Brett Sholtis is WITF’s Transforming Health reporter, covering health care policy and community health issues across Pennsylvania. Topics of interest include mental health services, price transparency, and access to care. Previously, Brett was a business reporter at York Daily Record, where his work includes award-winning examinations of restaurant food safety and commercial nuclear waste storage. He’s a University of Pittsburgh graduate and saw some of his first bylines as a Pittsburgh Post-Gazette intern. In his life before journalism, Brett served in the Pennsylvania Army National Guard in Kosovo and worked in the motorcycle industry in Southern California.
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Pa. Lyme disease bill would change coverage amid controversy over ‘chronic’ condition
House Bill 629 passed the house and currently sits in the Senate Insurance and Banking Committee, where past versions of this bill have all stalled.
6 years ago
A bear stuck in a tree in Harrisburg becomes a wildlife lesson for children
The Game Commission plans to bring the bear north, to the mountains he would typically call home.
6 years ago
Plan for Pennsylvania to take over health insurance marketplace gaining ground
A bill for Pennsylvania to take control of the health insurance marketplace is moving quickly through the state Capitol with bipartisan support.
6 years ago
CBD is for sale at Sheetz amid concerns from federal regulators
Medical cannabis proponents tout CBD as a remedy for a wide range of conditions, from inflammation to epileptic seizures. However, the science is unclear on its benefits.
6 years ago
Here’s how Pa. is spending a $56M grant to address opioid addiction
Housing for people with opioid use disorder tops the list of spending from a large federal grant to address opioid addiction in Pennsylvania.
6 years ago
Pa. Health Department declares hepatitis A outbreak, cause unknown
The Pennsylvania Department of Health has declared an outbreak of hepatitis A, with Philadelphia and Pittsburgh the hardest-hit regions.
6 years ago
3 medical marijuana changes being considered in Pa.
Department of Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine led a discussion around adding anxiety and Tourette syndrome to the list of conditions to be treated with medical cannabis.
6 years ago
Pa. counties fight plan to nix Medicaid behavioral health model
The plan would eliminate the state's $4 billion behavioral health program, merging it with the state's $12 billion physical health Medicaid program.
6 years ago
Drop-in centers are a key mental health resource, but some Pa. counties lack them
Some Pennsylvania counties are facing challenges to getting drop-in centers up and running and keeping them funded.
6 years ago
Area police departments, National Guard join forces to collect prescription meds
It's the fifth year the guard's Counterdrug Joint Task Force is working with police to collect the drugs from more than 800 drop-off centers around the state.
6 years ago
Pa. state parks, facing aging infrastructure, hope for severance tax-based plan
The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources is banking on Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf's "Restore Pennsylvania" infrastructure plan to fix its aging parks.
6 years ago
Bill would stop addiction centers from requiring positive drug tests in Pa.
The bill raises questions about a potentially dangerous practice, although it's unclear how common it is.
6 years ago