6+ mon, 2+ week ago (129+ words) WYFF 4 is teaming up with iHeart Media radio stations and Prisma Health for 'We Care'. It's an easy way to support pediatric patients at the Prisma Health Children's Hospital. Your donations help make ... Make a donation to support pediatric patients at the Prisma Health Children's Hospital WYFF 4 is teaming up with iHeart Media radio stations and Prisma Health for 'We Care'. It's an easy way to support pediatric patients at the Prisma Health Children's Hospital. Your donations help make a child's stay in the hospital brighter and less stressful. All day Thursday, watch WYFF News 4 and listen to iHeart Media radio stations to hear uplifting stories of how donations help make miracles happen for the over 500,000 children treated every year at the Children's Hospital....

8+ mon, 2+ day ago (186+ words) They are sharing stories of loss due to the drug addiction crisis in our community. "Addiction continues to be a prominent issue that touches so many lives," said Blake Bridges, WYFF 4 ... Live from WYFF 4 studios, Chronicle: State of Addiction is a community event that features law enforcement and addiction specialists answering viewer questions and discussing issues and solutions surrounding drug addiction The one-hour locally produced special features a recovering addict and a family who lost their son to an overdose They are sharing stories of loss due to the drug addiction crisis in our community "Addiction continues to be a prominent issue that touches so many lives," said Blake Bridges, WYFF 4 President & General Manager "We want this special to be a community conversation that educates and highlights the resources available to help those battling addiction If you know someone who…...

3+ mon, 1+ week ago (217+ words) A federal website that informs the public about what information agencies are collecting and allows for public comment went down last weekend, and it has only been partially restored. The outage has raised concerns among advocates who already were troubled by the disappearance of data sets from government websites after President Donald Trump began his second term. As of Thursday, the website's landing page said, it was "currently undergoing revisions." Emailed inquiries to the Office of Management and Budget and General Services Administration weren't returned on Thursday. Researchers Janet Freilich and Aaron Kesselheim examined 232 federal public health data sets that had been modified in the first quarter of this year and found that almost half had been "substantially altered," with the majority having the word "gender" switched to "sex," they wrote last month in The Lancet medical journal. Former Census…...

1+ mon, 1+ week ago (420+ words) Nearly two dozen measles cases have been reported in South Carolina in recent months, prompting state health officials to urge people to get vaccinated and utilize a mobile health unit offering free vaccines. Out of 23 measles cases reported since July, 20 have been tied to an ongoing outbreak primarily in Spartanburg County. "Early quarantining as a result of the identified exposures has been successful in our public health prevention of additional cases," State Epidemiologist Dr. Linda Bell said. The South Carolina Department of Public Health confirmed four additional cases of measles this week. Bell said two new cases were close contacts of previous cases, while two others were tied to a Spartanburg business. DPH does not believe there was public exposure at the business and is not identifying it. "To our knowledge, all of the current cases have been unvaccinated," Bell…...

8+ mon, 2+ day ago (218+ words) Chronicle: State of Addiction explores the grip of drug addiction through voices at the forefront of the fight. Live from WYFF 4 studios, Chronicle: State of Addiction was a community event that featured law enforcement and addiction specialists answering viewer questions and discussing issues and solutions surrounding drug addiction. If you missed the one-hour locally produced live special, you can watch it on this page. Part 1 of the program below and the other stories throughout this page. Family turns their grief from losing their son to a drug overdose into helping others The program features a recovering addict and a family who lost their son to an overdose. They are sharing stories of loss due to the drug addiction crisis in our community. Coroner's office reports progress in the fight against deadly drug overdoses Chronicle: State of Addiction features local stories…...

9+ mon, 2+ week ago (186+ words) Flu is considered widespread in South Carolina and the most cases are in the Upstate area. Prisma Health officials provided an update Thursday on what they are seeing The hospital system held a virtual news conference, which they routinely due during flu season Here were the main takeaways from Thursdays report: Majority of cases in Prisma facilities have type A, although some cases of type B are present They said other respiratory illnesses, such as RSV and a few cases of COVID, are in the mix Doctors stress it is not too late to get the flu shot, especially for people who may have health conditions.The flu shot may not totally protect you from getting the flu but it can help fight the effects and shorten your illness Doctors say a lot of children are getting the flu They…...

4+ mon, 4+ week ago (407+ words) 14,700. That's how many people the Consumer Product Safety Commission says were treated in the ER for fireworks-related injuries nationwide. Anytime you introduce fire to a situation, you've got to be careful. A sparkler reaches temperatures higher than 1,000 degrees. Touching the tip could cause a major burn. And when you introduce real fireworks, the risk gets more significant. The Fourth of July is about fun, freedom, and fireworks. "I work here at Joe's fireworks," said James McCrary. "Just seeing all these happy people come in and knowing they're making memories that will last a lifetime just fills my heart with joy." But with anything that explodes, it's better to be safe than sorry. "But when you're lighting it, you don't want to put your whole body over it," James said. "Because if it lights, guess what? It's going to launch on…...

5+ mon, 1+ day ago (1150+ words) Jeffrey Bell watched as crews dug up and replaced neighbors' lead water pipes, hoping his mother's house would be next. Workers told him it wasn't on their list but probably assigned to another contractor. With Flint's lead pipe replacement program winding down this year, Bell and his elderly mother worried the home they share was forgotten. Betty Bell repeatedly called the city while continuing to buy bottled drinking water, as she had for years. Finally, someone called to say the water line was fine " records indicate it was checked in 2017. But the Bells hadn't known that, exemplifying residents' confusion over a process marred by delays and poor communication. "I have even more questions now," Jeffrey Bell said. About a decade after Flint's water crisis caused national outrage, replacement of lead water pipes still isn't finished. Although the city recently said…...

2+ week, 3+ day ago (186+ words) Prisma Health's Center for Success in Aging in Greenville is hosting an open mic event on Thursday night to provide families with answers to their questions about dementia directly from experts. The event aims to dispel misconceptions, such as the belief that dementia is a natural part of aging or that memory loss is the first sign of the disease. Diana Jahries, with the Centers for Success and Aging, said they can field most questions people may have. "Obviously we're not going to answer questions about any specific patient," Jahries said. That would be a HIPAA violation. So if you have a loved one that may be comes to our practice, we won't be able to address questions about specific patients." The event will address questions like what happens after a diagnosis and what resources are available. There is no…...

8+ mon, 2+ week ago (179+ words) Tribe Clinical Research in Greenville is looking for trial participants Tribe Clinical Research in Greenville has launched its latest vaccine trial study; this time centered around chickenpox as the Upstate and surrounding areas are currently experiencing a mild outbreak. Tribe Clinical Research medical director Dr. Scott Dobson said this chickenpox immunity trial is for kids 12-15 months old. They would get one dose of a chickenpox vaccine to check their immunity. Dobson said this trial uses a vaccine that is the same as the one that is currently routinely administered, but just with a different sponsor. Dobson said the elements in the vaccine have been around for decades, and vaccinations in that age group are critical as people could be walking around contagious with chickenpox for weeks and not show any signs or symptoms. "People who may be immunocompromised, pregnant women,…...