Iowa news
Polk County’s Broadlawns Hospital opens renovated pediatric clinic
Broadlawns Medical Center has cut the ribbon on their renovated, 1,700 square foot Variety Pediatric Clinic. Broadlawns President and CEO Dr. Anthony Coleman said last year, Broadlawns delivered around 800 babies, about 63% more than in recent years. He said Broadlawns has also seen a rising number of refugee patients. In addition, Dr. Coleman said the hospital, which is supported by Polk County, tries to serve patients’ other needs as well, including providing a car seat to a new mother and giving books to their child patients who visits the doctor’s office. (WHO)
On With Life growing to support patients, families and futures
The need for rehabilitation services for people who have suffered brain injuries, neurological disorders and spinal cord injuries is growing. On With Life, based in Ankeny, is rapidly expanding to meet that need. Part of the mission now is ensuring that people know where to find help. On With Life was incorporated in 1987 after a small group of founding families came together to bring central Iowa a much-needed service. Aside from their passion to help, the families shared one thing in common: They had loved ones who had suffered brain injuries. (Business Record)
MercyOne receives more than $125,000 from Variety
Variety – the Children’s Charity awarded MercyOne Central Iowa over $125,000 to enhance the care and services to Iowa children at MercyOne Children’s Hospital and MercyOne House of Mercy. A $116,275 grant for the MercyOne Children’s Hospital will be used to purchase three GE Panda infant warmers. The project will include renovation of three labor and delivery suites to accommodate the new infant warmers, which are equipped with specialized features to support clinicians as they care for some of the hospital’s smallest patients. An $8,895 grant was awarded to MercyOne House of Mercy that will provide new Americans With Disabilities Act accessible picnic tables at its outdoor playground. (Business Record)
National news
Hospitals’ brick-and-mortar paradox
Brick-and-mortar infrastructure continues to raise big questions for health system strategy, at least for now. If one isn’t careful, the futuristic outlook for hospital at home and telehealth can gradually diminish the strategic importance of brick-and-mortar hospital infrastructure, making inpatient buildings out to be the industry version of Blockbusters save for complex surgeries and specialized acute care. This is an error. It is easy to get swept up in what the next 10 years hold without first accounting for the next three. (Becker’s Hospital Review)
Feds warn of new ransomware threat targeting hospitals
The Health Sector Cybersecurity Coordination Center is warning hospitals of NoEscape, a ransomware group that emerged in May 2023. NoEscape is believed to be a rebrand of Avaddon, a ransomware group that shut down in 2021. Avaddon was a Russian-speaking ransomware group, but any direct connection between NoEscape and Russian-speaking threat actors remains unknown. The group uses aggressive extortion tactics and operates a ransomware-as-a-service model. (Becker’s Health IT)
Health care workforce lost 145,213 providers from 2021 through 2022
An estimated 145,213 health care providers left the workforce from 2021 through 2022, according to a report from Definitive Healthcare. Definitive Healthcare examined medical claims data, based on the numbers of providers billing each year, in July and August 2022, and data was updated in July 2023 to determine the latest annual estimate of departures. The latest estimate takes into account those who had left the industry in 2021 and have now returned and are practicing again. The data within the report reflects professionals that left the workforce from the beginning of 2021 through the end of 2022. (Definitive Healthcare)