Iowa news
UI study: rural Iowa hospitals are losing birthing centers at ‘striking’ rate
A University of Iowa study finds some pregnant women in rural Iowa quit getting prenatal care when their local hospital closes their birthing center, even if prenatal care is still available. The study looked at the impact of recent closures of labor and delivery units at seven rural Iowa hospitals and found women seeking prenatal care fell from 83% to 79%. The hospitals studied were in Clayton, Emmett, Hamilton, Hardin, Lucas, Osceola and Van Buren counties, and they were the only labor and delivery units in those counties before the closures. (Radio Iowa)
Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird talks opioid abuse prevention at Cherokee Regional Medical Center
During a recent visit to Cherokee Regional Medical Center, Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird called the opioid crisis one of the greatest threats facing people today. Bird was in attendance for a discussion of the Billion Pill Pledge with representatives from the hospital and Goldfinch Health, a care provider focused on alternative treatments to opioid prescriptions for post-surgery patients. The campaign is aimed at removing one billion pills from medicine cabinets in the U.S. and is funded by money Iowa received from a 2022 settlement with opioid manufacturers and pharmacies. Iowa is eligible to receive up to $345 million over a multiyear period. (Sioux City Journal)
One of Iowa’s few independent hospitals moving forward with renovations
One of Iowa’s few independent hospitals, Horn Memorial Hospital, is moving forward with major renovations. Right now, the ambulances at Horn Memorial hospital sit outside in the elements, as does the mobile MRI machine. Soon, the emergency parking lot will become an enclosed emergency room space, and double the size of the hospital’s laboratory. The project will provide two larger emergency treatment rooms, three private infusion rooms, more space and greater security. Construction is scheduled to be completed in spring 2025. (KTIV)
National news
WHO declares end to COVID-19 global health emergency
The World Health Organization declared on May 5 that COVID-19 is no longer a global public health emergency. WHO issued the public health emergency declaration more than three years ago, on Jan. 30, 2020. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he made the decision following a recommendation from WHO’s emergency committee. The U.S. is set to end its COVID-19 public health emergency Thursday, May 11. (NBC News)
DEA temporarily extends telehealth prescribing flexibilities
The Drug Enforcement Agency has temporarily extended the flexibilities that allow physicians to prescribe controlled substances by telemedicine without an in-person evaluation. After receiving 38,000 comments about its initial proposal, the DEA said it would allow health care providers to prescribe various controlled substances — including Adderall, oxycodone, buprenorphine and Schedule III-V non-narcotic controlled medicines — by telehealth without a prior in-person medical evaluation. Per the DEA’s original proposal, physicians can give an initial 30-day prescription by telemedicine without an in-person examination, but then must do an in-person examination to refill it. (Becker’s Hospital Review)
AHA case study: multi-prong approach to violence yields a safer workplace
A new AHA case study showcases a real-world example of ways hospitals are mitigating violence risk to build a safe workplace. Bristol Health reduced recorded incidents of workplace violence from 154 to 24 in just three years by upgrading its incident reporting system, boosting prevention education and forging an organizationwide culture of safety. This recent issue brief from AHA’s Hospitals Against Violence initiative shares more evidence-based tools and strategies to assess violence risks and make the care environment safer. (American Hospital Association)