Marlene Harris-Taylor

A Summit County Common Pleas judge has decided to self-quarantine after recently returning from Italy, where there are several hundred reported cases of…

The Trump Administration is encouraging Ohio and other states to adopt a new federal proposal that would cap Medicaid spending and potentially save money. State lawmakers have not indiciated if Ohio's Medicaid program will embrace block grants as an alternate way to pay for the health insurance program. Proponents say the block grants will provide more flexibility for states. Critics say the plan, which was rolled out last week, would simply pass costs along to low-income recipients and might discourage them from getting medical care.

Updated: 11:28 am Friday January 24, 2020 The Cleveland Clinic has begun screening all patients who have traveled to China for symptoms of the coronavirus, according to a spokesperson. MetroHealth confirmed Friday that they are also screening patients for symptoms if they've been to China in the past two weeks. University Hospitals reports they are working on a travel screening protocol for their ERs, as well as putting out guidance for clinicians on screening and patient/employee safety.

A Navy veteran from Cleveland tried vaping marijuana to deal with his chronic pain. He landed in the hospital, becoming one of over 2,200 Americans who have suffered serious lung injury from vaping.

Private insurance companies in Ohio are now required to cover doctor visits over the phone or on the computer. The recently approved state budget includes a provision requiring insurance companies to cover remote doctor visits called telemedicine. Gov. Mike DeWine (R) signed the two-year budget bill July 18. Authorization of telehelath coverage is just one of the many state programs the sweeping $69 billion document covers.

Solon resident Jodi Creasap Gee had just relocated to the Cleveland area from Missouri with her husband and three kids when her 5-year-old daughter cut her foot. The house was still in disarray and the kids were playing when her daughter came into the kitchen screaming, Creasap Gee said. “There was just a trail of blood behind her. Her foot’s all bloody and I’m going, ‘oh no.' I don’t even know where to go because we just moved here, and it’s a Sunday,” she said.

The State Medical Board of Ohio has delayed adding autism spectrum disorder and anxiety to the list of qualifying conditions for the medical marijuana program. The board met June 12 in Columbus to consider adding several new medical conditions to the program. The 12-member board rejected petitions to include depression, insomnia and opioid use disorder in Ohio’s medical cannabis program, said board spokesman Tessie Pollack. However, the board tabled the vote on anxiety and autism spectrum disorder, Pollack said.

Ohio employees would have the right to sue if forced to have flu shots or other vaccines, under a new proposal being considered by state lawmakers. The Ohio House bill would prohibit employers from firing or refusing to hire employees who object to immunizations. Employees could object to vaccinations because of medical reasons like allergies, or because of philosophical or religious beliefs.

The recent passage of the so-called "Heartbeat Bill" has caused some confusion about the legality of abortion in Ohio. Gov. MIke DeWine signed the legislation into law last month, but it does not take effect until July. The ACLU and other organizations have sued, hoping to prevent the law from going into effect. Morning Editionhost Amy Eddings spoke with Be Well Health reporter Marlene Harris-Taylor about the current realities of abortion access in Ohio. Let's start with the facts about this new law. How does it does it work?

The State Medical Board of Ohio may soon approve physicians to prescribe medical marijuana to treat anxiety and some symptoms of autism. Anxiety and autism were two of 110 petitions submitted to the board this year seeking approval for tretment with medical cannabis. A local physician was on the board and helped make the decisions. Be Well health reporter Marlene Harris-Taylor spoke with the doctor, Dr. Ted Parran, and joined Morning Editionhost Amy Eddings to break down what this preliminary approval means for Ohioans.