Health & Medicine

With this week’s heat wave, health officials are warning of dangers associated with leaving a child or pet in a car.  Last year nationwide, 39 children died after being left in cars. Already this year, 29 have died.

A new pilot program in Eugene will deliver food to the animal companions of home-bound seniors. Food For Lane County has received a $1,500 grant from Meals on Wheels America to launch “Kibble on Wheels”.

With tens of thousands of people gathered together in one place, there’s bound to be a few medical issues.
The Oregon Country Fair has health care covered this weekend, thanks to Eugene’s White Bird Clinic.

HIV Alliance has a new address in Eugene: 1195A City View Street. The agency made the move to increase capacity for additional services. Since 1994, HIV Alliance has operated out of a comfy but crowded, two story house on Garden Avenue. The organization, provides care and advocacy for thousands of people living with HIV/AIDS. 

A new study by Oregon State University finds an increase in marijuana use in college students since pot was legalized 2 years ago.

Grass pollen is wreaking havoc for allergy sufferers in the Willamette Valley. This region is home to some of the highest pollen counts in the world.

In 1977, Womenspace began helping victims throughout Lane County escape domestic violence. Today, the agency serves thousands of survivors and offers prevention services to school kids. In honor of their 40th year, Womenspace invited Tanya Brown to Eugene. She is the youngest sister of the late Nicole Brown Simpson.

Whether caused by birth defect, vascular disease or traumatic accident, the Amputee Coalition predicts 3.6 million people will be living with limb loss by the year 2050. KLCC’s Tiffany Eckert recently met four amputees in the Willamette Valley and she brings us their stories of struggle and accomplishment.

The needs and challenges of elderly people in rural areas are the focus of a new event being held this week in Hood River.  KLCC’s Brian Bull reports.  

Lane County Public Health and the County Board of Commissioners (acting as Health Board) have honored an individual and an agency for excellence in public health.

Lane County Commissioners voted Tuesday to raise the legal age for tobacco purchase or possession from 18 to 21 years of age.  Lane is the first county in Oregon to make this change.

Oregon State University will be holding mass vaccination clinics next week after a student came down with meningococcal disease. Two earlier cases were diagnosed in November.

All but two-percent of Oregon's children have health insurance.  Most of those who don't are undocumented immigrants.  This session,  lawmakers will be taking up legislation to make sure all Oregon children are insured.

Oregon’s Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum was in Eugene Thursday to learn about life-saving services available through HIV Alliance. She toured the facility and met privately with a client who told her how an overdose reversal drug recently saved a friend.

Severe weather conditions have caused shortages at blood centers across the nation. Lane Blood Center itself is experiencing extreme deficits due to low donations and higher usage.

Lane County Public Health today (Friday) confirmed 11 outbreaks of Influenza-like-illness. The department reports seven people so far have died from the flu. As KLCC’s Tiffany Eckert reports, health officials are pushing the message of prevention in an effort to stop the spread of the virus.

Flu symptoms can include upper repertory distress, fever, chills, body aches, diarrhea. It’s also highly contagious. The current outbreaks and resulting deaths from Influenza have health officials on high alert.