Iowa news
Nursing home residents are in a ‘precarious position’
A Nebraska bank has told a federal judge that the proposed new owner of an Iowa nursing home chain has left the elderly residents of those facilities in a “precarious position.” Lincoln Savings Bank is asking the judge for the authority to subpoena records tied to the planned sale of Iowa’s QHC Facilities nursing home chain. Crestview Acres in Marion is among the facilities owned by QHC. It has 100 certified beds. The bank says it is “deeply troubled” by the actions of the chain’s proposed new owner, who now wants to buy QHC for $4.5 million — far less than the $12 million it agreed to pay at an auction just six months ago. (The Gazette)
State of Iowa and nonprofits focus on nutrition, environmental factors surrounding childhood obesity
When working with children who have obesity, addressing nutrition is one of the first places to start, and sometimes among the hardest, said Stacey Milani, a pediatric physician at a MercyOne pediatric clinic in Pleasant Hill. Dr. Milani is obtaining a certification as an obesity medicine physician, and she has experience with patients dealing with negative health outcomes related to obesity. For younger children, getting the parents on board to work on health behaviors is sometimes difficult. (Clarinda Herald-Journal)
Cash on hand at not-for-profit health systems posing challenges
Days cash on hand at not-for-profit hospital systems is trending downward as the sector recalibrates after last year’s higher-than-normal balances. For some, it’s requiring tough choices to be made. Joseph Malas, chief financial officer at Davenport, Iowa-based Genesis Health System, said recent losses on investments have negatively affected the system’s cash balances, with recession fears driving a volatile market. For example, any gains shown in 2021 on the S&P 500 had been erased as of this June. Several health systems cited investment losses as a key reason for poor second-quarter performance. Genesis Health had 220 days cash on hand as of August, compared with 311 days a year prior. (Modern Healthcare)
National news
‘Twindemic’ risk greater this year, experts worry
The U.S. avoided a long-feared “twindemic” of flu and COVID-19 for the past two years, largely because of widespread masking and other behaviors that kept flu seasons mild. But the risk that both illnesses will increase this winter appears greater. Experts believe the risk is greater this year because widespread masking and other prevention measures are no longer commonplace, and there are already signs that this year’s upcoming flu season will be more severe, based on the Southern Hemisphere’s severe flu season, which typically runs from April to September. (National Public Radio)
Health care worker burnout rose to 40% during pandemic
Health care worker burnout reached 40% in January, up from 32% in 2019, a new study from researchers at Durham, N.C.-based Duke Health found. The study, published Sept. 21 in JAMA Network Open, relied on data from electronic surveys conducted over three years with more than 107,000 responses health care workers at 76 community hospitals in two large health systems in the U.S. The surveys covered safety culture, workforce well-being and engagement, and emotional exhaustion metrics. (Becker’s Hospital Review)
Frozen embryos linked to increased risk of hypertensive disorders during pregnancy, study finds
Undergoing in vitro fertilization using frozen embryos is linked to a greater risk of hypertensive disorders, including preeclampsia, during pregnancy, according to research published in the journal Hypertension. Although the link between frozen embryo transfers and elevated blood pressure is not new, the research, which included data on millions of women in Norway, provides a clearer understanding of the risk. The study was also the largest to date that included data on women who had multiple pregnancies. (NBC News)