First human case of West Nile Virus found in southern Illinois
The state’s health department says the case marks the earliest known instance of a person in Illinois being infected with West Nile virus since 2016.
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How a Sierra Leonean NGO is tackling period poverty in schools
Tens of millions of girls around the world regularly miss school because of their periods. A local NGO in Sierra Leone is using reusable menstrual hygiene kits and sexual and reproductive health education to keep girls in the classroom.
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Across the U.S. blood donations decrease in summer
Out of 62% of the population eligible to donate blood in the U.S. only 3% did in 2024.
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OSF Healthcare to merge Urbana and Danville hospitals into one system
The organization says the move will expand mental health treatment options and reduce duplication — though some employees say the announcement caught them off guard.
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Midwest women may be impacted by Trump’s revocation of emergency abortion guidance
The Trump Administration last week rescinded Biden-era guidance requiring hospitals to provide emergency abortions to women when they are necessary to stabilize their medical condition.
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Champaign-based Health Alliance plans to end all coverage, eliminating more than 600 jobs
The news comes after Carle Health recently announced that Health Alliance will stop providing all types of coverage at the end of the year.
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Five years have passed since the COVID-19 pandemic. Here are some takeaways.
Social distancing, sanitation, and remote work became part of our everyday lives when the COVID-19 Pandemic began in 2020. Five years later, its impacts are still being felt.
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A million people in the Midwest could lose Medicaid under federal work requirements
Up to 1 million low income and disabled people across the Midwest could lose their Medicaid health insurance coverage, according to a new analysis.
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What Trump’s cuts to Medicaid will mean for nursing homes, long-term care facilities in Illinois
Experts and advocates in Illinois say the sweeping Medicaid cuts approved by House Republicans could have devastating effects on low-income seniors and people with disabilities living in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities.
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More babies are being admitted to NICUs in the Midwest, according to CDC data brief
In 2023, the percentage of babies admitted to the NICU was 11.4% in Indiana, 10.1% in Illinois, 10.7% in Iowa, 8.5% in Kansas, 11.3% in Kentucky, 10.5% in Missouri, 11.4% in Nebraska, 10.2% in Ohio, and 8.9% in Oklahoma.
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In the fight for youth transgender health care, Illinois remains at the forefront
Indiana is among 26 states — many in the Midwest and South — that have outlawed youth gender-affirming care statewide since 2021. In Illinois, political leaders have moved in the opposite direction.
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Biden has been diagnosed with aggressive prostate cancer
His office said Sunday this represents a more aggressive form of the disease, but the cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive, which allows for effective management. Biden and his family are reviewing treatment options with his physicians.
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McLean County immigrants fear dire consequences as Illinois ends medical coverage
The Illinois Health Benefits for Immigrant Adults [HBIA], and Health Benefits for Immigrant Seniors [HBIS] for ages 65 and older is slated for termination June 30.
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Hospital needs volunteers who can visit with patients in their final hours
The No One Dies Alone program is a national movement in hospitals to have people that provide vigils for patients nearing the end of life.
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Half of Americans breathe unhealthy air. Here’s how Midwest metros are doing
Nearly half of all Americans live with dangerous levels of air pollution, according to a new report from the American Lung Association.
