Community Health

HOSPITALS & HEALTHCARE

If you have a medical emergency, call 9-1-1 immediately!

The Borough of Kenhorst is served by two full-service regional hospitals:

• Tower Health/Reading Hospital
• Penn State Health St. Joseph

Both include Emergency Rooms at their main locations, as well as a wide variety of doctors’ offices, laboratories, imaging centers and Urgent Care Centers around Berks County.

The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) urges all Pennsylvanians to test their homes for radon in January as part of national Radon Action Month. Colorless, odorless, and radioactive, radon is a known human carcinogen and the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States.

The DEP website provides information and a video on how to test your home, the DEP Facebook and Twitter pages are sharing daily radon tips, and a DEP public service announcement is airing on TV and radio.

Radon occurs naturally from the breakdown of uranium in soil and rocks and enters homes through cracks in the foundation or other openings. “Because of its geology, Pennsylvania is prone to high radon levels. Radon has been detected in all 67 counties, and about 40 percent of homes have levels above the Environmental Protection Agency action level,” said DEP Acting Secretary Patrick McDonnell. “It’s just good sense to protect yourself and your loved ones.” The EPA action level is 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) of air. In October, a home in southern Lehigh County showed a radon level of 6,176 pCi/L, the highest recorded in the state. That area is near the Reading Prong, a geological section of granite rock that’s historically generated high levels of radon.

Winter is an ideal time to test because doors and windows are generally closed, producing the most conservative results. High levels of radon tend to be found in basements, but the gas can be found anywhere in the home. Simple radon test kits are inexpensive and available at home improvement and hardware stores. You can also hire a qualified radon professional. If your home has a radon level higher than 4 pCi/L, the U.S. Surgeon General and EPA recommend taking action.

A professionally installed radon reduction system, using a vent pipe and exhaust fan, will help prevent the radon from entering your home and discharge it outside. Compared with the associated risk of lung cancer, these systems are very affordable, generally in the price range of other common home improvements. An added benefit: having a radon reduction system makes the future sale of your home easier.

Pennsylvania law requires all professional radon testers, mitigators and laboratories to be certified by DEP, and the department provides a list of certified radon service providers. People can also obtain a hard copy or verify a company’s certification by calling

800-23RADON (800-237-2366)

For people buying or selling a home, Pennsylvania’s Real Estate Seller Disclosure Act requires sellers to disclose the results of any known radon testing. The DEP website lists radon testing options for real estate transactions. Test your home for radon and share this information with your friends and neighbors.