Featuring hospital and health care headlines from the media and the Web.
Iowa News
Health care CEOs talk successes, challenges in delivering quality care to Cedar Valley
Health care is at the heart of any community, and the Cedar Valley is no different. The choices locally are many, and continue to grow as health care providers further hone their focus on improving access and quality of care. The Courier asked three CEOs of local health care organizations to talk about the successes and challenges of their respective companies, including Jack Dusenbery, president and CEO of MercyOne Northeast Iowa, Pam Delagardelle, CEO of UnityPoint Health-Allen Hospital, and Gil Irey, CEO of Cedar Valley Medical Specialists. (Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier)
MercyOne unveils plans for $16M Richard Deming Cancer Center
MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center and the MercyOne Foundation today announced the launch of a $16 million fundraising campaign that will fund the MercyOne Richard Deming Cancer Center in Des Moines. With a vision of “creating a future of excellence, innovation and compassionate care,” one centerpiece of the campaign is a remodeling of the existing cancer center on MercyOne’s Des Moines campus as a center of excellence that will provide a more multidisciplinary approach to caring for cancer patients. (Des Moines Business Record)
Genesis Health says hospital is prepared to handle any possible coronavirus cases
With more than 82,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus reported worldwide, health leaders in the Quad Cities say they’re prepared to handle any possible cases locally. There are currently no confirmed cases of the disease in either Iowa or Illinois, so while the risk remains low for contracting coronavirus here in the Quad Cities, Genesis Health System has a plan. “We have multiple, what we call, negative air flow rooms, or isolation rooms in our hospitals,” Genesis Infection Prevention Coordinator Lisa Caffery says. (WQAD)
National News
AHA, ANA ask Congress for $1 billion for health care workers to fight the coronavirus
The American Hospital Association and American Nurses Association are urging Congress to provide $1 billion in initial supplemental emergency funding to support the preparedness and response needs of hospitals, health systems, physicians and nurses on the front lines of the novel coronavirus outbreak. The $1 billion requested is in addition to other emergency funding being considered by lawmakers, the organizations said. The House this week is expected to vote on billions in funding to combat the spread of the coronavirus. (Healthcare Finance)
US coronavirus death toll climbs to six as virus spreads worldwide
Washington state emerged as the U.S. center of a spreading coronavirus fight Monday, as state health officials reported four additional deaths there and 18 confirmed cases and multiple schools closed for disinfection. New cases were also reported in California, Massachusetts, Oregon, New Hampshire and Illinois on Monday as state officials attempted to quell fears. At least 50 people have been diagnosed with the novel infection within the U.S., not including repatriated Americans. (Wall Street Journal)
One in three Americans worry about being able to afford health care
Nearly one third of American voters fear they won’t be able to pay for health care in the coming year, according to an NBC News/Commonwealth Fund survey released Thursday. The survey found that 31 percent of respondents were worried about being able to afford their health insurance in the next 12 months, 29 percent feared they wouldn’t have enough money to pay for out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs, and 32 percent worried about being able to afford other out-of-pocket costs. (NBC News)