Smart Talk: Explaining the healthsystem merger; STDs on the rise
What to look for on Smart Talk Wednesday, May 11, 2016:
A federal court ruled this week that the merger between Penn State Health and Pinnacle Health could move forward. The Federal Trade Commission and Pennsylvania Attorney General had contested the merger saying it would result in a monopoly.
The court disagreed ruling that both healthsystems attract patients from beyond a four-county area. The decision also shut down the government’s argument that the merger would end up costing patients more money.
WITF’s Transforming Health reporter Ben Allen has been closely following the case and appears on Wednesday’s Smart Talk to explain what it all means.
(Both Penn State Health and Pinnacle Health are financial supporters of WITF programming, including Transforming Health and Smart Talk).
WITF’s Ben Allen
The Centers for Disease Control says sexually transmitted diseases are on the rise, especially amongst young people. The CDC reports one in four adolescent females has an STD and that 15 to 24 year olds account for half of the total number of STD cases.
It’s the first time since 2006 cases of chlamydia, syphilis and gonorrhea have increased
Dr. Loren Robinson, the Deputy Secretary for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention with the Pennsylvania Department of Health joins us to discuss the increase of STD’s.
Dr. Loren Robinson
