Health
Lexington physicians offer advice on protecting against respiratory illnesses during the holidays
As respiratory viruses surge, Lexington physicians on Monday urged Kentuckians to protect themselves and others this holiday season by getting vaccinated against flu and COVID-19, staying home if you feel sick and masking and social distancing when possible. During a briefing for media, ?Dr. Gena Cooper, medical director for pediatric emergency medicine at Kentucky Children’s […]
Mass shootings spur debate over whether crime scene photos prompt change or trauma
This article was first published by Kaiser Health News. McCLELLANVILLE, S.C. — John Lites was one of the first police officers to respond to a 911 call from Mother Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, S.C, on June 17, 2015, when a white gunman murdered nine Black people attending a Bible study. Lites […]
New poll shows many Kentuckians believe COVID-19 is over
Most Kentuckians will celebrate the holiday season regardless of COVID-19 levels, according to a new poll funded by the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky.? Many also believe the pandemic is now over.?These insights come from researchers with the University of Cincinnati’s Institute for Policy Research, who interviewed 855 Kentucky adults by telephone for the Vaccines […]
OCD in Kentucky is a serious condition but remains misunderstood
This story discusses suicide and self harm. If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, please call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988.? The signs that Alexa Quinter had obsessive compulsive disorder even as a child were there, but she wasn’t diagnosed until well into her 20s.? After witnessing an attempted […]
Awaiting Kentucky Supreme Court’s abortion ruling with ‘anxiousness’ and uncertainty
A Kentuckian seeking an abortion now must travel to another state for it, with Illinois being the nearest where the procedure is accessible with few or no restrictions.? Virginia has some access as well, though less than Illinois.? This is true despite the defeat of the anti-abortion Amendment 2, which would have specified there’s no […]
Flu picking up in Kentucky after mild seasons during COVID-19
More cases of flu are popping up in Kentucky after masking during the pandemic kept the last few seasons relatively mild.? The Lexington-Fayette County Health Department posted on social media Wednesday that “flu is hitting hard in Lexington” with more cases in the first two months of the season than in the last three years.? […]
Too many pregnant Kentuckians and their babies lack access to care. Midwives say they could help.
During three of her four pregnancies, Laura Browning drove three hours round-trip past hospitals to get prenatal care from midwives in Lexington, the only place that offered what she needed.? She even made the trip while in labor with her first baby, feeling that “the care that I was receiving” from the midwives “was worth […]
Drug prices will soon start to decrease for Medicare recipients
Starting next month, a $35 cap on insulin prices will go into effect for millions of Medicare recipients. The lower pricing is one of the first of several policy measures Americans will see in the coming months and years under the Inflation Reduction Act signed into law in August. The bill also requires pharmaceutical companies […]
Introducing Kentucky Lantern’s health reporter
Every time I write a Kentucky health story, I’m reminded of when I was 13 and my “GrandG” taught me to crochet. It took weeks for my fingers to find their way and steadily stitch together yarn that took the shapes of scarves, blankets, potholders.? Often, because I was new at it, my needle slipped […]
Hindman medical clinic reopens after flooding closed it for four months
Damage from severe flooding forced UK HealthCare’s June Buchanan Medical Clinic in Hindman to close for four months. On Monday, the clinic reopened.? The University of Kentucky said in a news release that UK HealthCare oversees several clinics in areas overwhelmed by last summer’s flooding. The Hindman clinic, which is at 59 Cowtown Road, “took […]
Stivers says Senate GOP will decide soon whether to change abortion ban
This article is published with permission from the Northern?Kentucky?Tribune, a nonprofit publication of the Kentucky Center for Public Service Journalism. “It’s hard to tell” if Kentucky voters’ decision last month against a constitutional amendment to eliminate abortion rights from the state Constitution means the people want abortion allowed in cases involving rape and incest, the […]
What can Kentucky do to prepare for the next pandemic or epidemic? Experts weigh in.
Even as Kentucky reels and recovers from COVID-19 in what some have touted as the “new normal,” experts say there are systemic steps we could take now to prepare for the next big health crisis.? Chief of all, experts told the Kentucky Lantern, is building trust between the general public and health officials, the shortage […]