WBFO Health & Wellness Desk

Despite no confirmed cases of the COVID-19 virus in Western New York, Erie County officials are preparing for the worst.

Albany is putting on a campaign to make sure firefighters in New York know how to protect themselves from the array of dangerous chemicals that can be found on their turnout gear at a fire.

As Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center has moved out from its one location on the edge of downtown Buffalo to locations across the region, it has been doing some things differently.

New York State Health Department data show cancer cases on part of Buffalo's East Side and western Cheektowaga are out of line with averages. Tuesday night was time for a discussion of possible environmental causes in an an area with former industrial sites and hazardous waste areas.

The closed sign went on the door of Lake Shore Health Care Center's Emergency Room in the Town of Hanover at 7 p.m. Sunday.

A group of local doctors, nurses and medical technicians is hitting the road Friday, making the long trek to Cambodia to provide medical assistance and perform surgeries.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo hinted he would try to limit local Medicaid spending during his State of the State Address earlier this month, saying county governments were all too eager to spend more because the state was paying for any increases. On Tuesday, Cuomo revealed how he intends to deter overspending: a 3% Medicaid spending cap.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo delivered his tenth State of the State address Wednesday in Albany. WBFO reporters took in-depth look at what the governor and others are saying about some key challenges the state faces at the start of a new decade.

Hepatitis is an increasing health problem in Western New York, but the health care system is pushing back with vaccines, cures and information.

Issues impacting older adults — including lowering prescription drug prices, tax relief for caregivers and large Medicaid cuts — will be some of the major issues during New York state’s 2020 legislative session. 

A record number of babies and young children with a highly contagious respiratory virus have been admitted to Oishei Children's Hospital in Buffalo recently.

The retail landscape for cannabis in Ontario will start to look much different beginning in January of 2020. The lottery system implemented by the government of Premier Doug Ford has faced widespread criticism.

During this holiday season, many are enjoying family, friends and the joy of the time. A University at Buffalo doctor is going into an area many are fleeing and doing good.

New York state begins the new year with the biggest budget deficit since the Great Recession, estimated at $5 billion to $6 billion.

With support from Gov. Andrew Cuomo and many members of the state legislature, 2020 could be the year when New York legalizes the adult use of recreational marijuana. But the issue has become complicated by a widespread lung ailment linked to vaping.