Health - Chattanooga Times Free Press

UTC launches new program to help address shortage of addiction counselors

With the state and country facing a shortage of addiction counselors, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga has launched a new certificate program aimed…

By Times Free Press Staff August 7, 2026

Staff file photo / A University of Tennessee at Chattanooga sign near an entrance to the campus along McCallie Avenue is pictured. The university launched a clinical addiction studies certificate program aimed at addressing the shortage of addiction counselors.

15 states now linked to iceberg lettuce cyclospora outbreak, CDC says

NEW YORK (AP) — Parasitic illness cases in 15 states have been linked to iceberg lettuce, U.S. health officials said Wednesday.

By Mike Stobbe Ap Medical Writer August 5, 2026

FILE - This undated photo taken through a microscope provided by the CDC shows Cyclospora cayetanensis oocysts found in a fresh stool sample which had been prepared with a formalin solution and stained with safranin. (CDC via AP, File)

Siskin recognized as Tennessee’s top rehab hospital

Siskin Hospital for Physical Rehabilitation has been named the top rehabilitation hospital in Tennessee and the Chattanooga metropolitan area in the 2026-27 U.S. News…

By Staff Report August 5, 2026

BlueCross commits $10M to Chattanooga riverfront redevelopment

There's little more than pavement underneath the Olgiati Bridge, but a $10 million commitment will help change that.

By Times Free Press Staff August 3, 2026

Staff photo by Matt Hamilton / Dalya Qualls White, senior vice president and chief communications officer for BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, speaks during a press conference under the Olgiati Bridge on Aug. 3, 2026.

Ask a Doc: Can eye exercises help improve my vision?

Q: I keep seeing videos online that claim eye exercises can improve your vision and even get rid of the need for glasses. Is…

By Dr. Elizabeth Rosenberger August 3, 2026

Parkridge plans to build freestanding ER in Dade County

Parkridge Health System is planning another expansion, and this time it's crossing state lines.

By Staff Report August 2, 2026

Staff file photo / Parkridge Medical Center in Chattanooga is pictured. Parkridge has announced plans to build a freestanding emergency room, its sixth, in Dade County.

Can’t qualify for long-term care due to health issues. What do I do?

Recently, you wrote a Medicare column about various life policies available after 65, and I have a retirement insurance question.

By Toni King July 31, 2026

Uninsured patients rise sharply, hospitals report, citing Obamacare cuts

More and more uninsured patients are showing up in hospital emergency rooms and clinics, having lost their coverage under the Affordable Care Act.

By Reed Abelson July 31, 2026

Ebola cases in Congo top 3,200, nearing record of the country’s worst outbreak

BUNIA, Congo (AP) — Confirmed cases in Congo's ongoing Ebola outbreak have reached 3,262, its Ministry of Health said in an overnight update, nearly…

By Constant Same Bagalwa And Wilson Mcmakin July 28, 2026

Rubble set on fire as health and frontline workers protest at the Elikya Ebola Treatment Center in Bunia, Congo, on Saturday, July 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Constant Same Bagalwa)

Johnson & Johnson proposes $5.5 billion talc settlement to end marathon legal fight

Johnson & Johnson has agreed to pay $5.5 billion to tie up remaining lawsuits that claim its talc products caused ovarian cancer.

By Michelle Chapman July 28, 2026