Trump nominates Erica Schwartz, former deputy surgeon general, to serve as CDC director
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Thursday nominated Erica Schwartz, a former deputy surgeon general, to be the next director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In a social media post, Trump described Schwartz as “incredibly talented” and said, “She is a STAR!” The Atlanta-based CDC, which is...
FDA to weigh easing limits on unproven peptides favored by RFK Jr. and other MAHA figures
WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration will hold a meeting this summer to consider easing restrictions on more than a half dozen peptide injections, a group of unapproved therapies that have become popular among wellness influencers, fitness gurus and celebrities. The meeting announcement Wednesday follows repeated pledges by Health...
Why many Americans are turning to AI for health advice, according to recent polls
NEW YORK — When Tiffany Davis has a question about a symptom from the weight-loss injections she’s taking, she doesn’t call her doctor. She pulls out her phone and consults ChatGPT. “I’ll just basically let ChatGPT know my status, how I’m feeling,” said the 42-year-old in Mesquite, Texas. “I use...
AI chatbots give misleading medical advice 50% of the time, study finds
Artificial intelligence-driven chatbots are giving users problematic medical advice about half the time, according to a new study, highlighting the health risks of the technology that’s becoming increasingly integral in day-to-day life. Researchers from the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom evaluated five popular platforms — ChatGPT, Gemini, Meta...
Pitt to offer online Infant Mental Health certificate
A new University of Pittsburgh academic program aims to address the mental health, growth and development needs of infants and toddlers amid a shortage of qualified, working professionals. Pitt has launched a new, online graduate certificate in Infant Mental Health. The 12-credit program kicks off this fall, said Robert Gallen,...
Florida doctor faces manslaughter charge for allegedly removing wrong organ during surgery
DEFUNIAK SPRINGS, Fla. — A grand jury indicted a Florida doctor on a manslaughter charge for allegedly removing a patient’s liver instead of his spleen during a 2024 surgery. The prosecutor for the First Judicial Circuit on Monday announced the charge of second-degree manslaughter against Dr. Thomas Shaknovsky. Prosecutors said...
4,000 Band-Aids, 1,400 water bottles, 1 mobile clinic: Allegheny Health Network prepares for NFL Draft
Cuts, scrapes, bruises, dehydration, allergic reactions — Allegheny Health Network expects to see it all when thousands of people pack Downtown Pittsburgh and the North Shore in less than two weeks for the 2026 NFL Draft. The system’s mobile clinic will park in Market Square for the duration of the...
Iran war has some U.S. water utilities facing a fluoride shortage
It’s not just gas prices: Some U.S. water utilities are reporting the Middle East war is disrupting their ability to maintain recommended fluoride levels in the drinking water. Over the past few weeks, a few water utilities have said their supply had been disrupted, according to the Association of Metropolitan...
Clinical trials offer hope for multiple sclerosis treatment breakthrough
Longtime runner Annie Saunders didn’t let a 2021 diagnosis of multiple sclerosis sideline her passions. If anything, the 40-year-old Irwin native pushes harder — through weakness and imbalance caused by the neurological disease — to keep her body strong. Saunders remains hopeful because she believes a cure will be found...
Human papillomavirus-related throat cancer skyrocketing in men over 50
Kevin Shields thought nothing of an unusual but persistent sensation in his throat. A public address announcer for the Fox Chapel Area School District baseball, softball and flag football teams, Shields also is the man behind the mic for the Carnegie Mellon University Tartans teams. He chalked up the sensation...
Billions in research funding survive Trump crackdown, benefiting Pitt, CMU
The Trump administration is accepting legal defeat in its effort to limit critical funding for research institutions, including the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University, after its window to petition to the U.S. Supreme Court closed this week. In February 2025, the National Institutes of Health announced a cap...
Trump administration temporarily blocks Minnesota’s historic wage floor for nursing home workers
Unprecedented minimum wages for thousands of nursing home workers in Minnesota are delayed again. Leah Solo, executive director of the state’s Nursing Home Workforce Standards Board, said at a board meeting Thursday that the Trump administration has reset to day one its 90-day clock to review the wage floor. Under...
Trump administration admits a glaring error in its accusations about New York health care fraud
NEW YORK — President Donald Trump’s administration this week acknowledged it made a significant error in figures it used to help justify a fraud probe into New York’s Medicaid program, a glaring mistake that undercuts a federal campaign to tackle waste, mostly in Democratic-led states. The error, one of at...
Updated rules for CDC vaccine advisory panel reflect Kennedy skepticism
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration has updated the charter of a key federal vaccine advisory committee in ways that may increase the voices of anti-vaccine activists, the latest in a series of moves that critics say are undermining confidence in life-saving shots. The changes published Thursday come after a recent...
U.S. abortion opponents want Trump’s FDA to act on abortion pill restrictions
/ U.S. abortion opponents are increasingly frustrated with the lack of action by President Donald Trump’s administration to stem the flow of abortion pills prescribed online that they view as undermining state abortion bans. A court ruling this week in a lawsuit the Louisiana attorney general brought against Trump’s Food...
AHN radiologist turns ‘The Pitt’ into teaching tool on TikTok
Bathed in the blue light of a radiology reading room, Dr. Matthew Hartman and three of his medical students spent Wednesday morning analyzing X-rays, CT scans and ultrasounds at West Penn Hospital. The images being reviewed by the class were real, but Hartman finds fiction can be just as powerful...
American Red Cross teams up with ‘The Pitt’ for series of blood drives
Viewers watch the doctors and nurses of the fictional Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center save lives every Thursday on the HBO Max series “The Pitt.” Now, the American Red Cross is teaming up with the show to help everyday Pittsburghers save some lives of their own. The organization is holding a...
Judge refuses to block sending abortion pill by mail for now, but says FDA must finish review
A federal judge Tuesday refused to block filling prescriptions for the abortion pill mifepristone by mail across the U.S. — at least for now — in a setback to Louisiana’s effort to stifle groups that send it into states where abortion is banned. U.S. District Judge David Joseph, who sits...
How often should I replace my running shoes?
Q: I’ve heard a lot of different things about how long running shoes should last. How do I know when it’s time for a new pair? A: Once you find the right pair of running shoes, it can be hard to part with them. It’s a frequently cited rule of...
Menopause products are having a hot minute. But doctors urge women to be wary of the marketing surge
DALLAS — Women suffering through the hot flashes, night sweats, mood changes and sleep problems that can come with menopause — all while looking in the mirror and noticing signs of aging — are being bombarded with products. More open conversations about menopause and the period leading up to it...
What to consider before switching antidepressants
Elizabeth, 64, a former lawyer in Ontario, Canada, had taken the antidepressant Celexa for two decades. It helped her cope with the stress of being a full-time caregiver for her two sons, who are autistic. But last year her medication wasn’t working very well. Her sons, now both in their...
For many patients leaving the ICU, the struggle has only just begun
The accident happened in Pittsburgh on Nov. 16. Joseph Masterson, a lawyer who was just days from retiring at age 63, suffered cardiac arrest while driving, plowed into a guardrail and lost consciousness. Other drivers stopped, broke the car window and pulled him to safety. A passing volunteer firefighter performed...
Aid groups warn Iran war is hindering food and medicine from reaching millions
TEL AVIV, Israel — Aid groups are warning that the war in the Middle East has upended their ability to get food and medicine to millions of people around the world in need, and that the suffering will deepen if the violence continues. Not only has the conflict cut off...
Colorado SNAP soda ban on hold, but Gov. Polis plans order to end state spending on sugary drinks and alcohol
DENVER — Colorado’s proposed ban on allowing the largest food assistance program to pay for soft drinks is on hold while a lawsuit against the federal government plays out, but Gov. Jared Polis is planning an executive order to limit state soda purchases. The proposed change would prevent the Supplemental...
Pittsburgh biotech company Lipella Pharmaceuticals files for bankruptcy protection
Lipella Pharmaceuticals, a biotechnology company in Pittsburgh’s Homewood neighborhood, filed for bankruptcy protection Monday following more than two decades of developing medications that never made it to market. The drugmaker is winding down operations just 10 months after being delisted from the Nasdaq stock exchange, which choked off access to...
