Health & Wellness

Kroger opioid settlement funds on their way to Gig Harbor, other cities

Jul 25, 2024 | By:

Most jurisdictions in the West Sound have signed on to a settlement agreement with grocery company Kroger following a lawsuit over its role in the opioid crisis. Others are expected to follow suit. Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced the $47.5 million settlement in April. The grocery company, which does business in Washington as QFC

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Healthy Youth Survey shows positive trends in Peninsula schools

Jul 18, 2024 | By:

Mental health outcomes for Peninsula District students are comparable to their peers in Pierce County, according to a recent statewide survey. But results also underscore recent concerns from community members about bullying at district high schools. Data from the 2023 Healthy Youth Survey showed positive trends for students across Washington.  The survey is an anonymous

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PenMet Parks celebrates installation of final recreation center beam

Jul 17, 2024 | By:

Contractors and parks people performed the rite, albeit later than expected because steel delivery had been delayed.

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Hybrid emergency room, urgent care planned for Port Orchard

Jul 10, 2024 | By:

Virginia Mason Franciscan Health announced Tuesday that it plans to open a new hybrid emergency room and urgent care facility at its Port Orchard campus on South Kitsap Boulevard. Currently, VMFH offers only urgent care and other specialty services at the Port Orchard site. Creating the dual-purpose facility, the health care providers say, will vastly

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Wellness Wednesday | Tips for being sun-safe

Jul 09, 2024 | By: Scot Fleshman

July is UV Safety Awareness Month, but what do you need to know about UV safety to make informed and good decisions for yourself and your family? UV basics Let’s start with some ultraviolet (UV) basics. There are three types of UV rays: UVA, UVB, and UVC. These are forms of radiation and are classified

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A SAIF place for people struggling with intellectual and developmental disabilities

Jul 08, 2024 | By:

A short-term residential facility supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities from across Washington is expected to open near Gig Harbor in the coming months. The facility will help its clients avoid institutionalization and return to their home communities. The facility, located along Highway 302 west of Wright Bliss Road, will provide crisis care and

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Public safety sales tax revenues would primarily sustain police staffing

Jul 02, 2024 | By:

After overwhelmingly rejecting a property tax increase earlier this year, Gig Harbor voters will head to the polls again this summer to vote on a sales tax measure supporting the city’s police department and general fund budget. Revenue from the proposed Public Safety Sales Tax, which will appear on the Aug. 6 primary ballot, would

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One year after the ‘Blake Fix,’ arrests are up but treatment still lags

Jul 02, 2024 | By:

April Kelly spent years in and out of jail because of her addiction. Her health suffered, she lost contact with family and eventually ended up homeless. None of it was enough to make her quit. “They talk about reaching your bottom,” she said, “but it didn’t matter what I lost or how alone I was.

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Rehab and physical therapy clinic in Port Orchard closing

Jun 20, 2024 | By:

Virginia Mason Franciscan Health confirmed Monday that it will close its outpatient rehabilitation and physical therapy clinic in Port Orchard next month. St. Michael Medical Center President Chad Melton said the clinic is no longer financially viable given current insurance reimbursement rates, especially for Medicaid. The office plans to close July 12. The care of

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Wellness Wednesday | What you need to know about Alzheimer’s and dementia during Brain Awareness Month

Jun 18, 2024 | By: Scot Fleshman

Imagine looking into the eyes of your closest longtime friend but unable to place them or remember their name. Or remembering suddenly, in the grocery store aisle, you need coffee, only to come home and find several unopened packages of coffee in your cupboard because the same situation has happened several times before. What about

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