plume rises over East Palestine, Ohio, as a result of the controlled detonation of a portion of the derailed Norfolk Southern trains, Feb. 6, 2023. After the catastrophic train car derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, some officials are raising concerns about a type of toxic substance that tends to stay in the environment. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)
Health Resource Center Opening in Beaver County For Residents Impacted by Ohio Train Wreck

The health resource center will open Tuesday in the Darlington Township Building for residents affected by the fiery train wreck earlier this month. It will be open through March 10.

Black patient waiting in hallway of hospital during COVID-19 pandemic
Viral ‘Triple-demic’ Strains Hospitals, Empties Store Shelves

The winter cold of the holiday season has brought about an expected surge in COVID cases, but it has also resulted in a number of other illnesses that were not expected, or not expected to hit as hard as they have.

Bern Township, PA - January 29: A photo of the Berks County Heim. At the Berks Heim Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Bern Township Friday morning January 29, 2021 where residents of the home, and staff are being vaccinated against COVID-19 / Coronavirus with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. (Photo by Ben Hasty/MediaNews Group/Reading Eagle via Getty Images)
COVID-Era Nursing Home Staff Crunch Hurting Hospitals, Too

The workforce crunch at skilled nursing homes and personal care facilities in Pennsylvania is having a spillover effect on hospitals, which are under strain from a 55% increase in COVID-19 patients since mid-November.

Sarah Laurel with her brother, Adam Al-Asad, who serves as the director of operations for Savage Sisters, in one of their South Philadelphia recovery houses. (Courtesy Sarah Laurel/Savage Sisters)
Once Left For Dead, This Philadelphia Woman is Helping Those Battling Addiction

Sarah Laurel was a thriving professional who hit rock bottom due to addiction. Having turned her life around, she’s now working on behalf of those in recovery and on the streets with Savage Sisters.

The Bayada Home Health Care office on North Wyomissing Blvd. in Wyomissing. (Getty Images)
Advocates Protest Over Pennsylvania’s Problematic Home Care Program

Low pay and high turnover have long been the reality for the ranks of direct care workers in home care settings and nursing homes. The pandemic has made it worse.

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf speaks during a rally to raise the state minimum wage Friday, July 9, 2021, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Majority-GOP State Legislature Allows Opioid Emergency Declaration to Lapse

Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf first issued a disaster declaration in January 2018 after Pennsylvania set a record for opioid deaths, then renewed it more than a dozen times as the state battled an epidemic that has worsened during the coronavirus pandemic.

Two proposed amendments that voters will face deal with limiting the power of governors like Tom Wolf during disasters.
Wolf Signs 15th Opioid Disaster Declaration; Asks Legislature To Act

Gov. Tom Wolf has extended Pennsylvania’s opioid disaster declaration for a 15th time. To extend the declaration further, the legislature will have to come back from recess.