Today’s NewsStand

Today’s NewsStand

By Iowa Hospital Association|
|August 15, 2022

Iowa news

Report: Iowa among safest states for health care data breaches in 2022

Ransomware attacks are rife, hacking incidents are being reported at high levels and there have been several large health care data breaches reported so far in 2022. But an analysis of the first half of the year shows that while data breaches are being reported in high numbers, there has been a drop compared to the first half of 2021. The data from 2022 shows breaches in 43 states, D.C. and Puerto Rico, with health care data safest in Alaska, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, New Mexico, South Dakota and Wyoming, where no data breaches were reported in the first half of the year. (HIPAA Journal)

University of Iowa needs state OK for North Liberty hospital cost overruns

Although University of Iowa Health Care recently received approval from the Board of Regents to up spending on its new hospital project underway in North Liberty by 33% to $525.6 million, the campus still needs state approval to proceed. One year after the State Health Facilities Council on Aug. 31, 2021, granted UIHC approval to build the 300,000-square-foot hospital portion of a larger 469,000-square- foot project, the council on Aug. 30 will consider a UIHC request to up that portion’s budget from $230 to $307.1 million — or nearly 34%. (The Gazette)

UI Sports Medicine first in Iowa to offer subacromial spacer for massive rotator cuff injury

Rotator cuff injury is one of the most-common causes of shoulder pain and disability among adults. Each year, approximately 2 million Americans seek medical help for rotator cuff tears. With a rotator cuff tear, any activity that involves raising or rotating the arm can be difficult and extremely painful. Rest and physical therapy are the standard treatments, and in some cases, surgery may be necessary. For patients with a massive rotator cuff tear, a new arthroscopic implant procedure now available from University of Iowa Sports Medicine may help reduce shoulder pain, improve function, and speed up recovery. (University of Iowa Health Care)

National news

CDC drops quarantine recommendation after COVID-19 exposure

Federal health officials scaled back guidance for quarantining and testing to screen for COVID-19 in settings including schools, a relaxation of pandemic precautions that reflects higher protection from vaccines, treatments and prior infection. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention no longer recommends that people quarantine after being exposed to the virus, as long as they don’t feel sick, get tested after five days and wear a high-quality mask around others for 10 days. People should still isolate from others for at least five days if they test positive, the CDC said. (The Wall Street Journal)

Flu may be coming back with a vengeance

After a two-year hiatus, the flu may be back this season – and with a vengeance. Data from the Southern Hemisphere, which is in its flu season, show cases surpassing pre-pandemic levels, prompting health experts to worry about what’s in store for Americans this year. Health experts point to data in Australia, where flu season runs from May through September, to get a sense of what’s possible for Americans. Like residents of the U.S., Australians saw unprecedentedly low levels of flu during the pandemic. By mid-July last year, only about 400 cases were reported. There with no hospitalizations or deaths. (USA Today)

U.S. moves to stretch out monkeypox vaccine supply

The Biden administration will stretch out its limited supply of monkeypox vaccine by allowing a different method of injection that uses one-fifth as much per shot. The Department of Health and Human Services has issued a new emergency declaration allowing regulators to invoke the FDA’s emergency-use powers. The move would help alleviate a shortage of vaccine that has turned into a growing political and public health problem for the administration. (The New York Times)

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