June 20, 2024Daniel Fishel / For Spotlight PATop Penn State Health surgeon warned leaders about transplant problems months before shutdown. Then he was let go.by Wyatt Massey of Spotlight PA State College and Charlotte Keith of Spotlight PARaymond Lynch documented what he thought were serious problems with Hershey Medical Center’s kidney and liver transplant programs. He was dismissed by Penn State Health just weeks before a federal review.
June 19, 2024Ed Mahon / Spotlight PALegal cannabis likely won’t be in this year’s budget, but supporters say there’s a silver liningby Stephen Caruso of Spotlight PAAdvocates for legal cannabis say they're closer than ever to success, citing allies in both parties.
June 18, 2024Commonwealth Media ServicesAdults with intellectual disabilities may wait years for services. Shapiro's budget would help.by Sarah Boden for Spotlight PAA 2022 report from Pennsylvania’s Department of Human Services found that the median amount of time that people spend on all waiver waitlists for these services is 2.6 years.
June 17, 2024Daniel Fishel / For Spotlight PADrug testing, Philly parks, and other opioid money decisions await final approval in Pennsylvaniaby Ed Mahon of Spotlight PAA state oversight board is expected to reconsider a range of programs, including money for county coroners, initiatives connected to district attorney offices, and media campaigns.
June 11, 2024Commonwealth Media Services‘Momnibus’ bills would expand access to doulas, provide essentials to new parentsby Stephen Caruso of Spotlight PAGov. Josh Shapiro and legislative Democrats want Pennsylvania to invest more in maternal health care. Some of their ideas could end up in this year’s budget.
June 7, 2024Daniel Fishel / For Spotlight PASecret opioid cash meetings criticized by Pa. lawmaker after Spotlight PA and WESA reportingby Ed MahonThe board is responsible for oversight of the state’s opioid settlement money, which is expected to exceed $1 billion.
June 6, 2024Commonwealth Media ServicesNurse practitioners say they could ease rural health care shortage with more authority, but doctors say it won't workby Stephen Caruso of Spotlight PA and Marley Parish of Spotlight PA State CollegeLawmakers have long proposed giving nurse practitioners full practice authority as a way to address Pennsylvania’s rural health care gap. But despite bipartisan support, the bill keeps dying.
June 5, 2024Commonwealth Media ServicesPaid family leave draws bipartisan support as good for the economy, but some oppose cost, lost controlby Sarah Boden for Spotlight PACurrently, paid time off to care for a child or relative depends on where someone lives and works. New legislation would mandate it..
May 30, 2024Daniel Fishel / For Spotlight PALifesaving or misguided? Funding Pa. coroners with opioid settlements criticizedby Ed Mahon of Spotlight PAAn oversight board rejected Lawrence County’s use of settlement funds for its coroner’s office but is still considering whether to allow similar programs in Chester and Lehigh Counties.
May 28, 2024Photo Provided By Penn State HealthPenn State Health discontinues kidney and liver transplant programs, citing ‘ongoing challenges’ and federal scrutinyby Wyatt Massey of Spotlight PA State College and Charlotte Keith of Spotlight PAThe decision casts doubt on the success of the health system’s extensive efforts to rebuild the programs.
May 2, 2024Daniel Fishel / For Spotlight PARecords obtained by Spotlight PA and WESA reveal how Pa. counties used tens of millions in opioid settlement dollarsby Ed Mahon of Spotlight PA and Kate Giammarise of WESACounties are waiting to hear if an oversight board will publicly approve their strategies.
April 29, 2024Photo Provided By Penn State HealthPenn State Health halts liver transplants as national oversight body reviews programby Charlotte Keith of Spotlight PA and Wyatt Massey of Spotlight PA State CollegePenn State voluntarily inactivated its liver transplant program after concerns about clinical processes and documentation were identified.
March 25, 2024Daniel Fishel / For Spotlight PAGET THE RECORDS: How we’re tracking more than $100M in opioid settlement money in Pa.by Ed Mahon of Spotlight PA and Kate Giammarise of WESASpotlight PA and WESA are requesting opioid settlement spending reports from all 67 counties in Pennsylvania to provide transparency into the process.
March 6, 2024Daniel Fishel / For Spotlight PAOversight board will secretly review how Pa. counties spent millions of dollars to fight opioid crisisby Ed Mahon of Spotlight PA and Kate Giammarise of WESACounties must report how they spent tens of millions of dollars they received in the first rounds of opioid settlement payments.
Feb. 23, 2024Office of Ohio Gov. Mike DeWinePennsylvanians say the East Palestine train derailment left them sick and without helpby Kiley Bense of Inside Climate NewsMany of those affected by health issues that stem from the East Palestine train derailment are women, and they have often been stymied in their efforts to access resources.
Feb. 22, 2024Ed Mahon / Spotlight PAWhat to know about Shapiro’s pitch to legalize marijuana, its chances in the Pa. legislature, and moreby Stephen Caruso of Spotlight PA and Kate Huangpu of Spotlight PAUnlike his predecessor, Gov. Josh Shapiro has the benefit of a Democratic-led state House and a state Senate where attitudes appear to be shifting.
Feb. 20, 2024Ed Mahon / Spotlight PAA bill to legalize syringe services in Pa. just passed a historic hurdle, but GOP opposition remainsby Ed Mahon of Spotlight PAThe CDC says new users of syringe services programs are more likely to enter drug treatment. But providers in most of Pennsylvania risk arrest.
Feb. 14, 2024Nate Smallwood / For Spotlight PADOJ settlement will bring new protections for people with opioid use disorder in Pa. courtsby Ed Mahon of Spotlight PAUnder the settlement, officials overseeing Pa.’s court system will encourage all county courts to adopt an anti-discrimination policy for opioid use disorder medications.
Feb. 9, 2024Commonwealth Media ServicesPa. could wipe out up to $400M in medical debt under proposal from Gov. Josh Shapiroby Stephen Caruso of Spotlight PAGov. Josh Shapiro’s budget calls for Pennsylvania to use $4 million to buy medical debt. The proposal must win support from the GOP-controlled state Senate.
Feb. 5, 2024Nate Smallwood / For Spotlight PAOpioid settlement money is supposed to expand syringe services. A Pa. nonprofit just lost $150K because of them.by Ed Mahon of Spotlight PA and Sarah Boden of WESABillions of dollars are coming to states to help them respond to the opioid epidemic, but Pennsylvania's drug paraphernalia law is creating conflict.
Jan. 29, 2024Kent M. Wilhelm / Spotlight PAPa. Supreme Court sets the stage to consider whether the state constitution protects abortionby Stephen Caruso of Spotlight PA and Katie Meyer of Spotlight PAA new Pennsylvania Supreme Court decision doesn’t resolve whether Medicaid can pay for abortion or decide if it’s protected by the state constitution, but it offers hints about the justices’ thinking.
Jan. 29, 2024Ed Mahon / Spotlight PASpotlight PA court victory leads to new academic research into Pa. medical marijuana programby Ed Mahon of Spotlight PAIn February 2023, the Pennsylvania Department of Health shared data that Spotlight PA won access to with academic researchers across the state.
Jan. 25, 2024Ed Mahon / Spotlight PAJustice Department expands claims against Pa. courts in opioid addiction treatment caseby Ed Mahon of Spotlight PAThe federal Department of Justice recently broadened its accusations that Pa. courts discriminate against people with opioid use disorder by restricting access to medications.
Jan. 12, 2024Leise Hook / For Spotlight PANew law aims to make guardianship a last resort in Pa., but some experts say it doesn’t go far enoughby Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PAA new Pennsylvania law makes changes to the process of assigning guardians to people who are considered incapacitated, but some experts fear it won’t solve the issues.
Dec. 7, 2023Kate Giammarise / WESAOpioid settlement: Allegheny County won’t receive a $479,000 penalty after questions from WESA and Spotlight PAby Ed Mahon of Spotlight PA and Kate Giammarise of WESAWith McKeesport signing on in November, Allegheny County will get a full payout from the opioid settlement fund this year.
Nov. 29, 2023Nate Smallwood / For Spotlight PAOpioid settlement money is supposed to expand syringe services. Pa.’s drug laws stand in the way.by Ed Mahon of Spotlight PA and Sarah Boden of WESASeveral charities in Pennsylvania provide syringe services in their communities despite a state law that puts them at risk.
Oct. 23, 2023Dan Nott / For Spotlight PABad tech, staffing shortages hinder Pa. as it reassesses health care coverage for 1000sby Katie Meyer of Spotlight PATens of thousands of people in Pennsylvania are believed to have wrongly lost their benefits since the state began “unwinding” pandemic-era protections.
Oct. 18, 2023Ed Mahon / Spotlight PAWhich Pa. counties are receiving the most opioid settlement money — and whyby Ed Mahon of Spotlight PA and Kate Giammarise of WESAOpioid payments for county governments and county district attorney offices equaled about $6.50 per resident across the state last year. But there were big differences.
Aug. 2, 2023Andy Blackburn / LNP | LancasterOnlinePa. counties face uncertainty as they grapple with how to spend opioid settlement fundsby Ed Mahon of Spotlight PAA drug task force, a county detective, and body scanner at a county jail are some of the proposed uses that county officials across the state have sought clarity on.
July 27, 2023Commonwealth Media ServicesDemocrats say stalled Pa. budget leaves behind adult mental health patientsby DaniRae Renno for Spotlight PAIn 2022, Pennsylvania lawmakers promised to spend $100 million on adult mental health services. This year’s budget uses the money for a different purpose.
