Iowa news
New lung cancer data shows Iowans at greatest risk aren’t being screened
Most Iowans at high risk of getting lung cancer aren’t getting potentially lifesaving early screenings, according to a new national survey by the American Lung Association. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in Iowa. Survey data released Monday by the American Lung Association’s Lung Force initiative shows that only about 11% of Iowans at high risk for lung cancer have received a low-dose CT scan lung cancer screening — which they’re now eligible for under new federal guidelines. The survey also showed that most Americans were unaware the survival rate for lung cancer has increased by 30% in the past decade. (Business Record)
U of Iowa Health Care offered $605M to buy Mercy Iowa City
Mercy Iowa City was offered $605 million by University of Iowa Health Care last year for ownership of the hospital. Mercy Iowa City began seeking a partner last year and received four proposals, including University of Iowa Health Care. If the hospital had accepted, it would have ended a 137-year separation of the two organizations. But none of the four proposals were determined to be a good long-term fit, according to an email Mercy officials sent to employees at the end of July. The hospital will remain an affiliate of MercyOne. (The Gazette)
Norkaitis daughter keeps parents’ legacy of giving alive with donation to MercyOne NICU
Bill and Josephine Norkaitis spent their lives helping others. Whether that was Josephine handing out bread from the bakery where she worked to those who were less fortunate or the couple giving out meals to the hungry from the McDonald’s restaurants he ran. Or the family of an employee who had cancer and couldn’t work. For them, Bill paid the employee’s wages for a year and then paid his wife all of her husband’s profit sharing after he died. The couple never hesitated to use their good fortune to help others. Now, their daughter, Florence Burch, is working to keep their legacy of giving alive with a $1 million donation to the MercyOne Children’s Hospital neonatal intensive care unit, the largest single private donation in the hospital’s history. (Business Record)
National news
Heart medicines can be a huge financial strain, but the reconciliation bill could help
A key provision in the Senate Democrats’ budget reconciliation bill that caps out-of-pocket spending on prescription drugs for Medicare recipients at $2,000 per year could be a lifeline for millions of older adults struggling to pay for heart medicines. Drug prices are a “deep and challenging” issue for people who take heart medications, said Dr. Khurram Nasir, chief of the division of cardiovascular prevention and wellness at the Houston Methodist Heart and Vascular Center. (NBC News)
Health care added 70K jobs in July
Health care gained 69,600 jobs in July, an increase from the amount added in June, according to the latest jobs report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The July count compares to 56,700 jobs added in June and 28,300 jobs added in May. Within health care, ambulatory health care services gained the most jobs last month (47,300). Hospitals gained 12,900 jobs in July, compared to 21,000 added in June and 16,300 added in May. (Becker’s Hospital Review)
With hundreds still dying of COVID-19 daily, CDC is sticking to current restrictions
With nearly 500 COVID-19-related deaths being reported daily in the U.S., on average, the Centers for Disease Control and Protection has no plans to ease up on restrictions anytime soon. The CDC is expected to publish soon an updated summary of its COVID-19 guidance. According to a draft document, there are no significant changes in the advice to mask, test or isolate. Average COVID-19 case numbers — certainly an undercount because of home testing — hit their highest level of the current surge last week, when an average of more than 136,000 cases per day were recorded on July 29. (NBC News)