Iowa news
Opinion: we must keep our physician assistants in state
House File 424, which was recently signed into law, will remove unnecessary burdens weighing down health care teams, paving the way for expanded patient care in the state. In the past, physician assistants must have had a legal agreement with a specific physician to practice. Eliminating this requirement and providing a modernized set of practice rules will make the state more appealing to new physician assistant graduates and practicing physician assistants, helping Iowa to not only retain new graduates but also recruit more physician assistants to the state. With this change to law, Iowa will hopefully see an expansion of rural health care in the state led by physician assistants who are excited to serve the health care needs of Iowa’s close-knit rural communities. (Quad-City Times)
MercyOne’s Easley among 86 DEI officers to know
When diversity, equity and inclusion are integrated into the framework of hospitals and health systems, patients and staff members benefit. DEI leaders are directing efforts to create inclusive health care environments where everyone feels welcomed, valued and safe. MercyOne’s Jacqueline Easley, division director of Health Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, is charged with the ideation and execution of health equity initiatives for the organization, along with language access services. She has also been appointed to serve on the national diversity committee of the American Heart Association, Central Iowa Workforce Investment Board, Terrace Hill Commission, Drake University Board of Trustees and the City of Des Moines Planning and Zoning Commission. (Becker’s Hospital Review)
UnityPoint Health tells its story by using a personalized, retail-inspired approach to marketing, and has also used a kid named “Austin.” Becker’s recently interviewed Mallary McKinney, the health system’s senior vice president and chief marketing and communications officer, about her recent marketing wins and what lessons she brought to health care from her more than 10 years as a marketing leader for Target. With roughly $5 billion in annual revenue, UnityPoint Health has nearly 40 hospitals and more than 400 clinics and home-care organizations across Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin. (Becker’s Health IT)
National news
AHA case study: innovative strategies to reduce workplace violence
A new AHA case study highlights innovative strategies from New York-Presbyterian to reduce workplace violence risk. Based in New York City, the 11-hospital health system uses electronic medical record flagging, behavioral risk assessment and mass casualty event training to prevent and mitigate workplace violence incidents. For more evidence-based tools and strategies to assess violence risks and make the care environment safer, AHA has published a Hospitals Against Violence issue brief. (American Hospital Association)
Two senators introduce legislation designed to protect rural hospitals
Sens. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and James Lankford, R-Okla., introduced the Rural Hospital Closure Relief Act, which would change the Medicare designation of critical access hospitals with the aim of keeping more rural hospitals open. If enacted into law, the measure would provide flexibility around the requirement that critical access hospitals be located more than 35 miles from other hospitals and allow states to certify hospitals as a necessary provider for the critical access application process. The bill would ensure hospitals serving low-income or rural areas can keep their doors open and continue to serve their communities. (Becker’s Hospital Review)
CDC warns that mpox cases may increase this spring, summer: ‘The outbreak is not over’
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is warning U.S. residents about a possible increase in mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, this spring and summer. The CDC is looking into 12 confirmed mpox cases and one possible case in the Chicago area. The cases were reported between April 17 and May 5 to the Chicago Department of Public Health. The cases in Chicago were reported by the CDC just days after the World Health Organization said the mpox public health emergency was over. (USA Today)