Where does Pitt rank in federal medical research funding?
A tumultuous time for federal research funding didn’t stop the University of Pittsburgh from increasing its annual haul through the National Institutes of Health. For the year ending Sept. 30, Pitt received roughly $670 million from the country’s top funder of medical research, up from $661 million the year prior....
As Kennedy turns from vaccines, MAHA allies see a ‘betrayal’
To all appearances, it was the next stage in the dismantling of the American vaccine program. Federal regulators refused last month to review a new mRNA flu shot from Moderna, the latest consequence of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s campaign to give skeptics control of the bureaucracy overseeing inoculations....
Federal judge shuts door on Justice Department effort to wrest transgender care data from UPMC
A federal judge in Pittsburgh on Monday denied a request by the U.S. Department of Justice to force UPMC to turn over anonymized records for minor patients who received gender-affirming care and sharply criticized the government for its stance on transgender Americans. “Its rhetoric regarding gender-affirming care reflects callous indifference,...
Study ties up to 12.5% of Pittsburgh area adult deaths to air pollution
Air pollution in the Pittsburgh region was linked to as many as 12.5% of adult deaths in 2019, according to a study published in the journal Annals of Global Health, with the highest levels of fine particulate matter recorded in Allegheny County. Researchers from Boston College over a two year...
‘It’s a calling’: PennWest helps prepare sexual assault nursing examiners such as the one highlighted on ‘The Pitt’
One of Sierra Roman’s first cases as an emergency room nurse at ACMH Hospital — and one she’ll never forget — involved a victim of a sexual assault. Roman, who started at the hospital in August 2023, needed to perform a rape kit exam on her patient. “I’m nervous because...
Pittsburgh Water reports lowest-ever lead levels in city water supply
Pittsburgh Water’s 2025 report highlights a continued drop in lead levels detected in the city’s drinking water supply. “2025 was yet another year of Pittsburgh Water turning our commitments into real results for our customers,” CEO Will Pickering said in a statement accompanying the report, released March 2. The organization’s...
What to know before asking an AI chatbot for health advice
WASHINGTON — With hundreds of millions of people turning to chatbots for advice, it was only a matter of time before tech companies began offering programs specifically designed to answer health questions. In January, OpenAI introduced ChatGPT Health, a new version of its chatbot that the company says can analyze...
Back in black: UPMC reverses recent losses with $286M operating income in 2025
UPMC’s operating income hit $286 million last year, snapping a two-year streak of red ink. A rebound from UPMC’s health insurance division helped the organization return to positive margins after operating losses of $339 million in 2024 and $198 million in 2023, according to a financial report released Friday. Insurance...
Health care union calls on McCormick to oppose ambassadorship for nursing home magnate
Unionized care workers are pushing U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick to reject an ambassadorship nomination for a scandal-plagued nursing home magnate who owned facilities in Western Pennsylvania. Service Employees International Union Healthcare Pennsylvania staged a small press conference Wednesday morning outside the Republican lawmaker’s office in Downtown Pittsburgh, calling on him...
Surgeon general nominee faces sharp questions about vaccines, birth control and qualificationsVideo
NEW YORK — Wellness influencer, author and entrepreneur Dr. Casey Means on Wednesday shared a vision for addressing the root causes of chronic disease instead of feeding into “reactive sick care” during her confirmation hearing to become the nation’s next surgeon general. “Our nation is angry, exhausted and hurting,” the...
WVU Health System seeks to add children’s psychiatric hospital in Wheeling
West Virginia University Health System’s Wheeling Hospital said Tuesday it’s working to acquire a children’s psychiatric hospital just a couple of miles away. The target is Orchard Park Hospital, a provider of inpatient mental health services for youth ages 5 to 18. The 30-bed facility has signed a letter of...
Aspinwall pharmacy owner pushes for fair shake for independent drugstores
Hours before the president’s State of the Union address on Tuesday, Aspinwall pharmacy owner Jonathan Akanowicz sat alongside U.S. Rep. Chris Deluzio to advocate for reforms they say would rein in national monopolies and protect independent pharmacists from being squeezed out of the market. “We’re looking for a level playing...
States sue Trump administration over changes to childhood vaccine recommendations
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — More than a dozen states sued the Trump administration Tuesday over its rollback of vaccine recommendations for children, calling the move an illegal threat to public health. The states argue that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention put children’s lives at risk when it announced last...
What were the most popular baby names in Pittsburgh region last year?Video
At Allegheny Health Network, there were a record number of births in 2025 across all of its labor and delivery units. Of those births, there were some standout names chosen. The most popular boy name of 2025 was Henry and the most popular girl name of 2025 was once again...
Women suffer heart attacks too. Understanding risks, symptoms and how to save yourself
Lori Sepich smoked for years and sometimes skipped taking her blood pressure medicine. But she never thought she’d have a heart attack. The possibility “just wasn’t registering with me,” said the 64-year-old from Memphis, Tennessee, who suffered two of them 13 years apart. She’s far from alone. More than 60...
Early prenatal care, considered best for moms and babies, is on the decline in the U.S.
Early prenatal care improves the chances of having a healthy pregnancy and baby. But a new federal report shows it’s been on the decline. The share of U.S. births to women who began prenatal care in the first trimester dropped from 78.3% in 2021 to 75.5% in 2024, according to...
Kennedy’s push to find cause of autism divides Hill Republicans
WASHINGTON — One year into his first term, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s focus on autism is showing how polarizing Trump administration health policy can be for Capitol Hill Republicans. Some GOP lawmakers say Kennedy’s interest in autism is counterproductive and could cause long-term mistrust in...
NIH’s Jay Bhattacharya will also run the CDC while Trump administration looks for permanent director
WASHINGTON — National Institutes of Health Director Jay Bhattacharya will also temporarily become acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an administration official said Wednesday. The change was first reported by The New York Times and confirmed by the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because...
Moderna says the FDA will consider its new flu shot after resolving a public dispute
WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration will consider whether to approve Moderna’s new flu vaccine after all, resolving a dispute that had blocked the company’s application for the first-of-its-kind shot. Moderna announced the change Wednesday, about a week after revealing that the FDA’s vaccine chief was refusing to review...
As some people push to make profound autism its own diagnosis, this family is raising twins with it
AYER, Mass. — Connor Murphy walked in circles around his dad, then flopped down on the kitchen floor, got up and walked in circles again. His dad turned the 9-year-old’s repetitive behavior into a chance to connect. “Want me to pick you up?” Matthew Murphy asked, lifting, tickling and spinning...
Graduation marks 5 years preserving Freedom House Ambulance Service in Pittsburgh
Shannon Smith developed a passion for helping others while caring for her father, whose chronic obstructive pulmonary disease made breathing difficult. Although Smith’s father died in August, the caregiving experience inspired the 39-year-old to begin working in home health care and enroll in a six-week program that introduces participants to...
Moderna says FDA refuses its application for new mRNA flu vaccine
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is refusing to consider Moderna’s application for a new flu vaccine made with Nobel Prize-winning mRNA technology, the company announced Tuesday. The news is the latest sign of the FDA’s heightened scrutiny of vaccines under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., particularly...
Health care workers want ICE out of hospitals, and blue states are responding
Last month, the parents of a 7-year-old girl whose nose wouldn’t stop bleeding took her to Portland Adventist Health in Portland, Oregon, for urgent care. Before the family could get through the doors, federal immigration agents reportedly detained them in the parking lot and took them to a detention center...
Boil water advisory lifted in parts of Allegheny, Washington counties
A weekend boil water advisory for roughly 95,000 Pennsylvania American Water customers in Allegheny and Washington counties has been lifted after testing showed no signs of bacterial contamination. The notice went into effect Saturday after a power surge interrupted pumping, causing a 4-foot-wide water main to break near the Aldrich...
‘Take the vaccine, please,’ a top U.S. health official says in an appeal as measles cases rise
WASHINGTON — A leading U.S. health official on Sunday urged people to get inoculated against the measles at a time of outbreaks across several states and as the United States is at risk of losing its measles elimination status. “Take the vaccine, please,” said Dr. Mehmet Oz, the Centers for...
