Health & Wellness

HERSHEY — Penn State College of Medicine researchers have shown, for the first time, a possible correlation between the partial meltdown of the Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station and thyroid cancers in the counties surrounding the plant. Three Mile Island (TMI), located near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, had a partial meltdown accident on March 28,…

Mosquitoes are an annoying part of outdoor summer fun, buzzing around at picnics and playgrounds and causing itchy red skin bumps when they bite. However, mosquitoes also can transmit serious illnesses to humans through those bites. West Nile virus is the most prevalent mosquito-borne illness in Pennsylvania and has been present here for almost…

HERSHEY — Scientists could be one step closer to developing long-awaited vaccines against viruses such as Zika, West Nile or HIV, thanks to research at Penn State College of Medicine. Most current vaccines work by stimulating a class of white blood cells called B cells to make antibodies that circulate and control…

STATE COLLEGE — Although it’s still five months away, teams are already preparing for the Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s, scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 28, at Medlar Field. Annually, this fundraiser is held in more than 600 communities nationwide and is designed to raise awareness for Alzheimer’s care, support and research. At…

BELLEFONTE — Bellefonte Emergency Medical Services hosted an open house and educational forum for local elected officials May 23 during National EMS Week. The event provided borough and township leaders with information on the successes and growing struggles that face the EMS system today, as well as those that pose a potential crisis in the…

UNIVERSITY PARK — Older adults with Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia are twice as likely to be hospitalized as those who are cognitively healthy. Traditionally, little attention has been paid to helping these patients recover functional independence following discharge. Family caregivers can play an important role in filling this gap. Funded by a…

UNIVERSITY PARK — For the first time in modern history, the suicide rate of active-duty service members exceeds that of the civilian population. This finding is even more alarming considering that the suicide rate for U.S. civilians hit a 30-year high in 2014, rising a staggering 24 percent in the preceding 15 years. Neither…

JERSEY SHORE — Geisinger and Jersey Shore Hospital and Foundation announced the signing of an agreement, upon regulatory approval, to integrate Jersey Shore Hospital and Foundation into Geisinger. The regulatory review is expected to take a few months to complete. “In today’s challenging health care environment, it is extremely difficult for small, independent facilities…

STATE COLLEGE — Dr. Mark Knaub recently began practicing at Penn State Sports Medicine, a part of Penn State Health, located at 1850 E. Park Ave., Suite 112, in State College. Knaub, who has been with Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center for the past 13 years, offers specialized spine services. He…

State College Elks Lodge Drug Awareness Committee members recently participated in the Park Forest Middle School’s health fair. Pictured, from left, are Dominic Aiello, W.F. Reiber, Shelly Wike and Bob Kidder, who distributed drug awareness materials.