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A photograph of Katie Parent with her daughter, three days before Katie's death in 2015. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

Fewer women are seeking addiction treatment in Mass. as use and overdoses increase

Providers and family members worry that less demand could result in fewer treatment programs specifically designed for women.

Got COVID? Here's what to know about drug treatments, and who is getting them

There are four medications being used to help prevent hospitalizations. But supply has been so limited, even people in the highest risk category can't always access them. That's beginning to...

As health care breaks down in Massachusetts, patients die waiting for care

Rona Tsantinis-Roy says doctors suggested her father might have survived if he’d been transferred to a larger hospital. Typically, that’s what happens when a patient at a community hospital needs...

As city clears tents from 'Mass. and Cass,' some say they still have nowhere to go

During a press briefing Thursday, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said 154 people from the encampments were placed in shelter as of Wednesday. Boston police also confirmed two deaths in the...

Forced to improvise COVID policies, school nurses are reaching a 'breaking point'

As WBUR’s Gabrielle Emanuel reports, much of the burden has fallen on school nurses, who say they are having to come up with policies on the fly.

Long test lines, increasing cases return to COVID-weary Chelsea

"These huge lines had already gone away, and now it's like we're at the start of 2020 again."

Some mental health advocates in Massachusetts want a new name for schizophrenia

When someone is diagnosed with schizophrenia — a psychotic disorder marked by delusional thinking — they often experience fear and anxiety. A group of Massachusetts-based researchers and advocates say changing...

Health

06:45Jan 10, 2022

Gosnold Treatment Center, a drug addiction treatment facility in Falmouth, Massachusetts, pictured on Jan. 13, 2021. (Matthew J. Lee/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

Addiction and mental health treatment programs struggle with staffing amid COVID surge

Many are reverting back to policies put in place early in the pandemic, such as telemedicine. Some have stopped accepting new patients altogether.

Health

03:20Jan 7, 2022

Stuck in a long line for a COVID-19 test in Mass.? Here's why

In many cases, "there's not actually a shortage of tests," says CIC Health CEO Tim Rowe. "It's really just the health care logistics work to stand up testing sites and...

Health

03:02Jan 7, 2022

COVID cases in Massachusetts, comparing the winter of 2020-2021, and the winter of 2021-2022. (Roberto Scalese/WBUR)

How this COVID surge compares to last winter, and when it could peak in Massachusetts

With the sharp increase in COVID-19 numbers in Massachusetts, we’re hearing experts describe the wave of infection “like a hockey stick” because it’s shooting up so far and so fast.

Health

05:48Jan 6, 2022

A COVID-19 test swab in a vial. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

What to do if you test positive for COVID-19 amid latest surge

With the number of COVID-19 cases rising, there's a good chance you'll need to know what to do if you or someone you live with tests positive. Dr. Gabriela Andujar...

Health

05:21Jan 5, 2022

Inside an emergency room in Everett, fears mount as COVID cases climb

Emergency rooms like the Cambridge Health Alliance hospital in Everett are a surge in patients as they battle the latest COVID wave.

Health

04:42Jan 3, 2022

Local epidemiologist discusses the state's rising COVID metrics

For a closer look, WBUR's Morning Edition host Rupa Shenoy was joined by Dr. Shira Doron, a hospital epidemiologist at Tufts Medical Center and an associate professor of medicine at...

Health

05:18Dec 29, 2021

A scale inside a doctor's office. (Getty Images)

Do you need to be weighed every time you see a doctor? Advocates say no

Some health care practitioners are ditching the scale and adopting the use of “weight-inclusive” medical care. The idea is to encourage healthy behaviors in people of all sizes, and not...

Health

03:23Dec 29, 2021

As omicrons spikes, an epidemiologist gives advice for the holidays

To help figure out a holiday strategy, WBUR's Morning Edition was joined by Dr. Sabrina Assoumou, an infectious diseases specialist at Boston Medical Center and Boston University.

Health

04:17Dec 23, 2021

Hospitals at capacity prepare for even more patients as COVID cases rise

Gov. Charlie Baker is calling up 500 National Guard troops to help -- and he's telling hospitals to postpone all non-urgent surgery that requires an overnight stay.

Health

04:50Dec 22, 2021

A patient is brought to the emergency department at Monadnock Community Hospital in Peterborough, New Hampshire. (Courtesy Monadnock Community Hospital)

Inside a New Hampshire hospital overwhelmed by COVID

COVID infections are surging in much of the country, and New Hampshire is at the epicenter. More than half of patients who show up in the Monadnock Community Hospital ER...

Health

05:32Dec 20, 2021

How to think about masks, testing and holiday gatherings amid omicron spike

"My key message to everybody would be that this is possibly the most dangerous time in the course of the pandemic to get COVID," says Shan Soe-Lin, managing director of...

Health

05:24Dec 19, 2021

Mei Elensary watches her 4-year-old daughter, Mimi, reach for a marker, while her 9-year-old son, Amir, finishes a writing exercise before school. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

'A false sense of security': Critics question Mass. COVID testing program in schools

Gov. Baker has touted the program, but critics question whether enough students are participating to make the results useful, and whether the benefits are being felt evenly across the state....

Health

03:47Dec 7, 2021

Groups of people line-up to get tested for COVID-19 in Times Square on Dec. 5, 2021 in New York City. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Infectious disease expert says to expect another COVID surge in Mass. as holidays approach

The state's positive test rate has doubled in the last three weeks. More than 1,000 people are hospitalized with COVID. And we're seeing the number of COVID cases reaching levels...

Health

05:08Dec 6, 2021

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Fewer women are seeking addiction treatment in Mass. as use and overdoses increase

Got COVID? Here's what to know about drug treatments, and who is getting them

As health care breaks down in Massachusetts, patients die waiting for care

As city clears tents from 'Mass. and Cass,' some say they still have nowhere to go

Forced to improvise COVID policies, school nurses are reaching a 'breaking point'

Long test lines, increasing cases return to COVID-weary Chelsea

Some mental health advocates in Massachusetts want a new name for schizophrenia

Addiction and mental health treatment programs struggle with staffing amid COVID surge

Stuck in a long line for a COVID-19 test in Mass.? Here's why

How this COVID surge compares to last winter, and when it could peak in Massachusetts

What to do if you test positive for COVID-19 amid latest surge

Inside an emergency room in Everett, fears mount as COVID cases climb

Local epidemiologist discusses the state's rising COVID metrics

Do you need to be weighed every time you see a doctor? Advocates say no

As omicrons spikes, an epidemiologist gives advice for the holidays

Hospitals at capacity prepare for even more patients as COVID cases rise

Inside a New Hampshire hospital overwhelmed by COVID

How to think about masks, testing and holiday gatherings amid omicron spike

'A false sense of security': Critics question Mass. COVID testing program in schools

Infectious disease expert says to expect another COVID surge in Mass. as holidays approach