Iowa news
Broadlawns’ CEO graduates from ELEVATE Program
Earlier this month, Broadlawns Medical Center’s President and CEO Anthony Coleman completed the ELEVATE program, an initiative founded by Black senior health care executives to equip rising Black health care leaders with a supportive and structured environment for learning, development and advancement. ELEVATE was created by leaders of major health care systems. After completing the program, participants are better prepared to take on greater and more senior-level roles and responsibilities in major health care enterprises. This, in turn, helps increase diversity in health system C-suites. (Broadlawns Medical Center)
CDC: Only 1 in 5 Iowans are up-to-date on their COVID-19 vaccinations
Colder temperatures are coming for Iowa, and with them, another unpredictable respiratory viral season. But this year, Iowans will have more tools to help reduce the risk of infections. Last year, clinics and hospitals statewide were inundated with sick patients from a “tripledemic” of respiratory illnesses: COVID-19, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus. Emergency rooms at Iowa’s children’s hospitals were filled with young patients infected with RSV, while urgent care clinics were forced to implement a scheduling process after scores of patients sick with the flu and coronavirus created long wait times. (Des Moines Register)
UnityPoint Health – St. Luke’s named a top teaching hospital by Fortune
UnityPoint Health – St. Luke’s Hospital in Cedar Rapids was named a top smaller teaching hospital by Fortune and PINC AI. The rankings were based on data from CMS and public community health focus. The publication compared public data from Medicare cost reports, Medicare Provider Analysis and Review, core measures and patient satisfaction as well as the Hospital Compare website data. The rankings also took community health into consideration based on three performance areas pitched by the Bloomberg American Health Initiative and Center for Health Equity at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. (Fortune)
National news
Federal government relaunches free at-home COVID-19 test program
The federal government program used for the last two winters to send free COVID-19 tests to Americans’ homes has started again. The government’s move comes after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently completed its process to roll out the latest COVID-19 shot, targeted to match the circulating variants, and pharmacies began offering it days later. At the website, CovidTests.gov, each household can order four free rapid tests, according to the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response. (ABC News)
The cost of physician turnover
Physician turnover rates are increasing as more clinicians experience burnout and decide to retire early, leave the field or refresh their practice setting. A report about physician and provider retention and turnover in 2022 showed around 76% of physician exits in organizations with the most and least providers were because of retirement. Physicians finding a new role elsewhere was also a top response. If caught unaware, physician turnover can hit the health system’s finances hard. (Association for Advancing Physician and Provider Recruitment)
Costco to offer members $29 virtual care visits
Warehouse club company Costco will offer its members $29 virtual primary care visits through a partnership with health care marketplace Sesame. Members also will have access to $79 mental health visits and 10% off other medical services on the platform. The Sesame platform allows clinicians to set prices and patients to pay them directly instead of going through insurance. The news comes as Costco competitors, such as Walmart, Best Buy, Amazon and CVS Health, expand their health care offerings. (Bloomberg)