Iowa news
UIHC part of new program to ensure equity in patient care
The University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics is part of the first phase of the American Medical Association’s Peer Network, which is designed to “apply an equity lens to all aspects of quality and safety practices.” The goal is to improve health outcomes for historically marginalized populations. Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston and The Joint Commission collaborated with the AMA to develop the network, which includes seven other health systems nationwide. (Contemporary OB/GYN)
The pandemic pause brought us to a moment of collective reckoning about what it means to live well and to work well. As a result, employees are sending employers an urgent signal that they are no longer willing to choose one — life or work — at the cost of the other. Working from home brought life literally into our work. And as the world now goes hybrid, employees are drawing firmer boundaries about how much of their work comes into their life. Where does this leave employers? (Authority Magazine)
Polk County hospitals are operating at limited capacity
Polk County health leaders say hospitals are operating at limited capacity, and they want to remind people to be cautious when deciding whether to go to the hospital. Health leaders blame staffing shortages, an uptick in COVID-19 cases, caring for patients who are very sick and an increase in patients dealing with summer traumas for the lower number of patient beds available. People who are not in a life- or limb-threatening emergency are being urged to first contact their primary health care provider. (KCCI)
National news
Delivering hospital-at-home services to achieve whole-person care
According to a recent survey of more than 130 CEOs, hospitals are growing their business lines to provide approximately 20% more services outside the hospital or in the home than in 2021. The survey, from the University of Colorado Denver and Guidehouse, revealed creative steps health system leaders are taking to implement change by prioritizing caregiver and consumer satisfaction. One way to improve caregiver and consumer satisfaction is by delivering acute hospital care in the home. Hospital-at-home services can help providers grow their networks by delivering a true whole-person care experience. (Becker’s Hospital Review)
If Pfizer’s data pans out, when will little kids get the COVID-19 vaccine?
The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for children age 6 months to under 5 years appears primed for an emergency-use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration. The three-dose pediatric vaccine has an efficacy of 80.3%, according to a preliminary analysis, and meets the criteria for emergency-use authorization, Pfizer said. The FDA plans to discuss the vaccines on June 15. (National Public Radio)
Surgeon general warns of health care worker burnout, releases guidance
The U.S. Surgeon General has released new guidelines on taking care of the health care workforce as he warned the public about the threat of health care worker burnout. The guidelines contain a briefing on the prevalence and effects of burnout in the health care industry and a breakdown of actions to be taken across a range of specialties in the health care industry including health systems, policymakers, payers and the public. The actions call for structural changes to the industry, workplace policies that can be implemented and highlight investments that can be made to alleviate worker burnout. (Becker’s Hospital Review)