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KY lawmaker wants EMS reimbursements increased to address shortages
by Sarah Ladd Kentucky Lantern February 4, 2026 FRANKFORT — Emergency responders are warning that in Kentucky’s ambulance deserts they are often overworked and underpaid and use old equipment to treat patients who may live 90 minutes from the nearest hospital. They gathered Tuesday in support of a bill that would result in higher reimbursements
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Healthy Happenings: Join the Diabetes Connection Support Group Feb. 26
BY LAKEAN MEADE We are excited to partner with Appalachian Regional Healthcare (ARH) to host their Diabetes Connection Support Group. Join us Feb. 26 at 10 a.m. for a hands-on Nutrition Demonstration where you will actively participate, ask questions and learn simple, practical nutrition tips to support everyday diabetes management. Giveaway Alert: Everyone who attends—in
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Feeling the winter blues? Light may be the best medicine
BY LINDSEY FEY and JOSEPH REY-BARREAU UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY As the days get shorter and the sunlight fades, many people notice a change in their energy and mood. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD), often called seasonal depression or the “winter blues,” is a type of depression that typically occurs during the fall and winter months when
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Another creditor lays claim to foundering addiction treatment provider’s $8 million loan
by Deborah Yetter Kentucky Lantern January 29, 2026 A federal lawsuit accusing Addiction Recovery Care, or ARC, Kentucky’s largest treatment provider, of defaulting on an $8 million loan has a new twist. Just two and a half weeks after Angelica Capital Trust sued the embattled provider, accusing ARC of refusing to repay the $8 million,
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On the front lines of prevention: Local provider urges cervical cancer screening, HPV vaccination
BY ANNIE HOLLER MOUNTAIN CITIZEN An illness that often develops without symptoms remains one of the most preventable cancers facing women today — if it is caught in time. Health providers say routine Pap smears and early HPV vaccination continue to be the most powerful tools for stopping cervical cancer before it becomes life-threatening. That
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UK first in nation to treat small cell lung cancer patient with new immunotherapy
by Sarah Ladd Kentucky Lantern January 5, 2026 If you smoke and want to quit, call the national quit line at 1-800-784-8669 to speak with a confidential coach. In what could be a “game changer” someday for Kentuckians with small cell lung cancer, the University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center has treated the first patient
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Commentary: HPV cancer rates are higher in Appalachia. Wish I had known.
BY SKYLAR BAKER-JORDAN There was no privacy when I was told I might die. In November, I complained about a sore throat during my annual physical with my primary care physician. She saw nothing of concern. By early February, that sore throat had become unbearable, a sharp pain radiating up my neck and into my
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‘New Year, New You’
BY DOROTHY DILLON As the new year begins, the Martin County Health Department encourages residents to embrace a “New Year, New You” approach by focusing on their health and well-being in 2026. A variety of services are available, including immunizations, health screenings, diabetes support, women’s health services, tobacco cessation, family support through the HANDS home
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Deal is off for sale of for-profit Kentucky recovery provider to Florida company
BY LANTERN STAFF Kentucky Lantern Addiction Recovery Care, a for-profit provider of substance abuse treatment in Kentucky, says its purchase by a Florida company is no longer in the works. A Dec. 31 news release from the Louisa-based company says, “Addiction Recovery Care, LLC and Ethema Health Corporation have decided not to move forward with
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Wegovy pill could increase access to obesity treatment
BY MELISSA PATRICK KENTUCKY HEALTH NEWS The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the first pill version of a GLP-1 drug for weight loss, a move that could significantly widen access to the treatment for obesity. The once-daily Wegovy pill, made by Danish company Novo Nordisk, is expected to launch in early January. Novo
