Lawmakers pass bill aimed at modernizing professional licensing in Illinois
Measure would provide for new online system to speed up paperwork.
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How does Illinois compare to other states on transgender rights?
According to the Movement Advancement Project, 21 states have banned gender-affirming medicine for trans youth. In response, Illinois passed a law this year protecting patients and providers who cross into the state for care.
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New hospital safety report gives Carle Foundation a ‘C’ and OSF Heart of Mary a ‘B’
The Leapfrog Group issued its Fall 2023 Hospital Safety Grades on Monday. The report looks at metrics for patient safety and care quality and assigns an “A” to “F” rating to nearly 3,000 U.S. hospitals. Among those hospitals: OSF HealthCare Heart of Mary Medical Center in Urbana received a B grade, and Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana received a C…
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Illinois public health director visits Champaign to promote vaccinations ahead of the holidays
Across Illinois, COVID-19 hospitalizations remain relatively low, but the state has experienced a 13% uptick.
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After no clean drinking water for 4 years, this Native American tribe wants more than sympathy
Over the hills of northern Nebraska and along the banks of the Missouri River lies the village of Santee on the Santee Sioux Nation Reservation. Home to fewer than 1,000 residents, it’s isolated from Nebraska’s major population centers and almost an hour from the nearest Walmart in Yankton, South Dakota. For the past four years,…
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More children are being poisoned by e-cigarette liquids. Here’s what parents need to know
Dr. Hannah Hays has seen what exposure to the liquid used in vapes and electronic cigarettes can do to children. One child who had ingested a large amount of liquid from a vape pen “developed loss of consciousness, muscle jerking, repeated vomiting and had to be placed on a ventilator or breathing machine,” Hays, the…
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State to pause enrollment in health care program for immigrant seniors as spending again outpaces estimates
Latest numbers show costs exceeding budget as implementation of cost-sharing measures lags behind.
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Scammy Medicare ads and unsolicited calls bombard seniors shopping for health insurance. Will federal efforts help them?
New regulations designed to crack down on misleading marketing of Medicare insurance plans face their first big test when seniors begin shopping for coverage on Oct. 15. One minute last December Leslie Montgomery was a medieval warlord pillaging a nearby kingdom. The next she was a retiree drowning in a flood of confusing Medicare sales…
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Hope Village: A new effort is underway to end homelessness in Champaign County.
The 500 sq ft homes will feature a bed, bathroom, kitchen and living space. They will also be spaced out to give residents privacy and ample green space around their homes.
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Buoyed by state funding, new biomedical research hub launches in Chicago
Chan Zuckerberg Biohub part of Facebook founder’s philanthropy.
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Farm-based activities can support mental wellness. Why aren’t there more care farms in the U.S.?
Care farms are agricultural places for people with physical or mental health challenges to process their emotions, while performing farming tasks and working with animals. Participants are able to receive formal or informal care to address things like anxiety, depression and grief. It’s a popular concept in Europe that hasn’t gained as much traction in…
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DCFS director to step down at end of the year after agency hit with another scathing audit
Marc Smith is one of 3 state agency leaders to announce end-of-year departure plans.
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Ozempic hype forces employer calls on obesity coverage
Spending on a new class of diabetes and weight loss medications hit nearly $7 billion in the first half of the year, as people are clamoring for these highly effective drugs. Employer health insurance plans are shouldering the bulk of that financial burden as half of Americans get their coverage through work. “The cost of…
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Champaign County Community Coalition hosts first Black Mental Health conference to dispel stigmas
The Champaign County Community Coalition hosted the first Black Mental Health and Wellness Conference at Parkland College in Champaign on Sept. 30. The goal of the conference, according to the coalition’s website, is to provide awareness, information and solutions to people facing mental health issues and discuss the challenges of mental health in the Black community. Donna Tanner-Harold…
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Reports of sexual extortion affecting UI students are on the rise. Here’s where to find help
University of Illinois Police sent out a safety notice Sept. 22 reporting three incidents of sexual extortion scams. The incidents were reported over three consecutive days and each involved university students engaging with people they didn’t personally know on Instagram. In one case, a student shared intimate photos with a person who then threatened to post the…
