health care

Workers at a family planning health center get emotional as thousands of abortion rights advocates march past their clinic on their way into downtown Chicago on May 14, 2022.

Some clinics are bracing for a huge influx of patients if Roe v. Wade is overturned

5:00am May 19, 2022

by Will Stone

If abortion bans are enacted, millions would be forced to travel to less restrictive states, and some health providers are warning they may not be able to handle the surge in demand.

Karen hugs Tony in his wheelchair on April 14, 2022. They now live in Burlington, Wash., and their mobile home no longer exists on the island. They are grateful to be together after being separated for long periods of time during the pandemic.

For two years, this Washington island has grappled with the long reach of COVID

2:38pm May 18, 2022

The virus hit Whidbey Island early in 2020, and photojournalist Lynn Johnson was there. A million deaths later, we return to see how the pandemic has subtly but indelibly altered life there forever.

Nurse educator Katie Demelis and nurse manager Nydia White wrap the the body of a patient who died of COVID-19 at Mount Sinai South Nassau hospital in Oceanside, N.Y., on April 15, 2020.

In wave after deadly wave, COVID has claimed 1 million lives in the U.S.

2:12pm May 17, 2022

by Rob Stein

The virus became the third leading cause of death in the U.S., and caused so many to die in the prime of life that the country experienced the biggest drop in life expectancy since World War II.

Baby formula has been in short supply in many stores around the U.S. for several months.

FDA announces plans to ease the shortage of baby formula

11:01pm May 16, 2022

by Jane Greenhalgh

Abbott, one of the largest formula-makers in the U.S., has reached an agreement with the government to bring a closed factory back on line. And the FDA is easing some restrictions on imported formula.

Protesters hold up signs during an abortion rights demonstration Saturday in New York City.

Reproductive rights supporters rally across the country

5:40pm May 14, 2022

Thousands of reproductive rights supporters are gathering Saturday at rallies across the country in protest of the Supreme Court draft opinion that would overturn Roe v. Wade.

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A hospital chaplain reflects on two years of work during COVID

8:52am May 14, 2022

by Scott Simon

For our series "Outbreak Voices," hospital chaplain Stephanie Ramos of Los Angeles recounts what two years of her ministry has been like, comforting the sick and grieving affected by COVID-19.

Health & Safety

Protesters across the country are marching for abortion rights

8:34am May 14, 2022

by Cheryl Corley

Thousands of people who support reproductive rights are marching Saturday in several cities to highlight the potential ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade.

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RaDonda Vaught listens to victim impact statements during her sentencing in Nashville. She was found guilty in March of criminally negligent homicide and gross neglect of an impaired adult after she accidentally administered the wrong medication.

Tennessee nurse convicted in lethal drug error sentenced to three years probation

4:50pm May 13, 2022

by Brett Kelman

RaDonda Vaught's prosecution was widely condemned by nurses, who said it set a dangerous precedent that would worsen the nursing shortage and make them less forthcoming about admitting mistakes.

Christina and James Summers were married for 17 years. Now, she's learning to navigate life without him. "Me and my husband really worked like a team," she says. "My teammate's not here to help me, so I'm really feeling a single mom vibe, just trying to g

COVID took many in the prime of life, leaving families to pick up the pieces

1:54pm May 13, 2022

by Maria Godoy

In the U.S., people of color have been more likely to die at younger ages, especially among lower-income communities. That's had a ripple effect on finances, education and physical and mental health.

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An attendee holds her child during A Texas Rally for Abortion Rights at Discovery Green in Houston, Texas, on May 7. Recently passed laws make abortion illegal after about six weeks into a pregnancy.

In Texas, abortion laws inhibit care for miscarriages

6:16pm May 10, 2022

by Charlotte Huff

Medical professionals face tough quandaries when treating patients who have a miscarriage, a scenario that could soon play out around the country if abortion restrictions tighten.