Health
Blood donations pour in following Louisville mass shooting
LOUISVILLE — Hundreds of people who had never before donated blood stepped forward to help following a mass shooting in Louisville a week ago.? The shooting left five dead, plus the shooter, whom police killed. Nine others were injured, including police officer Nickolas Wilt, who was working his fourth shift as a Louisville police officer […]
Long COVID is hurting business; workplace accommodations could help
Three years after the start of the pandemic, millions of working age people still suffer from long COVID-19 and some lawmakers and advocates, including people with long COVID, say not enough is being done to protect their well-being and ensure they can continue to be employed. Proposed federal legislation, better workplace accommodations, and more federal […]
Viable male birth control options could be on the horizon
Heather Vahdat has been advocating for male contraceptive options for nearly a decade, but she is the first to say it is a lonely space to occupy in the health science field. Vahdat is the executive director of the Male Contraceptive Initiative, based in Durham, North Carolina, which has been working with a single donor […]
Blood donations needed in wake of mass shooting in Louisville
LOUISVILLE — While treating Louisville’s mass shooting victims, UofL Health staff used 170 units of blood, chief medical officer Dr. Jason Smith said Tuesday. That comes out to more than 80 donations.? The blood needed “far outstrips our hospital capacity,” Smith said at an 11:30 media briefing at Louisville Metro Hall. Kentucky’s chapter of the […]
How to mentally cope with Louisville’s mass shooting
For help coping with Louisville’s mass shooting, call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 988 or the Disaster Distress Hotline at 1-800-985-5990. Events like Monday’s mass shooting in Louisville can heighten the human body’s fight or flight response, mental health experts say, and can raise anxiety — particularly for those with post traumatic stress […]
Kentucky lags nation on vaccines for mpox
About one in five Kentuckians who are at risk for mpox — formerly called “monkeypox” — have received their vaccinations, Gov. Andy Beshear said Friday.? The estimated at-risk population in Kentucky is 19,344, Beshear said. Of those, 21% got one dose of vaccine and 12% got two doses, compared to 37% and 23% nationally.? Mpox […]
Kentucky governor signs bill decriminalizing fentanyl test strips
FRANKFORT – Fentanyl test strips will no longer be considered drug paraphernalia in Kentucky.? Gov. Andy Beshear on Friday signed a bipartisan bill?decriminalizing fentanyl test strips in Kentucky after it easily passed both chambers.? The Kentucky Senate passed House Bill 353 Thursday night. The House concurred unanimously in the final hours of the 2023 legislative […]
Medical marijuana will be legal in Kentucky, but not until 2025
FRANKFORT — On the last day of the legislative session, the Kentucky General Assembly has passed a bill that legalizes medical marijuana for some Kentuckians who suffer from chronic illnesses.? The House voted 66-33 to approve Senate Bill 47. Representatives have passed similar measures in previous years, but this year marked the first time legislation […]
Kentucky official upholds child-neglect ruling in near-fatal injury by Louisville teacher’s aide
Almost nine years after a 16-year-old boy with autism suffered two fractured legs — a near fatal injury — at the hands of a teacher’s aide with Jefferson County Public Schools, the state’s top human services official has upheld a finding of child neglect in the case. In a March 16 written order, Eric Friedlander, […]
Postpartum Medicaid expansion is the first step to maternal health equity, experts say?
Arkansas has the highest maternal mortality rate in the United States: 43.5 deaths from 2018 to 2021 for every 100,000 live births, according to the latest federal data. But the state only extends postpartum Medicaid to 60 days after childbirth.? A bill by Arkansas Rep. Aaron Pilkington, R-Knoxville, aims to change that and would seek […]
Beshear vetoes bill that would end new dental, hearing, vision care for 900,000 Kentuckians
Stressing workforce development, Gov. Andy Beshear vetoed a bill that would end new Medicaid benefits for dental, hearing and vision care for 900,000 Kentuckians. “Senate Bill 65 will harm Kentuckians and frustrate efforts to increase Kentucky’s workforce,” Beshear said in his veto message issued Friday. Beshear expanded Medicaid coverage last fall through an administrative regulation […]
Beshear vetoes anti-trans, ‘parents rights’ bill
Democrat Gov. Andy Beshear on Friday vetoed a bill that would, among other things, ban gender-affirming care for Kentucky’s transgender minors.? The legislation, Senate Bill 150, was passed by the Kentucky legislature in mid-March.? Beshear’s veto was not surprising – in 2020 he became the first sitting Kentucky governor to attend an LGBTQ+ fairness rally. […]