skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Saturday, April 19, 2025

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

An Alabama man who spent more than 40 years behind bars speaks out, Florida natural habitats are disappearing, and spring allergies hit hard in Connecticut.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

After another campus shooting, President Trump says people, not guns, are the issue. Alaska Sen. Murkowski says Republicans fear Trump's retaliation, and voting rights groups sound the alarm over an executive order on elections.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Money meant for schools in timber country is uncertain as Congress fails to reauthorize a rural program, farmers and others will see federal dollars for energy projects unlocked, and DOGE cuts threaten plant species needed for U.S. food security.

Ways to stay safe as heat-related illness ticks up

play audio
Play

Friday, July 5, 2024   

As the calendar turns to summer, emergency rooms start seeing more patients due to seasonal injuries and illnesses and expanded virtual health care options may help.

Across the country, heat-related emergency room visits are on the rise, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And summers are getting hotter. The annual number of days over 90 degrees Fahrenheit in New Jersey in 2000 was 14 and it is expected to double in the mid-2020s to as high as 29 days per year, according to the New Jersey Department of Health.

Donna O'Shea, chief medical Officer of population health for UnitedHealthcare, said proper hydration and sun protection are vital

"There is such a condition as overheating and heatstroke," O'Shea pointed out. "It's important to recognize those signs early. The signs of overheating do include headaches, nausea or dizziness."

O'Shea pointed out people aged 65 and over are especially prone to heat stroke and children should also be monitored closely, as their internal cooling systems may still be developing. In addition to sun and heat, O'Shea noted seasonal safety concerns also include bicycle and water safety.

Virtual health care options expanded during the pandemic and are now useful for patients traveling or on vacation when they need medical assistance.

Jennifer Shukaitis, family and community health sciences educator for Rutgers Cooperative Extension, recommended people traveling over the summer learn about their virtual health options before they leave.

"When you're in that moment and something goes wrong is not the time that you want to start researching your options," Shukaitis emphasized. "Contacting your service providers before you leave so that you know exactly what your options are is a great way to stay safe and also just have peace of mind that you know exactly what to do in the event of an emergency or anything happening."

Shukaitis added people may be able to send doctors images of an injury or symptom or talk over video, depending on their providers.

Disclosure: UnitedHealthcare contributes to our fund for reporting on Health Issues. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.


get more stories like this via email
more stories
Congressional researchers said more than 25 million American households report forgoing food and medicine to pay their energy bills. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

A bipartisan group of lawmakers in Congress is joining advocates for energy assistance across the country to warn a dangerous situation is brewing for…


Environment

play sound

Teams of researchers and volunteers will fan out at dawn Friday with their smartphones and binoculars on the Florida Gulf Coast University campus for …

Environment

play sound

Environmental groups across Michigan are pushing back after the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers confirmed it will fast-track Enbridge's Line 5 tunnel …


The elimination of judgeships in 11 Indiana counties followed a weighted caseload study, which found some counties have more judges than needed to manage their current dockets. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Indiana lawmakers approved a bill Tuesday to eliminate judgeships in eleven mostly rural counties as part of a statewide judicial reallocation…

play sound

For Minnesota households planning future college enrollment, there is a good chance tuition will cost more, as public campuses facing tighter budgets …

When cows eat plant cover faster than it can regrow, it erodes and degrades the soil beneath, making it more susceptible to runoff and other undesirable consequences. (Saed/Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

By Seth Millstein for Sentient Climate.Broadcast version by Isobel Charle for Washington News Service reporting for the Sentient-Public News Service C…

Environment

play sound

Communities in southern and eastern Montana were connected to passenger rail lines running from Chicago to Seattle until 1979. An effort to fund the …

Environment

play sound

By Jessica Scott-Reid for Sentient Climate.Broadcast version by Danielle Smith for Keystone State News Connection reporting for the Sentient-Public Ne…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021