Health & Wellness

As Western New York continues to face a drug epidemic, public health and drug reform advocates from New York City are urging state officials to consider a new alternative to the problem. Their idea? Give drug users a place to inject themselves under the supervision of healthcare professionals.

Patients at Buffalo’s Roswell Park Cancer Institute have a new way to mark victories in the fight against cancer, thanks to the generosity of a survivor.

Three-dimensional anatomical models are not new to the world of medicine, but they’ve certainly come a long way. This week, a team at Buffalo’s Jacobs Institute debuted the latest 3-D printed models that are helping in the success of complex surgical procedures.

Every high school student in New York State will now learn CPR before graduation.  The recent mandate from the State Board of Regents follows a push from the American Heart Association and a contingent of dedicated CPR instructors, who know just how vital the life-saving skill can be.

The Erie County Health Department is investigating a case of E-coli that is linked to an area Chipotle Mexican Grill Restaurant. In the past month there were similar outbreaks in five other states.

Members of the Council's Legislation Committee were told Tuesday of the problems of thinly-staffed hospitals and what it means for patients. The session was part of a push for Albany to mandate staffing levels in hospitals and nursing homes.

A coalition of organizations that include the U.S. Department of Justice, Erie County, Kids Escaping Drugs and a number of local colleges, among others, is sponsoring the session titled, "Our Community, Our Epidemic: Turning Drug Awareness into Action." The goal is to teach people about the issue and create an action plan to deal with the area's growing drug problem.

A new nursing lounge is available now available for mothers to feed their children while at the Buffalo-Niagara International Airport.

A new survey on the use of tobacco products in New York State shows a change in the dynamic of the tobacco marketplace, shifting from traditional cigarette brands to newer products. It also shows that electronic cigarette use among high school students and young adults ages 18 to 24 is nearly double that of users 25 and up.

Erie County, Say Yes to Education, Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo and numerous other partners are expanding the number of mental health clinics serving Buffalo's public schools, adding 15 more this school year.

A multitude of partners are co-hosting a forum on Saturday, November 14 to discuss the region's rising problem with opioid and opiate abuse, and the anticipated record death toll local health officials are expecting this year as the result of that crisis.

Erie County, which is working in partnership with several stakeholders in a continued effort to combat opioid addiction, received a grant from the Tower Foundation to help fund the fight.

It has been a little over a year and a half since Erie County Medical Center appointed Richard Cleland as its Chief Executive Officer. He joined WBFO at the end of August to reflect on his role and talk about what lies ahead for the hospital, the healthcare industry, and the city of Buffalo.

Buffalo's primary airport is constructing a lactation room for traveling, nursing mothers. The announcement comes after legislation was recently introduced in the state legislature by Buffalo senator Tim Kennedy that would require large New York airports to offer such rooms.

The widow of the late Buffalo Bills founder Ralph Wilson was at Roswell Park Cancer Institute Thursday morning, presenting a gift of $4.2 million to support the center's quality-of-life services.

This weekend, Buffalo’s McCarthy Park will be home to a celebration of individuals recovering from substance abuse. With that in mind, WBFO spoke with one such person to try and see the issue of addiction through her eyes.