Iowa news
Waukee City Council approves financial incentives for Iowa Clinic specialty, surgery center
The Iowa Clinic is looking to add a third Waukee location and the city is offering nearly $1.7 million to make it happen. The physician-owned chain of clinics and urgent care centers is slated to be the tenant of a 60,000-square-foot multispecialty clinic and surgery center. The total project cost is estimated at $35 million. The Waukee City Council has unanimously approved an agreement with the site’s developer, a real estate entity formed by the shareholders of The Iowa Clinic, who will be reimbursed with tax increment financing to design and build a new road to get to the clinic. (Des Moines Register)
Wellmark, UnityPoint Health partner for new marketplace health plans
Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield and UnityPoint Health have announced several new affordable health plan options for individuals and families who buy their own health insurance. Pending approval from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, these options will be made available on the public health insurance marketplace for residents of 19 Iowa counties during open enrollment. The plans include low primary care copays and $0 virtual care through participating UnityPoint Health providers. (Health Leaders Media)
What to know about Trinity Health’s mega deal
Trinity Health is the sole owner of MercyOne Health System after acquiring CommonSpirit Health’s share of the Iowa-based health system. Livonia, Mich.-based Trinity Health completed the acquisition of MercyOne five months after entering into an agreement with Chicago-based CommonSpirit Health. MercyOne, which was founded in 1998 through a collaboration between Catholic Health Initiatives, now CommonSpirit, and Trinity Health, has annual revenues of $3 billion. MercyOne includes 18 medical centers, 23 affiliated hospitals and more than 2,000 physicians and advanced practice clinicians. (Becker’s Hospital Review)
National news
CVS, Amazon, UnitedHealth using primary care to remake health care
Amazon, CVS and UnitedHealth Group are using upstart companies that provide primary, virtual and in-home care to try to buy their way into disrupting the health care industry. Because the U.S. health system rewards more expensive procedures, medical students prefer to become cardiologists or surgeons, causing a nationwide shortage of primary care physicians. This has led many patients to abandon the relation with their primary care physicians, leading to worse health outcomes. At the same time, the pandemic has made many patients more comfortable using telehealth and digital health startups. This is where Amazon, CVS and UnitedHealth see opportunity. (The Wall Street Journal)
Two nurses assaulted each hour on average, data shows
More than two nurses were assaulted every hour on average in the second quarter of this year, translating to roughly 57 assaults per day, 1,739 assaults per month and 5,217 assaults per quarter, according to data released by Press Ganey. The findings are based on an analysis of 483 facilities in Press Ganey’s national database. The highest number of assaults occurred in psychiatric units, emergency departments and, surprisingly, pediatric units such as pediatric burn, rehabilitation and surgery. Obstetrics and neonatal intensive care units had the lowest number of nurse assaults reported. (Healthcare Finance)
More DOs join physician ranks as osteopathic pipeline heats up
The number of osteopathic physicians in the U.S. is growing significantly. About 36,500 students are studying at 38 colleges of osteopathic medicine nationwide, bringing the talent pipeline for this physician workforce to an all-time high. In the last 10 years, the number of students in osteopathic programs has increased 77%. This year, 7,300 osteopathic physicians will enter the workforce, according to data from the American Osteopathic Association. Overall, there are more than 178,000 DOs and osteopathic medical students in the U.S., representing an 81% increase in the last 10 years. (Medscape)