Front Page - Penn State Health News

A medical professional in a white coat wipes the left arm of a teenage girl, apparently in preparation for a vaccination. The girl looks down at her arm. A man is seated nearby, looking on.

Medical Minute

The Medical Minute: Protecting against measles

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News

Highmark Health, Penn State Health combat opioid crisis in central PA

A baby lays on its back in a NICU isolette, its head turned toward the camera, which peers through a hole in the side of the unit.

Research

Opioid-exposed newborns may react to pain differently

The image shows a landscape scene in the Appalachian region of Pennsylvania overlooking a quaint town dotted with white houses. A river cuts into the landscape below mountain ridge that is covered in green trees. A railroad track runs along the river. In the distance another mountain ridge stands below a blue sky with white clouds. The scene if framed to the right by out of focus pine trees in the foreground.

Education

Project on rural communities and health benefits from collaboration with Highmark Health

Al Dolatoski and his wife Joyce hold hands and hold microphones as they sing Sonny and Cher’s “I Got You Babe” during the LVAD Celebration of Life. Al is sitting in a wheelchair and wearing a sweatshirt and hat. He has an LVAD hanging by a strap around his shoulder. Joyce is wearing a flowered dress and hat.

Patient Care

An artificial heart saved my life: LVAD patients and families share stories at reunion

Latest News

Gov. Tom Wolf, wearing a suit, shakes hands with a woman wearing a medical jacket. Other people in professional and medical attire look on. A hallway and large windows are in the background.

Gov. Wolf visits Hershey Medical Center to recognize nurses

Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center today hosted a visit by Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf. It was timed to coincide with National Nurses Week.

Penn State Health selects new general counsel

Annemarie Martin Boyan will join Penn State Health in the role of general counsel and as associate general counsel for the University on June 24. She will step into the role currently held by Mark Faulkner, who will retire this summer after 39 years of service to Penn State.

Penn State Health hosts community celebration at Lime Spring Outpatient Center

On April 27, Penn State Health Lime Spring Outpatient Center swapped clinical appointments for food trucks and family fun. Spooky Nook sports complex and the Lancaster Barnstormers’ Cylo joined Penn State Health to celebrate the facility’s opening and welcome neighbors. “We do what we do because we are passionate about giving our patients the care […]

Children’s Miracle Network Hershey Wins AAMC Awards

Children’s Miracle Network at Penn State Children’s Hospital has received three bronze awards from the Association of American Medical Colleges Group on Institutional Advancement.

Dr. A. Craig Hillemeier, right, and Charles Lang both stand in front of a lectern and smile. Lang holds a glass award.

Dean’s Lecture, Research Recognition Awards celebrate innovative faculty

The annual Research Recognition Awards honoring Penn State College of Medicine faculty were presented in conjunction with the Spring Dean’s Lecture on May 14.

First University Park Regional Campus Research Symposium draws a crowd

Close to 100 people attended the first University Park Medical Campus Research symposium on May 2.

National Cancer Institute grant builds better researchers

The National Cancer Institute’s Ruth L. Kirschstein Institutional National Research Service Award equips predoctoral and postdoctoral scholars with skills to conduct independent cancer research at Penn State College of Medicine.

MD/PhD student featured as entrepreneur of the month

Penn State College of Medicine MD/PhD student Olivier Noel was recently highlighted by Penn State Dickinson Law as the Entrepreneur of the Month.

A close-up of two outstretched hands – one holding an apple tilted toward the camera, the other holding a doughnut tilted toward the camera.

The Medical Minute: Hold the added sugar

The sugar in fruit is different from the sugar in a doughnut. Learn why – and how to steer your children toward natural sugars.

The Medical Minute: Six tips for safe spring cleaning

Spring cleaning is a great way to give your home a fresh start and give yourself a sense of accomplishment. But it can be hazardous to your health if you don’t take the proper precautions, especially if you have asthma or other chronic lung conditions.

The Medical Minute: When PMS becomes debilitating

Many women suffer from premenstrual syndrome, or PMS. But some experience a severe and possibly disabling subset of PMS known as premenstrual dysphoric disorder.

The Medical Minute: The importance of safely disposing of opioids

Cleaning out your medicine cabinet is about more than having a tidy bathroom. In an age of opioid addiction, it can also prevent leftover medications from getting into the wrong hands.

A row of men and women in matching T-shirts stand in tall grass with someone dressed as the Penn State Nittany Lion. One man holds a shovel.

Kiss Hershey Back 2019 helps beautify neighborhood

Penn State College of Medicine students and dozens of others from the Hershey area volunteered to help clean up the community during Kiss Hershey Back 2019 on May 11.

Tokyo Women’s Medical University students gain insights at Penn State College of Medicine

Four senior medical students from Tokyo Women’s Medical University got a unique perspective on the similarities and differences between medical education and health care systems in Japan and the U.S during a month-long visit to Penn State College of Medicine.

Ballard recognized for Exceptional Moments in Teaching

James Ballard, professor of humanities, medicine and pathology at Penn State College of Medicine, is featured for May in the “Exceptional Moments in Teaching” program.

National Brain Bee creates buzz for next generation of neuroscientists

The next generation of neurologists and researchers learned how to treat brain diseases at the USA National Brain Bee Championship April 12 to 14 hosted by Penn State College of Medicine.

Dr. Laura Murphy, pediatrician with Penn State Children’s Hospital’s Pediatric Complex Care Program, smiles and bends down to greet her patient, Brinda Rizal, who is in a wheelchair. Brinda, who has braids and is wearing a sweatshirt and pants, is strapped into the wheelchair and looks up at Murphy, who is wearing a polka dotted shirt and pants and wears a stethoscope around her neck. Brinda’s mother, Basudha Rizal, wearing glasses and a printed top and pants, is sitting in a chair against the wall. She smiles at her daughter. A soap dispenser, pamphlet rack and folders are hanging on the wall of the exam room.

In your corner: Pediatric Complex Care team advocates for children with multiple medical needs

The Pediatric Complex Care Team at Penn State Children’s Hospital takes on the complicated cases that other doctors shy away from – children who have severely compromised organ systems, are technologically dependent on breathing or feeding tubes, see multiple specialists and require a high degree of coordinated care.

Couple celebrates 50th wedding anniversary at Hershey Medical Center

Hershey Medical Center’s Patient and Family-Centered Care team helped Charles and Bernadine Mineweaser celebrate their golden wedding anniversary with a special meal.

Medical Center recognized as Center for Comprehensive MS Care

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society has recognized Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center as a Center for Comprehensive MS Care.

Penn State Liver Center gives State College woman second chance at life

A State College woman received a lifesaving liver transplant at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center.

Ask Us Anything About… Sepsis

Sepsis happens when your immune system struggles to fight off infections. In the worst cases, sepsis leads to a life-threatening drop in blood pressure, often referred to as “septic shock,” and even failure of several organs. Bacterial infections are most often to blame. But sepsis can also result from other infections as minor as a scraped knee.

Ask Us Anything About… Advance Directives

Learn from Dr. Lauren Van Scoy about how advance directives can be used to appoint someone to make decisions for you if you can't do so yourself.

Ask Us Anything About… Volunteering at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center

Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center offers a variety of volunteer positions that match a range of interests, skills and backgrounds. We learn more from Tracy Johnsen, manager of Volunteer Services at the Medical Center.

Ask Us Anything About… Lupus

Imagine your immune system, which is supposed to protect you, attacking your own tissues and organs. That sums up lupus, a systemic autoimmune disease. The inflammation it causes can affect many different systems – your joints, skin, kidneys, brain, heart and more.

Someone in a costume dressed as the Penn State Nittany Lion gives a thumbs up sign. Behind him people on bicycles gather in a parking lot. A man dressed as the Hershey Bear’s mascot, Cocoa, stands among them.