AI in health care could save lives and money − but change won’t happen overnight

Imagine walking into your doctor’s office feeling sick – and rather than flipping through pages of your medical history or running tests that take days, your doctor instantly pulls together…

Rural hospitals will be hit hard by Trump’s signature spending package

The public health provisions in the massive spending package that President Donald Trump signed into law on July 4, 2025, will reduce Medicaid spending by more than US$1 trillion over…

Pennsylvania may be short 20,000 nurses by 2026

Imagine nearly every seat in Philadelphia’s Wells Fargo Center − over 20,000 seats − are empty. That’s the scale of Pennsylvania’s projected shortfall of registered nurses by 2026, according to…

Housing instability complicates end-of-life care for aging unhoused populations

Research estimates that one-third or more of the unhoused population in the U.S. is age 50 or older. Unhoused people of all ages face high rates of chronic and serious…

Medetomidine is replacing xylazine in Philly street fentanyl − creating new hurdles for health care providers and drug users

Philadelphia’s street opioid supply – or “dope” market – is constantly changing. As health care workers and researchers who care for people who use drugs in our community, we have…

End-of-life planning can be hampered by misconceptions − but the process is easier than you might think

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many people unexpectedly needed critical care such as ventilators but were unable to communicate their end-of-life wishes to their loved ones. Researchers like me, who study…

Philly hospitals test new strategy for ‘tranq dope’ withdrawal – and it keeps patients from walking out before their treatment is done

Unimaginable pain and restlessness. Vomiting so frequent and forceful that it can perforate the esophagus. Blood pressure and heart rate so high that they damage the heart. Sweating that drenches…

Nonprofit hospitals have an obligation to help their communities, but the people who live nearby may see little benefit

Does living near a hospital make you more likely to get the health care you need? Even though the federal government requires nonprofit hospitals to regularly assess the health needs…

Decades of underfunding, blockade have weakened Gaza’s health system – the siege has pushed it into abject crisis

For many patients in Gaza’s besieged north, the order to evacuate from hospital beds and head south amounts to a “death sentence.” That was the stark assessment of the World…

Prescriptions for fruits and vegetables can improve the health of people with diabetes and other ailments, new study finds

The health of people with diabetes, hypertension and obesity improved when they could get free fruits and vegetables with a prescription from their doctors and other health professionals. We found…