Iowa news
Broadlawns announces grand opening of community clinic at Drake
Broadlawns Medical Center announced the grand opening of its Drake-area community clinic scheduled from 4:30-7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 7. Residents of the Drake neighborhood and members of Drake University can receive primary care, urgent care, mental health services and rotating specialty services at the new clinic. (Broadlawns Medical Center)
Iowa joins probe of TikTok’s impact on youth mental health
Iowa has joined other state attorneys general as part of an investigation into the social media company TikTok and its possible harmful effects on young users’ mental health. The five-member Iowa Executive Council is comprised of the governor, secretary of state, state treasurer, secretary of agriculture and state auditor. The council unanimously agreed to grant a request from Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird’s office to bring in special counsel to help the office in its investigation into and possible litigation against the popular video platform. (The Cedar Rapids Gazette)
MercyOne North Iowa named one of America’s best at several medical procedures
MercyOne North Iowa Medical Center was named by U.S. News and World Report as a high performing hospital for heart attack, hip replacement, knee replacement, back surgery and stroke. This is the highest distinction a hospital can earn for the publication’s Best Hospitals Procedures and Conditions ratings. Hospitals awarded a “Best” designation excelled at factors including clinical outcomes, level of nursing care and patient experience. (KIMT)
National news
WHO classifies EG.5 as COVID-19 ‘variant of interest’
The World Health Organization on Wednesday classified the EG.5 coronavirus strain circulating in the United States and China as a “variant of interest” but said it did not seem to pose more of a threat to public health than other variants. The fast-spreading variant, the most prevalent in the United States with an estimated more than 17% of cases, has been behind upticks in the virus across the country and also has been detected in China, South Korea, Japan and Canada, among other countries. (Reuters)
Opioid addiction treatments are effective but few patients are getting them
A study publish in JAMA found that only one in five people with opioid-use disorder receive the medications considered the gold standard for opioid treatment, including methadone, burprenorphine or extended-release naltrexone. All treatments are proven safe and effective at helping patients survive and recover. They’re also relatively easy to prescribe, but many doctors choose not to do so. According to the Food and Drug Administration, when these medications are used in combination with counseling and other therapies, they help reduce cravings for high-risk street drugs like heroin and fentanyl. (National Public Radio)
How hospitals are using A.I. to fight doctor burnout
Hospitals are looking at ways to leverage artificial intelligence to cut down on administrative tasks which contribute to burnout for nurses and doctors. Doctors are using an app from Microsoft’s Nuance unit to transcribe and document patient visits. Researchers estimate adopting A.I. to simplify tasks like transcribing notes, requesting insurance pre-authorization and processing bills could help hospitals cut their total costs by 5-11% in the next five years. (CNBC)