Iowa news
Gov. Reynolds announces $200 million broadband grant opportunity
Gov. Kim Reynolds has announced that $200 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act funding is now available for grants offered through the Office of the Chief Information Officer to improve broadband access for Iowans. Last month, Gov. Reynolds announced the awardees of the latest $100 million state-funded Empower Rural Iowa Broadband Grant Program. Because of the overwhelming need and interest in the program, the state is using $200 million in federal funds to build on it. (IowaGov.org)
CommonSpirit CEO Lloyd Dean announces retirement
CommonSpirit Health has announced that its CEO, Lloyd Dean, will retire during the summer of 2022. Dean originally served as CEO of Dignity Health for 19 years before the organization merged with Catholic Health Initiatives to create CommonSpirit Health in February 2019. He then served as co-CEO alongside Catholic Health Initiatives CEO, Kevin Lofton, until he was appointed sole CEO of the Chicago-based organization in July 2020. (HealthLeaders)
Memorabilia from the MLB at Field of Dreams raises $215,000 for MercyOne cancer efforts
The magic of the MLB at Field of Dreams hasn’t left eastern Iowa. As part of MLB’s longstanding commitment to supporting the fight against cancer, an auction of memorabilia including game-worn apparel raised $215,000 for MercyOne Dubuque Cancer Center. Auction items included the batting helmets and throwback jerseys worn by New York Yankees and Chicago White Sox players during the MLB at Field of Dreams game. Among the highest selling items was the jersey of Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge for $33,590. The money raised will support the cancer center endowment fund, through the MercyOne Dubuque Foundation, which will provide ongoing support to many in the community who have been diagnosed with cancer. (MercyOne.org)
National news
COVID-19: Where we were, where we are and what could come next
Although the national COVID-19 rates are declining, the US is still far from the pandemic lows it recorded in early summer 2021 before the more highly transmissible delta variant became the dominant coronavirus strain. As of Oct. 12, the seven-day average COVID-19 case count is dropping in 27 states, flat in 15 and up in eight. Every infection offers the virus a chance to mutate, and although most mutations are harmless, with just 56% of the country’s population fully vaccinated, there is still ample opportunity for a more efficient version of the virus to emerge. (Becker’s Hospital Review)
New COVID-19 cases surge in Minnesota, despite vaccination efforts
Minnesota was running out of hospital beds for COVID-19 patients and health care workers to take care of them Wednesday as the state contended with the biggest surge in new cases and deaths this year. Overwhelmingly, the latest victims are unvaccinated Minnesotans who caught the fast-spreading delta variant, health officials said. And as the weather gets cooler, the potential to catch the virus will only increase as people head indoors, they said. (NBC News)
Health care has lost half a million workers since 2020
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the US has seen health care workers leave their jobs, and the latest jobs report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed another decline. The report showed health care saw a loss of 17,500 jobs in September, after losing 4,900 jobs in August. Within health care, hospitals lost 8,100 jobs in September, while nursing and residential care facilities lost 37,600 jobs last month. Ambulatory health care services gained 28,200 jobs. Overall, employment in health care is down by 524,000 since February 2020, with nursing and residential care facilities representing about four-fifths of the losses, the bureau said. (Becker’s Hospital Review)