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 6, 2026
Health News
Reducing nurses' patient loads would save lives and reduce hospital costs, Penn study finds
Establishing safer nurse-to-patient ratios in Pennsylvania would save thousands of lives and millions of dollars, new research from the University of Pennsylvania suggests. Unsafe nurse staffing levels are being exacerbated by a nursing shortage, nurses say.May 6, 2026
Mental Health
1 in 10 LGBTQ+ young people attempted suicide in the last year, report shows
1 in 10 LGBTQ+ young people attempted suicide in the past year and 36% thought about attempting suicide, new research from the Trevor Project shows. The rates of suicidal ideation and attempts were even higher among nonbinary and transgender youth.May 5, 2026
Illness
What is hantavirus, the deadly illness that has stricken a cruise ship?
A hantavirus outbreak likely has killed three people and sickened four others on a cruise ship in the South Atlantic, the World Health Organization says. The rare, deadly illness is contracted by coming into contact with the feces, urine or saliva of infected rodents.May 5, 2026
Mental Health
An AI chatbot posed as a licensed mental health provider, and Pennsylvania is suing the company behind it
Pennsylvania is suing Character.AI, claiming its chatbots have posed as licensed medical professionals to talk to people about their mental health.May 1, 2026
Adult Health
How to choose between urgent care and the emergency department
Deciding whether to go to a hospital's emergency department or urgent care can be tricky. Here are some tips.April 30, 2026
Health News
Temple medical school to open branch campus in Atlantic City
Temple University plans to open an Atlantic City branch of its Lewis Katz School of Medicine as part of a partnership with the AtlantiCare health system. The first students will start there in 2029.April 30, 2026
Health News
American spending on prescription drugs to surpass $1 trillion this year
Americans are expected to spend more than $1 trillion on prescription drugs in 2026, a new report says. The surging popularity of GLP-1, weight-loss drugs is largely responsible for the increased spending.April 29, 2026
Health Stories
For people with Parkinson's disease, tango therapy can help improve their mobility
Neil Godick learned six months ago that he has Parkinson's disease, but he says he wears his "diagnosis as a badge of honor." Still, Godick, 84, also has had a series of falls.April 28, 2026
Children's Health
CDC's new hepatitis B vaccine recommendations will cause more infant infections, studies find
Delaying first dose of hepatitis B vaccine could lead to hundreds of new infant infections, research says. The new studies also show the CDC's hep B vaccine recommendations will lead to $20 million in extra health care costs.April 23, 2026
Health News
Drug-resistant fungal infections are increasing in Philly health care facilities — just as they are nationwide
Cases of Candida auris, a drug resistant fungal infection, have surged in Philadelphia health care facilities, the city's health department says. Officials recommend hospitals take more aggressive measures against it.Just In
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