Iowa news
Groundbreaking for Muscatine Mulberry Health Clinic
Ground was broken for the new Muscatine Mulberry Health Clinic. The clinic will be a $19 million dollar construction project for a three-floor, 42,000-square-foot health clinic facility. The 2021 Muscatine County Community needs assessment identified improving access as the No. 1 priority. This project is aimed squarely at advancing access by reducing travel and increasing availability. The clinic is owned by the Community Foundation of Greater Muscatine, operated by UnityPoint Clinic and connected to UnityPoint Health – Trinity Muscatine. (KWQC)
Iowa clinicians herald new Alzheimer’s treatments
As part of Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month, mental health advocates in Iowa are sharing information about Alzheimer’s and say two new drugs show promise in treating it. Aduhelm and Leqembi are showing promising results in clinical trials by targeting amyloid beta, a plaque-forming protein that disrupts the function of brain cells. Right now, those drugs are only administered at treatment centers while research continues. (Public News Service)
UI researchers develop algorithm to spot risk of delirium in patients
A new algorithm developed by University of Iowa researchers helps health care professionals more easily identify patients at risk of delirium, a condition that includes an increased risk of health complications. Delirium symptoms can mirror dementia, and can come and go during the day, so nurses and physicians have to test for it often. As a result, it’s often underdiagnosed and untreated. This machine-learning algorithm can help evaluate and provide more information for professionals to make more-informed health care decisions for those at risk of delirium. (Corridor Business Journal)
National news
Ukraine ambulance relief effort readies next delivery; Seeks hospitals’ support
The man supporting Ukraine through donations of ambulances and other vehicles is preparing his next delivery of front-line medical equipment to the war-torn nation. Now, Chris Manson of OSF HealthCare is seeking donations from hospitals and health systems to bolster his relief efforts. He’s calling on hospitals to donate their older vehicles for this cause. (American Hospital Association)
A disturbing year for violence against global health care
2022 was the worst year on record for acts of violence against health care facilities and personnel on the global level, according to a new report from the Safeguarding Health in Conflict Coalition. The coalition documented 1,989 incidents of violence against or obstruction of health care in conflicts and situations of political unrest in 32 countries and territories, a 45% increase compared to 2021 and the highest annual number of incidents that the coalition has recorded since it began tracking such violence. The report includes recommended actions for the International Criminal Court, United Nations Security Council and World Health Organization, among other bodies and ministries. (Becker’s Hospital Review)
Experimental vaccine shows promise in delaying the return of aggressive brain tumor
It sounds like a far-fetched dream: A vaccine that can delay the return of glioblastoma, one of the deadliest and treatment-resistant cancers. SurVaxM, an experimental vaccine that’s designed to target a protein found in tumors called survivin may offer some hope to glioblastoma patients. In an early clinical trial, SurVaxM was found to extend survival time for people diagnosed with the brain cancer to 26 months, on average. Now the drugmaker, MimiVax, is enrolling patients in a larger trial, hoping to confirm the results. (NBC News)