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New report confirms Kentucky’s first decline in fatal overdoses since 2018?
Kentucky’s 2022 Overdose Fatality Report, released Thursday, shows the commonwealth saw its first decline in fatal overdoses since 2018.? Still, 2,135 Kentuckians died from an overdose in 2022. Ninety percent of those deaths were from opioids and fentanyl. Potent inexpensive methamphetamines also continue to be a driving factor.?? During his weekly press conference Thursday, Gov. […]
Frozen fruit recall includes Kentucky
If you bought frozen fruit containing strawberries at a Kentucky Walmart between Jan. 24 and June 8, a new recall may apply to you.? The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced this week that because of potential Hepatitis A contamination, Willamette Valley Fruit Company is choosing to recall frozen fruit that contains strawberries which were […]
‘Disappointing’ report shows how Kentucky children are faring
A new report that evaluates the well-being of children in the United States every year shows that Kentucky is one of the worst places for youngsters to live.? In fact, the commonwealth ranked No. 40 overall for key indicators of well-being, including financial security, education and child deaths.? These numbers come from the annual Annie […]
‘She changed the world.’ Kentucky honors the late Virginia Moore
LOUISVILLE – There’s a version of the late Virginia Moore that the general public mourns: the woman who stood next to Gov. Andy Beshear day after day, interpreting in sign language how many Kentuckians COVID-19 had killed that day.? But her friends and family who gathered at the Muhammad Ali Center in downtown Louisville on […]
Kentuckians warned about poor air quality from Canadian fires
Poor air quality from Canadian fires prompted a warning Thursday about potential negative health effects for Kentuckians. Air pollution can negatively affect a person’s health, according to Rachel Keith, an associate professor of medicine at the University of Louisville and the director of human studies at the Envirome?Institute as well as an advanced practice registered […]
Kentucky reverses loss of social workers in child and adult protective services
FRANKFORT – Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services Secretary Eric Friedlander is “cautiously optimistic” as caseload-carrying social workers in the Department for Community Based Services increased this year.? In December, Kentucky had 965 workers in adult and child protective services work, which increased to 1,023 in March and 1,042 in May.? This increase comes […]
UofL Hospital earns recognition for high standards of burn care
LOUISVILLE — Kentucky has its first verified burn center now that the American Burn Association has awarded? UofL Hospital the designation.? Hospital officials and politicians were on hand to celebrate the announcement on Tuesday. They included Gov. Andy Beshear and Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg, who spoke to an audience of scrub clad-people and firefighters.? UofL’s […]
University of Louisville researchers get millions in federal funds to study immune system
University of Louisville researchers announced Friday that three federal grants totalling $6.1 million will allow them to further study immune system dysregulation, which they say causes serious illness and death in some patients who have COVID-19.? This funding, from the National Institutes of Health, comes after UofL researchers “discovered that a specific type of immune […]
A lot of Kentucky seniors get teeth pulled — but have healthy drinking habits
New data shows Kentucky among the worst states for key health points among senior citizens, including tooth extractions, food insecurity, insufficient sleep and more.? The statistics, published in the America’s Health Rankings Senior Report in May, show Kentucky seniors have the most tooth extractions.? It’s also the 49th worst for insufficient sleep, exercise and cognitive […]
Kentucky nurses data: Fewer than 10% looking to retire in next five years?
About 40% of Kentucky’s nursing workforce has been on the job for less than a decade, new Board of Nursing data shows – and fewer than 10% are looking to retire in the next five years.? For licensure renewal, the board required the state’s 89,558 nurses – including licensed practical nurses (LPNs), registered nurses (RNs) […]
Kentucky’s population shifted older in a decade. Here’s how and why it matters.
Kentucky’s population is shifting older, new data shows, with the oldest counties in the western part of the state.? Counties with colleges and military clusters are home to the younger populations, according to analyses of new Census data by the Kentucky State Data Center (KSDC). Eastern Kentucky is aging faster than the rest of the […]
Officer Wilt, wounded by mass shooter in Louisville, making ‘remarkable progress,’ family says
A Louisville police officer who was injured while trying to stop a mass shooter in early April is making “remarkable progress,” his family said Thursday.? Officer Nickolas Wilt took a gunshot to the head on April 10 while responding to a shooting at Old National Bank in downtown Louisville.? He was one of nine people […]