Health
Kentucky hospital workforce is rebounding, but still has too many vacancies
Kentucky’s non-doctor health care workforce is on the mend, though state hospitals still have thousands of unfilled positions. That’s according to an August report released by the Kentucky Hospital Association that shows 12% of positions in the state’s hospitals were empty in 2023, with nurses being the most in-demand. The data comes from 94% of […]
Here’s what we know about the parasite outbreak in NKY pools
The Northern Kentucky Health Department has issued a public health advisory after detecting an outbreak of Cryptosporidium, often shortened to Crypto, a fecal-borne intestinal parasite. The advisory states that at least some of the cases were detected in connection with a local public pool. A representative from the Health Department confirmed that the pool in […]
To lower prescription drug costs, states head to the courthouse
Last month, the Federal Trade Commission released a scathing report suggesting that pharmacy benefit managers, the middlemen in the drug supply chain known as PBMs, are “profiting by inflating drug costs and squeezing Main Street pharmacies.” The FTC found that because of consolidation in the industry, the three largest PBMs now manage nearly 80% of […]
‘Perfect storm’ of crises is leading to cutbacks in abortion care, advocates say
Advocates for abortion access say compounding crises of abortion bans, rising economic costs and systemic health care issues are beginning to cause significant funding challenges and potential disruptions to reproductive care of all kinds. Several people described it as a “perfect storm” of problems with the U.S. health care system, particularly post-pandemic, and the rise […]
Potential threats to IVF push political novices into election-year advocacy
Marilyn Gomez was sitting at her kitchen table in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Feb. 16 when news alerts and friends’ texts began pinging her phone: The all-Republican Alabama Supreme Court had ruled that frozen embryos created through in vitro fertilization were children under state law. That meant providers could be held liable for discarding them, […]
With a new mental health emergency unit, University of Kentucky seeks to decrease stigma
This story mentions suicide and mental health. If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, please call or text the Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988. Kentucky’s first psychiatric emergency unit cared for more than 150 people in its first 10 days of operation — more than half of whom were dealing with suicidality. The […]
Breaking the Stigma: Postpartum depression is lonely. Shame, guilt make it worse.
This story discusses postpartum depression and suicide. If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, please call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988. Before having children, Chan Kemper pictured how the experience would go. “I was determined to have the hippiest, dippiest, crunchy, earth goddess pregnancies and deliveries that I could […]
Senators urge better access to disability payments for Long COVID patients
Seven U.S. senators have called on the Social Security Administration to make it easier for people with long COVID to access disability benefits, actions that disability rights advocates and patients say are desperately needed. In a letter released Monday, they said the agency should make the process more transparent, track and publish data on long […]
A Kentucky Lantern Q & A with federal health administrator
LOUISVILLE — Carole Johnson, the administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration for the Biden administration, was in Louisville Thursday to discuss ways Kentucky can improve maternal health outcomes. After moderating a roundtable on the topic, Johnson discussed maternal health issues facing Kentucky with the Lantern. The conversation has been edited for length and […]
Roundtable explores ways to improve Kentucky maternal health
LOUISVILLE — Maternal health is complicated, and reducing mortality around birth takes a comprehensive approach, advocates from across Kentucky said at a Thursday roundtable moderated by Carole Johnson, the administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration for the Biden administration. During the roundtable, which took place at the Marriott Hotel in downtown Louisville, Johnson […]
Telehealth abortion still on the rise, especially in states with shield laws, report shows
Both the overall number of abortions and the use of telehealth abortion care continue to increase in the United States, according to the latest #WeCount report released Wednesday. Telehealth made up 20% of all abortion care in the first three months of 2024, and the monthly total of abortions exceeded 100,000 for the first time […]
COVID-19 on the rise in Kentucky
LOUISVILLE — COVID-19 is “alive and well” in Kentucky, cautions infectious disease expert Dr. Mark Burns, as hospitalizations for the virus rise and students and teachers head back to school. Kentucky’s Cabinet for Health and Family Services data shows an uptick in emergency department visits and hospitalizations from COVID-19 as of Aug. 1. In July […]