Iowa news
University of Iowa will start training more midwives as rural birthing units close
Midwives are trained to approach pregnancy as the normal, physical event that it is — at least up until more complicated medical intervention becomes necessary. It’s a more natural approach to pregnancy care favored outside the U.S. Now, more Iowa families will likely see more options for the use of midwives after the creation of a new Master of Midwifery program at the University of Iowa in fall 2022. (Des Moines Register)
Mary Greeley, Iowa State launch partnership to combat nationwide nursing shortage
Though exacerbated by the pandemic, Mary Greeley Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer Cory Geffre says the nationwide nursing shortage is a “perfect storm” that has been brewing for several years. In September, the American Nurses Association asked the Department of Health and Human Services to declare an ongoing nurses shortage as hospitals nationwide struggled to find staff. (Ames Tribune)
Iowans ‘still feel isolated’ from COVID-19. How a free state program aims to help people cope.
A scroll through the COVID Recovery Iowa Facebook page offers a digital stroll through a world much wider than the name would indicate. One post encourages readers to find gratitude every day. Another image implores them to “be the reason someone smiles today.” A third reminds Iowans facing steeper heating bills this winter of programs that stabilize and help with costs. But interspersed are reminders, tidbits and updates about the pandemic: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations to wear masks if unvaccinated or in a high-transmission area; guidance on when to start your vaccination process to be as protected as possible for the holidays; and updates on the latest pandemic activity. (Des Moines Register)
National news
Prevent COVID-19 deaths and economic fallout with vaccines and masks
So far, more than 770,000 Americans have died from COVID-19. With winter and the holiday season at hand and COVID-19 surging in Europe, our infection rate and deaths will undoubtedly escalate. Most of the hospitalizations and deaths since this summer have been among the unvaccinated. Of the vaccinated people who died with breakthrough infections, many caught the virus from an unvaccinated person. Millions of Americans have not been vaccinated, allowing a highly contagious delta variant to spread and increasing the likelihood of the emergence of other deadly variants. Most mRNA vaccines remain in the range of 95% effective in preventing severe symptoms and deaths. They are also effective in preventing asymptomatic infections and transmission. The side effects of these vaccines include an infrequent incidence of the inflammation of the heart that most recover from. There is a much higher likelihood of this if you get COVID-19. (Des Moines Register)
WHO warns omicron poses ‘very high’ global risk as variant spreads
The global risk of the new omicron variant is “very high,” the World Health Organization said Monday, as more countries reported cases of the variant, sparking worldwide concern that there is more pandemic suffering ahead. In response to the spike in cases, an increasing number of nations are tightening their borders despite pleas for caution and outbursts of dismay from some. (NBC News)
The less-discussed consequence of health care’s labor shortage
The health care industry’s staffing shortage crisis has had clear consequences for care delivery and efficiency, forcing some health systems to pause nonemergency surgeries or temporarily close facilities. Less understood is how these shortages are affecting care quality and patient safety. A mix of high COVID-19 patient volume and staff departures amid the pandemic has put hospitals at the heart of a national staffing shortage, but there is little national data available to quantify the shortages’ effects on patient care. (Becker’s Hospital Review)