2+ mon, 1+ week ago   (511+ words) For decades, public health campaigns have warned citizens about the dangers of smoking — yet in Virginia, smoke remained a hazard inside operating rooms until recently. Surgical smoke is generated when electrosurgical pencils or lasers are used to cut tissue and…...

3+ mon, 2+ week ago   (226+ words) Syphilis cases are trending down across Virginia and more people are getting tested after several years of the sexually transmitted disease spreading across the state — most severely in Hampton Roads. Total syphilis cases in Virginia increased from 2020 to 2024, according to…...

4+ mon, 2+ week ago   (404+ words) Ten Virginia hospitals, mostly in rural corners of the state, are at a heightened risk of closing or reducing services because of Medicaid cuts, a report concluded. Among them are two hospitals owned by VCU Health and one by Bon…...

5+ mon, 13+ hour ago   (206+ words) A bill awaiting the governor’s signature would ask that mental health assessments be made available for all public school students from grades 6-12 in Virginia. The bill, HB355, directs the advisory School Health Services Committee to work with the Virginia Department of…...

9+ mon, 1+ week ago   (541+ words) The number of community pharmacies in Virginia, including chains, has declined by nearly 10% since 2019. That’s according to a new report from the Joint Commission on Health Care, which was tasked with studying access to pharmacy services in Virginia. Legislative staff…...

11+ mon, 1+ week ago   (650+ words) RICHMOND — Virginia’s overdose rate has been on a decline, and now recovery advocates are worried the president’s proposed budget plans may reverse this. The Trump Administration’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2026, which starts in October, includes a $33.3 billion cut to…...