Penn Highlands and IUP sign clinical training agreement
CLEARFIELD COUNTY (WTAJ) – Penn Highlands Healthcare is teaming up with IUP's College of Osteopathic Medicine for a clinical training affiliation.
'The new IUP College of Osteopathic Medicine is going to present wonderful opportunities for the students to be beneficial to both the university as well as patients we care for at Penn Highlands Healthcare but most importantly the rural communities that we serve,' Dr. Trina Abla said.
Bishop McCort Catholic High School receives $1 million gift for Centennial Campaign
The agreement between the two will give students the opportunity to complete their clinicals in a rural setting. Doctors say that experience can make a better physician.
'Learning how to practice medicine in a rural setting is challenging. But it's extremely rewarding and I think that it makes the best physicians coming out of it because you learn to not just treat first or second degree aspects of a disease process, but you tend to extend yourself a little bit further,' Family Medicine Chief Resident Dewit Ayalew said.
The university and healthcare system believe that bringing students into the rural environment will also be a step forward in helping what they call a rural healthcare crisis.
'Too many rural residents need medical care and there are too few medical professionals to provide it. According to the Pennsylvania Office of Rural Health, our state's rural hospitals are dealing with a shortage of physicians that has become dire,' IUP President Dr. Michael Driscoll.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
New Legislation aims to clarify workplace rules for medical marijuana use in PA
HARRISBURG, Pa. (WTAJ) — Pennsylvania lawmakers are taking steps to eliminate confusion over medical marijuana use in the workplace with new legislation aimed at protecting both employees and employers. In a co-sponsorship memo released this week, Rep. Napoleon Nelson and another House member announced plans to introduce a bill that would provide clearer rules for how employers handle medical marijuana under state law. The bill is a companion to Senate Bill 1290 from a previous session, which was supported by a bipartisan group of state senators. Though medical marijuana has been legal in Pennsylvania since 2016 under Act 16, it remains illegal at the federal level. That disconnect has left employers without federal guidance on how to treat workers who are certified medical marijuana patients. The proposed legislation would define key terms related to medical marijuana use and provide consistent guidelines for workplace drug testing. It would also clarify when job applicants or employees must disclose medical marijuana use, particularly for safety-sensitive positions, and how such use affects unemployment and workers' compensation eligibility. Importantly, the bill does not change the current legal protection that prevents employers from firing or refusing to hire someone solely for being a medical marijuana patient. Instead, lawmakers say the goal is to remove ambiguity and ensure fair treatment on both sides. Supporters hope the legislation will give Pennsylvania businesses and workers confidence and structure as they navigate medical marijuana policy in the workplace. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Cat declawing could be outlawed in Pennsylvania with new legislation
HARRISBURG, Pa. (WTAJ) — Many cat owners turn to declawing to stop their pets from scratching up furniture and carpets — but the 'inhumane' act could soon be outlawed in Pennsylvania. Pa. Senators Carolyn T. Commita (D-Chester) and Tracy Pennycuick (R-Berks/Montgomery) introduced Senate Bill 846, which will make it illegal to declaw cats unless it is medically necessary and performed by a licensed veterinarian. 'Declawing (onychectomy) is an elective procedure that amputates most or all of the last bone of each of the cat's toes,' the Senators said in a joint memo. 'The procedure is commonly performed to prevent unwanted scratching. Animal advocates, veterinarians, and others acknowledge that this procedure is inhumane, unnecessary, and traumatic.' Taxes on tips and overtime pay could be abolished in Pennsylvania According to Commita and Pennycuick, numerous agencies won't support declawing cats as an elective procedure, including the Humane Society of the United States and the Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association. In 2020, the nation's largest veterinary chains, VCA, Banfield, and Blue Pearl, with their 10,000-plus veterinarians nationwide, banned declawing. Necessary cat declawing noted in the joint memo includes tumors, persistent infections, injuries, and congenital bill is co-sponsored by nine Senators from both sides of the aisle, including Doug Mastriano and Wayne Fontana. Committa added that the bill was co-sponsored in the last Senate session by Fontana, Cappelletti, Robinson, Costa, Mastriano, and Muth. The bill was introduced and is currently with the Judiciary Committee, which Republican Lisa Baker leads as Chair, while Democrat Amanda M. Cappelletti leads as Minority Chair. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
PA bills will expand access to opioid overdose reversal agents
PENNSYLVANIA (WTAJ) — Two bills will soon be introduced to help provide more resources to first responders and law enforcement to fight opioid overdoses. Representatives Chris Pielli and Brian Munroe, in a memo to lawmakers, wrote that the current practice in Pennsylvania is 'outdated.' Noting that the Department of Health only allows the use of naloxone despite other options being available. The CDC reported that deaths involving opioids were estimated to be over 54,000. However, from December 2023 to December 2024, drug overdose deaths in Pennsylvania dropped by 29.94%. Two states, Nevada and South Dakota, were the only ones with increases. Both saw increases of over 4%. Pennsylvania lawmakers advance bill expanding no-cost breast cancer diagnostics Naloxone is used by law enforcement and other first responders to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. Naloxone works by attaching itself to opioid receptors and then reversing and blocking the effects of opioids. In the CDC's most recent report, they also listed synthetic opioids, like fentanyl, as being the cause of the largest number of overdose deaths. Fentanyl is 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine, according to the representatives. They argue that fentanyl is so strong that it can outlast the effects of naloxone and cause people to 're-overdose.' That's why they feel that first responders should have access to things like nalmefene, which is a longer-lasting opioid antagonist. Currently, nalmefene is only available by prescription. 'While naloxone is a crucial tool for first responders and law enforcement, it cannot be our only option,' The representatives said. The two bills that they will be introducing would do the following: Amend the Controlled Substance Drug, Device, and Cosmetic Act to allow nalmefene as an approved opioid antagonist for use over the counter. Direct the Pennsylvania Department of Health to change their current standing order to include nalmefene as an approved opioid reversal agent for over the counter use. 'We cannot continue to discount the ability of other opioid antagonists to save lives. While our policy continues to stagnate, the illicit drug market evolves, adapts, and finds new ways to draw Pennsylvanians into the throes of addiction or, in an unfortunate number of cases, death,' the representatives added. If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, you can contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's free, confidential, 24/7, 365-day-a-year treatment referral and information service at 1-800-662-HELP (4357). Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
