Iowa news
Essential EMS service coming to more Iowa counties
EMS is officially an essential service in four more Iowa counties. Voters in Benton, Cedar, Ida and Shelby counties approved a new tax to fund EMS. That decision puts EMS on the same level as police and fire services. EMS is now considered an essential service in 12 Iowa counties: Benton, Cedar, Ida, Iowa, Jones, Kossuth, Lee, Osceola, Pocahontas, Shelby, Winnebago and Wright. Boards of supervisors in nine other counties have taken the first step of declaring EMS an essential service, but have yet to hold public votes to create the tax. Those counties are Appanoose, Bremer, Butler, Floyd, Guthrie, Hamilton, Louisa, Mills and Page. (KCCI)
Northwest Iowa hospital bucks trend by expanding its birthing center
When many rural hospitals are closing their birthing units – a 2023 March of Dimes report found that a third of Iowa’s 99 counties are maternity care deserts – a medical center in northwest Iowa is planning a significant expansion. Floyd Valley Healthcare in Le Mars will start a major project next spring that will broaden the scope of the maternal care department. One of the first things moms-to-be will notice is larger rooms, which are getting a much-needed update. (Iowa Public Radio)
UIHC making vaccinations more comfortable for sensory processing disorder patients
Sensory processing disorders can make certain sights, sounds and sensations overwhelming. And that can make routine medical visits, like getting vaccines, agonizing for children and their caregivers. That’s why the University of Iowa’s Center for Disabilities and Development is extending a clinic to serve these young patients and their families. The idea came about during the pandemic when a concerned mother of a child with autism called the department. (KCCI)
National news
Can health care’s fastest growing job solve nurse shortages?
In just one year, the nurse practitioner profession has added 30,000 employees to the workforce. The role has already been dubbed one of the fastest growing professions in the U.S. by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The latest data revealing a nearly 9% year-over-year growth rate for the profession underscores that this will not slow down anytime soon. The bureau estimates the nurse practitioner role will experience a 38% growth rate within the next decade, with around 30,000 annual openings for the role every year until 2032. (Cision)
Health care moves closer to ‘Star Trek’
In “Star Trek,” Dr. McCoy could identify illnesses by scanning patients with his tricorder. Although health care hasn’t reached that level of technology, advances in medical technology have brought us closer to realizing this sci-fi dream. Dr. McCoy’s tricorder could instantly capture vital signs and provide rapid diagnoses. Today, wearable devices and remote health monitoring systems have made significant progress in monitoring vital signs. Fitness trackers and smartwatches track heart rate, blood pressure and detect irregular heart rhythms. Some can even monitor oxygen levels and ECG data, albeit not yet as sophisticated as Dr. McCoy’s tricorder. (NJBiz)
Why CIOs must be more financially savvy than ever
As software prices continue to rise, hospital and health system IT leaders are increasingly becoming financial stewards for their organizations. The persistent impacts of COVID-19, escalating inflation, surging energy expenses and geopolitical instability have contributed to price hikes from software publishers across both on-premises and software-as-a-service product lines throughout the 2022 and 2023 financial year. These rising costs pose a significant challenge for hospitals and their IT departments, which is why CIOs are being tasked with implementing strategies to mitigate costs effectively. (Becker’s Health IT)