Iowa news
Donation aims to boost stroke care, health staff in rural Iowa
Iowa is getting more than $9 million to improve its system of care for stroke patients, and to address staffing issues among public-health workers in rural areas. The money is being donated by the Helmsley Charitable Trust, with $6 million of it going to the American Heart Association’s “Mission: Lifeline Stroke” initiative statewide. The program strives to bring more coordination and efficiency to hospitals, first responders, rehabilitation centers and others when delivering this kind of care. (KGLO)
DCH community benefits at $800,000, wages top $12 million in 2021
A study by the Iowa Hospital Association found that in 2021, Dallas County Hospital provided more than $814,507 in total community benefits and served more than 300 people through charity care and bad debt. The study also found that Dallas County Hospital employed more than 225 people and provided more than $12 million in wages in 2021. IHA compiled data for the study from the American Hospital Association’s annual survey of hospitals, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Regional Input-Output Modeling System multipliers were used to calculate the data, which includes statewide, hospital-specific and county totals. (The Perry News)
UI Health Care first in state to use minimally invasive laser surgery for patients with epilepsy
Nearly one in three people who have epilepsy could benefit from surgery, yet they are often held back by a fear of the risks of an open craniotomy. It may take years of debilitating seizures and multiple failed medication attempts before they are referred to a surgeon. Brian Dlouhy, a neurosurgeon with University of Iowa Health Care, is hoping to change this by giving Iowans access to a new, minimally invasive surgical technology called laser interstitial thermal therapy. (University of Iowa)
National news
The U.S. is underreacting to monkeypox
A CDC panel has discussed whether smallpox vaccines should be offered more widely as a preventive measure against monkeypox. The panel made no decision. But getting those shots into patients’ arms — and particularly gay and bisexual men’s arms — is an urgent matter. Since May 13, more than 3,300 cases of monkeypox have been reported in 58 countries where the disease was not previously thought to be endemic, including the United States. The CDC is reporting at least 172 cases. Before this outbreak, monkeypox had usually been reported from West and Central Africa, or in travelers from those regions. (The Atlantic)
COVID-19 vaccines saved 20M lives in 1st year, scientists say
Nearly 20 million lives were saved by COVID-19 vaccines during their first year, but even more deaths could have been prevented if international targets for the shots had been reached, researchers have reported. On Dec. 8, 2020, a retired shop clerk in England received the first shot in what would become a global vaccination campaign. Over the next year, more than 4.3 billion people worldwide lined up for the vaccines. The effort, though marred by persisting inequities, prevented deaths on an unimaginable scale. (The Associated Press)
Pfizer says tweaked COVID-19 shots boost omicron protection
Pfizer has announced that tweaking its COVID-19 vaccine to better target the omicron variant is safe and works. This week, regulators are scheduled to begin debating whether to offer Americans updated booster shots this fall. The vaccines used in the U.S. still offer strong protection against severe COVID-19 disease and death — especially if people have gotten a booster dose. But those vaccines target the original coronavirus strain and their effectiveness against any infection dropped markedly when the super-contagious omicron mutant emerged. (NBC News)