Iowa news
Emergency rooms in central Iowa overwhelmed, longer wait times anticipated
Emergency rooms across central Iowa are overwhelmed right now. Between non-emergency patients, summer season traumas and more-severe illnesses in patients, emergency departments are facing busy waiting rooms. Patients can expect longer waits depending on the amount of emergency care needed. Those with more severe illnesses or injuries will be treated first. Medical centers say minor cuts, scrapes or burns can be treated at an urgent care rather than the emergency room. That can help lessen the amount of patients waiting. (KCCI)
Polk County will pay student debt for 90 new mental health counselors
Polk County is launching a new program to bring to the area 90 mental health professionals to reach more people of color. County supervisors are allocating almost $2 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds toward the program, which looks to increase access to services, especially for communities of color, and address the shortage of mental health workers in the county. Called the Mental Health Workforce Initiative, the program is seeking to help 90 new mental health therapists pay up to $20,000 of their student loan payments. The therapists are required to work for five years at a community-based mental health provider in Polk County and have a master’s degree and student loan debt. (Des Moines Register)
University of Iowa Health Care ranked No. 2 in the top 10 most-trusted health care brands
Monigle recently released its latest Humanizing Brand Experience report, which outlines how consumers feel about health care and highlights which health care brands they trust the most. Monigle surveyed 25,521 U.S. consumers between November and December 2022 to determine how they felt about health care and their perceptions of certain health care brands. University of Iowa Health Care was ranked second in the top 10 most-trusted health care brands. (Advisory Board)
National news
AHA report demonstrates benefits of 340B program
The American Hospital Association recently published a report on the 340B Drug Pricing Program, its history and value to hospitals and patients, and details on 340B contract pharmacy arrangements. The report says the 340B program plays an important public policy role in ensuring access to essential drugs and services for low-income and underserved Americans receiving care at 340B hospitals nationwide and, without the program, many patients could have trouble accessing affordable medicines and critical health services, jeopardizing their health and well-being. (American Hospital Association)
Health care costs for average family of four surpass $30k, study says
Health care costs for an average family of four reached $31,065, as health care costs jumped 5.6% this year, according to a new report from consulting firm Milliman. Costs for the average person reached $7,221. The authors of the report expect prices to continue to climb as health care inflation tends to trail general inflation. Supply chain issues, labor shortages and a strong non-health care job market also contributed to the rise in costs. (Becker’s Hospital Review)
Common symptoms of long COVID-19 identified in new scientific research
A long-awaited study that zeroes in on the most-common groups of symptoms for people with long COVID-19 may not bring the relief millions of Americans and physicians have been wanting. The study, some of the first research from the National Institutes of Health’s billion-dollar RECOVER program, does not provide a standardized definition of the condition. Researchers say it is a first step in identifying “common language” for scientists working toward treatments for the condition. Although hundreds of symptoms possibly associated with long COVID-19 have long been reported, the new study homes in on 12 of the most common. (NBC News)