Featuring hospital and health care news from the media and the web.
Iowa news
Iowa hospitals await latest shipment of COVID-19 vaccines
More than 73,000 doses of both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are expected to be delivered to Iowa for distribution this week, according to a vaccine update released last week by the Iowa Department of Public Health. Hundreds of health care providers across Iowa received the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine the week of Dec. 14. UnityPoint Health and MercyOne in Des Moines both started administering vaccines to their frontline workers early that week. (KCCI)
Iowa parents tell of ‘heartbreaking’ struggle to find mental health services for their children
Four Iowa women spoke about their experiences navigating mental health resources for their children in an emotional meeting Friday with the Children’s Behavioral Health Systems state board. When Sarah Nelson’s daughter was 12, Nelson sought emergency care when her daughter was suicidal. Nelson spent six days with her daughter in an emergency department in a locked room because she could not keep her daughter safe on her own in their home. (The Gazette)
Former FDA chief expects COVID-19 vaccine shortages to last even if Moderna receives clearance
Dr. Scott Gottlieb told CNBC he expects a shortage of COVID-19 vaccine doses to continue past next week, even if the Food and Drug Administration issues emergency-use authorization for Moderna’s vaccine. Suresh Gunasekaran, CEO of University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, painted a similar account. The US began administering shots to health care workers Monday, just days after Pfizer and BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine received limited regulatory approval. But confusion has arisen in recent days as some governors have said they now expect to receive fewer doses than anticipated in the coming weeks. (CNBC)
National news
AHA: 28 recommended actions for Biden in first 100 days
The AHA outlined its recommended priorities for the incoming administration in a Dec. 11 letter to the president-elect. The association’s recommendations follow what it describes as the nation’s highest priority: aggressively ending the COVID-19 pandemic. Subsequent concerns that the AHA say “require immediate attention” fall under three main categories: relief for hospitals, health system recovery and rebuilding the health care system to make it more sustainable. The AHA also encourages the Biden administration to address ongoing challenges that have been exasperated during the pandemic, including health equity, workforce resilience and behavioral health. (Becker’s Hospital Review)
The chief executives of the nation’s 14 leading mental health advocacy organizations and professional associations announced the formation of a unified coalition that will engage with the federal government, governors and key elected officials in 50 states to introduce a roadmap for accelerating effective mental health as the nation struggles to weather the COVID-19 pandemic. (PR Newswire)
Older adults, front-line essential workers to get COVID-19 vaccine next
People ages 75 and older and front-line essential workers will be next in line to receive COVID-19 vaccines, according to recommendations from a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory committee. On Sunday, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted in favor of the recommendations, which will go on to the CDC for final approval. (NBC News)