Iowa news
Roundtable discussion focuses on next steps in preventing, treating obesity
Less than a week after the “Obesity’s Impact on Iowa’s Economy and Labor Force” report by GlobalData PLC was released, the Iowa Healthiest State Initiative hosted a roundtable discussion, presented by Eli Lilly and Co., to discuss the findings from the study and next steps. Business and government leaders, as well as nonprofit organizations, were invited to learn about the report, listen to a panel discussion and ask questions. One of the main findings from the study was that for 2022, excess weight and obesity reduced economic activity in Iowa by $5.7 billion. (Business Record)
Clinic, lab expansion to get ‘dirty’
Greater Regional Health’s project to expand the lab and clinic has faced a challenge right from the start. The dirt in the area where the work will happen expands, too. The existing dirt has a tendency to expand, which is not ideal for building foundations and other infrastructure of construction. To counteract the expansion, additional dirt needed to be purchased to improve conditions in the work area. Greater Regional acquired three bids and accepted one for $300,000. (Creston News Advertiser)
How Medicaid expansion has helped redlined neighborhoods in Iowa get insured
Medicaid expansion helped remedy the effects of historical redlining for people living in those communities, according to a new study from the University of Iowa. Published in the journal Health Affairs, the new study found states that expanded Medicaid saw a significant drop in uninsured rates in neighborhoods that historically had high levels of residential redlining, which was specifically designed to segregate Black families and other ethnic minorities from suburban neighborhoods in metropolitan cities. The study’s researchers argue that their findings show that Medicaid expansion has helped reduce the burden of historical racial segregation felt by these communities decades later. (Des Moines Register)
National news
Most-common sentinel events in first half of 2023: Joint Commission
The number of sentinel events in 2023 is on track to be near last year’s record-setting 1,441 patient safety events that led to death, harm or an intervention required to sustain life, according to The Joint Commission. From Jan. 1 through June 30, The Joint Commission recorded 720 sentinel events. The total number reached an all-time high in 2022 after a stable average in the 800s and 900s per year from 2010 to 2020; in 2021, it jumped to 1,208 events. Compared to the first half of 2022, the percentage of treatment delays and suicides decreased, while assaults and wrong-site surgeries grew in prevalence. (Becker’s Hospital Review)
Projected labor shortages for six health care roles in 2031
Projections show the U.S. will need more than a million more nurses by 2031, but more than 80% of positions will be left unfilled, according to a report from McKinsey and Co. The consulting firm analyzed 2021 data from Lightcast and the Bureau of Labor Statistics, including 2021 jobs, their predicted 2031 demand, and degrees or certifications completed in 2021 for various health care careers. Education rates in 2021 fall short on training enough employees for six health care roles for the next decade. (McKinsey and Co.)
The bright spots in health care employment
Health care is not immune to shortages and other workforce challenges stemming from factors such as financial strain, burnout and employee departures. But a bright spot recently emerged in an analysis of monthly Bureau of Labor Statistics employment data. Health care employment is 3.2% above where it was before the COVID-19 pandemic began in February 2020 and now is above the 2.6% increase in non-healthcare employment over the same period. Hospital employment specifically is 2.1% above its pre-pandemic level, and ambulatory care setting employment is 7.8% higher. (Becker’s Hospital Review)