Today’s NewsStand

Today’s NewsStand

By Iowa Hospital Association|
|August 29, 2022

Iowa news

Third UIHC vice president finalist directs University of Chicago trauma center

Selwyn O. Rogers Jr., founding director of the trauma center at the University of Chicago Hospitals — where he also serves as executive vice president of community health engagement and chief of trauma and acute care surgery — participated in a public forum as the third of four finalists to lead University of Iowa Health Care and its medical college. Rogers has been with the University of Chicago since 2017. Before that, he served in various roles with the University of Texas Medical Branch — including as vice president and chief medical officer from 2014 to 2016, as well as assistant dean for clinical affairs and professor of surgery during that time. (The Gazette)

Report ranks Iowa as one of the riskiest states for malware attacks

The 2022 SonicWall Cyber Threat Report ranks Iowa as the fourth riskiest state for malware attacks. South Dakota is ranked the riskiest state for such attacks. SonicWall, a cybersecurity company, compiled data about malware attacks worldwide and found 2.8 billion hits in the first half of 2022, an 11% increase year over year. To measure the riskiest states, SonicWall examined the percentage of organizations with malware attacks and volume of attacks in each state. (2022 SonicWall Cyber Threat Report)

Which insurers will join Iowa Medicaid? DHS to announce new contracts

Iowa health care providers serving Medicaid patients hope increased competition will improve health outcomes, patient choice and quality of care for poor and disabled Iowans. But after a sometimes-tumultuous six years of the privatized Iowa Medicaid program, providers and critics warn adding new insurers could cause disruption and patient confusion. Five insurers have submitted bids to join Iowa’s $6 billion-plus Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program as state officials search for another managed-care organization. The Iowa Department of Human Services is expected to procure contracts with up to four bidders to provide care through the Iowa Health Link Medicaid program. (SouthernMinn.com)

National news

The promise and uncertainty of health care in the metaverse

There have been more than 400 health care patents filed in the metaverse as people look to the virtual reality platform to improve the health care industry, yet the platform is still underdeveloped. According to IFI Claims, a Connecticut company that tracks intellectual property, IBM, Microsoft, Medtronic, Siemens and Chinese telehealth firm Ping An have filed for health care patents in the metaverse, but experts say the metaverse’s place in health care is still vague. Where experts see the metaverse helping health care is with medical training, mental health therapy and home health. (Politico)

Talent shortage makes health systems more susceptible to cyberattacks

As health care cybersecurity risks continue to rise, health systems are struggling to arm themselves because of a job shortage in health care workers. More than 1.5 million health care jobs were lost because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Though many of these jobs have been refilled, health care employment remains below pre-pandemic levels — with 1.1% fewer health care workers compared to February 2020 staffing levels. This loss in health care staff has increased staff fatigue and burnout, in turn causing frustration and lack of vigilance on the part of employees — ultimately making facilities more susceptible to attack. In addition, frustrated, angry and disgruntled staff can become insider threats to health care systems. (VentureBeat)

Missouri, Kansas hospital leaders fear a ‘health care crisis’ is coming

As flocks of nurses are leaving hospitals and health systems struggle to return to normal bed space, some health care executives in the Midwest worry they aren’t prepared for the fall and winter. Recent data isn’t lining up with seasonal trends. So far in 2022, health care turnover reached an all-time high at 24.7%, according to the Missouri Hospital Association. In Kansas, the health care worker turnover rate was 19% and the vacancy rate was 16%, the Kansas Hospital Association reported in January. (Becker’s Hospital Review)

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