Lydia McFarlane | WVIA News
Multimedia Healthcare ReporterLydia McFarlane joined the news team in 2024 as an intern after graduating from Villanova University with a dual Bachelor's degree in communication and political science. She became the team’s dedicated healthcare reporter. Her beat covers hospitals, mental health, policy and most importantly, people.
Lydia brings a diversity of experience from previous internships at Resolve Philadelphia, Education Week, The Hill, Open Secrets and Teen Vogue and from her role as a news editor at her college’s publication, The Villanovan.
At WVIA, Lydia was part of the winning team that contributed to the second-place award for Excellence in Reporting on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion from the Keystone Professional Media Awards organized by the Pennsylvania Newsmedia Association. Her story ‘A South Wilkes-Barre spin on Dominican Republic breakfast’ was part of the winning package.
Wilkes-Barre born and raised, Lydia's grateful for the opportunity to come home and learn more about her community as a reporter within it. She's honored to start her career in NEPA-- the place that taught her everything she knows. You can reach Lydia at lydiamcfarlane@wvia.org or 570-602-1187.
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The Peace and Justice Center of Wilkes-Barre announced Thursday that WVIA’s President and CEO Carla McCabe is one of the organization’s 2026 Peace Award recipients, along with The Lands at Hillside Farms and Lillyan Mahmoud. -
Luzerne County officials hosted a press conference Tuesday morning to discuss the uptick in the county’s overdose deaths, 12 of which have been connected to cocaine laced with fentanyl in the last three months. -
Thousands of Pennsylvanians dropped their health plans purchased on the state’s Affordable Care Act marketplace, Pennie, after the expiration of federal subsidies more than doubled monthly costs. Now, many health insurers that offer plans through Pennie are proposing rate increases for 2027. -
Geisinger College of Health Sciences expects to welcome students to its Geisinger School of Nursing Scranton location in fall 2027, offering associate degrees in nursing (ADNs). -
A study that used data from Geisinger’s MyCode genetic database identified a gene mutation that could lead to new treatments for obesity and cardiometabolic diseases. The study was published in the national journal ‘Nature’ in August. -
The measles-associated deaths occurred among two residents of Lancaster County. There have been no deaths in Northeast or Northcentral Pennsylvania but 25 cases reported across the region. -
Shortly after being recognized as a Federally Qualified Health Center, The Wright Center opened the doors to its newest location in downtown Carbondale. -
Tens of thousands of visitors thronged downtown Williamsport as U.S. and international teams paraded past to kick off the Little League World Series. Here's what you need to know. -
Tenor Health Foundation purchased Regional Hospital of Scranton, Moses Taylor Hospital in Scranton and Wilkes-Barre General Hospital in February. Local leadership celebrated growth under the new ownership during a ceremonial reopening at Regional Hospital Monday morning. -
Lehigh Valley Health Network, part of Jefferson Health, opens a new orthopedic center in Dunmore months after a Dickson City fire destroyed the hospital's orthopedic institute.
