WITF Smart Talk Podcast

Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman appears on Tuesday’s Smart Talk to address several questions related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fetterman was appointed by Gov. Tom Wolf last week to lead a task force to address the disparity between how African-Americans, Latinos and Asian Pacific Pennsylvanians are affected by the COVID-19 virus. Pennsylvania doesn’t have thorough statistics on the racial and ethnic backgrounds of those who have tested positive for the virus and those who have died from it. Anecdotally, health care workers have said they have seen a higher percentage of minority deaths. New York does have demographic information and has reported more than 60% of the COVID patients who have died were Latino or African-American.

Also, Fetterman has long advocated for the legalization of marijuana for recreational purposes and says legal pot could help bring the state’s finances back after the pandemic wanes.

We’ll also discuss the policies established by the Wolf Administration related to the COVID-19 pandemic with the Lieutenant Governor, including plans to re-open.

 

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

The Pennsylvania Department of Health reported last week that the social distancing and stay-at-home order were doing what they were intended to do: flatten the curve.

The “curve” refers to the rise of the number of daily reported cases. Once those numbers level off or decline, the “curve” has flattened.

Department of Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine, MD, cautioned, though, that it is still not time to return to normal. Virus mitigation guidelines are still in effect for the state and no decision has been made when they might change.

Even as the pandemic has dominated the news for more than a month, many people still have questions about the virus and COVID-19 illness.

Smart Talk has devoted at least one program each week during the current coronavirus emergency to answering medical and health-related questions.

Appearing on Thursday’s Smart Talk is Dr. Ami DeWaters, MD, associate division chief of Hospital Medicine, Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center.

Leave a voicemail question at 1-800-729-7532 or email smarttalk@witf.org

 

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

The national response to the coronavirus pandemic is not slowing down, even as some states and regions begin planning to open their economies and lift work restrictions.

The Department of Defense has a robust medical capability that has been directed to aid in hard-hit communities around the county. The US Army is a big part of the response and many of the Army’s medical resources are found in reserve units, which are located around the county, to include Pennsylvania.

The Army has also created response teams known as “Urban Area Medical Task Forces” from its reserves. The task forces are intended to augment communities that are particularly hard hit by COVID-19.

Maj. Gen. Michael O’Guinn is the Deputy Chief of the US Army Reserves and he joins Smart Talk on Thursday to discuss the military’ response to the pandemic.

Also, the Pennsylvania Independent Fiscal Office released revenue projections for the remainder of the year, and preliminary projections through 2021.

The revenue projections are estimates and based on the impact of COVID-19 business closures and the state-wide stay-at-home order.

Matthew Knittel is the Director of the IFO and appears on Smart Talk to discuss the revenue report, which is based on different scenarios.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Until the COVID-19 pandemic, K-12 classes were disrupted in Pennsylvania for only days at a time by a snowstorm, mold or a plumbing problem in a school building or maybe a teachers’ strike.

Students attended classes physically for the last time in March and last week Gov. Tom Wolf announced schools would closed for the remainder of the school year. In the meantime, educators are making what the state called “good faith” efforts to educate students who are now out of class. Whatever transpires between now and when classes open normally in the future, it is unprecedented.

Some students are continuing classes online, if they have internet access, while others are having materials sent to their homes. WITF launched Learning at Home — an initiative designed to augment the education of children utilizing public TV programs and resources on a website.

Pennsylvania’s Secretary of Education Pedro Rivera appears on Wednesday’s Smart Talk along with Deputy Secretary of Elementary and Secondary Education Matthew Stem to discuss how students are continuing to learn during the pandemic.

Also, we’ll hear from Nathan Mains, CEO of the Pennsylvania Schools Boards Association about what local schools are going through at this time.

Finally, with colleges and universities shutdown, except for online classes, how have the towns and cities where they’re located been impacted?

Smart Talk focuses on the Borough of Shippensburg Wednesday.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Spring is in the air in Central Pennsylvania and parks and trails are a welcome respite for families feeling cooped up in their homes.

And if people didn’t need another temptation to leave the house, Trout season opened a week early to the surprise and delight of area anglers.

With Governor Wolf’s stay-at-home order, are Pennsylvanians even allowed to get out of the house for outdoor recreation?

Appearing on Smart Talk to offer clarity to the guidance is John Norbeck, Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Deputy Secretary for Parks and Forestry.

Jobless claims in the Keystone State set records last week with nearly 6% of the labor force filing for unemployment benefits. With so many out of work, or furloughed, the Lancaster County Community Foundation and United Way of Lancaster County established a fund to provide support for families.

Sam Bressi, President and CEO of the Lancaster County community Foundation, will join Smart Talk on Friday to detail how the Lancaster Cares Fund can help.

With collegiate and professional sports on hold, some athletes are finding ways to contribute to people in need.

Scott Shirley is the co-founder and CEO of Athletes Relief , a fundraising initiative featuring donated sports memorabilia. He’ll appear on Smart Talk to talk about the plan and who it will support.

Finally, communities are finding ways to collaborate while apart during the coronavirus crisis. Members of one central Pennsylvania town, who formed a Community Action Network before the crisis, are using their network to form a community response to the pandemic.

Appearing on Smart Talk to share the group’s model are Dickinson College President Margee Ensign, Ph.D., and Michelle Crowley, president of the Carlisle Area Chamber of Commerce.

 

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Almost 17,000 Pennsylvanians have tested positive for the coronavirus and more than 300 people have died from the illness it causes, COVID-19. All of the positive cases and deaths have occurred since the first week in March – a little over a month.

The spread of the virus and fallout from it have resulted in social distancing, stay-at-home orders, loss of jobs, business closures and an economic free fall.

Even though the pandemic has dominated the news for more than a month, many people still have questions about the virus and COVID-19 illness.

Smart Talk has devoted at least one program each week during the current coronavirus emergency to answering medical and health-related questions.

Appearing on Thursday’s Smart Talk is Dr. David Gasperack, DO, vice president and regional medical director, WellSpan Medical Group.

Leave a voicemail question at 1-800-729-7532 or email smarttalk@witf.org

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

During the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, we have heard often from researchers and medical professionals that a vaccine to prevent the potentially deadly illness is 12 to 18 months away from being available to the public.

That timetable may or may not be an accurate estimate, but scientists at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine have developed a potential vaccine that has shown promise in laboratory mice.

The announcement last week from UPMC has been one of the few bright spots in corona-related news over the past month.

The so-called PittCoVacc — short for Pittsburgh Coronavirus Vaccine — is designed to deliver antibodies to the body to neutralize the virus.

The study’s co-senior author, Louis D. Falo, Jr, MD, PhD, is chairman of the Department of Dermatology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine appears on Wednesday’s Smart Talk to discuss this potentially revolutionary vaccine.

Also, WITF’s Transforming Health reporter Brett Sholtis is on Smart Talk to provide information on Pennsylvania’s growing need for ventilators to treat the most seriously ill COVID-19 patients. Like other states, Pennsylvania is wrestling with how to obtain the ventilators it could need.

Sholtis also is reporting on the plans that health systems across the state have submitted to the Pennsylvania Department of Health.

 

 

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Governor Wolf’s mandatory stay–at–home order went into effect on Wednesday for all 67 Pennsylvania counties.

The order states that individuals may leave their residence only to perform certain individual activities and essential travel. But many Pennsylvanians still have questions about certain details.

Is it allowable to take a drive just to get out of the house? What about going for a hike, particularly if it means you must drive to the trailhead or to a park?

No one enjoys being cooped up at home, so is there any flexibility in the stay-at-home order?

Meanwhile, Pennsylvania State police have “refined” response guidelines for calls such as identity theft, littering and lost and found items to limit in-person contact and maintain social distancing.

Appearing on Tuesday’s Smart Talk to offer expertise on these questions is Pennsylvania State Police Major Christopher Paris, acting Deputy Commissioner of Administration and Professional Responsibility.

Also, the build-up to the national Census has been underway for more than a year. Invitations to complete the Census were mailed to homes across the country in mid-March. National Census Day was April 1st; an important benchmark date in the national population count.

The date came and went in the shadow of the nation’s response to the global coronavirus pandemic. Was anyone paying attention?

Joining us on Tuesday’s Smart Talk to discuss the next step in the process is Norman Bristol Colon, executive director, Governor’s Census 2020 Complete Count Commission.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS