NewsStand, Aug. 1, 2023

NewsStand, Aug. 1, 2023

By Iowa Hospital Association|
|July 31, 2023

Iowa news

UnityPoint Health – St. Luke’s Hospital, UIHC named to Great Hospitals in America list

UnityPoint Health – St. Luke’s Hospital, Cedar Rapids, and the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics have been named to the Becker’s Hospital Review’s “Great Hospitals in America” list. St. Luke’s and UIHC are the only two Iowa hospitals on the list. According to Becker’s, hospitals making the list are renowned for clinical excellence, patient safety, innovative efforts, research, education and patient satisfaction. (Becker’s Hospital Review)

Ottumwa Regional Health Center opens $4.6 million cardiac catherization lab

Ottumwa Regional Health Center is opening its new $4.6 million cardiac catherization lab with a public grand opening scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 1. The newly constructed 2,500 square foot catherization lab features upgraded technology and equipment that enable a leap forward in the facility’s fight against heart disease in its region. (Ottumwa Regional Health Center)

Paramedic students showcase training experience

Students at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics Emergency Services Learning Resource Center showcased their hands-on training they receive for members of the media. The training is designed to educate students certified and licensed at the EMT or AEMT levels to provide advanced emergency medical care and transportation to victims of serious injury or illness. (The Loop)

National news

Lawmakers set to face ticking clock on health care priorities

The U.S. House and Senate left for August recess with a lengthy, time-sensitive to-do list waiting for their return, including multiple key health priorities. Congress is facing a Sept. 30 deadline to reauthorize a sweeping pandemic preparedness bill, fund community health centers and renew opioid addiction services. The largest looming deadline is the appropriations bills to fund the Food and Drug Administration and the Department of Health and Human Services. (The Hill)

Kaufman Hall releases national hospital flash report

Despite an overall trend of continued margin improvement, most hospitals underperformed in June, according to data from Kaufman Hall’s National Hospital Flash Report. Kaufman Hall experts note that the gap between top-performing hospitals and those struggling in this new financial environment is growing. (Kaufman Hall)

Mysterious meat allergy passed by ticks, may affect hundreds of thousands in U.S.

Physicians are starting to see more of a mysterious red-meat allergy caused by tick bites. The allergy is called “alpha-gal syndrome” and is transmitted to people from tick bites and other kinds of parasites. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that there were 110,000 suspected cases of alpha-gal symdrom diagnosed in the U.S. from 2010-2022. The CDC also estimates that between 20% and 78% of cases go undiagnosed. (CNN)

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