Health Archives

A woman in Maine says she got 500 letters from United Healthcare within five days

September 26, 2019 11:44 PM CNN

A Maine woman has a message for United Healthcare after it sent her over 500 letters: Make it stop! Please! Stephanie Lay said she found the piles of…

Cashing in on dementia patients: drugmaker to pay $116 million in fraud settlement

September 26, 2019 7:37 PM CNN

A pharmaceutical company that whistleblowers alleged paid doctors to prescribe its main drug and urged salespeople to push it as a way to control…

The number of Legionnaires’ disease cases in an outbreak linked to a North Carolina state fair has risen to 25

September 26, 2019 2:47 PM CNN

An outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease linked to a state fair this month in North Carolina has grown to 25 confirmed cases, including one death,…

Only half of Americans plan to get a flu shot this year. Here’s why that’s a problem

September 26, 2019 1:59 PM CNN

While 60% of adults think that the flu vaccine is the best preventive measure against flu-related deaths and hospitalizations, only 52% said they…

Unlocking the life-saving secrets of African DNA

September 26, 2019 10:44 AM CNN

In 2006, US scientists published a landmark study that linked lower levels of a gene known as PCSK9 to lower rates of heart disease. Researchers then…

FDA commissioner on vaping crisis: We ‘should have acted sooner’

September 26, 2019 7:31 AM CNN

The federal government may be getting close to cracking down on e-cigarettes amid concerns about the risks of vaping. The US Food and Drug…

Cancer patients’ stem cells destroyed after freezer fails at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles

September 25, 2019 11:53 PM CNN

A freezer malfunctioned at the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, destroying stored blood stem cells for 56 patients, some of whom are fighting…

Cancer fight strengthens sisterly bond for 2 El Paso women

September 25, 2019 11:02 AM KVIA ABC-7

When Blanca and Yvette Perez set out all 54 Jenga pieces, the competition begins. They take turns building the tower and removing one block at a…

15th person contracts West Nile virus in El Paso

September 24, 2019 7:14 PM KVIA ABC-7

The City of El Paso’s Department of Public Health has recorded a 15th case of West Nile virus this season. Officials said a man in his early…

58 Texans accused of health care, opioid fraud by federal prosecutors

September 18, 2019 6:31 PM KVIA ABC-7

Federal prosecutors say 58 people across Texas have been charged with assorted health care fraud that’s been blamed for $66 million in losses…

14th case of West Nile virus confirmed in El Paso

September 18, 2019 4:12 PM KVIA ABC-7

The City of El Paso Department of Public Health says a man in his early 60s is the latest confirmed person to have West Nile virus, bringing the…

New Mexico puts medical marijuana cards on hold for non-residents despite judge’s order

September 18, 2019 2:30 PM KVIA ABC-7

New Mexico health officials have refused to issue medical marijuana identification cards to out-of-state residents despite a judge’s recent…

‘Worse scenario ever’: Tornillo High announces false death as part of suicide prevention awareness

September 18, 2019 12:30 AM KVIA ABC-7

During National Suicide Prevention Week, students at Tornillo High School were led to believe that one of their teachers had committed suicide only…

10-year-old Texas girl who contracted brain-eating amoeba while swimming has died

September 16, 2019 4:33 PM KVIA ABC-7

The family of Lily Mae Avant, the 10-year-old from central Texas who contracted a brain-eating amoeba, said the little girl died Monday morning. She…

New Mexico hospital sues thousands of patients over unpaid medical bills

September 15, 2019 11:00 PM KVIA ABC-7

When Donna Hernandez had the flu last year, she went to her local emergency room in New Mexico, where she received two IV bags of saline, a dose of…

12-year-old El Paso girl celebrates major milestone in her battle with Leukemia

September 13, 2019 7:25 PM KVIA ABC-7

Amber Berry, a twelve-year-old girl from El Paso, has battled cancer for the last three years, but this week, she celebrated a milestone in her…

Woman diagnosed with Lupus tells others they’re not alone

September 13, 2019 10:31 AM KVIA ABC-7

Weakness, fever, joing pain, rash and hair loss. Those are just a few symptoms of Lupus, an autoimmune disease that 73 percent of surveyed Americans…

Tests reveal 4 confirmed Tuberculosis cases among Canutillo High School students and staff

September 12, 2019 4:57 PM KVIA ABC-7

Health officials have completed the testing of 145 students and teachers for tuberculosis, confirming four cases at Canutillo High School. The…

El Paso health officials say measles outbreak has ended

September 12, 2019 4:24 PM KVIA ABC-7

A measles outbreak in the El Paso area is over, health officials said Thursday, but they still urged vaccination against the disease. The city has…

Hailee’s journey: El Paso girl’s dreams, faith guide her through cancer diagnosis

September 12, 2019 10:43 AM KVIA ABC-7

Josie Ozaeta smushed her lips against the face of her older sister Hailee, landing loud kisses on her cheek, while Hailee groaned. “Wet…

New Mexico stays out of opioids settlement with Purdue Pharma

September 11, 2019 7:26 PM KVIA ABC-7

New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas is declining to join a tentative settlement agreement over the role OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma played…

3 Texas teens hospitalized for vape-related lung illnesses as national death toll grows to 5

September 10, 2019 7:13 PM KVIA ABC-7

Houston health officials say three teenagers have been hospitalized with serious lung illnesses following electronic cigarette use and vaping. The…

Abortion clinic closures leave big gap, El Paso is home to only clinics in west Texas

September 10, 2019 1:17 PM KVIA ABC-7

After seven states passed sweeping abortion bans this year, speculation soon arose about the potentially onerous travel burdens the laws could…

‘It’s life or death’: Del Sol doctors advocate for bleeding control training

September 4, 2019 5:23 PM KVIA ABC-7

While the argument wages on over how to stop gun violence and mass shootings, health professionals focus on what they can do: keep wounded people…

3 more cases of West Nile Virus reported in El Paso

August 30, 2019 8:59 AM KVIA ABC-7

Three more cases of the West Nile virus have been confirmed in El Paso, bringing the total up to 13 for the season. The 11th case is a man in his…

Texas Commission on Environmental Quality denies permit for medical waste facility in Lower Valley

August 28, 2019 6:54 PM KVIA ABC-7

Homeowners in a Lower Valley neighborhood near the Old Ysleta Mission are claiming a victory now that the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality…

New procedure to remove uterine fibroids now available in El Paso

July 11, 2019 9:30 PM KVIA ABC-7

The Hospitals of Providence is offering woman suffering from uterine fibroids a less invasive treatment option with Acessa. Acessa is a laparoscopic…