WBFO Health & Wellness Desk

One day after House Republicans led passage of the American Health Care Act, advocates for the developmentally disabled in Western New York are raising concerns about a key element of the plan.

Erie County legislators are lining up in support of a proposed law intended to protect senior citizens living in assisted care homes. The Legislature's Health and Human Services Committee discussed the proposal, known as "Ruthie's Law."

Buffalo’s Lafayette Square was host, on Wednesday afternoon, to the latest stop in a campaign to educate New Yorkers on a potential new tool in the fight against drug use - a tool that is drawing mixed opinions.

As Western New York and the nation deals with an opioid crisis, a group of drug reform advocates, former users and health care professionals have launched an effort to bring to New York State facilities where addicts can consume their drug of choice in a safe, secure and supervised environment.

Three prominent names in Buffalo-area health care are uniting to construct a new radiation oncology center in the Southtowns.

Drugs and the opioid epidemic are an ongoing burden in Western New York, with continuous efforts being made through education, medical treatment, and government agencies. But a church in Jamestown is trying a different approach to dealing with this very real crisis.

Health officials working closely with an ongoing opioid addiction epidemic say the problem is not going away any time soon. But New York State is committing $213 million to help expand treatment, recovery and prevention programs with the hope the tide may soon turn.

Have you gotten up and on your feet at work today? Many in the downtown Buffalo area who did took part in National Walk at Lunch Day. WBFO’s Avery Schneider joined them for a stroll.

An investigative report released by Reuters News shows the City of Buffalo to be one of the most at-risk cities in the nation for child exposure to lead. Such exposure is linked to hindered learning and behavioral development. While the city and Erie County are making progress, there are fears proposed federal budget cuts could set back prevention efforts.

It was a project three years in the making, but the ribbon has been cut to open at a new state-of-the-art residential facility for young people dealing with behavioral health issues. Those attending the Tuesday ceremony to dedicate the new Baker Victory Services building in Lackawanna say it creates an atmosphere of hope which, in turn, increases the chances for positive outcomes.

It's been a busy week for the information technology department at Erie County Medical Center. Days after an online attack, they're restoring computer services to the hospital.

Some University at Buffalo medical students are spending their spring break this week learning about impoverished sections of the City of Buffalo. The Buffalo Community Immersion Program is sponsored by the UB Center for Medical Humanities. WBFO's Senior Reporter Eileen Buckley joined nearly a dozen students as they conducted a walking tour of an east side community.

It's something that is inevitable. But to many people, talking about death, and preparing for it, is seen as a "taboo" topic. Even many doctors struggle to engage in conversations with patients about desired care right up to the moment when life ends. A conference will be held in downtown Buffalo Saturday that addresses the sensitive subject.

In light of a recent spike in suspected opioid-related deaths in Erie County, an Erie County legislator is proposing an increase in funding to make treatment services more accessible to those who seek help but cannot afford it.

An estimated 1800 to 1900 cardiovascular patients in Niagara County traveled to Erie County and beyond last year to seek the care they needed. Thanks to a newly opened cardiac catheterization lab, that number should drop significantly.