Healthbeat

This fall Spencer Hospital Surgery Center added the Mako robotics system to its high-tech surgery center. The orthopedic robotic technology is an addition to the robotic capabilities the hospital has offered for general and gynecological surgeries since 2015, and is part of a multimillion-dollar upgrade to the surgery center...

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has given a green light to Americans who want to receive a booster dose of a COVID-19 vaccine manufactured by a different company than the one that produced the initial shot they received. The announcement Wednesday on allowing “mix-and-match” shots from different manufacturers will give more flexibility to state and local officials overseeing vaccination campaigns and to providers administering shots...

UnityPoint Health – Trinity Regional Medical Center has received three awards for its outstanding cardiology services by the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association. Trinity received the American College of Cardiology’s NCDR Chest Pain - MI Registry Platinum Performance Achievement Award for 2021. ...

Buena Vista Regional Medical Center’s Nursing Honor Guard had the honor of attending beloved BVRMC nurse Mary Jo Dellwo’s funeral Friday, recognizing Mary Jo’s 40 plus years of service to the nursing profession. / BVRMC photo

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is reminding people with Medicare that Medicare Open Enrollment is now open and now is the time to review their coverage options and make a choice that meets their health care needs. Medicare’s Open Enrollment period gives those who rely on Medicare the opportunity to make changes to their health plans or prescription drug plans, pick a Medicare Advantage Plan, or return to Original Medicare...

Buena Vista Regional Medical Center Auxiliary is offering three $500.00 scholarship opportunities for those looking to pursue education in a health related field. Application deadline is March 31. Applicants are only permitted to be awarded the scholarship twice in their lifetime and must pursue a degree in a Health related field...

Gov. Kim Reynolds said she’s in talks with lawmakers to combat vaccine mandates at private businesses, but she does not plan to issue an executive order on the issue. “(Iowans) have said enough is enough,” Reynolds said during a WHO Radio interview Wednesday. “They are tired of the overreach, they are tired of the mandates.”...

The Buena Vista Regional Medical Center Auxiliary Annual Meeting was held on September 29 at King’s Pointe Resort. The BVRMC Gift Shop presented the Auxiliary a check for $15,000 from the proceeds of the Gift Shop over the past year. The Auxiliary uses this contribution and money from membership dues, fundraisers and donations to buy needed equipment for the hospital. Patti McKenna, Gift Shop Buyer, along with Jean Bennett, Gift Shop Treasurer, presented the check...

On October 6, Dr. Garrett Feddersen, BVRMC Medical Director of Emergency Services, and Dr. Kyle Glienke, Chief of Medicine/Critical Services, were recognized as 2021 Iowa Hospital Association Hospital Heroes at the Iowa Hospital Association Annual Virtual Meeting. Both doctors have been key leaders of Buena Vista Regional Medical Center during the COVID-19 pandemic...

Rural Americans died of COVID-19 in mid-September at rates twice as high as the rate of urban Americans, according to a study from the University of Iowa. The RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis has tracked COVID-19 rates in metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties since April 2020. In the second week of September, the Center found that rural areas in the U.S. had COVID a mortality rate of 0.85 people per 100,000. Metropolitan areas had a mortality rate of just 0.41 per 100,000...

A federal judge late Monday extended the temporary retraining order that prevents the state of Iowa from prohibiting mask mandates in schools. In extending the order through Oct. 11, U.S. District Judge Robert Pratt noted that the list of schools that have implemented a mask mandate in the wake of his initial Sept. 13 restraining order includes eight of the 10 school districts that brought the matter to court, as well as 16 other Iowa school districts...

As part of National Farm Safety and Health Week, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig has announced the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship has been awarded a $500,000 grant to expand farmer mental health support programs in Iowa. The Department will partner with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach to help raise awareness about mental health and wellness resources, and help make them more accessible to farmers and rural communities...

Any time manure is stored, toxic gases can build up and threaten both the wellbeing and/or life of those working around or with it. Adopting and using a “Safety Hierarchy” greatly reduces potential for these types of events. 1. Eliminate the hazard whenever possible...

Strong social ties can have a direct and positive impact on overall health. However, over the past 18 months, the ways we have connected with others have changed and many Iowans may not be feeling as connected to the places they live, learn, work and play...

The Iowa Hospital Association has named Dr. Sonia Sather, hospitalist for Spencer Hospital, as a recipient of the 2021 Hospital Hero awards. As such, Sather will be honored during IHA’s virtual annual meeting in October. “Dr. Sather been a hero to many, helping patients manage complex medical conditions, while doing the extra things that exemplify her compassion,” hospital president Bill Bumgarner said. ...

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has issued its plan to address high drug prices as part of President Joe Biden’s push to take on anticompetitive practices across the economy. But while it addressed in detail abusive practices by drugmakers, it was a lot more superficial about the practices of much-larger corporations that serve as drug middlemen and as some of the country’s largest insurers...

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has issued its plan to address high drug prices as part of President Joe Biden’s push to take on anticompetitive practices across the economy. But while it addressed in detail abusive practices by drugmakers, it was a lot more superficial about the practices of much-larger corporations that serve as drug middlemen and as some of the country’s largest insurers...

The number of states with high obesity among residents has nearly doubled since 2018, according to new data Wednesday from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There were 16 states that had obesity rates among adult residents of at least 35% last year, with Iowa, Ohio, Delaware and Texas on that list for the first time. That’s an increase from 12 states in 2019 and nine states in 2018...

By Randy M. Cauthron Special to The Pilot Last week, President Joe Biden announced a COVID-19 vaccination requirement directive that will impact employees of hospitals and other specified businesses. Due to the development of this national initiative, Spencer Hospital is pausing implementation of its vaccination requirement...

Buena Vista Regional Medical Center received the American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline® EMS Silver Plus Achievement Award for implementing specific quality improvement measures to treat patients who suffer severe heart attacks for the second consecutive year...

Buena Vista Regional Medical Center received the American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline® EMS Silver Plus Achievement Award for implementing specific quality improvement measures to treat patients who suffer severe heart attacks for the second consecutive year...

Reagan Fritz of Pocahontas, IA was one of 88 University of Iowa Doctor of Pharmacy students who recited the Oath of the Pharmacist and were officially welcomed into the profession and college during the College of Pharmacy’s annual White Coat Ceremony...

President Joe Biden announced a new COVID-19 mitigation approach on Thursday that requires about 100 million Americans to be vaccinated or routinely tested. Under the plan, health care workers and all federal workers and contractors must be vaccinated. Companies with more than 100 employees must require vaccination or weekly testing...

The manner in which people abuse opioid drugs evolved in 2020, but the basic issues surrounding abuse of these pain relievers remain the same. Dr. Tina Christine L. Chasek, LIMHP, LADC, LPC, University of Nebraska-Kearney Associate Professor/Department of Counseling and School Psychology, says information recently released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), provides a snapshot of current U. S. opioid abuse...

The Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s will be held in Spencer on Sunday, Sept. 19, and participants have the option to walk from home or join us at East Leech Park beginning at 12:30 p.m. On Walk day, participants honor those affected by Alzheimer’s with Promise Garden flowers which signify solidarity in the fight against the disease. The colors of the Promise Garden flowers – purple, yellow, blue and orange – represent the different reasons why people walk to end this disease...

Teepa Snow MS, OTR/L, FAOTA, one of the nation’s most dynamic and uplifting dementia care experts, and founder of Positive Approach® to Care (PAC), presented Coping with Challenging Situations in Dementia Care on Tuesday, August 17, 2021. Over 200 participants, including nursing home employees and at home caregivers attended this free webinar and learned valuable information on the topic. ...

More than 80 University of Iowa bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) students celebrated a significant personal milestone earlier this fall when they participated in the UI College of Nursing’s biannual white coat ceremony. The donning of the white coat symbolizes a nursing student’s transition to clinical nursing course work and live patient care. ...

Dr. Sabrina Martinez recently received her International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) certification. She is one of few Medical Doctors in the state of Iowa to obtain this certification. “Breastfeeding medicine is one of my special areas of interest, so I decided to pursue the gold standards of certifications,” states Dr. Martinez. “This certification will assist in helping families navigate in their new roles and gain confidence in breastfeeding at all stages.”...

Iowa’s COVID-19 hospitalizations continued to rise in the past week, testing some facilities’ capacity. The largest share of hospitalizations, 21%, now involve patients in their 50s, the Iowa Department of Public Health reported. Next highest are people in their 70s (19%), 40s (16%), 80s (11%), 30s (10%), ages 19 to 29 (8%) and children through age 17 (2%)...

As summer vacation winds down for students, a third pandemic-impacted school year approaches. Uncertainty and anxiety linger as people balance a wide range of priorities, including mental and emotional needs to return to once-familiar ways of life, milestone celebrations, and support systems...