PITTSBURGH, PA. (April 15, 2021) – Allegheny Health Network (AHN) today announced plans to build a state-of-the art Melanoma and Skin Cancer Center at West Penn Hospital. The $14 million facility is expected to be completed in early 2022 and will provide cancer patients with one-stop access to the network’s comprehensive clinical and surgical expertise, as well as leading-edge therapies and technologies.

“Skin cancer is extremely common, and almost always treatable if it is found early,” said Howard Edington, MD, AHN surgical oncologist who is leading AHN’s development of the Melanoma and Skin Cancer Center. “Melanoma is a less common but more deadly form of skin cancer, and the number of cases is rising, particularly in younger people.”

“Our goal for this amazing new center is to create a place where clinicians and researchers work together to advance the diagnosis and treatment of all skin cancers, and where health care providers collaborate to provide patients with seamless care that addresses their needs and gives them their best chance of a positive outcome,” Dr. Edington said.

More people are diagnosed with skin cancer each year in the U.S. than all other cancers combined, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation. In the U.S., more than 9,500 people are diagnosed with skin cancer every day, and more than two people die of the disease every hour.

About 1 in 50 Americans will develop melanoma during their lifetimes, and its incidence has doubled over the past 30 years, according to the Melanoma Research Alliance. About 166,000 Americans are diagnosed with melanoma annually and about 7,000 die of the disease. Skin cancers, including melanoma, are strongly connected with exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun or from tanning beds.

The AHN Melanoma and Skin Cancer Center will unite physicians in dermatology, medical, surgical and radiation oncology, radiology and pathology, integrative medicine and psychiatry with nurse navigators, social workers and other support staff to surround patients with every possible resource to aid their cancer journey and recovery. The AHN Cancer Institute is currently offering innovative treatments for skin cancers, such as oncolytic virus therapy for inoperable melanoma. Treatment is delivered directly into the patient’s tumor, and the therapy acts in concert with the body’s immune system to fight the cancer.

Clinical and translational research conducted at the new center will focus on additional new medical therapies, real-time diagnostic technologies that help doctors catch cancer at its earliest stages and identifying novel biomarkers that can be used to develop precision medicine that target cancers’ individual genetic makeup.

AHN cancer specialists are currently collaborating with an industry partner to study the immune cells and surface receptors present in cancerous tumors, as well as the creation of a biobank of patients’ blood samples and tumors. Both will be used to assess patients’ responses to different treatments with a goal of being able to offer therapies that are targeted to individual cancers.

The Melanoma and Skin Cancer Center is funded in part by a generous donation from the West Penn Hospital Foundation.

“The West Penn Hospital Foundation’s investment in the AHN Melanoma and Skin Cancer Center will improve the experience and outcomes of those who are diagnosed with skin cancer, and we thank them for their foresight and generosity,” said David L. Bartlett, MD, Chair, AHN Cancer Institute. “The Melanoma and Skin Cancer Center, along with other recent investments in our capabilities, such as our new Clinical Genomics Laboratory, will advance AHN’s commitment to offering the most advanced, personalized care for cancer patients.”

Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Health today notified all COVID-19 vaccine providers that the pause in administering doses of the Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) vaccine will be extended until April 24 or until updated guidance is provided from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Earlier this week, the department recommended a pause in administering Johnson & Johnson vaccine until April 20 to give the CDC and FDA time to review six incidents of rare blood clots that occurred within two weeks of receiving Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices held an emergency meeting yesterday that ended without taking a vote to change the current recommendation to pause administering the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Another meeting is expected within 10 days.

During the meeting, the CDC acknowledged that one of the six cases being studied involves a 26-year-old Pennsylvania woman who recovered after treatment at a New Jersey hospital. The CDC is not releasing personal information in the case.

These six cases occurred in women between 18 and 48 who were among the 6.8 million Americans who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Out of the more than 6.6 million vaccine doses that have been administered in Pennsylvania, only 247,063 doses have been Johnson & Johnson.

This announcement shows that the federal oversight process of a vaccine’s safety and effectiveness is working, and all steps are being taken to protect Americans.

“The safety procedures built into the vaccination process are working and should instill confidence in the safety and effectiveness of the available COVID-19 vaccines,” Acting Secretary of Health Alison Beam said. “I urge individuals who have appointments scheduled to receive a Pfizer or Moderna vaccination to keep those appointments.”

People who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine who develop severe headache, abdominal pain, leg pain or shortness of breath within three weeks of their vaccination should contact their health care provider. For more information, find the CDC/FDA guidance online at: https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/joint-cdc-and-fda-statement-johnson-johnson-covid-19-vaccine.

The department also has sent communications to stakeholder groups and others who have received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine as a part of a special vaccination initiative.

While vaccine supply from the federal government remains limited, the Department of Health is working to ensure the vaccine is provided in a way that is ethical, equitable and efficient. To keep Pennsylvanians informed about vaccination efforts:

• The Your Turn tool provides a way to register to be alerted when it’s your turn to be vaccinated.
• A commonwealth COVID-19 vaccination guide explains the current process for getting one. Pennsylvanians with questions about the vaccination process can call the Department of Health hotline at 1-877-724-3258.
• Vaccine provider map to find a COVID-19 vaccine provider near you.
• All of the locations that received vaccine and how much they have received can be found on the COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution webpage.

• Vaccine dashboard data can also be found on the website to find more information on the doses administered and showcase demographic information.
• Pennsylvanians can provide feedback on the Pennsylvania COVID-19 Interim Vaccination Plan by clicking on the Plan Feedback Form square under Popular Vaccine Topics here.
• Frequently asked questions can be found here.

The Wolf Administration stresses the role Pennsylvanians play in helping to reduce the spread of COVID-19:

• Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.
• Cover any coughs or sneezes with your elbow, not your hands.
• Clean surfaces frequently.
• Stay home to avoid spreading COVID-19, especially if you are unwell.
• If you must go out, you are required to wear a mask when in a business or where it is difficult to maintain proper social distancing.

• Download the COVID Alert PA app and make your phone part of the fight. The free app can be found in the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store by searching for “covid alert pa”.

Chauvin won’t testify at murder trial in Floyd’s death
By AMY FORLITI, STEVE KARNOWSKI and TAMMY WEBBER Associated Press
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The defense at the murder trial of former Officer Derek Chauvin in the death of George Floyd has rested its case without putting Chauvin on the stand, wrapping up after two days of testimony to the prosecution’s two weeks. Chauvin informed the court Thursday that he will not testify, saying he would invoke his Fifth Amendment right not to take the stand. Before the jury was brought into the courtroom, the judge rejected prosecutors’ request to introduce new evidence that carbon monoxide levels in Floyd’s blood were within the normal range. A defense witness had suggested carbon monoxide poisoning could have contributed to Floyd’s death.

Story by Beaver County Radio News Correspondent Sandy Giordano

(Ambridge, Pa.) Ambridge School Board, at last night’s work  session, announced the receipt of a $77,888.00 grant from the state’s Bureau of Crime and Delinquency, Superintendent Dr. Joseph Pasquerilla said that the  grant will help the district.

Pa State Police in Beaver are Reporting that they were dispatched to the scene of a 1 vehicle accident on Interstate 376 in Hopewell Twp. on Monday, April 12, 2021, at 3:15 PM.

Troopers reported via release that Lauren Lasko of Beaver Falls was driving a 2018 Chevrolet Equinox Eastbound on I-376 when she began to lose control and struck a guiderail. She was evaluated on the scene by Medic Rescue for suspected minor injuries. She was not transported to the hospital and her vehicle had to be towed from the scene.

Troopers cited Lasko for not driving a vehicle at a safe speed.

(File Photo of Chief DeLuca and Kate Lowry from an interview at Beaver County Radio in March of 2017)

Story by Beaver County Radio News Correspondent Sandy Giordano

(Ambridge, Pa.) Interim Ambridge Police Chief John DeLuca  was  hired officially Tuesday night as Ambridge Borough’s new police chief. He was awarded a  5 year contract, according to Borough manager Mario Leone. Part time police officers Austin Turner and Josh Kauser  were also promoted to full time.

(Potter Twp., Pa.) Pennsylvania State Police in Beaver are reporting that they responded to a report of a hit and run crash on Pa 18 in Potter Twp. that supposedly occurred on Interstate 376 Westbound near the Monaca Exit on 8 PM on Tuesday night, April 13, 2021.

Upon arriving on the scene and interviewing a 24-year-old female from Pittsburgh it was determined that her vehicle was involved in the accident with a dark green in color SUV with unknown registration. Police later took the 24-year-old into custody for suspected DUI. During transporting her to the hospital for a blood test she suffered a suspected seizure. The Trooper then summoned Medic Rescue and she was transported to Heritage Valley for a medical evaluation. The Investigation continues according to State Troopers via release.

(Neville Island, Pa.) Around 4 p.m. Wednesday, April 14, 2021 , there was a large scrap pile that caught on fire at the Metalico Scrap-yard on Neville Island. It’s being reported that witnesses said they heard some loud pops and then fire erupted on the large pile at the business on Grand Avenue.
Firefighters from several departments conducted a large tanker operation to haul in loads of water, dousing the heaping pile of flaming scrap metal from all directions.
Crews also had to tear the scarp pile apart piece by piece with heavy equipment to attack the flames.