These Are the Safest Pennsylvania Hospitals

Experts have come out with a new list of the best and safest Pennsylvania hospitals, so you can see which local hospitals you'll want to head to when you're in need of medical attention. One local hospital has even made the national "honor roll." Hopefully, you don't have to go to the hospital too much in life, but when you do, you want to make sure to be at a good hospital.

The experts at U.S. News and World Report have released their annual tally of the safest and best hospitals in America. "For more than 30 years, the mission of U.S. News & World Report's annual Best Hospitals rankings has been to help guide patients, in consultation with their doctors, to the right hospital when they need care," they explain. "Because each patient's needs are different, U.S. News offers rankings and ratings in three dozen different health care services, including cancer care, orthopedics, heart bypass surgery and much more. In each state and region, hospitals with a wide breadth of excellence are recognized as Best Regional Hospitals, and the best of them are also named to the national Honor Roll." So, the methodology is thorough and includes the input of actual doctors and experts.

Before we get to the best and safest Pennsylvania hospitals, let's look at what U.S. News and World Report says are the best hospitals in the entire U.S. The publication's "honor roll" includes Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston; Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles; Cleveland Clinic; Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston; Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore; the Duke University Hospital in Durham, North Carolina; Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston; Mayo Clinic, Phoenix; Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota; Mount Sinai Hospital, New York; New York-Presbyterian Hospital-Columbia and Cornell, New York; Northwestern Medicine-Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Chicago; North Shore University Hospital at Northwell Health, Manhasset, New York; NYU Langone Hospitals, New York; Rush University Medical Center, Chicago; Stanford Health Care-Stanford Hospital, Palo Alto, California; UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles; UC San Diego Health-La Jolla and Hillcrest Hospitals, San Diego; and UCSF Health-UCSF Medical Center, San Francisco. One Pennsylvania hospital is also on that roster: the Hospitals of the University of Pennsylvania-Penn Presbyterian in Philadelphia

So, what are the best and safest Pennsylvania hospitals? No. 1 on the tally is the Hospitals of the University of Pennsylvania-Penn Presbyterian, followed by Jefferson Health-Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals at No. 2, UPMC Presbyterian Shadyside at No. 3, Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center at No. 4 and Penn Medicine Lancaster General Hospital at No. 5.

If you're someone who dislikes the snow and ice, then you probably have been loving this winter. Warmer temperatures have flourished throughout the U.S., including in Pennsylvania. But, that also means more bugs and ticks. Moreover, tick bites aren't something to take lightly. Now, health agencies across America are warning that this year's tick season is going to be extra bad.

So, why will there be more ticks this season? It's simple. A warmer winter means that the tick population didn't die off like it would have in freezing temperatures. That means there are going to be way more ticks attacking both humans and pets.

What makes ticks so dangerous? They could be carrying the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi, which causes Lyme disease. "The bacterium can be transmitted by the blacklegged tick, if infected," the Michigan DNR says on its website. They add that it's "the most commonly reported vector-borne disease in the United States." Moreover, the Pennsylvania Department of Health notes that ticks can also cause Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, Spotted Fever Rickettsiosis, Powassan Virus, STARI, Alpha-gal Syndrome and Borrelia miyamotoi disease. Not cool.

So, what exactly is a tick? It's an arthropod, like a spider. "Ticks have 8 legs, are very small, and attach to a person or animal to suck blood. In Pennsylvania, many ticks carry diseases," the Pennsylvania Department of Health notes. "Ticks can be found anywhere: outdoors in areas with long grasses and weeds, leaf piles, the woods, and even in your own yard." That said, it's important to protect yourself and avoid tick bites. That doesn't mean you have to totally avoid going outdoors. But, you need to be cautious. I love being outdoors in the warm months, and I also live near the woods. So, I'm going to be extra mindful of ticks this season. Here are some expert tips I'm following, and you should, too.

If you're going outdoors, make sure to take precautions. The Pennsylvania Department of Health suggests treating clothing and gear with products containing 0.5% permethrin. "Permethrin can be used to treat boots, clothing and camping gear and remain protective through several washings," they state. Also, use Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered insect repellents with DEET, picaridin, IR3535, Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus (OLE), para-menthane-diol (PMD), or 2-undecanone. Finally, wear light-colored clothing.

Of course, the best thing to do is to avoid any contact with ticks. So, try to avoid wooded and brushy areas with high grass or fallen leaves. If you are in those areas, walk in the center of the trails. Just stay away from that tall grass at all costs.

When you get inside, check your clothing for tickets. Remove any tickets that you find. Also, "Tumble dry clothes in a dryer on high heat for 10 minutes to kill ticks on dry clothing after you come indoors," according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health. They also suggest to examine gear and pets, shower soon after being outdoors and check your body for ticks after being outdoors. Finally, shower as soon as you come indoors.

When you come indoors, do that full body check for ticks. They tend to hide under the arms; in and around the ears; inside belly button; back of the knees; in and around the hair; between the legs; and around the waist. That's according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health.

Take it seriously if you get a tick bite. "If you develop a rash or fever within a month of removing a tick, see your doctor as soon as possible," the Michigan DNR says. "Be sure to tell your doctor about your recent tick bite and when the bite occurred."

If you get a tick bite, above all, remain calm. It can be scary, but if you catch it in time, there are things that can help. That's why it's so important to do early detection and look all over your body and clothes after being outdoors. So, you don't have to say no to going out doors, but say no to ticks.