Courtenay Harris Bond
Courtenay Harris Bond is the staff writer covering health for PhillyVoice. She enjoys writing about behavioral health, maternal health and inequities in the healthcare system, as well as human rights and criminal justice. A veteran daily newspaper reporter, Courtenay has also written for national outlets, including KFF Health News, Undark Magazine and Filter. She was a 2018 Rosalynn Carter Fellow for Mental Health Journalism and has master's degrees from Columbia Journalism School and the University of Pennsylvania's Graduate School of Education.
October 16, 2024
Wellness
Why letting your mind wander is essential to your well-being – and how to find time to do it
Brain breaks are important for psychological mental processing, such as recalling memories, envisioning the future, conducting moral reasoning and solving problems. But finding, or even allowing oneself, the time to take these breaks is difficult. Here are some tips to help you.October 15, 2024
Illness
Whooping cough cases are on the rise – particularly in Pennsylvania
Whooping cough cases in the U.S. are more than four times higher than they were at the same point last year, CDC data show. Pennsylvania has recorded the most in the country. The CDC recommends everyone be vaccinated against whooping cough, also known as pertussis.October 11, 2024
Opioids
When primary care includes behavioral health services, people in addiction are more likely to seek treatment
People with opioid use disorder were more likely to fill prescriptions for anxiety drugs and buprenorphine, a medication that helps alleviate cravings for opioids, when they went to primary care providers with integrated behavioral health services, new research from the University of Pennsylvania and Tulane University show.October 7, 2024
Adult Health
Greater diversity among organ donors increases the possibility that people on waiting lists find good matches
Organs are not matched with transplant recipients based on race or ethnicity, but a more diverse donor pool increases the likelihood that a person will find a good match. Gift of Life advocates in Philly, like Cynthia London, are raising awareness about the necessity for more organ donors among people of color.October 4, 2024
Wellness
People who live near airports get worse sleep — and may not realize it
New research shows that people exposed to high levels of aircraft noise at night have poorer quality sleep and disrupted sleep patterns. Other research shows people who live near airports are less likely to sleep seven hours each night and are at higher risk for type 2 diabetes, obesity and colorectal cancer.October 3, 2024
Prevention
As childhood vaccine exemptions rise, expect an increase in preventable diseases, CHOP expert says
Vaccination exemptions for kindergarten students reached a record high during the 2024-25 school year, with about 127,000 students lacking at least one of the required shots, CDC data show. Dr. Paul Offit, of the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, says preventable diseases will increase as vaccination rates erode.October 1, 2024
Women's Health
Breast cancer deaths have been dropping for decades, but racial disparities persist
Breast cancer death rates have dropped by 44% since 1989, but there are still racial disparities, a report from the American Cancer Society shows. The breast cancer mortality rates for Native Americans and Alaska Natives have stayed the same over the past 30 years. And Black women have a 38% higher rate than white women.September 27, 2024
Health Stories
A Chester County student's financial hardships inspired him to start a nonprofit that gives out hygiene kits
Daniel Kwon, a senior at Conestoga High School in Chester County, formed Plover International, a nonprofit that distributes hygiene kits to homeless shelters. The organization, which now has chapters across the country, was partly inspired by the financial hardships Kwon's family faced after emigrating from South Korea.September 25, 2024
Healthy Eating
One-third of Americans don't get enough iron; here's how much you need — and foods that contain it
About 1 in 3 Americans do not get enough iron — far more than previously believed, a new study shows. Iron deficiency can cause anemia, which can lead to fatigue, weakness and difficulties with concentration and memory.September 25, 2024
Addiction
More than half of U.S. jails don't provide medication to treat opioid addiction
Although about two-thirds of incarcerated people have substance use disorder, more than half of U.S. jails do not provide medications to help people stay off opioids, according to a study published Tuesday in JAMA Network Open.Just In
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