Iowa news
New clinic opens in Des Moines to treat long COVID-19
The Iowa Heart Center has opened a Des Moines clinic to treat the long-term effects of COVID-19 as concerns grow that a wave of early onset chronic illnesses looms for those who’ve contracted the virus. Scientists don’t yet fully understand COVID-19’s impact on quality of life for the hundreds of millions of people who have been infected worldwide. (Axios Des Moines)
NAMI offering family mental health education programs
NAMI Greater Mississippi Valley offers free, nationally developed education programs that teach families to cope, communicate and effectively advocate for a loved one living with a mental health condition. The free courses are designed for family members and significant others of adults living with a mental health condition. Course topics include family response to trauma, diagnosis and dealing with critical periods, problem solving, communications skills and self-care for caregivers. (Maquoketa Sentinel-Press)
How fentanyl is driving the rate of overdose deaths across Iowa
Overdose deaths continue to surge in Iowa and across the country. On this episode of River to River, host Ben Kieffer talks to Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller about the shocking rate of overdose deaths and how it’s being driven by fentanyl. Then, Dr. Alison Lynch tells us why more people are dying from fentanyl and talks about addiction treatment. (Iowa Public Radio)
National news
Oracle extends Cerner tender offer for 3rd time
Oracle has extended its tender offer for its proposed acquisition of Cerner for a third time. Oracle is extending its tender offer until May 11 to “allow additional time for the satisfaction of the remaining conditions to the tender offer.” The announcement comes two days before its second tender offer was set to expire on April 13. On Dec. 20, Oracle announced its agreement to acquire Cerner through an all-cash tender offer for $95 per share, or about $28.5 billion in equity value. Except for the extension, all other terms and conditions of the tender offer remain unchanged. (Becker’s Health IT and CIO Report)
Why health care inflation remains steady amid soaring prices elsewhere
Despite the rising prices in everything from groceries to houses, health care has not been part of that trend. The Consumer Price Index rose 8.5% in the 12 months that ended in March, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Medicare care commodities and services indexes in the CPI rose 2.7% and 2.9%, respectively. Health care inflation has generally held near its historical trend of 2%, Corey Rhyan, senior analyst for health economics and policy at Altarum, a nonprofit research and consulting group, said. Costs of gas and food can be adjusted quickly to national and global economic forces, unlike health care where payment rates are typically set in advance and last a year. (Becker’s Health IT and CIO Report)
Incomplete data likely masks a rise in U.S. COVID-19 cases as focus on infection counts fades
At first glance, U.S. COVID-19 cases appear to have plateaued over the past two weeks, with a consistent average of around 30,000 cases per day. But disease experts say incomplete data likely masks an upward trend. In Washington, D.C., for example, several high-profile government figures recently tested positive, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, White House press secretary Jen Psaki and Attorney General Merrick Garland. (NBC News)