SLICE OF LIFE: Shattering Powerball dreams

Seven minutes. I was seven minutes late to buy my chance at hundreds of millions of dollars.

Women share heart health stories at Go Red event

Four months before her 30th birthday, Jennifer Buss underwent a mitral valve prolapse correction.

'Magical' banquet to honor year's achievements

HIGHLAND | The Down Syndrome Association of Northwest Indiana on Friday will host its annual awards banquet, with a magical twist.

Local doctors weigh in on Jolie's double mastectomy, her willingness to reveal surgery

Angelina Jolie's announcement Tuesday that she underwent a double mastectomy to reduce her chance of developing breast cancer is drawing attention to a decision that everyday women have weighed.

Laser technology shaves time off bacteria turnaround

Scientists at a local laboratory say a new piece of technology there can identify bacteria a day earlier than traditional methods.

Technology improves mapping of heartbeat abnormalities

A technology upgrade to 3-D cardiac mapping equipment at Porter Regional Hospital will improve accuracy in locating the source of abnormal heart beats.

Construction progresses on Community expansion

A yellow crane jutting into the sky above The Community Hospital in Munster signals ongoing expansion there.

Residents gather to learn about proposed Lake County income tax

HIGHLAND | The three Lake County Council members who voted against a proposed county income tax met with residents Saturday to discuss the tax and answer questions about its impact.

Gary EMS call volume has not mirrored population drop

GARY | A graduate-level student project mapping emergency medical service response in Gary shows the volume of calls are down slightly but not to the same degree as the city's population drop, driving the rate up.

Group to focus on Region health needs

A new committee forming under the One Region initiative wants to improve the health of Northwest Indiana.

SLICE OF LIFE: Emphasis on beauty leads to ugly outcomes

If you watch TV, you've probably seen the latest Dove commercial.

E.C. clinic to focus on care for uninsured, underinsured

EAST CHICAGO | A health clinic that will provide care to uninsured and underinsured people is scheduled to open June 1 at 100 W. Chicago Ave.

Free card lowers prescription costs for region residents

A prescription discount card distributed through Lake Area United Way has saved region residents more than $1 million in medication costs over the last three years, organization officials said.

M'ville event to offer special needs resources

MERRILLVILLE | An upcoming event will help take the guesswork out of finding resources for people with disabilities.

Local donors' tissue to help Boston bomb victims

CROWN POINT | Donated tissue from new Northwest Indiana moms is being sent to Boston to help heal victims of the recent bombings.

Looming doctor shortage casts shadow on health care

A national doctor shortage on the horizon could change the health care landscape in Northwest Indiana and across the country.

SLICE OF LIFE: A kid at heart in a grown-up world

In just over a week, I'll turn 33 years old.

Report highlights financial impact of smoking

A new study from Ball State University shows more than half of Hoosier smokers tried to quit in the past year.

Centier opens on-site clinic for employees

MERRILLVILLE | The doctor is in, and he is just steps away from the cubicle.

Valpo-based website connects caregivers, those in need of care

A long-time Valparaiso University professor has launched a web-based company that links caregivers with those in need of care.

Methodist Hospitals reflects on 2012, looks to 2013 and beyond

GARY | The next decade is expected to bring expansion and updates to Methodist Hospitals' campuses and the continued push to achieve a Level III trauma center designation, hospital officials announced Friday.

A piece of life carries on

CROWN POINT | The memorial scrap books Sandy Whitenack compiled to honor her daughter, Kathy, who died at age 16 in a rollover accident, have pictures of her in typical poses.

Mill employees walk for heart health

Under a sunny blue sky early Wednesday afternoon, 116 ArcelorMittal Burns Harbor workers traversed a hilly, muddy and sometimes sandy path on a mile-long loop through a patch of woods on company property.

RDA approves strategic plan partnership

CROWN POINT | The Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority on Tuesday joined the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District in an estimated $550,000 effort to create a strategic business plan for commuter transit in the northern part of the state.

Urgent care serves in-between cases

From strip malls to pharmacies to freestanding buildings, medical care increasingly is being found outside traditional hospital and doctors' office settings.

SLICE OF LIFE: Easter brings a time of renewal

Comedian Jim Gaffigan, a Region native, does a bit about holidays.

Sister turns twice to twin for life-saving donation

LAKE STATION | When identical twins Allison Pitman and Amanda Taylor were toddlers, Pitman would help Taylor climb into Pitman's crib so the two could sleep side by side.

Rough road to recovery for Griffith boy

GRIFFITH | A 9-year-old Griffith boy continues to recover from surgery that gave him a new kidney.

Donnelly talks jobs, training at round table event

GARY | With a strengthening economy and the anticipation of jobs becoming available as workers retire, Northwest Indiana needs to arm people with the skills necessary for today's jobs.

Report ranks Lake County among unhealthiest in Indiana

An annual health report issued this week ranks Lake County near the bottom of the state for health outcomes, with Porter County closer to the top.

Local doc spends free time on the fast track

On weekdays, Dr. Jay Patel opens clogged arteries and performs other minimally invasive procedures as an interventional radiologist.

SLICE OF LIFE: Irish eyes are rollin' at Ireland memories

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Griffith boy receives long-awaited kidney

GRIFFITH | The nearly lifelong wait for a kidney has ended for a 9-year-old Griffith boy.

Website provides Indiana health stats

A new website, launched with funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, gives Hoosiers a look at the state of their health.

Industry group: Health care reform still a mystery

INDIANAPOLIS | As health care reform unfolds in the United States, people associated with the industry still have unanswered questions.

Methodist celebrates new emergency department

MERRILLVILLE | Medical staff joined community leaders and hospital officials Thursday for a ribbon-cutting ceremony and reception marking the new emergency department at Methodist Hospitals Southlake Campus.

New product would monitor cancer cells without a blood draw

MERRILLVILLE | A local and Wisconsin-based biotechnology company are merging efforts to develop a new, non-invasive way of identifying circulating cancer cells in human blood.

New Methodist ER to debut March 20

MERRILLVILLE | There's a three-letter word that Cindy Mirabella expects to hear a lot this month: wow.

Flu season, weather may affect hospitalization rates

With a busier than usual flu season coming to a close, hospitals are emerging from peak occupancy times and preparing for spring.

SLICE OF LIFE: Living a Pinteresting life

Hello. My name is Vanessa, and it has been 22 minutes since I last logged in to Pinterest.

Fad diets yield temporary results

Bell bottoms, big hair and T-shirts that change color when you touch them. Just as fashion goes in and out of style, so do diets.

Jobs, economic development top Gary's concerns

GARY | The last 12 months have brought the start of renewal to the city of Gary, but it needs more resources and must address violence and unemployment in the road ahead, Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson reported Tuesday in her State of the City address.

Hospitals ease into electronic records

The days of wading through stacks of paperwork to log and chart medical records are fading as the health care industry finds its place in the digital world.

Small business owners learn about Affordable Care Act

HAMMOND | A group of small-business owners gathered Thursday to hear about the changing landscape of health care.

Ten tapped for new foundation board

The Franciscan Alliance Foundation has appointed 10 directors to its newly created board.

From the dinner plate to the mirror

One more mile. One fewer calorie. For people with anorexia, every step on the treadmill and every ignored hunger pang is a victory against the voice in their head telling them they're fat.

Hammond lab designated as innovation center

HAMMOND | A Hammond laboratory has been designated a Siemens Microbiology Innovation Center and will serve as a reference site for other labs interested in what Siemens offers in microbiology testing.

SLICE OF LIFE: There's no place like the homeland

Back in the day, when I was young and dumb and swiping my credit card so often that the numbers turned soft and rounded, I went to Europe.

Bundle payments to reduce costs, improve efficiency

Government officials hope a pilot program to bundle billing medical services will reduce cost and improve efficiency in health care.

Local Catholics react to pope resignation announcement

Region residents with ties to Pope Benedict XVI, surprised by the Monday announcement he will resign Feb. 28, shared stories Monday of their encounters with the pontiff.