Iowa news
COVID-19 continues to spread in Iowa
The spread of COVID-19 is continuing to ramp up in Iowa, with almost 2,200 new cases recorded on Saturday. Not surprisingly, the county with the lowest vaccination rate in Iowa is also the county with the highest number of new infections over the past week, when adjusted for population. (Times Republican)
Iowa sees surge in COVID-19 testing since TestIowa sites closed
More Iowans are lining up for COVID-19 tests. Demand for testing jumped more than 60% from the end of July. With TestIowa sites closed for good, private labs are filling the gap. (KCCI)
Iowa in ‘uncharted territory’ as Medicaid numbers swell
Enrollment in Medicaid and Iowa’s related Health and Wellness insurance programs saw double-digit surges in Iowa due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to data compiled by a state forecasting group. Since the pandemic hit Iowa in March 2020, Iowa’s regular Medicaid program added 64,134 individuals through last month while an additional 51,669 individuals enrolled in the Health and Wellness program that offers slightly fewer benefits for recipients between the ages of 19 and 64 who are not pregnant and do not earn more than 133 percent of the federal poverty level. (The Gazette)
National news
National Guard will be deployed across Kentucky to help overwhelmed hospitals
Kentucky hospital officials high-fived one another during a news conference Monday as they learned multiple National Guard teams would be deployed to hospitals across the state dealing with rising COVID-19 cases and hospital staffing shortages. Between 21 and 25 of the state’s regional hospitals are at a critical staffing shortage stage, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said in a news conference Monday. (CNN)
Labs unable to specify which COVID-19 variant patients have
Despite recent COVID-19 surges largely because of the spread of the delta variant and vaccine hesitancy, most physicians and their patients are legally prevented from knowing which variant infected them because of regulatory hurdles. (Becker’s Hospital Review)
Hefty sign-on bonuses not ‘wildly successful’ for recruiting nurses
An already severe nursing shortage exacerbated by the pandemic means many hospitals are offering hefty sign-on bonuses to recruit and retain talent, though some leaders say it’s not working very effectively. (Becker’s Hospital Review)