Iowa news
New website aims to help Iowans find treatment for opioid use disorder
Using funds from settlements with companies at the center of the nation’s opioid epidemic, the Iowa Attorney General’s Office launched IowaOpioidHelp.com. The website has a list of providers contracted with the state to offer treatment options for opioid use disorder, including medicated-assisted treatment, or MAT. The website’s launch was funded with the $4.68 million settlement with McKinsey and Co., one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical consulting firms, according to the Iowa Attorney General’s Office. The total $573 million settlement granted last year was split among 47 states, five U.S. territories and the District of Columbia. (Des Moines Register)
Kirkwood, UI introduce program for students to jumpstart nursing degrees
Kirkwood Community College and the University of Iowa introduced what it is calling the RN to BSN three plus one agreement. This means students can go to Kirkwood for three years to complete the registered nursing program, and then transfer to the UI College of Nursing to get their Bachelors of Science in Nursing degree. The colleges say this gives students the opportunity to start in the nursing field while getting their degree online. (KCRG)
Jones Regional Medical Center Receives $655,000 for improvements from USDA
UnityPoint Health – Jones Regional Medical Center (JRMC) in Anamosa has received $655,000 in grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development in 2022. In April JRMC, located in at 1795 IA-64 E, Anamosa, received a $236,500 grant from the Emergency Rural Health Care program to help fund equipment needed to support the COVID-19 pandemic and higher-acuity patients, according to a news release sent by UnityPoint. The equipment will help prepare for a future pandemic event, increase medical surge capacity, increase access to quality health care services, and increase capacity for vaccine distribution, including cold storage, vehicle, transportation, and other equipment. (Corridor Business Journal)
National news
Push for mental health parity hits turbulence
Senators eager to address mental health care this year are encountering stiff headwinds in a bid to ensure parity, the idea that health insurers cover behavioral health and substance abuse at the same level as physical health. The Senate Finance Committee announced five bipartisan mental health “focus areas” in February, including insurance coverage. The panel released discussion drafts on two of the less controversial areas, on telehealth and youth mental health. But enforcing “parity” in insurance coverage is prompting resistance from insurer and employer groups. (Axios)
Women’s health got worse in 2021
For women around the globe, the second year of the Covid-19 pandemic brought more health challenges than the first. In 2020, the medical technology company Hologic launched a global survey in partnership with Gallup to assess how well women’s health needs were being met. Countries were scored based on women’s responses to questions in five categories: general health, preventative care, mental health, safety and basic needs like food and shelter. The overall score for the Global Women’s Health Index in 2021 was just 53 out of 100, one point lower than in 2020. (CNN)
Cancer death rates fall thanks to new treatments and screenings
Death rates from cancer have fallen over the past two decades, resulting in more than 18 million cancer survivors in the U.S. — up from three million in 1971. New treatments and screenings are to thank, NBC News reported Sept. 12. A report by the American Association for Cancer Research stated that significant strides in cancer treatments, diagnostic tools and prevention strategies continue to drive down cancer death rates. (Becker’s Hospital Review)