Today’s NewsStand

Today’s NewsStand

By Roxanne Strike|
|July 15, 2022

Iowa news

Iowa joins rollout of national mental health and suicide hotline

Iowans experiencing a mental health crisis will soon have a faster way to reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. On July 16, Iowa will join states across the country rolling out a three-digit number — 988 — that people can call or text to reach a trained counselor who can help them deal with suicidal thoughts and mental health crises. The National Suicide Hotline Designation Act of 2020 received approval from Congress after advocates pushed to shorten the suicide prevention line’s 10-digit number. (The Des Moines Register)

UI program prepares Iowa EMTs for RAGBRAI

A University of Iowa program is training paramedics along this year’s RAGBRAI route on how to prepare for bicycle-related injuries. The Simulation in Motion (SIM-IA) program launched its first training session for emergency service providers in Sioux City this week. Program advisors guided local EMTs through emergency simulations –- like heat exhaustion or head injuries – that they might encounter when cyclists ride through their town. The session is a part of a larger initiative to offer more educational opportunities for rural EMTs. (Iowa Public Radio)

Marion man joins thousands looking for living kidney donor

The Rev. Jerry Doellinger, 75, is an assistant pastor at St. Paul’s Luthern Church in Marion, and has served as a pastor in Eastern Iowa churches for the past 50 years. This year, after a progressing kidney disease showed the need for an organ transplant, he put out a request to the community to see if anyone would be willing to donate. The number of Americans who need an organ transplant continues to grow, but the number of organs available to transplant is not keeping up, said Dr. Alan Reed, transplant surgeon at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. As a result, patients are facing years’ long waits for organs. For a deceased kidney donor, depending on where they live, the average patient waits between three and five years, Reed said. (The Cedar Rapids Gazette)

National news

Drug resistance: How the pandemic screwed up our antibiotics

Since antibiotics were discovered over a century ago, they’ve improved our lives dramatically. Research suggests they’ve even extended average human life expectancy by more than 20 years. But if we’re not very careful now, humanity may backslide into a world where our antibiotics become useless — and the common infections they used to treat cut our lives short. The Covid-19 pandemic has made that danger worse. According to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, during the first year of the pandemic, the problem of drug resistance only intensified. (Vox)

Delayed cancer care more likely for Black, Latino patients, study reveals

A survey of 1,240 people found that Black and Latino cancer patients experienced delays six times and three times, respectively, as often as white cancer patients. The researchers defined delay as more than four weeks, which they said can increase the risk of death by 10 percent. In the study published July 14 in JAMA, the authors cited systemic racism as the cause for this disparity and said the pandemic only inflated the gap in equity for racial minorities between Sept. 1, 2020, and Jan. 12, 2021. (Becker’s Hospital Review)

Emergency broadband programs helps low income families stay connected to providers

Congress created the Affordable Connectivity Program, a new long-term, $14 billion program, to replace the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program. This investment in broadband affordability will help ensure we can afford the connections we need for work, school, health care and more for a long time. The Emergency Broadband Benefit will provide a discount of up to $50 per month towards broadband service for eligible households and up to $75 per month for households on qualifying Tribal lands. Eligible households can also receive a one-time discount of up to $100 to purchase a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet from participating providers if they contribute more than $10 and less than $50 toward the purchase price. The Emergency Broadband Benefit is limited to one monthly service discount and one device discount per household. (Federal Communications Commission)

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