Iowa news
Drake University launches new nursing degree program
Drake University is launching an accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program to help tackle increasing workforce needs. The program will start in the fall. Drake will offer two options for completing the degree. Students who have completed the prerequisites, with or without a Bachelor of Science degree, can start the 12-month accelerated Bachelor of Science course work. Students who complete the prerequisites at Drake will graduate with two degrees, a Bachelor of Science in health sciences and a Bachelor of Science in nursing, without having to transfer to another institution. (Business Record)
Mount Mercy partners with EICC to simplify RN-BSN student transfers
Mount Mercy University has partnered with Eastern Iowa Community College to provide an easy transfer process into Mount Mercy’s registered nurse-Bachelor of Science in Nursing program. Now, students who graduate from EICC’s nursing program and meet enrollment requirements can receive automatic early admission to Mount Mercy to earn their bachelor’s degree. (KWQC)
Governor unveils mobile office to connect unemployed Iowans with jobs
Gov. Kim Reynolds has unveiled a new mobile workforce office that will travel around the state to help connect out-of-work Iowans with new jobs. Reynolds says the mobile workforce office will help with efforts to alleviate the state’s workforce shortage. She says about 60,000 jobs are open, many in the health care field. (Iowa Public Radio)
National news
Hospital margins improved in January relative to previous years
KaufmanHall’s recent flash report found that although hospital operating margins declined slightly from December, they were higher in January relative to the same periods in 2022 and 2021. Net revenue has not risen as fast as gross revenue. This might reflect payers negotiating more aggressively and a shift to value-based payment models. Total volume-adjusted expenses have improved. Although there’s been continued growth in drugs and supply expenses, labor expenses have improved. (KaufmanHall)
Cyber framework cuts health care insurance premium hikes
Health care organizations using the National Institute of Standards and Technology Cybersecurity Framework as their primary framework experienced smaller increases in cyber insurance premiums than those not employing it. A study involving Censinet, KLAS Research, the American Hospital Association, and the Healthcare and Public Health Sector Coordinating Council gathered insights from interviews with 54 payer and provider organizations and four health care vendors conducted between September and December 2023. (KLAS Research)
Ransomware group behind Lurie Children’s hack seeks $3.4M
A ransomware gang that has targeted the health care sector has claimed responsibility for the cyberattack on Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago and is attempting to sell its data for $3.4 million. The Rhysida ransomware group has listed Lurie Children’s on its extortion site on the dark web and is trying to offload the stolen data for 60 bitcoins, or just over $3.4 million. Lurie Children’s IT and phone systems have been down since Jan. 31 because of the cyberattack, causing the hospital to switch to paper records and delay and cancel appointments for some patients. HHS warned in August that Rhysida, named after a type of centipede, was targeting the health care industry. (The Record)