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.
May 30, 2024
Prevention
People who live near Limerick power plant can get free potassium iodide tablets on June 12
People who live near nuclear power plants are advised to keep potassium iodide tablets on hand in case of a radiological emergency. The Pennsylvania Department of Health is distributing free KI tablets to residents that live within 10 miles of the Limerick Generating Station in Montgomery County on Wednesday, June 12.May 29, 2024
Children's Health
Exposing infants to peanuts makes them less likely to have allergy in adolescence, study shows
Giving peanuts to infants as young as 4 months old reduced the risk of them developing an allergy in adolescence by 71%, according to findings published Tuesday in the journal NEJM Evidence.May 29, 2024
Illness
Tattoos tied to increased risk of lymphatic cancer, study finds
People with tattoos are 21% more likely to develop lymphatic cancer, a new study suggests. But the number of tattoos or the amount of the body covered by tattoos did not seem to affect lymphoma risk. Previous research shows that when tattoo ink is injected into the skin, it activates the immune system, and ink particles travel away from the skin into the lymph nodes.May 27, 2024
Health Stories
Advances in melanoma treatment saved this Lansdale man's life and changed his outlook
After being diagnosed with melanoma, Jake Schuster received immunotherapy infusions and a checkpoint inhibitor. Three years later, he remains cancer free. Immunotherapy and targeted therapies like BRAF and MEK inhibitors are being credited with reducing skin cancer death rates.May 23, 2024
Healthy Eating
Decaf coffee often contains chemical that may cause cancer, advocacy groups say
Decaffeinated coffee often contains methylene Chloride, a chemical that has been linked to cancer and other health issues. In January, the FDA filed a petition advocating for banning the chemical in food.May 22, 2024
Addiction
More Americans now use marijuana every day than alcohol, study finds
For the first time, the number of Americans who say they use marijuana every day outnumbers the number who say they consume alcohol daily, according to 2022 data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health.May 22, 2024
Children's Health
There's a better treatment for lazy eye than the standard approach, study finds
Most children with amblyopia, commonly known as lazy eye, only may need to wear glasses for several weeks – and not several months – before patching, according to a new study published in The Lancet.May 21, 2024
Senior Health
Few nursing homes in Pa., N.J. meet impending staffing requirements, analysis finds
Nursing homes will be subjected to stricter staffing guidelines beginning in 2026. A new Kaiser Family Foundation analysis shows that few U.S. facilities – including those in Pennsylvania and New Jersey – currently meet them.May 21, 2024
Children's Health
Drinking fluoridated water during pregnancy may harm fetal brain development, study finds
Fluoride commonly has been added to U.S. drinking water since the 1940s to prevent tooth decay. But a new study suggests drinking fluorinated water during pregnancy may harm the baby's brain development. Greater exposure to fluoride as an unborn baby was linked to a greater likelihood of having neurobehavioral issues at age 3.May 16, 2024
Investigations
Fentanyl drug packaging operation busted in Kensington
Investigators seized 1,100 bags of fentanyl and two firearms from a property in Kensington during a drug bust of a fentanyl distribution operation. Jada Williams, 21, the alleged leader of the scheme, was arrested. Philadelphia officials said the bust is part of a larger crackdown on the open-air drug market in Kensington.Just In
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- FDA's abrupt flip‑flop on Moderna's mRNA flu shot highlights growing risks to drugmakers of investing in vaccines
- Montgomery County resolution blocks ICE from using property it owns
- The Flyers' trade deadline moves, as they happened
- Flyers future draft picks, for 2026-2030
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