Dec. 27, 2024Daniel Fishel / For Spotlight PAScrutiny and secrecy defined Pennsylvania debates over how to spend opioid settlement billions in 2024by Ed Mahon of Spotlight PADecisions made by a powerful state oversight board could shape spending decisions for years to come.
Dec. 24, 2024Sarah Boden / For Spotlight PAMeet the Santas helping Pa. families with sick children weather holidays in hospitalsby Sarah Boden for Spotlight PAHospital volunteers and workers observe holiday traditions to help boost the spirits of Pennsylvania kids undergoing exhausting treatments in unfamiliar environments.
Dec. 18, 2024Daniel Fishel for Spotlight PAA handful of Pa. doctors approved 1/3 of medical pot cards in a single year. Experts question the quality of care.by Ed Mahon of Spotlight PARecords obtained by Spotlight PA through a court victory have already spurred calls for greater oversight of physicians and potential changes to the state’s medical marijuana law.
Dec. 17, 2024Commonwealth Media ServicesMail delays, paperwork problems prevent hungry families from accessing food benefits in Pa.by Sarah Boden for Spotlight PASNAP helps low-income Pennsylvanians afford food, but a new report finds paperwork snafus and confusing rules can prevent people from accessing that assistance.
Dec. 10, 2024Commonwealth Media ServicesDoctors in Pa. recommend RSV, flu vaccines as winter approachesby Sarah Boden for Spotlight PAPhysicians in Pennsylvania don’t anticipate the surges of patients they saw during the first winters of the COVID-19 pandemic, but encouraged RSV and flu vaccinations.
Dec. 3, 2024Commonwealth Media ServicesA range of workers provide maternal care in Pa. Learn their roles.by Sarah Boden for Spotlight PAThe federal government argues a more robust maternal health workforce is key to improving mortality before, during, and after childbirth.
Nov. 25, 2024Ed Mahon / Spotlight PACounties fight for more freedom over how to spend opioid money with $247M more on the wayby Ed Mahon of Spotlight PASomerset County and Philadelphia are fighting decisions made by a powerful state oversight board to reject their spending plans.
Nov. 19, 2024Georgianna Sutherland / For Spotlight PAPaint, pipes, and soil can expose Pa. children to lead. How to stay safe.by Sarah Boden for Spotlight PALead is especially harmful to children because they are developing, so knowing potential exposure sources provides a first layer of protection.
Nov. 15, 2024Daniel Fishel / For Spotlight PANew database tracks how 10s of millions in opioid settlement dollars are being spent in Pennsylvaniaby Ed Mahon of Spotlight PAA first-of-its-kind database from Spotlight PA will now make it easier for the public to track Pennsylvania’s opioid settlement funds.
Nov. 12, 2024Wikimedia CommonsHoarding disorder can drive families and communities apart. Local support can help.by Sarah Boden for Spotlight PAPeople with hoarding disorder can endanger themselves and their communities if left untreated. An Irwin nonprofit is stepping up to offer support.
Oct. 29, 2024Commonwealth Media ServicesLawmakers pushed a slate of bills to improve maternal health care in Pa. Why some did — and didn’t — become law.by Stephen Caruso of Spotlight PAOne law mandates the creation of a postpartum depression awareness campaign. The other allows Medicaid reimbursement for doulas.
Oct. 25, 2024Daniel Fishel / For Spotlight PANew limits, oversight for Pa.’s medical marijuana doctors proposed in response to Spotlight PA investigationby Ed Mahon of Spotlight PAThe bill would give the Department of Health discretion on which doctors in the medical marijuana program would receive extra scrutiny.
Oct. 22, 2024Commonwealth Media ServicesBreaking rules intended to keep Pa.’s older adults safe is rarely met with state sanctionsby Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PADespite chronic issues, the Department of Aging has never taken punitive action against county agencies that don’t meet state standards.
Oct. 22, 2024Commonwealth Media ServicesState agency didn’t disclose complete info on county compliance with elder abuse rulesby Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PAThe incomplete information created a false impression about how frequently county aging offices have complied with state regulations.
Oct. 15, 2024Commonwealth Media ServicesIncreasing nursing home closures in Pa. affect access to and quality of careby Sarah Boden for Spotlight PAWhen Pa. nursing homes close, families and communities have to fill the gaps. Advocates for older adults warn that more closures loom if structural funding and staffing issues aren’t solved.
Oct. 10, 2024Courtesy of campaign Facebook pagesWhere Pa.’s attorney general candidates stand on abortion accessby Kate Huangpu of Spotlight PAThe next Pennsylvania attorney general will play a key role in defending the state’s abortion laws. Here’s where Democrat Eugene DePasquale and Republican Dave Sunday stand.
Oct. 8, 2024Commonwealth Media ServicesChanges in abortion access are shifting how doulas help patientsby Sarah Boden for Spotlight PAAbortion doulas help patients navigate the possible pain, discomfort, and emotions that arise when ending a pregnancy, along with the logistical hurdles they might face in seeking care.
Oct. 2, 2024Ed Mahon / Spotlight PAThousands more Pennsylvania medical professionals could approve cannabis patients under proposalsby Ed Mahon of Spotlight PAThe changes could increase options for patients, supporters say.
Sept. 17, 2024Commonwealth Media ServicesHospital mergers are giving rise to opaque ‘facility fees’ that add costs to medical billsby Sarah Boden for Spotlight PAConsolidations in the health care industry are driving opaque charges that experts say more and more patients are seeing on their bills.
Sept. 10, 2024Commonwealth Media ServicesThese tools can help new and expecting Pa. parents find child care that meets their needsby Sarah Boden for Spotlight PAChild care researchers and providers recommend expecting parents begin searching for programs early and use Pennsylvania’s statewide rating system, among other tools.
Sept. 4, 2024Daniel Fishel / For Spotlight PASpotlight PA investigation spurs call for more oversight of who can be a medical marijuana doctorby Ed MahonA proposal could clarify eligibility for physicians, and it’s intended “to protect the health and safety of the patients” in Pennsylvania’s medical marijuana program, two lawmakers say.
Sept. 3, 2024Commonwealth Media ServicesWho needs and provides care in Pennsylvania, by the numbersby Sarah Boden for Spotlight PADemographic data on caregiving in Pennsylvania show some of the pay, gender, and health factors that influence the quality of care.
Aug. 30, 2024Kent M. Wilhelm / Spotlight PAAbortion, climate change cases await decisions from Pa.’s highest courtsby Kate Huangpu of Spotlight PAWhile the Pennsylvania Supreme Court often has the final say on major policy decisions, it can take months or years for the justices to render their opinions.
Aug. 27, 2024Ed Mahon / Spotlight PAPublic voices often ignored in states’ opioid settlement money decisionsby Ed Mahon for Spotlight PA, Aneri Pattani for KFF Health News, and Henry Larweh for KFF Health NewsIn many places, the voices of victims are silenced when it comes to how to use opioid settlement money, a first-of-its-kind survey conducted by KFF Health News and Spotlight PA found.
Aug. 27, 2024Commonwealth Media ServicesRising vaccine exemptions in Pa. schools up chance of measles outbreaksby Sarah Boden for Spotlight PAVaccines help Pennsylvania school officials keep children safe from preventable diseases like tetanus and measles. But rising requests for exemptions to the shots are making this work fraught.
Aug. 26, 2024Daniel Fishel / For Spotlight PAPrior misconduct rarely an obstacle for doctors in Pennsylvania’s medical marijuana programby Ed Mahon of Spotlight PAOne doctor’s battle to rejoin Pennsylvania’s medical marijuana program reveals how the state wields its gatekeeping power.
Aug. 20, 2024Courtesy of UPMCRecovering from a stroke is hard and isolating work. Stroke camps give survivors and caretakers a break.by Sarah Boden for Spotlight PAAt stroke camps, staff and volunteers help participants find community and reprieve during recovery. Survivors and their caregivers alike attend.
Aug. 16, 2024Nate Smallwood / For Spotlight PAThe fight over giving out needles to drug users in Pa., explained in 9 numbersby Ed Mahon of Spotlight PAOpioid settlements support syringe programs, but they're considered illegal across most of Pennsylvania. A look at the numbers sheds light on the conflict.
Aug. 13, 2024Commonwealth Media ServicesHow Pennsylvanians are helping their older neighbors age comfortablyby Sarah Boden for Spotlight PAOlder adults benefit from volunteer care that keeps them in familiar settings, which help them maintain comfort, autonomy, and finances as they age.
Aug. 6, 2024Quinn Glabicki / for Spotlight PA & PublicSourceHigh temps can make people with dementia irritable, confused, and uncomfortable. What to know.by Sarah Boden for Spotlight PAPeople with Alzheimer’s disease or other conditions that cause cognitive decline can struggle to say they are hot during extreme heat, so caregivers must watch for changes in behavior.