Podcasts about iowa health care

After nearly two decades in medicine, Dr. Ben Reinking transformed his career to help other physicians navigate burnout and rediscover balance. In this episode, Dr. Ben Reinking shares his journey from facing burnout to reshaping his role to help fellow physicians navigate career transformations. He explores the differences between coaching and mentorship, the emotional intelligence gap in medical training, work-life balance challenges, and the unsustainable healthcare business model, offering insights on how small, intentional changes can lead to significant personal and professional growth. Tune in for insights on emotional intelligence, coaching, and intentional changes you need to thrive! Resources: Connect with and follow Dr. Ben Reinking on LinkedIn. Follow The Developing Doctor on LinkedIn and visit their website! Follow the University of Iowa Health Care on LinkedIn and discover their website!

Join Scott Becker on the Becker's Healthcare Podcast as he engages with Dr. Hoda Asmar, the Chief Clinical Officer of Providence, and Jodi Reyes, COO of the University of Iowa Health Care. They delve into the pressing challenges of hospital operations and explore strategies to balance clinical priorities, manage staffing constraints, and leverage AI technology to optimize capacity. Discover how their innovative approaches are transforming healthcare delivery and hear firsthand experiences on overcoming barriers to access and implementing new care models.This episode is sponsored by LeanTaaS.

In this episode, the Medical Director for ACS Cancer Programs—Ronald J. Weigel, MD, PhD, MBA, FACS—talks with three of his colleagues— Daniel Boffa, MD, FACS, Laurie J. Kirstein, MD, FACS, Timothy W. Mullett, MD, FACS—about the recent successful ACS Cancer Conference in Austin, Texas. In addition to the key insights and lessons learned from the conference, they also discuss new opportunities for clinical practice and what to expect this year and beyond from ACS Cancer Programs. HOST Ronald J. Weigel, MD, PhD, MBA, FACS, Medical Director for ACS Cancer Programs and E. A. Crowell Jr. Professor and Chair of the Department of Surgery with the University of Iowa Health Care in Iowa City. GUESTS Daniel Boffa, MD, FACS, Chair of the ACS Commission on Cancer Quality Assurance and Data Committee and Director of Clinical Affairs for the Thoracic Surgery Program at Yale Medicine in New Haven, CT. Laurie J. Kirstein, MD, FACS, ACS Cancer Conference Chair and Breast Surgical Oncologist from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, NY. Timothy W. Mullett, MD, FACS, Chair of the ACS Commission on Cancer and Medical Director of the Markey Cancer Center Network with the University of Kentucky Healthcare in Lexington. Talk about the podcast on social media using the hashtag #HouseofSurgery

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I'm here with your update for January 11, 2024.According to the National Weather Service it will be mostly cloudy on Thursday in the Cedar Rapids area, with a high near 26 degrees. There is snow in the forecast Thursday night, but it looks like it will mostly start snowing in the early morning hours on Friday. Keep an eye on the forecast because things continue to change as the week progresses.The entire region should see snow, with heavier snowfall predicted for areas along and north of Interstate 80. Snow accumulation should mostly stay between 4 and 8 inches, although NWS bureau meteorologists have medium confidence that some snow totals could surpass 8 inches. Periods of wintry mix are possible south of I-80.As of Wednesday afternoon projections, Cedar Rapids and Iowa City are respectively 70 percent and 69 percent likely to see 6 or more inches of snow.My fearless prediction is it will not be fun for anyone needing to drive or fly on Friday.A new chief integration officer the University of Iowa Health Care has appointed to manage its complex merger with Mercy Iowa City could earn $780,000 this year, according to her professional services agreement.The hire follows UIHC's $28 million bankruptcy acquisition of the community hospital.Deborah Berini of the Pennsylvania-based Berini Consulting Group — chosen in December without an open search — has signed on to serve as UIHC chief integration officer and interim chief administrative officer from Jan. 2 to Jan. 1, 2025, “unless amended by written mutual agreement.” Her fee is $65,000 a month, amounting to $780,000 for the year. The agreement doesn't provide expenses for “on-site activity,” include benefits, or cover moving costs. But Berini is in Iowa City for the task of leading Mercy's transition into the university's sprawling health care system, UIHC spokeswoman Laura Shoemaker said.The university used a “sole source purchase justification” to appoint Berini and use her one-year-old consulting group without conducting a search or issuing a public request for proposals due to “emergency need,” according to UI documents provided to The Gazette in response to a records request.“With the short timeline for the Mercy Iowa City transition, we needed to onboard executive leadership support as quickly as possible, which is why we expedited the process,” Shoemaker said. “We are fortunate we were able to find the right person at the right time.”Shortages of court reporters and contract lawyers continue to challenge Iowa's courts, Iowa Supreme Court Chief Justice Susan Christensen said Wednesday — as does low pay for Iowa judges, who are paying more of their salaries into their pensions.Christensen, delivering the annual Condition of the Judiciary address to the Iowa Legislature, said the judicial branch is working to solve the shortages of court reporters and contract attorneys in order to avoid delayed justice. But more investment and action is needed by state lawmakers to address the crisis.Christensen was appointed in 2018 by Gov. Kim Reynolds to serve on the seven-member Iowa Supreme Court and became chief justice in 2020.The state faces a growing shortfall of private lawyers willing to contract with the state's public defender's office to represent indigent defendants.Lawmakers last year approved funding to increase the pay of private lawyers who agree to represent indigent defendants by $5 an hour and provide $35 an hour for travel time, plus mileage, as some spend hours driving around Iowa to court hearings. But Iowa still pays below that of every surrounding state.She said the problem is particularly acute in Eastern Iowa, where the lawyers can now earn nearly twice as much doing contract work across the river in...

Newsmaker Ep. 2208 Lori Reynolds, VA Central Iowa Health Care System (11/10/23) by Radio on the Go

This episode recorded live at the 8th Annual Becker's HIT + DH + RCM Conference in Chicago features Dr. James Blum, Chief Medical Information Officer and Associate Professor of Anesthesia and Computer Science at University of Iowa Health Care. Here, he discusses key insights into his role & organization, advice for leaders, excitement around new technological innovations, and more!In collaboration with Philips.

This episode recorded live at the 8th Annual Becker's HIT + DH + RCM Conference in Chicago features Dr. James Blum, Chief Medical Information Officer and Associate Professor of Anesthesia and Computer Science at University of Iowa Health Care. Here, he discusses key insights into his role & organization, advice for leaders, excitement around new technological innovations, and more!In collaboration with Philips.

George Weiner, MD, is a Professor of Hematology and Medical Oncology at the University of Iowa. Dr. Weiner has also served as the Director of the Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center for over two decades. He is also the CE Block Chair of Cancer Research at the University of Iowa Health Care and provides all oversight to cancer research at the cancer center. Dr. Weiner runs a research lab focusing on novel approaches to cancer immunotherapy. In honor of Dr. Weiner's service, the institution has announced an award named ‘The George Weiner Cancer Control Visionary Award'. When paralyzed with a life-changing decision, how often do we take a step back and let the critical thinker inside us reign free? To really analyze the situation and understand its outcomes on a larger scale? In today's episode, Dr. George Weiner shares a secret formula for making complex decisions in a split-second with the promise of the most successful pay-offs. To learn this “P.A.U.S.E.” protocol, tune in for more. Pearls of Wisdom:   1. There are people who can have the same goals but come from very different backgrounds and perspectives, and if we really work hard to understand where they're coming from, it makes it much easier to identify the joint goals because there are different approaches that can be successful towards the same goal. 2. We shouldn't let the lingo get in the way when communicating with peers or patients. We tend to use terms we understand very well, but others don't know what we're talking about. Everyone's capable of understanding very complex issues if we use terminology that they can understand. 3. Before we make any decisions. we should “P.A.U.S.E.” and look at it from different angles to try and think about what or how that would impact other people before executing it. 

This Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I'm here with your update for Wednesday, June 7.The remnants of Tuesday's clouds will hang around for a while, before giving way to sun. According to the National Weather Service it will be mostly cloudy in the Cedar Rapids area before gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 81 degrees. On Wednesday night it will be partly cloudy, with a low of around 52 degrees.Continuing its construction boom involving more than $1 billion in new and renovated facilities, University of Iowa Health Care next week will seek Board of Regents approval to spend $249 million on a new 263,000-square-foot “Health Sciences Academic Building.”The new six-story academic facility — realizing another item on UIHC's “10-year modernization plan” unveiled last year — will house a trio of nationally-esteemed departments central the UI health campus: Communication Sciences and Disorders; Health and Human Physiology; and Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science.The west side project — planned behind Slater Residence Hall — will encourage cross-department collaboration while also expanding the UI inventory of “modern general assignment classrooms,” according to regent documents.A judge has sentenced a former Iowa State University football player, convicted of assaulting former University of Iowa basketball player Jordan Bohannon outside a downtown bar in 2021, to one year of probation and granted him a deferred judgment.Nicholas Kron, 31, of Nashville, Tenn., pleaded in March to assault causing bodily injury, a serious misdemeanor. He admitted to assaulting Bohannon outside of DC's Bar in Iowa City on May 23, 2021.According to a criminal complaint, Bohannon and Kron were both at the bar and, after it closed, Bohannon and another person got into an argument outside. Kron punched Bohannon three times in the head, knocking him to the ground. Bohannon had a cut on his head from the assault. Bohannon's friends helped him leave but later he was taken to a hospital for treatment.Bohannon filed a lawsuit against Kron for the assault in July 2021, but it was dismissed in January 2022 without prejudice by the court for failing to serve Kron with the suit in a timely manner. A new lawsuit was filed last month against Kron for “brutally, unlawfully and intentionally” assaulting Bohannon.The Clear Creek Amana Community School District is breaking ground Thursday on a new elementary school to be built in Coralville.The public is invited to the groundbreaking at 4 p.m. Thursday. The school will sit on 30 acres of land west of Coral Ridge Avenue and east of the intersection of Interstate 380 and Highway 6 in Coralville.A name has not yet been chosen for the new elementary school and the naming process has not yet been laid out by the school board.This will be the fourth elementary school to be constructed in the Clear Creek Amana district and will alleviate overcrowding in its other schools. It also will be the district's largest elementary with a capacity for 600 students.With Tiffin, North Liberty and Coralville recognized as three of the fastest-growing cities in Iowa, the Clear Creek Amana district estimates growing enrollment of 150 to 200 students per year, and the 10-year enrollment outlook estimates 300 to 350 students per grade level.

Listen in as we learn about the journey through the MD.PhD program with Dr. Darren Gordon, a current General Surgery Resident at University of Iowa Health Care.

NEW EPISODE! Rasika and Radha welcome MHA student Emily Molden to discuss the Upstream Initiative, an interdisciplinary group of graduate health professions students, nursing students, and undergraduate students who volunteer in the High-Risk Obstetrics Clinic at University of Iowa Health Care and serve to connect patients with resources in their hometown to combat food insecurity and transportation needs. Learn more about the Upstream Initiative at https://medicine.uiowa.edu/md/upstream-initiative A transcript of this episode is available at https://www.public-health.uiowa.edu/news-items/from-the-front-row-the-upstream-initiative/ Have an idea for a show? Questions or comments for our hosts? Send email to cph-gradambassador@uiowa.edu

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Thursday, January 19.It may not be a very fun commute Thursday morning. The rain and snow from Wednesday in the Cedar Rapids area will mostly subside by noon Thursday. Before that, the National Weather Service says there could be a bit more snow, some areas of freezing fog from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m., and some areas of fog before noon. Things will finally calm down a bit Thursday afternoon, with cloudy skies and a high of 34 degrees.The next superintendent of the Cedar Rapids Community School District is expected to be announced next week, school board President David Tominsky said Wednesday.Educators and district residents want to see the next superintendent be someone with experience in leading a diverse school district, be good at relationship building and have a proven track record of student achievement, according to survey data collected by Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates — an Illinois firm helping to identify candidates to become the next superintendent.Tominsky said the board is not releasing the names of the three finalists — who will go through second interviews with the board this week before an announcement is expected Jan. 26 — and could not say if the candidates are from Iowa or out of state. “Protecting the identity of the candidates is extremely important. It allows us to consider the best possible candidates,” he said.Iowa House lawmakers for a third time have moved forward legislation that would prevent a defendant from using a victim's sexual orientation or gender identity as a mitigating factor if charged with a violent crime or assault.The legal strategy asks a jury to find that a victim's sexual orientation or gender identity/expression is to blame for a defendant's violent reaction, including murder.The so-called “gay panic defense” has been used successfully in other states, Keenan Crow of One Iowa told a subcommittee that voted unanimously Wednesday to move the bill to the full House Judiciary Committee.Subcommittee member and freshman Rep. Sami Scheetz, D-Cedar Rapids, said he was “shocked” to learn such a defense could be used in legal proceedings, and voted to advance the bill.Perpetrators who use the legal strategy claim a defense of diminished capacity. They argue that learning another person's sexual orientation or gender identity — in a non-violent sexual advance or come-on from a LGBTQ-plus person — led to a loss of self-control and the subsequent assault.The legislation was approved unanimously by the House in 2020, but the Legislature suspended its session a week later because of the coronavirus pandemic. Lawmakers again unanimously approved the bill in 2021, but it was never taken up by the Senate.By 2025, University of Iowa Health Care expects to have a new primary care location up and running in southeast Iowa City — addressing a “health care access gap” in that part of town.Citing an analysis of local health care needs, UIHC officials said Wednesday that southeast Iowa City has the fewest primary care options in the community, despite being the “most densely populated.”“Many residents must travel outside of their immediate community to access care,” according to the news release promising forthcoming details on the project — which will add to UIHC's growing list of health care facilities under construction.UIHC recently has laid out more than $1 billion in new construction projects underway or upcoming — including a...

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Thursday, December 29.It will be a bit like early spring weather Thursday, with drizzle, fog, and warm air. According to the National Weather Service it will be cloudy with a high near 45 degrees in the Cedar Rapids area on Thursday. There will be areas of fog throughout the day, and a chance for drizzle, primarily after 5 p.m. On Thursday night there will be a 20 percent chance of rain, with a low around 29 degrees.A person was found dead late Tuesday inside a North Liberty mobile home where crews were called to fight a fire.According to the North Liberty Fire Department, crews were dispatched shortly after 10 p.m. Tuesday to 95 Golf View Court. A police officer who was first to arrive saw flames at the front door and at a back window. Fire crews found a fire in the living room, which they quickly extinguished.An occupant and three dogs were found inside, all dead, authorities said. The name of the occupant has not yet been released. The Johnson County Medical Examiner and the State Fire Marshal's Office were called to the scene.A cause for the fire has not yet been determined.Two years ago, University of Iowa Health Care co-led a study researching the benefits of new COVID-19 vaccines.But a lot has changed since that study's publication — with individual immunity waning, COVID variants mutating and boosters arriving — prompting UIHC this month to announce it's working with UCLA on a second version of the “Preventing Emerging Infections through Vaccine Effectiveness Testing” study, called “PREVENT.”The PREVENT II research — co-led by UI's Carver College of Medicine and University of California, Los Angeles, with a $13.6 million grant from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — aims primarily to evaluate the ongoing effectiveness of vaccines and specifically boosters.On the COVID-19 front, Iowa on Wednesday reported 2,148 new COVID-19 cases in the past week, a 39 percent decrease from last week's 3,493 cases.This is the first significant drop of recent weeks, which had been featuring increasing numbers each week. Whether or not this is another peak for the latest spike in cases will likely have to wait until the results of holiday travel bear out over the next few weeks into the return of school.The nation's largest e-cigarette maker, Juul Labs Inc., will revamp its advertising and retail practices in Iowa and pay $5 million over a four-year period in order to resolve potential violations of state law.Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller announced the settlement Wednesday to resolve potential violations of Iowa's Deceptive Trade Practices Act.Miller alleges that Iowa youth under the age of 21 were targeted by the company's products and became users in violation of state law.As part of the agreement, Juul will send $1.25 million each year to the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services. The funding will be used to provide resources and education to Iowa youth under the age of 21 targeted by the company's products who became users, including assistance in quitting e-cigarette use.The company, for its part, still officially denies any wrongdoing.

This is John McGlothlen with The Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Monday, December 5th.According to the National Weather Service, it will be mostly cloudy, with a high near 43 in the Cedar Rapids area today. Winds from the south, 5 to 10 mph, then from the north in the afternoon. And tonight, mostly cloudy, with a low around 23. Adding to the growing list of construction and renovation projects that University of Iowa Health Care is pursuing in and around its campus, UIHC now is asking a development team to design, plan and build a new primary care medical office building in Iowa City. The goal of erecting a UIHC-operated location in the same town as its main sprawling campus of more than 1 million square feet is to “increase access to primary medical care for the local community as well as train physicians in a setting most similar to other Iowa primary care offices.” The project comes as UIHC is building or pursuing a growing list of facility endeavors — including a $525.6 million hospital in North Liberty. Administrators with those Eastern Iowa community hospitals that sounded alarms UIHC was threatening their patient and staffing pool — and thus their livelihood — told The Gazette that the university's community care development endeavor illustrates their earlier warnings and opposition. In arguing against the need for UIHC expansion a year ago, Michelle Niermann, UnityPoint Health-Cedar Rapids president and CEO cited there was “significant capacity” at existing hospitals across Eastern Iowa — including more than 40 percent of UnityPoint's available space at the time, more than half of Mercy Medical Center-Cedar Rapids' space and more than 70 percent at Mercy Hospital Iowa City.The Iowa Hawkeyes will play Kentucky in its bowl game for the second consecutive season. Iowa will be be making their first trip to the Music City Bowl in Nashville on Dec. 31st. It will be the second time in the 2022 calendar year that Iowa and Kentucky faced off, following the Citrus Bowl on Jan. 1.–

Sharp pain in your side. A burning sensation while urinating. Nausea or vomiting. If you're suffering from symptoms like these, you might be asking yourself: do I have a kidney stone? As you'll discover in this episode, it can be a bit more complicated than that. Kidney stones are sometimes referred to as ‘the great mimicker', since their signs and symptoms are remarkably similar to those of urinary tract infections, appendicitis, ovarian or testicular conditions, gastritis, and more. Today, we bring in Urologist and Clinical Assistant Professor of Urology at the University of Iowa Health Care, Dr. Ryan Steinberg to help us understand what the heck kidney stones are, how to identify them, and when to seek treatment. Ryan sheds some light on whether or not you can keep your pet stones after they are removed, what it actually looks like to obliterate kidney stones with lasers, and some of the surprisingly simple measures you can take to prevent kidney stones from forming in the first place. You'll even get a behind-the-scenes account of what it was like to be Jeremy's roommate in his med school days, which you won't want to miss! To learn more about how to know for sure if it's a kidney stone that ails you, tune in today! Topics discussed in this episode: First and foremost, what is a kidney stone? How common kidney stones actually are An understanding of when kidney stones cause symptoms What causes kidney stones (and why you should drink more water!) Common signs that you might have a kidney stone The mechanics behind why kidney stones are so painful Why an accompanying fever can be bad news Passing the stone naturally vs. medical intervention Demystifying laser kidney stone surgery Dietary recommendations for kidney stone prevention Popular herbal remedies to cop or drop Why and how to do a 24-hour urine collection sample Why Ryan suggests being proactive about your health OR playlists, stories from Ryan and Jeremy's days as roommates, and more!  Connect with Ryan by visiting his webpage at the University of Iowa Health Care https://medicine.uiowa.edu/urology/profile/ryan-steinberg (here), or follow him on https://twitter.com/ryansteinbergmd (Twitter) for more bad puns and dad jokes! For more episodes, limited edition merch, or to become a Friend of Your Doctor Friends (and more), follow https://linktr.ee/yourdoctorfriends (this link)! Find us at: Website: https://www.yourdoctorfriendspodcast.com (yourdoctorfriendspodcast.com)  Email: yourdoctorfriendspodcast@gmail.com  Call the DOCLINE on 312-380-5005 and leave us a message. We will listen and maybe even respond/play it on the show! (Disclaimer: we will not answer specific medical questions or offer medical advice. Consult your healthcare professional with any and all personal health questions.) Connect with us: @JeremyAllandMD (https://www.instagram.com/jeremyallandmd/?hl=en (IG), https://www.facebook.com/JeremyAllandMD/ (FB), https://twitter.com/jeremyallandmd (Twitter)) @JuliaBrueneMD (https://www.instagram.com/juliabruenemd/ (IG))

VIDEOS: The Cost of Denial Clip (17:33) Hang On, Bill Gates and Dr. Fauci just did WHAT? | Redacted with Clayton Morris (21:43) There is nothing constructive about the pot calling the kettle black. – Clare Daly  (1:17) Clinical trial for nicotinamide riboside: Vitamin safely boosts levels of important cell metabolite linked to multiple health benefits University of Iowa Health Care, October 10, 2022 In a clinical trial of nicotinamide riboside (NR), a newly discovered form of Vitamin B3, researchers have shown that the compound is safe for humans and increases levels of a cell metabolite that is critical for cellular energy production and protection against stress and DNA damage. Studies in mice have shown that boosting the levels of this cell metabolite — known as NAD+ — can produce multiple health benefits, including resistance to weight gain, improved control of blood sugar and cholesterol, reduced nerve damage, and longer lifespan. Levels of NAD+ diminish with age, and it has been suggested that loss of this metabolite may play a role in age-related health decline. These findings in animal studies have spurred people to take commercially available NR supplements designed to boost NAD+. However, these over-the-counter supplements have not undergone many clinical trials to see if they work in people. The new research, reported in the journal Nature Communications, was led by Charles Brenner, PhD, professor and Roy J. Carver Chair of Biochemistry at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine The human trial involved six men and six women, all healthy. Each participant received single oral doses of 100 mg, 300 mg, or 1,000 mg of NR in a different sequence with a seven-day gap between doses. After each dose, blood and urine samples were collected and analyzed to measure various NAD+ metabolites in a process called metabolomics. The trial showed that the NR vitamin increased NAD+ metabolism by amounts directly related to the dose, and there were no serious side effects with any of the doses. “This trial shows that oral NR safely boosts human NAD+ metabolism,” Brenner says. “We are excited because everything we are learning from animal systems indicates that the effectiveness of NR depends on preserving and/or boosting NAD+ and related compounds in the face of metabolic stresses. Because the levels of supplementation in mice that produce beneficial effects are achievable in people, it appears than health benefits of NR will be translatable to humans safely.” Consumption of a bioactive compound from Neem plant could significantly suppress development of prostate cancer National University of Singapore, September 29, 2022 Oral administration of nimbolide, over 12 weeks shows reduction of prostate tumor size by up to 70 per cent and decrease in tumor metastasis by up to 50 per cent A team of international researchers led by Associate Professor Gautam Sethi from the Department of Pharmacology at the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine at the National University of Singapore (NUS) has found that nimbolide, a bioactive terpenoid compound derived from Azadirachta indica or more commonly known as the neem plant or curry leaf common in throughout Indian cuisine, could reduce the size of prostate tumor by up to 70 per cent and suppress its spread or metastasis by half. In this research, we have demonstrated that nimbolide can inhibit tumor cell viability — a cellular process that directly affects the ability of a cell to proliferate, grow, divide, or repair damaged cell components — and induce programmed cell death in prostate cancer cells,” said Assoc Prof Sethi. The researchers observed that upon the 12 weeks of administering nimbolide, the size of prostate cancer tumor was reduced by as much as 70 per cent and its metastasis decreased by about 50 per cent, without exhibiting any significant adverse effects. “This is possible because a direct target of nimbolide in prostate cancer is glutathione reductase, an enzyme which is responsible for maintaining the antioxidant system that regulates the STAT3 gene in the body. The activation of the STAT3 gene has been reported to contribute to prostate tumor growth and metastasis,” explained Assoc Prof Sethi. “We have found that nimbolide can substantially inhibit STAT3 activation and thereby abrogating the growth and metastasis of prostate tumor,” he added. Mindfulness training provides a natural high, study finds University of Utah, October 20, 2022 New research from the University of Utah finds that a mindfulness meditation practice can produce a healthy altered state of consciousness in the treatment of individuals with addictive behaviors. Not unlike what one might experience under the influence of psychedelic drugs—achieving this altered state through mindful meditation has the potential lifesaving benefit of decreasing one's addictive behaviors by promoting healthy changes to the brain. The findings come from the largest neuroscience study to date on mindfulness as a treatment for addiction. The study, published in the journal Science Advances, provides new insight into the neurobiological mechanisms by which mindfulness treats addiction. Study findings provide a promising, safe and accessible treatment option for the more than 9 million Americans misusing opioids. Eric Garland is the lead author of the paper and is a distinguished professor and directs the University of Utah's Center on Mindfulness and Integrative Health Intervention Development. Garland's study builds on previous research measuring the positive effects of theta waves in the human brain. Researchers have found that individuals with low theta waves tend to experience a wandering mind, trouble concentrating or they ruminate on thoughts about themselves. Low theta waves result in a loss of self-control as the brain slips into its default mode of automatic habits. In contrast, when a person is focused, present and fully absorbed in a task, EEG scans will show increased frontal midline theta wave activity. “With high theta activity, your mind becomes very quiet, you focus less on yourself and become so deeply absorbed in what you are doing that the boundary between yourself and the thing you are focusing on starts to fade away. You lose yourself in what you are doing,” said Garland. Garland's new study showed it is in this mindful, theta wave state that people begin to experience feelings of self-transcendence and bliss, and the brain changes in ways that actually reduce one's addictive behaviors. Garland's research team recruited 165 adults with long-term opioid use for the study. Participants were randomly placed into either the control group that participated in supportive group psychotherapy or the experimental group taught to incorporate Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE) into their daily lives. Participants showed more than twice as much frontal midline theta brain activity following treatment with MORE, whereas those in supportive therapy showed no increase in theta. Participants in MORE who showed the biggest increases in theta waves reported more intense experiences of self-transcendence during meditation, including the sense of one's ego fading away, a sense of oneness with the universe or feelings of blissful energy and love. MORE also led to significant decreases in opioid misuse through the nine-month follow-up. These reductions in opioid misuse were caused in part by the increases in frontal midline theta brain waves. Garland explained that by achieving “tastes of self-transcendence” through meditation, mindfulness therapy boosted theta waves in the frontal lobes of the brain to help participants gain self-control over their addictive behaviors. Free radicals blamed for toxic buildup in Alzheimer's brains Rutgers University, October 11, 2022. A study reported in Cell Death & Disease revealed a previously unknown mechanism that may contribute to traumatic brain injury and Alzheimer's disease. While a buildup of the protein amyloid-beta has been hypothesized to be the major driver of Alzheimer's disease, the study suggests that another protein, after undergoing oxidation by free radicals, could be a causative factor. “Indeed, scientists have known for a long time that during aging or in neurodegenerative disease cells produce free radicals,” explained lead researcher Federico Sesti, who is a professor of neuroscience and cell biology at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. “Free radicals are toxic molecules that can cause a reaction that results in lost electrons in important cellular components, including the channels.” Dr Sesti and colleagues determined that oxidation of a potassium channel known as KCNB1 results in a toxic buildup of this protein, leading to increased amyloid-beta production and damage to brain function. “The discovery of KCNB1's oxidation/build-up was found through observation of both mouse and human brains, which is significant as most scientific studies do not usually go beyond observing animals,” Dr Sesti reported. “Further, KCBB1 channels may not only contribute to Alzheimer's but also to other conditions of stress as it was found in a recent study that they are formed following brain trauma.” Study: Maternal, paternal exercise affects metabolic health in offspring Ohio State University, October 19, 2022 A mouse study by Kristin Stanford, with The Ohio State University College of Medicine at the Wexner Medical Center, provides new ways to determine how maternal and paternal exercise improve metabolic health of offspring. This study used mice to evaluate how their lifestyles—eating fatty foods vs. healthy and exercising vs. not—affected the metabolites of their offspring. Metabolites are substances made or used when the body breaks down food, drugs or chemicals, or its own fat or muscle tissue. This process, called metabolism, makes energy and the materials needed for growth, reproduction and maintaining health. Metabolites can serve as disease markers, particularly for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. “Tissue metabolites contribute to overall metabolism, including glucose or fatty acid metabolism, and thus systemic metabolism. We have previously shown that maternal and paternal exercise improve health of offspring. Tissue and serum metabolites play a fundamental role in the health of an organism, but how parental exercise affects offspring tissue and serum metabolites has not yet been investigated. This new data contributes to how maternal or paternal exercise could improve metabolism in offspring,” Stanford said. This study found that all forms of parental exercise improved whole-body glucose metabolism in offspring as adults, and metabolomics profiling of offspring serum, muscle, and liver reveal that parental exercise results in extensive effects across all classes of metabolites in all of these offspring tissues. Regular consumption of fried food before pregnancy increases risk of developing gestational diabetes Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, October 10, 2022 New research published in Diabetologia (the journal of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes) shows that women who eat fried food regularly before conceiving are at increased risk of developing gestational diabetes during pregnancy. Gestational diabetes (GDM) is a complication that can arise during pregnancy, and is characterised by abnormally high blood glucose during the pregnancy (especially in the final 3 months). It can lead to increased birthweight of the child, as well jaundice and other complications. When left untreated, it can cause complications or stillbirth. Women who have GDM are more likely to later develop full blown type 2 diabetes. The authors included 21,079 singleton pregnancies from 15,027 women in the Nurses' Health Study II (NHS II) cohort. NHS II is an ongoing prospective cohort study of 116,671 female nurses in the USA aged 25-44 years at the start of study. For fried food consumption, participants were asked “how often do you eat fried food away from home (e.g. French fries, fried chicken, fried fish)?” and “how often do you eat food that is fried at home?” Both questions had four possible frequency responses: less than once per week, 1-3 times per week, 4-6 times per week, or daily. The researchers analysed fried food consumption at home and away from home separately, as well as total fried food consumption. In addition, they asked the participants what kind of frying fat/oils they usually used at home, with the possible responses as follows: real butter, margarine, vegetable oil, vegetable shortening, or lard. The association persisted after further adjustments were made for varying body-mass index (BMI). After this, the risk ratios of GDM among women who consumed total fried foods 1-3, 4-6, and 7 or more times per week, compared with those who consumed less than once per week, were 1.06, 1.14, and 1.88 respectively (thus an 88% increased risk for 7 or more times per week compared with less than once per week). The authors say: “The potential detrimental effects of fried food consumption on GDM risk may result from the modification of foods and frying medium and generation of harmful by-products during the frying process. Frying deteriorates oils through the processes of oxidation and hydrogenation, leading to an increase in the absorption of oil degradation products by the foods being fried, and also a loss of unsaturated fatty acids such as linoleic and linolenic acids and an increase in the corresponding trans fatty acids such as trans-linoleic acids and trans-linolenic acids.” They add: “Frying also results in significantly higher levels of dietary advanced glycation end products (AGEs), the derivatives of glucose-protein or glucose-lipid interactions. Recently, AGEs have been implicated in insulin resistance, pancreatic beta-cell damage, and diabetes, partly because they promote oxidative stress and inflammation. Moreover, intervention studies with a diet low in AGEs have shown significantly improved insulin sensitivity, reduced oxidant stress, and alleviated inflammation.” When analysed separately, the authors found that there was a statistically significant association of GDM with fried food consumption away from home, but not with fried food consumption at home. The authors say: “Deterioration of oils during frying is more profound when the oils are reused, a practice more common away from home than at home. This may partly explain why we observed a stronger association of GDM risk with fried foods consumed away from home than fried foods consumed at home.”

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Thursday, September 29. There will be another frosty start to the day Thursday, but it should be slightly warmer than Wednesday. According to the National Weather Service, there will be patchy frost before 8 a.m. in the Cedar Rapids area. Otherwise, it will be sunny, with a high near 67 degrees. On Thursday night it will be clear, with a low of around 40 degrees. University of Iowa Health Care leaders have notified employees that nurses in the coming weeks will face “some of the most challenging” staffing to date — warning that nurses in some units at times will have to take on five patients at once. Some UIHC nurses report the “increase in nurse-patient ratios” is out of line, and they've coordinated a protest over it outside the hospital for Thursday. “We refuse to let our hospital administrators make poor decisions that affect our quality of care because they couldn't plan well and prepare properly,” according to a https://www.facebook.com/events/474965984646060/?acontext=%7B%22ref%22%3A%2252%22%2C%22action_history%22%3A%22[%7B%5C%22surface%5C%22%3A%5C%22share_link%5C%22%2C%5C%22mechanism%5C%22%3A%5C%22share_link%5C%22%2C%5C%22extra_data%5C%22%3A%7B%5C%22invite_link_id%5C%22%3A390742276425005%7D%7D]%22%7D (Facebook event page) for the protest encouraging staff, patients, family and managers to “bring the cowbell, noisemakers, signs, ALL of it!” In response to The Gazette's questions on nurse shortages and whether UIHC is upping nurse-patient ratios, officials would not provide a clear response on how things will change from their current ratios.  A former state trooper, who was going to stand trial next month for the second time on a charge of using unreasonable force on a motorcyclist during a 2017 traffic stop, pleaded guilty to a lesser charge this week. https://www.thegazette.com/crime-courts/former-iowa-state-trooper-will-be-retried-for-using-unreasonable-force/ (Robert James Smith, 58,) of Durant, pleaded guilty Monday to deprivation of rights under the color of law. He faces a maximum sentence of one year in federal prison, a $100,000 fine and one year of supervised release following any prison term. According to the plea agreement, the defense and prosecution agreed to recommend Smith receive probation, but the judge can decide whether to accept that recommendation. Smith, in the plea, admitted that on Sept. 25, 2017 he attempted to catch up with a motorcycle driven by Bryce Yakish, then 20, of Davenport, who was traveling at 84 mph westbound on Interstate 80. Yakish eventually exited and crossed the interstate southbound and Smith turned on the overhead lights and siren of his patrol vehicle. Yakish pulled into the entrance of the West Liberty Travel Plaza. Yakish stopped and was getting off his motorcycle as Smith got out of his vehicle and quickly approached him, he admitted in the plea. Yakish was standing next to his motorcycle and had his hands in the air when Smith hit Yakish in the chin area with an open hand palm strike. Yakish was wearing a helmet with a face mask but the force of the strike caused Yakish to fall backward over his motorcycle. In his plea said the strike was intentional. However, he also now admits in his plea that in his initial report and in subsequent testimony he claimed the strike was unintentional, and that he had only been trying to grab Yakish by the shoulder when he missed and hit him in the helmet. Smith was terminated from the Iowa State Patrol following an internal investigation of the arrest and allowed to retire in 2018, according to testimony. Farmland values and cash rents are up considerably, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's annual National Agricultural Statistics Service surveys. Iowa cropland values rose 19.7 percent on average over the past year — from $7,810 per acre to $9,350 per acre, according to the September edition of the “Ag Decision

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Wednesday, August 31. It will be sunny again Wednesday, with the temperatures rising as well. According to the National Weather Service it will be sunny with a high near 89 degrees on Wednesday. On Wednesday night it will be mostly clear, with a low of around 61 degrees. University of Iowa Health Care on Tuesday got state approval to continue building a massive 469,000-square-foot hospital campus in North Liberty as planned — despite a more than 33 percent cost overrun, bringing the total project budget to more than half a billion dollars. The https://www.thegazette.com/higher-education/university-of-iowa-needs-state-ok-for-north-liberty-hospital-cost-overruns/ (State Health Facilities Council) voted 3-1 during a Tuesday morning meeting to allow the project to continue with a revised $307.1 million budget. In total, UIHC reported inflation has driven up the budget for its full North Liberty project — which includes an academic, research, and clinic building — to more than $525.6 million, an increase the Board of Regents approved in July. State Health Facilities Council Chairman Harold Miller on Tuesday was the only member of the four-person group to vote against the UIHC budget hike — voicing disappointment the university didn't better anticipate and budget for inflation, which started its steep ascent between UIHC's first denied application and its second approved revised version. A Marion man convicted of killing Chris Bagley in 2018 was charged Tuesday in the jail assault of an informant who he attacked in May in an attempt to stop him from testifying against a drug dealer. Johnny Blahnik Church, 35, formerly known as Drew Blahnik, during an initial appearance, was charged with willful injury resulting in serious injury, a felony. He was also charged with tampering with a witness, an aggravated misdemeanor. Blahnik Church remains in jail after being sentenced to 57 years for fatally stabbing Bagley, 31, of Walker, in December 2018. This stabbing was related to Bagley robbing another local drug dealer named Andrew Shaw. According to a criminal complaint about the drug informant assault, Blahnik Church, along with Gregory Sills, 49, of Oelwein, followed Ethan Palmer, the drug informant, into the bathroom in their cell pod at the Linn County Jail on May 27, and began “striking” Palmer. They eventually dragged Palmer out into the main area of the cellblock and continued to attack him. Palmer's wife, Laurie Palmer, https://navcdr.writer.saas-prod.navigacloud.com/-https://www.thegazette.com/crime-courts/drug-informant-brutally-beaten-in-linn-county-jail-before-testimony/ (told The Gazette) earlier this month about the attack on her husband. Law enforcement and court documents from a federal conviction of the drug dealer, Justin Michael Buehler, 39, who Palmer testified against, confirmed the assault. Buehler was convicted in U.S. District Court in June on two counts of distributing methamphetamine. Cedar County residents crowded the Tipton High School auditorium Monday night for an informational meeting about a proposed carbon dioxide pipeline that would slice through eastern Iowa. It was the second of https://www.thegazette.com/energy/revised-public-meetings-approved-for-wolf-carbon-solutions-pipeline-proposal/ (six scheduled meetings in Eastern Iowa), where https://www.thegazette.com/energy/adm-wants-to-build-co2-pipeline-from-cedar-rapids-plant/ (ADM and Wolf's proposed 280-mile carbon dioxide pipeline) will stretch from Cedar Rapids into Illinois. During the 3 1/2-hour meeting, attendees posed questions about safety, conflicts of interest on the Iowa Utilities Board and a supposed lack of compliance with required meeting notifications for impacted residents. Wolf representatives also spoke about eminent domain and said they intend not to use it when constructing the pipeline. After Linn County, Cedar County is the...

Welcome to the weekend! This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Saturday, August 6, and Sunday, August 7. There are two things we can expect for this weekend's weather: Heat and rain. According to the National Weather Service on Saturday it will be partly sunny with a high near 93 degrees in the Cedar Rapids area. The heat index values will rise up to as high as 101 during the day. On Saturday night it will be mostly cloudy, with a 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. There will be a chance for showers pretty much all day on Sunday, with it increasing as the day goes on and heads into Monday morning. It will be mostly cloudy with a high near 91 degrees and a low of 71. Among four proposals Mercy Iowa City entertained last year in its search for a partner was one from University of Iowa Health Care, offering over $605 million to take ownership of the community hospital and make it the “centerpiece” of a new UIHC “community division.” “We believe that UI Health Care is the ideal partner for Mercy Iowa City,” according to the university's proposal from August of last year, which was obtained by The Gazette. “Our goal is to combine the resources of UI Health Care's comprehensive, integrated delivery network with the unique local strengths of Mercy Iowa City to expand the scope of care and improve access.” UIHC said it planned to launch a community hospital division — separate from its academic divisions — centered on Mercy Iowa City, which would remain a hub for primary and secondary care in the region with its own local governance and board. Documents obtained by The Gazette show that in addition to UIHC, Mercy Medical Center in Cedar Rapids, UnityPoint Health and Marshfield Clinic Health System of Wisconsin offered to take over Mercy Iowa City, which was seeking a partner in the first place due to struggling financially in recent years. Mercy Iowa City officials didn't answer The Gazette's questions about why the four partnership proposals didn't pan out, calling those decisions “proprietary and confidential.” Planned Parenthood and the American Civil Liberties Union are dropping their legal challenge of Iowa's 24-hour waiting period on abortions, which the state Supreme Court allowed to go into effect in June, the groups announced Friday. Instead of pursuing the litigation, they will be focusing on the 2018 law struck down by a district court that would ban abortions after six weeks. Gov. Kim Reynolds has indicated her strategy after the Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade's federal protections for abortions would be to try to get this law reinstated rather than to try to pass new legislation this year. Abortion still is legal in Iowa up to 20 weeks, but the 24-hour waiting period took effect in July, requiring people to get two separate appointments within 24 hours in order to get an abortion. Utility terrain vehicles (UTVs) are now allowed on Marion streets. The Marion City Council Thursday approved a new ordinance's final reading to allow the vehicles. The council voted 6-0 with Mayor Nick AbouAssaly absent for the formal meeting, but he again voiced his opposition to the ordinance during the council's Tuesday night work session. He voted no during the first two readings. UTVs, also called utility task vehicles or side-by-sides, are like all-terrain vehicles in their use for off-road recreation. But UTVs are heavier, can have up to six wheels and haul heavy loads. UTVs will be able to be operated on any city roadway with a speed limit of 35 mph or less, except for 10th Avenue east of 35th Street and East Post Road south of Oak Brook Drive. In addition, use of UTVs would be allowed only from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Operators must be 18 or older with a valid driver's license.

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Wednesday, July 20. It will dip below the 90s again Wednesday, and thankfully the breeze will remain. According to the National Weather Service it will be sunny with a high near 88 degrees in the Cedar Rapids area. A northwest wind 10 to 15 mph will increase to 15 to 20 mph in the afternoon. On Wednesday night it will be clear, with a low of around 66 degrees. University of Iowa Health Care is requesting a 33 percent increase — to over $525 million — for continuing to build its new hospital in North Liberty, saying inflation and a workforce shortage are causing the cost to skyrocket. Hospital officials are asking the Iowa Board of Regents for approval on a revised construction budget for the 469,000-square-foot campus at the southwest corner of Forevergreen Road and Highway 965. The project — which is already underway — remains the same as a proposal approved by regents in fall 2021, as the new budget does not include any changes to the campus layout, building design or floor plans.  The hospital project's original proposed cost was $230 million, but that was bumped up after the scope of the project was changed after its approval. The University of Iowa College of Education has received a $15 million donation — the largest gift ever to the college — to support training and research in school mental health. The Iowa Center for School Mental Health, https://www.thegazette.com/higher-education/state-university-of-iowa-launch-center-for-school-mental-health/ (founded last summer) with $20 million in federal pandemic relief money, will be renamed the Scanlan Center for School Mental Health after the gift from the Chicago-based Scanlan Family Foundation. The center is a partnership between the UI and the Iowa Department of Education to address the mental health needs of Iowa students and staff with professional development, research and clinical assessment and intervention. The gift and renaming, which will be considered June 27 by the Iowa Board of Regents, will expand clinical support for school mental health in collaboration with the https://belinblank.education.uiowa.edu/ (UI's Belin-Blank Center.) The mayor of Fairbank was killed in a two-vehicle crash Monday morning on U.S. Highway 218 that involved a driver's education car. Gregory Harter, 71, a passenger in the driver's education vehicle, died at the scene. Three others were injured, including two 14-year-olds, one of whom was the driver. The Iowa State Patrol said that shortly before 8:30 a.m., a 14-year-old from Waterloo was driving southbound on Highway 218 near the Janesville exit when the car went onto the shoulder. The driver overcorrected, crossing the southbound lanes of the highway and the median into the path of an oncoming car. Fairbank is a small town located west of Oelwein in Buchanan and Fayette counties.

Shared decision making (SDM) is often referred to as a communication process within the patient-doctor relationship. In an ideal situation, both patient and doctor make the healthcare decisions together based on an open dialogue where the patient's best interests are discussed. This is important because many treatment options for various medical conditions are nuanced. This means that a treatment that's best for one patient may not be right for someone else. Even if it is the same condition. When it comes to the various treatment options associated with erectile dysfunction, it is safe to say that a shared decision-making process is of vital importance.  This episode of our podcast is about erectile dysfunction treatment & shared decision making and it's an interview with Dr. Amy Pearlman. Dr. Pearlman is a men's sexual health specialist and board-certified urologist. She currently serves as Clinical Assistant Professor and Men's Health Program Director with University of Iowa Health Care. You can catch her previous appearances on our podcast here: Talking Erectile Dysfunction with Your Partner and Doctor Erectile Dysfunction Treatment and Informed Decisions The Erectile Dysfunction Radio Podcast is dedicated to educating and empowering men to address erectile dysfunction, improve confidence, and enhance the satisfaction in their relationships. This podcast is hosted by certified sex therapist, Mark Goldberg, LCMFT, CST. Learn to think differently about erections to resolve your ED struggles with our "Beyond the Little Blue Pill" eCourse: https://erectioniq.com/course           For more free erectile dysfunction education and resources, please visit: https://erectioniq.com/    Mark Goldberg helps men resolve erectile dysfunction. He offers individual, one-on-one services to men throughout the world through a secure, telehealth platform. It's 100% confidential. You can visit the Center for Intimacy, Connection and Change website to schedule a free consultation: https://centericc.com/    

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Wednesday, June 22. It will be a little bit cooler on Wednesday, but the real cooldown will have to wait until the weekend. According to the National Weather Service it will be mostly sunny in the Cedar Rapids area with a high near 88 degrees. On Wednesday night it will be mostly clear, with a low of around 63 degrees. The city of Cedar Rapids is hoping for a $50 million boost to its construction of a $750 million permanent flood control system — if proposed federal legislation is signed into law. Several steps and likely multiple years remain before any funding comes to fruition, but draft language in the 2022 https://www.epw.senate.gov/public/_cache/files/e/1/e1a5557f-de89-442f-9571-26396db7c476/46ECE692C73686EE7C22437E0D735361.wrda-2022-4292022.pdf (Water Resources Development Act )would unlock the funds for flood protection on the east side of the Cedar River — which would allow the city to accelerate work on other segments of the system. The Water Resources Development Act is renewed every several years and includes projects such as the city's flood control system. It's the first step in the appropriations process for any Army Corps of Engineers project Although Congress authorized construction of the city's east-side flood control system in 2014, it wasn't until 2018 — 10 years after the big flood — that federal lawmakers actually allocated the money. So the city may have to wait a bit until they see whether this money can be shifted in another direction. Four months after https://www.thegazette.com/higher-education/iowa-board-of-regents-member-milt-dakovich-dies/ (Milt Dakovich, a longtime member of the Iowa Board of Regents, died) of cancer, Gov. Kim Reynolds on Tuesday named Seneca Companies President and COO James “JC” Risewick to fill the regent vacancy. Risewick will begin serving immediately on the nine-member board that governs Iowa's three public universities and two special schools, though his appointment must be confirmed by the Iowa Senate when it is next in session. The regents' next meeting is July 27, when they'll consider raising tuition rates for the fall. If confirmed, Risewick will serve out the remainder of Dakovich's six-year term — set to expire in April 2025. Risewick serves as president and chief operating officer of Seneca Companies in Des Moines, which touts itself as “an established leader in the petroleum industry.” A University of Iowa Health Care researcher is among 21 nationally to receive an American Lung Association award worth hundreds of thousands for “COVID-19 and respiratory virus research” – his looking specifically at “long-haul” COVID. https://medicine.uiowa.edu/radiology/profile/sean-fain (Sean Fain), a radiology professor in the UI Division of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Imaging, received the Lung Association's award – which includes up to $100,000 annually for up to two years – for his project titled, https://www.lung.org/research/about-our-research/meet-the-researchers/sean-fain (“Understanding ‘Long Haul' COVID-19.”) The research – https://clinicaltrials.uihealthcare.org/search/studies?studies%5Bquery%5D=COVID (among at least 10 ongoing) UI-based COVID-related clinical studies and trials – aims to investigate blood vessel injury in COVID patients and methods for improving lung-inflammation treatments. In severe cases, according to Fain's project pitch, COVID triggers an immune response when it enters a body, causing inflammation and injury to blood vessels. Blood vessel injuries in the lungs can create scarring known as “interstitial lung disease,” a condition that remains even after any COVID infection resolves.

Amy Pearlman, MD, gives a clear and concise overview about treating erectile dysfunction with oral medications on this week's edition of the Erectile Dysfunction Radio Podcast. This is a valuable patient education segment from our full interview with Dr. Pearlman about treating E.D. Watch the full interview with Dr. Pearlman: https://youtu.be/1Nt-HCpKoYc  More about Dr. Pearlman: https://pearlmanmds.com/amy-pearlman-md/ Dr. Pearlman is a men's sexual health specialist and board-certified urologist. She currently serves as Clinical Assistant Professor and Men's Health Program Director with University of Iowa Health Care.  This podcast is hosted by certified sex therapist, Mark Goldberg, LCMFT, CST. Our podcast is about educating men about erectile dysfunction, improving confidence, and enhancing relationships. New episodes are released every Monday morning. Learn to think differently about erections to resolve your ED struggles with our "Beyond the Little Blue Pill" eCourse: https://erectioniq.com/course      More free E.D. education and resources: https://erectioniq.com/    Podcast host Mark Goldberg helps men resolve erectile dysfunction. He offers individual, one-on-one services to men throughout the world through a secure, telehealth platform. It's 100% confidential. You can visit the Center for Intimacy, Connection and Change website to schedule a free consultation with Mark: https://centericc.com/ 

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Thursday, June 2. There will be a high near 77 degrees Thursday with sunny skies. According to the National Weather Service it could get a bit breezy in the Cedar Rapids area with wind gusts as high as 25 mph. Continuing what has become an annual University of Iowa Health Care cost increase, the Board of Regents on Wednesday approved a 6 percent patient rate hike — which officials said could have been higher given the state of the economy. More revenue per patient can help UIHC keep up with rising costs of drugs and medical equipment, for example, as the largest and most lucrative hospital system in the state. Many patients won't experience direct impact from the higher rates, as the increases typically fall to payers like Medicare and Medicaid. But some patients — like those who pay out of pocket or get specialty care services — will feel the hit. The higher rates will go into effect July 1. An Eastern Iowa railroad company has been awarded a $7.2 million federal grant to upgrade its line that serves industries in the Cedar Rapids area. The grant to Iowa Northern Railway Company is one of 46 projects in 32 states and the District of Columbia being announced today by U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. Iowa Northern, which has about 115 employees, serves mostly agriculture-related industries such as ethanol producers ADM and POET. It also moves John Deere tractors, Tyson frozen foods and egg products The number of COVID-related hospitalizations in Iowa increased almost 30 percent in the past week, going from 139 patients to 180 this week, federal officials reported Wednesday. It is the highest number reported since March 2, when 202 COVID-19 patients were hospitalized, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The totals, however, still remain far below the 991 patients hospitalized the week of Jan. 19 at the height of the omicron surge. New COVID-19 cases totaled 3,854 as of Wednesday, a slight decline from the 3,960 new cases reported last week, according to the Iowa Department of Public Health. Coronavirus activity has been increasing in Iowa over the past several weeks as the highly contagious omicron subvariant, BA.2, has become the dominant coronavirus strain in the Midwest and the rest of the country. Keegan Murray will likely be going top 10 in the NBA Draft. His brother, Kris, to the relief of Iowa fans, will be heading back for his junior season. Murray announced Wednesday on Twitter that he was withdrawing from the 2022 NBA draft and returning to the Hawkeyes for his third year of college. The 6-foot-8 forward from Cedar Rapids Prairie averaged 9.7 points and 17.9 minutes per game last season. “Everyone in our program is very excited to have Kris back,” Iowa Coach Fran McCaffery said in a statement Wednesday. “We are happy that Kris had a positive experience going through the NBA process. He gained valuable feedback through workouts and conversations with NBA personnel. Kris will be awesome next year.”

This episode features Tim Kan, Chief Strategy Officer of University of Iowa Health Care. Here, he joined the podcast to talk about the system's strategic growth, infrastructure and innovation.

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Friday, May 6. There will be a chance for showers Friday, mostly before 1 p.m. According to the National Weather Service there will be a 30 percent chance for rain Friday morning. Besides that it will be mostly cloudy with a high of 61 degrees. We should have a break from the rain from Friday afternoon through Saturday, so there will be some nice spring weather for you to enjoy. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds does not expect any abortion-related legislation to be passed during the current legislative session, which is nearly at its end. Reynolds told reporters Thursday that the plan instead is to wait for the U.S. Supreme Court's official ruling on an abortion-related case, and then determine a path forward in Iowa. Earlier this week, https://www.politico.com/news/2022/05/02/supreme-court-abortion-draft-opinion-00029473 (Politico reported) that the conservative-majority U.S. Supreme Court is poised to overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 ruling that protects a woman's right to an abortion. If this happens the expectation is that abortion laws will be dictated by individual states. All that remains for this Iowa legislative session are the bills that set spending for the next state budget. There is also an ongoing impasse over legislation that would create taxpayer-funded scholarships for private school tuition assistance. A motorcyclist was killed Thursday afternoon in a crash on southbound Interstate 380 near the intersection with Highway 30. Police said they were questioning the driver of a black Buick sport utility vehicle they say struck the cyclist and are expecting to seek charges, but they did not say what the charges would be. The name of the cyclist killed in the accident has not yet been released. Authorities say police officers and fire crews were dispatched at 3:56 p.m. to the scene. A preliminary investigation showed the SUV driver planned to exit I-380 and head east on Highway 30. But the SUV veered away from the exit ramp through a grassy divide, and back onto the interstate where it crashed with the motorcycle. Police said the motorcycle driver was thrown from the cycle, dying from injuries sustained in a crash between the SUV and restraining cables dividing the north and south lanes of I-380. The driver of the SUV was uninjured. University of Iowa Health Care has joined a clinical trial to study new regimens of COVID-19 booster shots. The Iowa City-based health care system is participating in a new Phase 2 clinical trial that will test booster vaccines in various combinations to determine which provide the best immune response against existing and emerging COVID-19 variants. The trial will study six combinations of new and existing booster shots developed by Moderna. As more variants emerge, the study aims to prepare for future virus variants that can evade protection from current COVID-19 vaccines. The intent is to finetune future vaccines to prevent breakthrough infections. Including the University of Iowa, the clinical trial is being conducted at 24 sites.

Amy Pearlman, MD, joins our podcast for a brand new episode to discuss the impact of better communication with our partners and healthcare providers when it comes to dealing with erectile dysfunction. Dr. Pearlman's first interview with us included an in-depth exploration of the decision-making process for patients dealing with erection issues and you can watch it here: https://erectioniq.com/amy-pearlman/ Dr. Pearlman is a men's sexual health specialist and board-certified urologist. She currently serves as Clinical Assistant Professor and Men's Health Program Director with University of Iowa Health Care. This podcast is hosted by certified sex therapist, Mark Goldberg, LCMFT, CST. Our podcast is about educating men about erectile dysfunction, improving confidence, and enhancing relationships. New episodes are released every Monday morning. Learn more about the Erectile Dysfunction Radio Podcast: https://erectioniq.com/ More about Dr. Pearlman: https://pearlmanmds.com/amy-pearlman-md/

Joining us for this week's episode of the Faculty Factory is Peter Densen, MD. We explore coaching, leadership, and career transitions as part of this in-depth discussion with Dr. Densen. He currently serves as Emeritus Professor of Internal Medicine-Infectious Diseases with University of Iowa Health Care. His distinguished, 40-year career in Iowa has included the following positions: Associate dean for Student Affairs and Curriculum Interim head of the Department of Internal Medicine Executive associate dean of the college Executive dean He also served as faculty director for the Bean Learning Community and chaired the Clinical Experiences Committee at his institution. As you will hear on today's episode, he posses a wealth of practical knowledge when it comes to mentoring faculty and professional development.   Today's episode has very useful information regarding transformational changes, transition theory, and ways to make graceful exits in the pursuit of new opportunities.    Learn more: https://facultyfactory.org/

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Friday, March 25. We should get a break from rain Friday but it will still be a bit chilly with a stiff wind. According to the National Weather Service it will be mostly cloudy in the Cedar Rapids area with a high near 48 degrees. It will be a bit breezy during the day, with a 10 to 15 mph wind increasing to 20 to 25 mph in the afternoon. Wind gusts could get as high as 40 mph. There will be a 20 percent chance of rain in the evening, but besides that it will be mostly cloudy, with a low around 25. The Iowa House has approved an 11-month moratorium on the Iowa Utilities Board scheduling eminent domain hearings for pipeline construction. If the state Senate agrees with the proposed moratorium, it would delay any hearings on the three carbon capture pipelines being proposed in Iowa until after Feb. 21, 2023 — when the Legislature is back in session. The https://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislation/BillBook?ga=89&ba=H-8248 (amendment) to https://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislation/BillBook?ga=89&ba=H-8248 (House File 2565) came from Rep. Bobby Kaufmann, R-Wilton, who said the moratorium would provide “eminent domain protection for landowners affected by proposed pipelines.” It would not change the rules regarding the use of eminent domain or stop the construction of the carbon pipelines being proposed in Iowa, but it would provide 11 months of a level playing field for negotiations between landowners and companies hoping to build pipelines, he said. A Cedar Rapids man avoided a possible life sentence Thursday by pleading guilty to lesser charges for killing his pregnant girlfriend and causing the death of her unborn child nearly two years ago. https://www.thegazette.com/crime-courts/march-trial-set-for-cedar-rapids-man-accused-of-killing-pregnant-girlfriend-and-her-unborn-child/ (Johnnie Osborne, 28, )originally charged with first-degree murder, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, attempted murder and termination of pregnancy during a felony. His trial was set to start next Tuesday. He now faces up to 50 years in prison for second-degree murder, 25 for attempted murder and 10 years for termination of pregnancy. During the plea hearing, Osborne admitted to fatally shooting girlfriend https://www.thegazette.com/crime-courts/her-sister-was-shot-and-killed-last-week-in-cedar-rapids-now-victoria-mcdaniel-is-calling-attention/ (Asia T. Grice, 25, )who was in her second trimester of pregnancy on May 1, 2020. She died of a gunshot wound to her head, and her unborn child didn't survive, according to a criminal complaint. Grice's friend, Keonna Smith, who was in the apartment at the time, also was shot and seriously injured. Twenty-one members of the University of Iowa Health Care community, UI administration, or Board of Regents have been appointed to a committee to find the campus' next vice president for medical affairs and dean of its Carver College of Medicine. The search committee to replace https://www.thegazette.com/higher-education/university-of-iowa-health-care-vp-brooks-jackson-stepping-down/?nocache=1 (outgoing Vice President and Dean Brooks Jackson) also has chosen the executive search firm of Wittkieffer to assist in the national hunt for a successor. The university didn't immediately provide The Gazette with its Wittkieffer contract or say how much it is paying the firm.  Wittkieffer, according to its website, currently is helping UI find administrators for its College of Public Health, and find new chief analytics and chief quality control officers for UI Hospitals & Clinics. Support for this news update was provided by New Pioneer Food Co-op. Celebrating 50 years as Eastern Iowa's destination for locally and responsibly sourced groceries with stores in Iowa City, Coralville and Cedar Rapids; and online through Co-op Cart athttp://www.newpi.coop/ ( newpi.coop).

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Tuesday, March 8. There will be a few days without snow to give our latest batch a chance to melt. According to the National Weather Service it will be sunny Tuesday in the Cedar Rapids area with a high near 39 degrees. A modest wind could get up to 10 to 15 mph by the afternoon. Tuesday night it will be partly cloudy, with a low around 24 degrees. One teenager was killed and two others were critically wounded in Des Moines Monday after gunfire that appeared to come from a passing vehicle struck them outside East High School, according to reporting from the Associated Press. Des Moines police said in a news release that potential suspects have been detained in the shooting on the grounds of the high school, near Des Moines' downtown. No charges were immediately filed. Authorities said initially the three teenagers were critically injured in the shooting. A 15-year-old boy was then declared dead, while two female victims, ages 16 and 18, were still listed as critically injured as of Monday night. The two girls are students at the high school, while the boy was not a student there, according to police. Police did not release any of their names as of Monday night. According to the Washington Post, a tornado that killed seven people in southwest Iowa Saturday may have done so partially due to a delay in the national alarm system. A total of 17 tornado warnings were issued by the National Weather Service in Des Moines on Saturday. However, a system problem happening nationally at the same time caused a delay in these local alerts. Susan Buchanan, the weather service's director of public affairs, wrote that “a technical issue caused a delay of between 2-7 minutes for some transmissions,” noting that “system engineers quickly took action as soon as the problem was detected.” She emphasized that warning lead times averaged about 20 minutes during the tornado outbreak. After a surprise last-minute withdrawal of https://www.thegazette.com/higher-education/johnson-county-surgical-group-claims-violation-in-steindler-north-liberty-application/#:~:text=NORTH%20LIBERTY%20%E2%80%94%20A%20Johnson%20County,medical%20hub%20in%20North%20Liberty. (all opposition to a new Steindler North Liberty Ambulatory Surgery Center) — including from a group of surgeons that previously vowed legal action — a state council Monday unanimously granted a certificate the project needs to proceed. By granting the $19.2 million https://www.thegazette.com/higher-education/steindler-delays-north-liberty-project-given-partner-prospect-with-in-state-hospital-system/ (project a “certificate of need,”) the five-member State Health Facilities Council cleared the way for construction of a new 35,880-square-foot ambulatory surgery center on 36 acres off Interstate 380 and Forevergreen Road in North Liberty. The project will unfold just about 1.5 miles east of the North Liberty tract where University of Iowa Health Care is building a new $395 million, 469,000-square-foot hospital, marking  major development in North Liberty's medical corridor. Mercy Iowa City in February https://www.thegazette.com/health-care-medicine/steindler-orthopedic-partnering-with-mercy-iowa-city-on-north-liberty-medical-park/ (announced a new partnership with Steindler) to help develop the North Liberty campus. But officials during Monday's hearing didn't explicitly cite that as a reason for the opposition withdrawals Support for this news update was provided by New Pioneer Food Co-op. Celebrating 50 years as Eastern Iowa's destination for locally and responsibly sourced groceries with stores in Iowa City, Coralville and Cedar Rapids; and online through Co-op Cart athttp://www.newpi.coop/ ( newpi.coop).

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Wednesday, February 16th. If you have been enjoying the warmer weather the last few days, sorry it's going to get a bit colder Wednesday night and Thursday, and that cold will come with precipitation. According to the National Weather Service rain is likely Wednesday in the Cedar Rapids area, primarily falling between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. The high will be 45 degrees in the morning, but that will drop to 35 degrees by 5 p.m. and drop to the teens by Wednesday night. Rain could return again Wednesday night, and with the temperatures dropping it will likely be either freezing rain or turn into snow. It will also be windy, with gusts as high as 30 mph. The size, scope, and cost of a new University of Iowa wrestling training facility has swelled since it was announced two years ago due to now including women's facilities. In September Iowa became the first NCAA Division I Power Five conference school thttps://www.thegazette.com/higher-education/university-of-iowa-has-reached-agreement-on-settlement-terms-in-female-athletes-title-ix-suit/ (o offer women's wrestling.) The original project cost of $17.3 million has increased 53 percent, to $26.5 million, according to documents provided to the Board of Regents, which next week will consider approving the project design, description and budget. The new two-story facility will include women's and men's locker rooms, strength and conditioning space, a two-story wrestling room, training and therapy rooms, a coach office suite, recruiting room, student-athlete lounge and an underground tunnel leading to Carver-Hawkeye Arena — where the wrestlers compete. When University of Iowa Health Care eventually builds a new inpatient tower on its main Iowa City campus, officials intend to name it in honor of the late Richard O. Jacobson, whose foundation recently committed $70 million to the project. That gift, according to the UI Center for Advancement, is the largest in the university's 175-year history and brings Jacobson's total lifetime support to more than $86 million — including gifts to the UI football program, the John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center and the Iowa Reading Research Center. The Board of Regents next week will consider approving the Jacobson name for the new inpatient tower, which officials have said will help a cramped UI Health Care “meet the complex care needs of all Iowans, allowing them to receive high-quality care without leaving the state.” Jacobson died in 2016 at age 79. He started a warehouse business in 1968 that grew into a shipping business employing thousands. A 19-year-old Cedar Rapids man — chttps://www.thegazette.com/crime-courts/cedar-rapids-man-accused-in-fatal-shooting-of-15-year-old-girl-found-in-crashed-car-in-july-2021/ (harged last week in the fatal shooting of a 15-year-old Illinois girl in July )— had been convicted a month earlier for trafficking stolen weapons, but he was out on probation after receiving a deferred judgment. https://www.thegazette.com/crime-courts/cedar-rapids-man-accused-in-fatal-shooting-of-15-year-old-girl-found-in-crashed-car-in-july-2021/ (Marshawn Rome Jackson,) according to court documents, had at least two previous convictions, including being on juvenile probation Oct. 14, 2020, when he picked up his first adult conviction for stealing a vehicle. Officers were able to connect him to that crime by his electronic GPS monitor, which was ordered as part of his juvenile probation. Jackson pleaded to a lesser charge of operating a vehicle without the owner's consent and was sentenced to 30 days in jail last February. Jackson is accused of fatally shooting 15-year-old https://www.thegazette.com/crime-courts/police-identify-teen-found-dead-shot-in-vehicle-at-apartment-complex-in-southwest-c-r/ (Tyliyah L. Whitis )of Peoria, Ill., who was found dead in the driver's seat of her sister's car July 21, 2021.  Be sure to...

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Thursday, January 6. Thursday will be the coldest in a week of cold days.  According to the National Weather Service it will be mostly sunny and cold in the Cedar Rapids area with a high near 4 degrees. A wind of 10 to 15 mph will gust as high as 25 mph with a wind chill value as low as 25 degrees below zero. On Thursday night the low will be -13 degrees, with -25 degree windchill.  With the state's weekly release of COVID-19 numbers on Wednesday, two things became clear: one, the state's number of cases and deaths surged over the past week, and two, the omicron variant of the disease has arrived in full force. In Iowa, 20,075 new COVID-19 cases were reported in the past week, almost doubling the 11,234 new cases reported the week before. Deaths from the disease also saw an unusually high increase to 161 deaths, increasing the death toll from the disease statewide to 8,019 since the pandemic began here in March of 2020. After a few weeks of drops, Iowa's numbers of people hospitalized with the disease jumped back up again to 795.  Iowa health experts told the Gazette on Wednesday that the huge jump is being fueled by the highly contagious omicron variant becoming the dominant strain in the state. Ahttps://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter_axioslocal_desmoines&stream=top#variant-proportions (ccording to a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report), as of the week ending Jan. 1, the omicron variant made up 77.4 percent of the COVID-19 sequenced tests in the region made up of Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas and Missouri Officials with the state's largest hospital expect the number of cases in Iowa will peak in late January or early February, noting it's hard to predict the impact. “We're hopeful we'll see that our hospitalizations do not peak to the levels that they were before with delta, and we believe that we've seen that in other areas around the world. We're watching it closely,” said Dr. Mike Brownlee, University of Iowa Health Care chief pharmacy officer This latest strain has the ability to spread much more rapidly than other variants, including the highly transmissible delta variant it just displaced. It also has a shorter incubation period between exposure and infection, enabling the strain to spread much faster than previous variants In a call with reporters on Wednesday, Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley said he sees no possibility Senate Republicans will support President Joe Biden's Build Back Better plan if it ever comes up for a vote. “Republicans probably will not support anything that's $1.8 trillion because we all voted against $1.9 trillion that was passed in March on a party-line vote,” Grassley said during his weekly call with reporters. Grassley said the fact the nation's economy being strong while inflation levels are unusually high has led Republicans, who already are not fans of large social spending bills on the best of days, to resist the idea even more. Lawmakers also will be on edge Thursday, as it marks the one year anniversary since violent rioters overran the nation's capitol building, an incident that still is being investigated along largely partisan lines. Support for this podcast provided by New Pioneer Food Co-op. Celebrating 50 years as Eastern Iowa's source for locally and responsibly sourced groceries with stores in Iowa City, Coralville and Cedar Rapids; and online through Co-op Cart at http://www.newpi.coop/ (newpi.coop).

Amy Pearlman, MD, joins our podcast to discuss the many different treatment options for erectile dysfunction. Today's interview with Dr. Pearlman is an in-depth exploration of the decision-making process for patients dealing with erection issues. Dr. Pearlman is a men's sexual health specialist and board-certified urologist. She currently serves as Clinical Assistant Professor and Men's Health Program Director with University of Iowa Health Care. The Erectile Dysfunction Radio Podcast is dedicated to educating and empowering men to address erectile dysfunction, improve confidence, and enhance the satisfaction in their relationships. This podcast is hosted by certified sex therapist, Mark Goldberg, LCMFT, CST. Learn to think differently about erections to resolve your ED struggles with our "Beyond the Little Blue Pill" eCourse: https://erectioniq.com/course     For more free erectile dysfunction education and resources, visit: https://erectioniq.com/  Learn more about Dr. Pearlman: https://pearlmanmds.com/amy-pearlman-md/

Advances in the application of precision oncology have resulted in an increased demand for genetic counseling services. While the genetic counselor workforce is on the rise, disparities in access are widespread. Certain barriers to genetic counseling—from geography to business challenges— are impacting who can access, and benefit from, genetic counseling services. In this episode, Dr. Colleen Campbell, University of Iowa Health Care, explains specific policy changes that can help ensure access across diverse patient groups–while also benefiting those hospitals and genetic counselors who provide these services. This podcast is sponsored by the Iowa Oncology Society.Guest: Colleen Campbell, Ph.D., MS, LGCClinical Assistant Professor in Cardiovascular Medicine;Director, Genetic Counseling Operations, University of Iowa Health Care; Assistant Director, Iowa Institute for Human Genetics; Secretary/Treasurer of the National Society of Genetic Counselors (NSGC)Related Content:A Multidisciplinary Consortium to Advance Genetic Counseling in OncologyThe Need for Increased Access to Genetic CounselorsImproving Access to Oncology Genetic CounselingEliminating Precision Medicine Disparities Overview[Video Podcast] Ep 9: Precision Medicine DisparitiesTransforming Complex to Clear: New Precision Medicine Tools

In this episode, Dr. Clancy and his guests, Dr. Lou Ann Montgomery and Dr. Joe Szot, discuss new models of health professions education inspired and accelerated by the pandemic. Gerard Clancy, MD, Senior Associate Dean for External Affairs and Professor of Psychiatry, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine Lou Ann Montgomery, PhD, MAN, RN, NPD-BD, RN-BC, FAAN, Director of Nursing Professional Development and Advanced Practice, Nursing Director for Emergency Medical Services Learning Resource Center, and Co-Director of Nursing Clinical Education Center, University of Iowa Health Care lou-montgomery@uiowa.edu linkedin.com/in/lou-ann-montgomery-47a81512 Joseph Szot, MD, Associate Dean for Continuing and Integrated Medical Education and Clinical Professor of Internal Medicine-General Internal Medicine, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine Financial Disclosures:  Dr. Gerard Clancy, guests, and the members of the planning committee for Rounding@IOWA have no relevant financial relationships to disclose. CME Credit Available:  https://uiowa.cloud-cme.com/course/courseoverview?P=0&EID=45241  Accreditation: The University of Iowa Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians. CME Credit Designation: The University of Iowa Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine designates this enduring material for a maximum of 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 CreditTM. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. Nurses: Effective March 18, 2020, Iowa nurses may use participation in ACCME-accredited education toward their CE requirement for licensure. A certificate of participation will be available after successful completion of the course. (Nurses from other states should confirm with their licensing boards that this activity meets their state's licensing requirements.) Other Health Care Providers: A certificate of completion will be available after successful completion of the course. (It is the responsibility of licensees to determine if this continuing education activity meets the requirements of their professional licensure board.) Date Recorded: 11/23/2021 References: Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Future of Nursing Education Leaver, Cynthia A. PhD; Stanley, Joan M. PhD; Veenema, Tener Goodwin PhD, MPH Academic Medicine:  November 16, 2021 - Volume - Issue - doi: 10.1097/ACM.0000000000004528 Agile COVID Education:  Adapting Nurse Orientation & Residency Jun 04, 2020- Episode 1 Agile COVID Education: Adapting Nurse Orientation & Residency - AACN Host: Jamie Davis, BA, RN, NRP (ret.) Featured Guest: Adrianne E. Edlund, MS, RN, CHFN, NPD-BC Education during COVID-19 and beyond United Nations publication August 2020: sg policy brief covid-19 and education august 2020.pdf(un.org) Rayburn, William F., et. al., Continuing Professional Development in Medicine and Health Care: Better Education, Better Patient Outcomes, Wolters Kluwer, 2017

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Tuesday, November 23. We're riding the temperature roller coaster back to warmer weather on Tuesday. According to the National Weather Service it will be sunny with a high near 50 degrees. On Tuesday night there will be increasing clouds, with a low around 40. It could be a bit windy, with a south wind blowing at 5 to 15 mph and gusting as high as 25 mph, with the wind picking up as the day goes on. An Illinois man was arrested on Sunday after being accused by police of shooting a Marion woman in the leg last June. Authorities allege Jeremy Sneed, 33, of Joliet, Ill., grabbed a gun from his vehicle and threatened several people at a home on Chapelridge Circle on June 26 in Marion. According to the criminal complaint, Sneed pointed the weapon at a man with the intent to kill him. Sneed missed and the bullet struck a woman in the leg. Authorities have charged Sneed with attempted murder, a Class B felony punishable by up to 25 years in prison. He is in the Linn County Jail on $50,000 bond. University of Iowa Health Care has spotted an alarming spike in new influenza cases in recent weeks, establishing a real possibility that hospitals statewide will be grappling with a “twindemic” of widespread flu and COVID-19 cases this winter. UIHC has begun to see a rapid increase in influenza cases, rising from just one laboratory-confirmed case two weeks ago to over 150 cases in the last week, UIHC chief medical officer Dr. Theresa Brennan told reporters Monday. The health care system's announcement follows a warning the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had issued to Americans earlier this fall that the country could be in for https://www.thegazette.com/health-care-medicine/upcoming-flu-season-could-be-severe-posing-risk-for-twindemic-with-covid-19/ (an “early and possibly severe flu season” this year). And with a low flu vaccination rate among Iowans ahead of this week's Thanksgiving celebrations, Brennan warned an elevated level of influenza cases — coupled with the ongoing surge of COVID-19 infections — “could really impact our community and our health care resources.” According to reporting from the Associated Press a judge has ruled that an Iowa measure that prohibits Medicaid coverage for sex reassignment surgeries for transgender residents violates state law and the state constitution. In a decision made public Monday, Polk County District Court Judge William Kelly ordered the Iowa Department of Human Services to provide coverage for sex reassignment surgeries when ordered to treat gender dysphoria, a psychological distress that results from an incongruence between one's sex assigned at birth and one's gender identity. It often begins in childhood, and some people may not experience it until after puberty or much later, according to the American Psychiatric Association. About 12 states, including Iowa, exclude the surgeries from Medicaid coverage.  Are you a fan of trying new restaurants? Get the latest restaurant openings & closings and more chewy tips from The Gazette's Chew On this newsletter. Sign up at http://thegazette.com/ (thegazette.com) slash chew  Be sure to subscribe to The Gazette Daily news podcast, or just tell your Amazon Alexa enabled device to “enable The Gazette Daily News skill" so you can get your daily briefing by simply saying “Alexa, what's the news? If you prefer podcasts, you can also find us on iTunes or wherever else you find your Podcasts. Support this podcast

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Wednesday, September 29th. Wednesday might be the last day in the week with no chance for rain. According to the National Weather Service it will be mostly sunny in the Cedar Rapids area with a high near 86 degrees. On Wednesday night it will be mostly cloudy, with a low around 63 degrees. The forecast looks like it will get cooler, and potentially wetter, as the week continues on. According to the Associated Press, a federal judge has extended a restraining order for 14 more days blocking an Iowa state law that prohibits mask mandates, allowing schools to mandate masks in the meantime as a result. The order, issued late Monday by U.S. District Judge Robert Pratt, extends his initial order from Sept. 13 until Oct. 11, which means school districts may impose mask mandates and the state cannot stop them. Pratt concluded in his order that enforcement of the law continues to pose a threat to the health of children. Documents filed in the case claim that nearly a quarter of Iowa public school students are in districts that have experienced significant COVID-19 outbreaks this year. On the positive news front, the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines have proved “highly effective at preventing symptomatic COVID-19” among health care workers in “real-world” settings, according to a new national study that involved over 300 University of Iowa Health Care workers. The project, co-led by UI professors of emergency medicine Nick Mohr and David Talan, involved 4,931 health care workers from 33 medical centers — including UI Hospitals and Clinics — between December 2020 and May. Findings, https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2106599?query=featured_home (published Sept. 22 in the New England Journal of Medicine), showed a two-dose regimen of the Pfizer vaccine to be 89 percent effective against symptomatic COVID-19 and the Moderna version to be 96 percent effective. The Cedar Rapids City Council on Tuesday adopted a plan committing Iowa's second-largest city to action to do its part in slowing global warming, with targets to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 and to enhance community resiliency to the consequences of human-caused global warming. The https://www.thegazette.com/local-government/as-climate-crisis-worsens-cedar-rapids-unveils-its-action-plan/ (Community Climate Action Plan) outlines steps that residents and neighborhood groups, industrial partners, businesses and city officials can take to engage in local climate action, with an eye toward equity to uplift those who will disproportionately bear the consequences of a warming planet. These goals include increased walkability and easy access to city amenities and green space.  City officials lauded the plan as a likely model for other communities to use. The Iowa State Patrol is seeking additional information from the public after a pedestrian was killed in a hit-and-run incident on Interstate 80 in Iowa City on Monday afternoon.  According to the patrol, at 4:14 p.m., an “unknown vehicle” struck a pedestrian in a travel lane of eastbound Interstate 80 in Iowa City under the Dodge Street overpass at mile marker 246. The report stated the incident remains under investigation. The Iowa State Patrol asks anyone who was a witness or has any related information to contact the agency. The name of the person killed has not yet been released. Be sure to subscribe to The Gazette Daily news podcast, or just tell your Amazon Alexa enabled device to “enable The Gazette Daily News skill" so you can get your daily briefing by simply saying “Alexa, what's the news? If you prefer podcasts, you can also find us on iTunes or wherever else you find your Podcasts.   Support this podcast

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Wednesday, September 15th. Wednesday's weather will be both pleasant and uneventful. According to the National Weather Service there will be a high of 79 degrees in the Cedar Rapids area with sunny skies. The wind will even calm down to a gentle 5 mph. On Wednesday night it will be mostly clear, with a low around 54 degrees. Several urban school districts in Iowa have already jumped at the chance to institute mask mandates. A day after a federal judge's ruling temporarily blocked a law passed by the Iowa Legislature banning mask mandates, mask mandates have been instituted in the school districts in Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, and Iowa City. The Cedar Rapids Community School District announced Tuesday it is reinstating a mandate that all students, staff and visitors starting Wednesday wear face coverings in its schools to mitigate the surging spread of COVID-19. In Iowa City schools, masks will be required in the buildings and outdoors on school property if social distancing is not possible. Students actively participating in athletic competition — whether indoors or outdoors — are not required to wear a mask. Students on the sidelines or bench, however, are required to wear a mask.  An Iowa prisoner charged with bludgeoning to death an Anamosa prison guard and nurse as part of an escape attempt plans to plead guilty to the charges Wednesday 28-year-old Michael A. Dutcher had https://www.thegazette.com/crime-courts/inmate-charged-with-killing-anamosa-prison-officer-nurse-will-claim-self-defense/ (said previously) he would claim at trial the slayings were in self-defense or defense of others. But court filings Monday show Dutcher now plans to plead guilty Wednesday to the charges in the trial information, which are two counts of first-degree murder, second-degree kidnapping and attempted murder. The plea hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m. at the Jones County Courthouse in Anamosa. Fellow prisoner Thomas Woodard pleaded guilty as charged for his role in the killings and was https://www.thegazette.com/crime-courts/watch-live-inmate-thomas-woodards-sentencing-for-killing-anamosa-prison-workers-robert-mcfarland-a/ (sentenced last month) to life in prison without the possibility of parole. University of Iowa Health Care, at the same time its moving swiftly to erect a $395 million 469,000-square-foot campus on a 60-acre site in North Liberty, is looking to expand its footprint in Coralville near its popular Iowa River Landing clinic. The university on Wednesday will ask for Board of Regents permission to spend nearly $1 million on a 29,971-square-foot plot of land within the IRL district along east Second Street. The hospital told the Regents in its request that it wants the additional land for both additional services and the potential for more parking. With the Iowa Supreme Court's blessing, state lawmakers will meet Oct. 5 to begin their part of creating new congressional and legislative election districts to reflect population changes shown in the latest 2020 census that arrived too late to meet constitutional deadlines. The state constitution calls for the Iowa Legislature to approve a redistricting plan by Sept. 1 and for the plan to be enacted by Sept. 15. If the deadlines are not met, the constitution shifts redistricting responsibilities to the Iowa Supreme Court. But with the ruling, the court gave lawmakers some room to work with. Be sure to subscribe to The Gazette Daily news podcast, or just tell your Amazon https://www.thegazette.com/topic?eid=121774&ename=Alexa&lang=en (Alexa) enabled device to “enable The Gazette Daily News skill" so you can get your daily briefing by simply saying “Alexa, what's the news? If you prefer podcasts, you can also find us on iTunes or wherever else you find your Podcasts. Support this podcast

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Wednesday, September 1. Wednesday will bring sunny and pleasant weather to the middle of your week. According to the National Weather Service there should be a high near 81 degrees in the Cedar Rapids area with sunny skies. Wind speeds will be 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Wednesday night it will be mostly clear and calm, with a low around 55 degrees. After hearing hours of ardent testimony about how a new $230 million University of Iowa Health Care facility in North Liberty would affect patients, community hospitals and UIHC's mission, a state council Tuesday reversed a prior decision and this time approved the project to proceed. Having narrowly denied the application in February — with three members voting against the 300,000-square-foot facility at Forevergreen Road and Highway 965 and two voting for it — the five-member State Health Facilities Council this time around, without discussion, voted 4-1 for the project. Representatives from other local hospitals, particularly Mercy Iowa City, again spoke fervently against the project at the meeting. The new addition, they argued, would be devastating to smaller hospitals like Mercy, and as a result, would lead to reduced choice.  With Tuesday's approval, UIHC has the state permission it needs to proceed in building a facility with capacity for 48 beds less than 10 miles from its main campus in Iowa City. The project, which will require additional regent approval, is scheduled to debut in 2025. Linn County will accept 144 emergency sirens from the Duane Arnold Energy Center and pay $175,200 a year to maintain them. Members of the county Emergency Management Commission approved the plan Tuesday night, despite a push from Linn County Supervisor Louis Zumbach for the cities to pay for their share of the sirens rather than the county covering the full cost. NextEra Energy Resources, owner of the now-retired Duane Arnold Energy Center, said earlier this year it would https://www.thegazette.com/news/nextera-planning-to-donate-warning-sirens-to-linn-county/ (donate 144 Whelen outdoor sirens and four control stations) — together worth more than $1 million — to the Linn County Emergency Management Agency. The sirens once were required in a 10-mile radius of the nuclear power plant, opened in 1974, to warn residents of a potential exposure to radioactive materials. But since the plant stopped production in August 2020, NextEra no longer needs the siren network. Officials said the sirens will now be put to use for less radioactive threats, such as storms. All that rain that moved northward over the last week is making its way toward Cedar Rapids, but, in this case, it is heading down river. The city of Cedar Rapids Public Works Department is taking steps to address minor flood stage river levels on the Cedar River. The Cedar River is projected to crest overnight between Thursday and Friday at under 11 feet, which is below minor flood stage and will have minimal impacts to the public, according to a news release. The National Weather Service reports that the river reached 6.2 feet at 11 a.m. Tuesday. Flood response measures include the closure of low-lying roads and parks, including Otis Road SE, Robbins Lake off of Ellis Road NW, and the Manhattan Park pavilion. Just a few days away until college football returns to Iowa. If you love all things Iowa Football, don't miss Leah Vann's Talkin Hawks Newsletter. In her weekly email you'll get exclusive Hawkeye coverage, trivia, food reviews, podcast highlights and more. Sign up today at the thegazette.com/hawks Be sure to subscribe to The Gazette Daily news podcast, or just tell your Amazon https://www.thegazette.com/topic?eid=121774&ename=Alexa&lang=en (Alexa) enabled device to “enable The Gazette Daily News skill" so you can get your daily briefing by simply saying “Alexa, what's the news? If you prefer... Support this podcast

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Saturday, August 7th and Sunday, August 8th. We could see some rain Saturday and Sunday. According to the forecast from the National Weather Service there will be a slight chance for showers and thunderstorms all day on Saturday. Otherwise, it will be partly sunny, with a high near 88 degrees. The chance for rain will become more pronounced on Saturday night into Sunday, rising to a 50 percent chance overnight and a 70 percent chance on Sunday. As for Sunday, it is expected to range from partly sunny to mostly cloudy, with a high near 89 degrees. Avoiding a murder trial, an Anamosa State Penitentiary inmate admitted Friday to bludgeoning correctional Officer Robert McFarland and prison nurse Lorena Schulte to death with a hammer during a failed prison escape last spring. Inmate https://www.thegazette.com/crime-courts/trials-reset-for-inmates-charged-with-killing-anamosa-prison-employees/ (Thomas Woodard, 34, )admitted that he intentionally struck McFarland, 46, of Ely, at least twice to the back of his head and struck Schulte, 50, of Cedar Rapids, at least twice to her face and head. He wouldn't admit that he had an intent to kill Schulte. He said his intention when attacking Schulte was to try to keep her from calling for help. Woodard, who was serving time at Anamosa for robbery, pleaded guilty to all the charges against him: two counts of first-degree murder, attempted murder and second-degree kidnapping. He faces two life sentences without parole and up to 50 years on the other two. His only condition for pleading to the charges was that he be sent to a Nebraska prison to serve his terms. Another inmate who attempted to escape, Michael Dutcher, is accused of the same charges. He has asked for a non-jury trial, which hasn't been scheduled yet. Dutcher plans to claim self-defense or that he acted in defense of others. Following a https://www.thegazette.com/health-care-medicine/state-halts-university-of-iowa-plans-for-new-hospital-in-north-liberty/ (denial in February) and an unexpected delay over the summer, University of Iowa Health Care's revamped application to build a $230 million facility off Interstate 380 in North Liberty is set to have a second shot this month before the State Health Facilities Council. On May 20, UIHC https://www.thegazette.com/higher-education/university-of-iowa-health-care-reapplies-to-build-north-liberty-hospital/ (resubmitted an application) to build “one of the most expensive proposed projects in council history” after the five-member appointed group on Feb. 17 — following seven hours of testimony — narrowly voted 3-2 to deny permission to build. In its reapplication the university hospital is attempting to argue for a narrower purpose for the location that fits its research mission. The original proposal was strongly opposed by other hospitals in the area, as they argued an expanded UIHC would hurt competition, and in the case of Mercy Iowa City, potentially put them out of business. The new Sixth Avenue in Marion, a road project over a decade in the making, is now fully open to traffic. The city held a ribbon cutting Friday morning to celebrate the opening of the road that runs between two roundabouts at Seventh Avenue and Seventh Street and at 26th Street, the former Marion Iron site. The plan, set into motion in 2009, was to build a street along the right of way so downtown traffic would be balanced between Sixth and Seventh avenues, creating a more pedestrian-friendly Uptown. In addition, properties that once housed warehouses and industry were removed and are now in a position to become a mix of commercial and residential. With the Iowa football season rapidly approaching, there will be more Hawkeye news to come soon. If you want to have the latest football insights emailed directly to you, sign up for Leah Vann's exclusive weekly Talkin' Hawks newsletter at thegazette.com/hawks... Support this podcast

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Thursday, August 5. We could get some much needed rain Thursday. According to the National Weather Service it should be partly sunny Thursday with a high near 82 degrees in the Cedar Rapids area. There will be a slight chance for showers and thunderstorms Thursday morning that will increase as the day goes on. Rainfall totals are not expected to be significant, except in the areas where thunderstorms develop. Iowa added an average of 510 COVID-19 cases a day over the last week — the highest average since last April and even higher than the same time a year ago when vaccines were not yet available here, according to weekly figures released Wednesday by the state. The number of virus patients being treated in Iowa hospitals rose, too, from 157 to 201. It marked the first time since April 24 that hospitalizations exceeded 200. In some good news, the rate of vaccination seemed to have increased slightly as well. The number of fully vaccinated Iowans rose by 11,308 over the past seven days, for a total of 1,490,392. That marks 55.69 percent of Iowans over age 12 being fully vaccinated, or about 47.24 percent of Iowa's total population. It remains to be seen how the numbers will change as schools are set to reopen and the highly contagious Delta variant of COVID-19 is the dominant strain in Iowa. There were two high profile departures in Iowa's health industry announced Wednesday. Sean Williams will resign as Mercy Iowa City's president and chief executive officer effective Sept. 30, the hospital said Wednesday. Mike Trachta, MercyOne System vice president of network affiliates and Mercy Iowa City chief operating officer, will serve as acting president of the hospital. Mercy Iowa City is seeking to leave the statewide MercyOne network in search of a larger partner. The move comes after years of financial struggles for the hospital. After three years as part of University of Iowa Health Care's new administrative team, Chief Financial Officer Bradley Haws on Friday is leaving UIHC for the same position at https://www.emoryhealthcare.org/index.html (Emory Healthcare) — which is part of Emory University in Atlanta. That has UIHC  relying again on interim leadership while a search committee launches a national hunt for Haws' successor. All this while UIHC attempts to navigate a complicated post pandemic financial world. A Cedar Rapids man https://www.thegazette.com/news/mans-body-found-in-cedar-river/ (who drowned in the Cedar River last month) while swimming has been identified as Clifford Deon Jones. A 911 call was placed just before 5:30 p.m. July 16 by the 44-year-old man's teenage son, who reported his father had been swimming in the river, but then went underwater and did not resurface. The son told emergency responders that he and his father had been walking their dogs near First Street and O Avenue NW and they both went into the water to cool off. Firefighters launched three boats, and after 30 minutes of searching, found the man's body in about 10 feet of water, 15 feet from the shore, the news release stated. Police have determined the death to be an accidental drowning. With the Iowa football season rapidly approaching, there will be more Hawkeye news to come soon. If you want to have the latest football insights emailed directly to you, sign up for Leah Vann's exclusive weekly Talkin' Hawks newsletter at thegazette.com/hawks Be sure to subscribe to The Gazette Daily news podcast, or just tell your Amazon https://www.thegazette.com/topic?eid=121774&ename=Alexa&lang=en (Alexa) enabled device to “enable The Gazette Daily News skill" so you can get your daily briefing by simply saying “Alexa, what's the news? If you prefer podcasts, you can also find us on iTunes or wherever else you find your Podcasts. Support this podcast

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Thursday, July 22. The chance for rain has passed, but what remains is heat and humidity. According to the National Weather Service, it will be mostly sunny and humid Thursday with a high near 89 degrees. Adding to this will be hazy skies Thursday night and Friday morning as the smoke from several west coast wildfires is reaching midwestern states. A teenage girl who took advanced classes and played on her high school basketball team was found dead this week with a bullet wound in a crashed car she had borrowed while visiting her older sister in Cedar Rapids. Cedar Rapids police on Wednesday identified Tyliyah Whitis, 15, of Peoria, Ill, as the teen who was discovered Tuesday morning in the one-car crash outside the Hawthorne Hills apartment complex in the 2200 block of C Street SW. Police said Whitis had been shot at least once and the vehicle had sustained significant damage. Cedar Rapids public safety spokesperson Greg Buelow said the cause and manner of death has not yet been determined — that will come from the State Medical Examiner's Office following an autopsy. But police are investigating the death as a homicide. Whitis's sister, T'yanna Nesby, told the Gazette that Whitis was a straight A student back in Peoria, who worked two jobs and wanted to one day start her own business. Forty Iowans, including some from the Cedar Rapids area, had to undergo treatment for rabies after they were potentially in contact with a rabid bat at a zoo in Omaha. More than 180 individuals were advised to receive the rabies post-exposure prophylaxis, which contains the rabies vaccine, after a wild bat was found near a person attending one of the Henry Doorly Zoo's multiple overnight campouts at the aquarium earlier this month. A total of 186 overnight campers, including youth and adult groups, were contacted by the Nebraska public health department, the https://omaha.com/news/local/186-overnight-campers-at-omaha-zoo-potentially-exposed-to-rabid-bat-found-in-aquarium/article_2be933ac-e0ec-11eb-8d6a-3f93e96f2121.html (Omaha World-Herald reported). Public health officials in Nebraska recommended all campers who stayed at the zoo overnight June 29, June 30, July 2 and July 3 receive the treatment. As it promised, University of Iowa Health Care plans to reward more than 12,000 employees it required over the last year to either forfeit raises, absorb pay cuts, shed earned vacation time or take unpaid leave to ease its budget woes in the worst throes of COVID-19. The one-time lump sum payments — coming Sept. 1 if approved next week by the Board of Regents — will vary in amount depending on the eligible worker's base salary as of June 30, 2021, according to documents made public this week.  In total, UIHC expects to pay out $26.6 million to over 12,000 eligible employees based on a projected hospital operating margin of over 7 percent for the budget year that ended June 30.  Luka Garza has been selected as the 2020-21 Big Ten Jesse Owens Male Athlete of the Year, the league announced Wednesday. Garza is the fifth Hawkeye chosen as the male winner in the past 35 years, joining wrestlers Brent Metcalf (2008), Barry Davis (1985) and Ed Banach (1983), as well as football player Chuck Long (1986). Minnesota senior diver Sarah Bacon was recognized as the Female Athlete of the Year. Do you like Hawkeye football? Well with the next season coming up soon sign up for Leah Vann's exclusive weekly Talkin' Hawks newsletter at TheGaz DOT C-O SLASH talkin hawks Be sure to subscribe to The Gazette Daily news podcast, or just tell your Amazon https://www.thegazette.com/topic?eid=121774&ename=Alexa&lang=en (Alexa) enabled device to “enable The Gazette Daily News skill" so you can get your daily briefing by simply saying “Alexa, what's the news? If you prefer podcasts, you can also find us on iTunes or wherever else you find your... Support this podcast

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Friday, May 14th. Rain is coming this weekend, but the weather will be somewhat dry and pleasant before it begins to arrive Friday night. According to the National Weather Service it should be cloudy Friday in the Cedar Rapids area with a high near 64 degrees. There will be a chance of rain that increases as the day progresses, with a 20 percent chance of showers after 4 p.m. and a 60 percent chance of precipitation Friday night into Saturday morning. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention eased mask-wearing guidance for fully vaccinated people on Thursday, allowing them to stop wearing masks outdoors in crowds and in most indoor settings. It should be noted for the purpose of accuracy that a person is not considered fully vaccinated until two weeks after the completion of a one-shot or two-shot vaccination regimen. Although the transition will be muddled, the thought is that this will increase the incentive for more people to complete their vaccinations. The new guidance still calls for wearing masks in crowded indoor settings like buses, planes, hospitals, prisons and homeless shelters but it will help clear the way for reopening workplaces, schools, and other venues — even removing the need for social distancing for those who are fully vaccinated. There also will likely be confusion, as the CDC guidelines still ask that people who have not been fully vaccinated to wear a mask indoors, but it will be impossible to know who has been vaccinated or not, especially in a state like Iowa, where the legislature has made proving you have been vaccinated to enter an establishment or workplace illegal. In other vaccination news Thursday,  University of Iowa Health Care officially expanded its COVID-19 vaccination effort to add newly-approved tweens and early teens, administering first shots to the 12-15 age group at a clinic in its Iowa River Landing location. Other local vaccination providers will likely follow suit this week, following the expanded eligibility of this age group. A video was widely shared online where a presentation for Heritage for America, a conservative think tank, boasted about writing laws in several states across the nation helping to restrict early voting, among other things. This became particularly relevant when Iowa was name dropped in the presentation as a state where this was rolled out first, to great success.  The bill's floor manager, Rep. Bobby Kaufman, R-Wilton, said that despite the claims in the video, he had not spoken to Heritage when writing the bill at all, and he came up with the language of the bill, restricting absentee and early voting, with Republican State Sen. Roby Smith. The election reforms, that also stiffened penalties for auditors and voters violating the rules, was passed in March with entirely Republican votes. Iowa was one of several states to restrict the windows of early and absentee voting during the 2021 legislative session, a strategy relied on heavily by Democratic candidates in recent elections. A Cedar Rapids man is the third defendant to be convicted in the robbery and death of James Booher, who went missing May 31, 2014, after going to an Ely farmhouse to make a drug deal. 45-year-old William L. Yancey, who was set to go on trial in U.S. District Court next month, pleaded guilty Thursday to robbery affecting interstate commerce and using, carrying and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence resulting in murder. During the plea hearing, Yancey admitted to knowingly robbing Booher of methamphetamine and money on May 31, 2014. He also admitted to knowing a firearm was going to be used or carried during the crime, that he had advance notice of the crime and the choice to walk away. He also admitted the firearm was discharged and resulted in the fatal shooting of Booher, 51, of Marion. The Iowa Ideas 2021 virtual conference will be here...

Russ Curry founded Curious music in 1988. Curious music is a family owned, record label based in Coralville that curates experimental and reflective music. After a near 20 year hiatus Russ is back in the game and has a slew of new projects underway. Among many other things, Katie Imborek is a physician, clinical professor, and co-director of the University of Iowa Health Care’s LGBTQ clinic, which she co founded in 2012. She’s also been a major force behind the expansion of telehealth communications and other efforts related to combatting the COVID-19 pandemic. The episode features music by Gossip Cult, Alex Body, and “White Picket Fence” by Hannah Frey for our Song of the Week. Thank you to Carrie Houchins-Witt for sponsoring this episode. Ongoing support comes from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Iowa Arts Council, and from the United States Regional Arts Resilience Fund. Phase 1 is an initiative of Arts Midwest and its peer United States Regional Arts Organizations made possible by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Best Show Ever is produced by the Englert in Iowa City, Iowa, and is supported by Friends of the Englert. Visit www.englert.org/friends to support our programming. -------------------- Host: Elly Hofmaier Line Producer: Savannah Lane Audio Engineers: Gabi Vanek & Ioannis Alexakis Executive Producers: John Schickedanz & Andre Perry --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/englert/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/englert/support

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Thursday, April 29. The predicted chance for rain has decreased after Wednesday, meaning we should be looking at a continued break from heavy spring rain until Sunday at the earliest.  According to the National Weather Service, the forecast for the Cedar Rapids area calls for partly sunny skies Thursday with a high near 70 degrees. A wind of 5 to 15 mph could gust as high as 25 mph. It should remain mostly clear Thursday evening, with a low near 44 degrees. Two months after the State Health Facilities Council sided with opponents in narrowly https://www.thegazette.com/health-care-medicine/state-halts-university-of-iowa-plans-for-new-hospital-in-north-liberty/ (denying University of Iowa Health Care a certificate) to build a $230 million “general acute hospital” off Interstate 380 in North Liberty, UIHC has notified the state it plans to try again. The updated endeavor, according to a state list of intended projects, is characterized as a “48-bed acute care hospital in North Liberty” — 12 beds more than the 36-bed “general acute hospital” that UIHC pitched last time. After being criticized for their previous application veering too far out of its lane as a teaching hospital, UIHC this time is describing the proposed facility as an expansion of its existing complex care services, health sciences education and clinical research. It was a busy day at the state legislature Wednesday. Expanding broadband internet access in Iowa took a leap forward Wednesday when Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a law creating a priority system for broadband improvement and announced she and legislative leaders have agreed to pump $100 million into the effort to fund grants for broadband providers. Broadband expansion — long a need in Iowa but one urgently highlighted in the pandemic with a switch to more virtual learning, working from home and online medical appointments — was a 2021 priority of the governor. The priority system would establish tiers of funding assistance to improve broadband infrastructure, with more money targeted at communities that have poor to nonexistent broadband options. In the Iowa House, representatives Wednesday approved fast-track legislation to ban “vaccine passports” that would require the disclosure of whether Iowans have received a COVID-19 vaccination. Vaccine passports have been discussed nationally as a way to encourage people to get the COVID-19 vaccine, and to ensure venues and businesses can secure the health of people using their spaces. Although this is only in the theoretical stage in Iowa, Iowa Republicans on Wednesday continued their strong opposition to them ever being implemented, saying that requiring a person to be vaccinated violates that person's freedom and is thus intrinsically un-American. The bill, approved by Republican majority, 58-35, now goes to the Senate where a committee has approved a companion bill. WIth spring's arrival, Iowa City's popular Farmers Market will return for in-person sales Saturday in the first level of the Chauncey Swan Parking Ramp. Due to the pandemic, all visitors to the market are being required to wear a mask over their mouth and nose while in the ramp. Masks are just one of the safety precautions the market is using this year, as the total number of vendors present has been reduced, and the total number of people who can be in the ramp any given time will be controlled at both the north and south entrances.  Want updates on these and other stories delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up for free today at thegazette dot com slash newsletters. From news, to sports, to kid's activities, Gazette newsletters have something for everyone. Be sure to subscribe to The Gazette Daily news podcast, or just tell your Amazon https://www.thegazette.com/topic?eid=121774&ename=Alexa&lang=en (Alexa) enabled device to “enable The Gazette Daily News skill" so you...

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Saturday, April 3 and Sunday, April 4. For some of you this weekend has deep religious significance. For others, it will be a long overdo excuse to see family. The best news is that the sun will be shining down on all of us. According to the National Weather Service, your local Easter Egg hunt will have some of the best weather we've had so far this year. On Saturday it will be sunny, with a high near 73 degrees in the Cedar Rapids area and winds of 10 to 15 mph. On Sunday it will be sunny again, with a high near 75 degrees and less windy than the day before. The sun was also shining on Iowa gun rights enthusiasts Friday. Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds signed into law Friday a contentious measure eliminating a requirement that Iowans obtain a permit to acquire or carry handguns and loosening other state restrictions. The bill enacts a longtime wish of gun rights activists, with Iowa now joining 18 states that have similar “constitutional carry” provisions that advocates say will enhance individual rights while removing  a requirement they first get a “permission slip from the government.” The NRA applauded the signing, calling it “a common-sense measure that allows law-abiding citizens to exercise their fundamental right of self-defense in the manner that best suits their needs.” The state's decision to allocate one-shot COVID-19 vaccines to colleges and employers is “heartbreaking” to local public health officials who have been “requesting, even begging, for several weeks” to receive the doses to administer to vulnerable populations, Linn County Public Health wrote this week in an emotional plea. In a letter Wednesday, Linn County Public Health asked the Governor's Office to allocate the Johnson & Johnson vaccine to local public health agencies and let them decide what's best for their jurisdictions. “It is becoming increasingly clear that the Governor's Office does not trust local public health to identify and serve individuals in our community who are most vulnerable,” wrote Tricia Kitzmann, community health division manager, in the letter. Everyone of legal age will be eligible to sign up for a COVID-19 vaccine as of Monday. This is welcome news for getting more Iowans vaccinated, but health care providers worry that the expansion is coming before vulnerable groups have been fully vaccinated, leaving them potentially exposed for longer if they fall to the end of the line. A former acting director of University of Iowa Health Care's Central Sterilizing Services is suing UIHC and the Board of Regents for gender and pay discrimination, asserting she was excluded from meetings and decision making, paid less than her male counterparts, and fired after reporting concerns about bias and unsafe practices. When Courtney Mace Davis, now of Winfield, was terminated in April 2019, the UIHC Central Sterilizing Services she previously led was transitioning from the main campus in Iowa City to a new 48,000-square-foot facility on the Oakdale campus in Coralville. The operation is responsible for cleaning, inspecting, packaging and sterilizing nearly 10 million medical instruments a year. In suing UIHC and the regents for gender and pay discrimination, and also retaliation for reporting her concerns, Mace Davis is seeking compensation for lost wages, humiliation, anguish and weakened future employment opportunities. But she also wants the court to force UIHC to take steps to prevent discrimination going forward, like imposing training, implementing monitoring and barring disproportionate discipline for women. This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers. Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at https://www.corridorcareers.com/...

Keith Burrell, born and raised in Cedar Rapids, Iowa shares his story of growing up Black in a predominantly white State. As the 8th child of his family, Keith's black journey reveals the struggles of black parenting and how the educational system disadvantages the black population. Keith is now an Application Developer at the University of Iowa Health Care. He has over 10 years of experience in reporting and analytics and uses this expertise to help Departments, Providers and researchers with their data needs. Keith earned his bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from University of Iowa. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/ontheedgewitheddie/support

This is Stephen Colbert with the Gazette Digital News Desk and this is your update for Thursday, February 25, 2021. Today's going to see some patchy fog before 10am, but otherwise it'll be partly sunny, with a high near 35. Tonight it'll be partly cloudy, with a low around 21. Iowa election limits clear Senate hurdle https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/government/iowa-election-limits-clear-senate-hurdle-20210224 (https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/government/iowa-election-limits-clear-senate-hurdle-20210224)  The Iowa Senate voted Tuesday to shorten Iowa's early voting process to 20 days, close statewide election polls an hour earlier, condense absentee ballot rules and put in place tougher criminal penalties for “rogue” county auditors who fail to follow state rules. With Senate passage, the bill now heads this week to the Iowa House. During a news conference last week, Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds indicated she would be willing to consider the election changes rapidly making their way to her desk to sign into law. University of Iowa Health Care optimistic about new North Liberty hospital, despite state rejection https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/education/university-iowa-health-care-north-liberty-hospital-optimistic-rejection-20210224 (https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/education/university-iowa-health-care-north-liberty-hospital-optimistic-rejection-20210224)  One week after a state council narrowly denied a University of Iowa Health Care application to build a new $230 million hospital in North Liberty, UI Vice President for Medical Affairs Brooks Jackson said the hiccup wasn't surprising and he expects the project eventually will materialize. Despite fervent opposition from regional community hospitals and health care providers to the proposed 300,000-square-foot UIHC expansion planned for 60 acres at the southwest corner of Highway 965 and Forevergreen Road, Jackson described the planned facility “as a vital extension of our academic medical center in a community setting that is centered on the patient.” Despite COVID setback, Iowa economic development chief Debi Durham remains bullish https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/government/despite-covid-setback-iowa-economic-development-chief-debi-durham-remains-bullish-20210224 (https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/government/despite-covid-setback-iowa-economic-development-chief-debi-durham-remains-bullish-20210224) Back in December 2019, Debi Durham predicted 2020 would be one of the best years of her decade as chief of the Iowa Economic Development Authority. She based her prediction on trade deals that had been signed, positive signals in the farm sector and a rebound in manufacturing. The coronavirus pandemic was a setback, but Durham remains bullish on Iowa's economy and economic development potential. Chuck Grassley backs proposed changes to Iowa's election laws https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/government/iowa-senator-chuck-grassley-legislature-republican-election-voting-restriction-bill-approves-20210224 States should take a closer look at their election laws to protect against fraud in mail-in voting, Iowa Republican U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley said Wednesday. Grassley was asked during his weekly conference call with Iowa reporters about an Iowa bill that would shorten early voting, close polls earlier on Election Day and establish stricter standards for absentee ballots, among many other provisions. This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers.   Are you looking for a job? CorridorCareers.com is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at CorridorCareers.com.

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Friday, February 5. It will be quite cold Friday, and there will be blowing snow to deal with... but at least there won't be any new snow to deal with. I'm doing my best to find positives here. According to the National Weather Service, winds of 15 to 20 mph gusting as high as 30 mph will lead to areas of blowing snow in Eastern Iowa before 4 p.m. It will be mostly sunny, with a high near 15 degrees, although the wind chill with the powerful winds is predicted to drop to 15 degrees below zero. On Friday night the low will be negative one degree, with winds thankfully settling down just slightly. Travel was a nightmare throughout Thursday after a winter storm created blizzard like conditions. A pileup near Newton closed Interstate 80, motorostists reported being stranded on Highway 151, and traffic on Highway 30 was brought to a standstill by several accidents. Road conditions should improve on Friday, but please limit travel where possible and plan for the unexpected shifting of road conditions that come with blowing snow. University of Iowa Health Care vaccinated nearly 1,000 Johnson County residents aged 65 and older Wednesday, among the first members of the community to receive the COVID-19 shot as the health care system moves its vaccination effort beyond front line health care workers to focus on the broader general public. The Iowa City-based health system used up all doses it was allocated this week for the large-scale vaccination effort, an indication to UIHC officials that the event Wednesday was a successful test run of mass clinics they hope to establish throughout Johnson County and beyond. Iowa continues to have the third-worst vaccination rate per capita in the nation as the state reached a milestone Thursday of more than 5,000 people killed by the virus. Gov. Kim Reynolds told reporters Thursday that Iowa has been improving its vaccination efforts, which she argued have been slowed in part by lack of available vaccine. Reynolds did concede the state needs to improve its vaccination process. Reynolds said in response to the confusion and negative feedback in Iowa surrounding the vaccine rollout, the state is setting up a call center and website. The governor said the intent would be for these to be a one-stop shop for COVID-19 vaccination information. These will also be used to allow eligible Iowans to schedule appointments to receive the vaccine, which could still be limited by vaccine availability. At a time demanding “stability anchored by insightful leadership,” the University of Iowa opted to skip a lengthy and costly search for a new provost by appointing the interim provost to the position permanently. Kevin Kregel, serving as interim provost since July, will become provost and executive vice president Feb. 15, the university announced Thursday. Kregel last summer took on the provost job temporarily until a successor to Montserrat Fuentes could be hired. Fuentes resigned after one year on the job. This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers. Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com). Be sure to subscribe to The Gazette Daily news podcast, or just tell your Amazon https://www.thegazette.com/topic?eid=121774&ename=Alexa&lang=en (Alexa) enabled device to “enable The Gazette Daily News skill" so you can get your daily briefing by simply saying “Alexa, what's the news?" If you prefer podcasts, you can also find us on iTunes.

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for February 2. Tuesday's weather is going to be pretty...boring. And you know what? Great. According to the National Weather Service it will be partly sunny in the Cedar Rapids area with a high near 28 degrees and a gentle wind. Tuesday night it will be mostly cloudy, with a low of around 14. As an aside, it looks like it will be super cold at the end of the week, so enjoy the next few days of not being there, yet. Three cases of a new, more-contagious variant of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Iowa, with two of those cases in Johnson County, the Iowa Department of Public Health confirmed on Monday. The SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.7 variant, often https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/transmission/variant.html (referred to as the U.K. variant) because it was first found in the United Kingdom, spreads more easily than the original strain. However, COVID-19 vaccines now being deployed in Iowa, albeit slowly, are considered effective against it. Two cases of the U.K. variant were identified in Johnson County, one in an adult identified as between the ages of 18 to 40 and another in an adult age of 41 to 60. Another adult case was in Bremer County. University of Iowa Health Care on Monday morning officially https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/education/university-of-iowa-will-begin-patient-vaccination-next-week-20210126 (began collecting names of community members) wanting a COVID-19 vaccine — propelling the hospital system into its next vaccination phase after the campus, following state guidance, vaccinated its thousands of hospital and clinic employees. The campus is keeping back enough vaccine to ensure all its workers receive the two required doses of either the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine. But UIHC last month received permission from the Iowa Department of Public Health to start administering community doses in February. Community members, as of Monday, can sign up for the vaccine doses via the MyChart electronic medical record system or through a website portal for those who don't use MyChart. According to the Associated Press, a Democratic-led House panel is launching a probe into COVID-19 outbreaks at meatpacking plants and whether federal and state governments properly enforced safety rules. . Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., chairman of the House select subcommittee on the coronavirus crisis, sent letters Monday to Tyson Foods — which has facilities in Waterloo — Smithfield Foods and JBS USA requesting information on the number of sick employees, facility closures, safety measures and leave policies for when workers tested positive. Clyburn said in the letter that nearly 54,000 workers at 569 meatpacking plants in the United States have tested positive for the coronavirus during the pandemic, and at least 270 of those workers have died. This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers. Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com). Be sure to subscribe to The Gazette Daily news podcast, or just tell your Amazon https://www.thegazette.com/topic?eid=121774&ename=Alexa&lang=en (Alexa) enabled device to “enable The Gazette Daily News skill" so you can get your daily briefing by simply saying “Alexa, what's the news?" If you prefer podcasts, you can also find us on iTunes.

Just one month ago, Iowa experienced its worst Covid-19 surge yet. Coronavirus cases began soaring there in early November, as they have throughout the United States. By the middle of the month, Iowa was recording about 4,000 new cases every day. But this week, staff at a University of Iowa Health Care system finally had reason to celebrate. The first doses of Pfizer’s vaccine arrived at the Iowa City location Monday morning, in tiny vials packed in dry ice. Angelica Lavito spoke to healthcare workers there just after they became some of the first Americans outside of clinical trials to get immunized against the deadly disease.

Be sure to subscribe to The Gazette Daily news podcast, or just tell your Amazon Alexa enabled device to “enable The Gazette Daily News skill" so you can get your daily briefing by simply saying “Alexa, what's the news?" If you prefer podcasts, you can also find us on iTunes. Here's your weekend update for Dec. 12-13, 2020: A winter weather advisory remains in effect until 6 p.m. Saturday for much of eastern Iowa, including Linn County. Cedar Rapids could see 3 to 5 inches of snow and wind gusts up to 30 miles per hour, according to the National Weather Service. It will be mostly sunny Sunday, with a high temperature in the low 30s both days. https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/health/us-allows-emergency-covid-19-vaccine-in-bid-to-end-pandemic-20201211 (The U.S. gave the final go-ahead Friday to the nation's first COVID-19 vaccine), marking what could be the beginning of the end of an outbreak that has killed nearly 300,000 Americans. Shots for health workers and nursing home residents are expected to begin in the coming days after the Food and Drug Administration authorized an emergency rollout of what promises to be a strongly protective vaccine from Pfizer Inc. and its German partner BioNTech. University of Iowa Health Care released a statement Friday night saying the first does could arrive in Iowa as soon as early next week. Over the course of this unparalleled fall semester that forced Iowa's public universities to tread a fine line between fostering a welcoming college environment and keeping their campuses safe in a pandemic, https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/education/iowa-college-students-covid-infractions-discipline-20201211 (Iowa State University placed 27 students on deferred suspension for COVID-19 infractions). The University of Iowa, which wrapped its last day of classes Friday, on the semester issued 620 warnings, reprimands, or terms of probation for COVID-related violations — like failure to social distance, wear a mask, follow guest policy guidance, and quarantine or isolate. The UI disciplinary response to confirmed violations ranged from written warning to reprimand, requiring an official record be kept with the Office of Student Accountability. The next step in severity was probation. State revenue forecasters expect slow, modest economic growth and uncertainty due to issues surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic and gridlock over federal relief, https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/government/iowa-panel-bumps-up-state-revenue-expectations-20201211 (but they hold out hope Gov. Kim Reynolds and legislators will have about $266 million more money to spend next fiscal year). Members of the Iowa Revenue Estimating Conference on Friday revised upward their current fiscal year projection by about $65 million to nearly $7.97 billion, and set a 3.7 percent growth rate for the upcoming fiscal 2022 budgeting year that would total almost $8.27 billion in tax collections. https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/education/iowa-city-school-district-hybrid-learning-20201211 (Iowa City schools are returning to hybrid learning Monday), even though it received a state waiver Friday afternoon to continue with online-only learning. In an email to families Friday, interim Superintendent Matt Degner said that due to late notice and the current positivity rate in the community, the district will transition back to hybrid learning next week. The matrix guiding the district specifies it will consider online-only learning if Johnson County's 14-day COVID-19 positivity rate is 10 percent or higher. On Friday afternoon, that 14-day rate was 11.3 percent. The annual Cy-Hawk men's basketball game was a mismatch. https://www.thegazette.com/subject/sports/luka-garza-blisters-cyclones-in-second-half-iowa-wins-105-77-20201211 (Third-ranked Iowa rolled to a 105-77 win over Iowa State Friday night to improve to 5-0). It was the most points the Hawkeyes have ever...

Gov. Kim Reynolds announced Wednesday https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/government/iowa-governor-reynolds-extend-coronavirus-restrictions-mask-lockdown-20201209 (she is extending through Dec. 16 a COVID-19 emergency proclamation) that imposed some mask requirements and put limitations on the size of gatherings. Under an order the governor issued last month, all Iowans must wear face coverings while indoors in public and within 6 feet of others for 15 minutes. Reynolds said Wednesday she is extending those restrictions for one week, as well as the provision that requires bars, restaurants and other venues serving alcohol to close at 10 p.m. https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/health/iowa-coronavirus-3000-deaths-test-numbers-20201209 (Iowa's coronavirus deaths topped 3,000 on Wednesday), with an additional 102 deaths reported, bringing the state's virus death toll to 3,017. The state also reported 2,545 new virus cases as of 11 a.m. Wednesday. Since March, 248,782 coronavirus cases have been reported in Iowa, according to the Iowa Department of Public Health. Reynolds also reiterated her belief Wednesday https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/education/iowa-schools-covid-19-in-person-learning-remote-hybrid-gov-kim-reynold-20201209 (that Iowa's K-12 students should be in the classroom). She indicated she will push for a requirement that all districts offer students an option for 100 percent in-person instruction. Reynolds cited studies showing the virus does not spread as rapidly among school-aged children as it does adults, and expressed concern that students who are learning remotely could fall behind. The governor said state data suggests most COVID-19 cases in schools have been the result of transmission outside of school, and that most cases are occurring among staff not students. Linn and Johnson County officials have said the same of cases at local schools. As of Monday, 26 of Iowa's over 300 school districts had at least one building that was in hybrid or fully remote instruction, according to state Education Department data. Many districts seeking waivers for online learning have said they don't have enough staff available even if students were forced to be in schools. Any legislative proposal would have to start with fellow Republicans, who hold majorities in both chambers of the Legislature, scheduled to convene Jan. 11. As soon as next week, University of Iowa Health Care https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/health/iowa-covid-19-vaccine-who-will-be-first-university-of-iowa-hospitials-health-care-workers-uihc-20201209 (expects to be administering doses of the COVID-19 vaccine) to its front-line workers. Campus leaders said Wednesday they're finalizing logistics to ensure they're ready for the Pfizer vaccine, assuming there is emergency use authorization. UIHC has broken its 18,000-some employees into four groups for vaccine prioritization, Gunasekaran said. The first group of about 1,500 to 2,000 employees includes physicians, nurses, therapists, housekeepers and others most directly involved in patient care. The second group covers those supporting patient care on the main campus, while the third group involves workers supporting patient care off-site and at clinics.  The fourth group includes all other UIHC staff involved in supporting health care delivery but are not on the front lines.  Leaders estimate UIHC will receive about 1,000 doses in its first shipment. https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/business/unitypoint-health-minimum-wage-15-dollars-20201209 (UnityPoint Health will increase its minimum wage to $15 per hour) in January for Iowa and Illinois employees, the West Des Moines-based health care provider said Wednesday. The increase will affect about a third of UnityPoint's 30,000 employees, including nursing assistants and those working in housekeeping and food service, according to a news release. “We know there's a strong...

In the tenth podcast in this series with general counsel on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic, Sarah Swank, Counsel, Nixon Peabody LLP, speaks with Charles Whipple, Senior Vice President and Deputy General Counsel, Wellforce, and Joseph Clamon, JD, Chief Legal Counsel, University of Iowa Health Care, about how the pandemic has affected their jobs and lives. The speakers discuss how their hospitals are managing the pandemic response, including how they are dealing with patient load and planning for the future, and supply and workforce issues. From AHLA's In-House Counsel Practice Group.

In this episode, Dr. Amy Sparks discusses the upcoming Postgraduate Program at the 2020 ASRM Virtual Scientific Congress & Expo and what's in store for attendees. She is the chair of the Postgraduate Program. Dr. Amy Sparks is Clinical Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology - Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Director, In Vitro Fertilization and Reproductive Testing Laboratories, and Clinical Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology - Reproductive Testing Laboratories, at the University of Iowa Health Care, Carver College of Medicine. If you'd like to register for the ASRM 2020 Virtual Congress, please visit https://asrmcongress.org

Thorsten Rudroff, PhD is the Assistant Professor of Health and Human Physiology and the Assistant Professor of Neurology – Movement Disorders at the Department of Neurology at University of Iowa Health Care, Carver College of Medicine. High levels of THC in of medication used by the elderly may relate to problems with cognitive ability?Find more at: https://w420radionetwork.com/s2-e12-thc-effects-elderly-legal-cannabis-vets-treatment-glaucoma-veterans-cannabis-group/

Paige sits down with the new chair of the Iowa Democratic Party, Representative Mark Smith. Rep. Smith is embarking on a multi-city tour to talk about health care and the choice in November's US Senate election here in Iowa. Links: The Gazette: Iowa Democratic leader on the road to attack Joni Ernst's on health care Rep. Mark Smith's legislator page Follow Rep. Smith on Twitter --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/daily-dome/message

In this episode I talk to Ralph Marcucio (School of Medicine, University of California San Francisco) and Martine Dunnwald (Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Iowa Health Care) about the upcoming American Association of Anatomists 2019 Annual Meeting held in Orlando, Florida.   To continue the conversation use: #AnatPodcast Follow: @AnatEducPodcast Visit: anatomypodcast.co.uk for more information   This episode is sponsored by: The American Association of Anatomists. For information about upcoming events, membership details and much more, visit www.anatomy.org and @anatomymeeting. The International Association of Medical Science Education (IAMSE). For more information on meetings, membership options and funding, visit www.iamse.org and @iamse. Adam Rouilly. For information on their wide range of products to support all aspects of healthcare education, visit www.adam-rouilly.co.uk and @AdamRouilly. Primal Pictures. For information on their 3D anatomy resources, visit www.primalpictures.com and @PrimalPictures.

Furry-Muscle Cast – 47 – Across The Board 1.       Introductions a.       Maximus-Ursus –  The Uniform Bear! b.      Beastly Bahamut – Is It Snowing Still? c.       Tiptoe – Which Way Is The Right Way? d.      Jazz Wolf – All Over The Place, Wolf. e.      Schredded Wolf – Party Wolf? f.        Snowheart – Studying g.       Syn – Zen!!! h.      Tiberious – Lifting Heavy, Tech Bear, Busy! i.         Zak –  Freedom!!   2.       Topics a.       High Salt Prevents Weight Gain In Mice on a High-Fat Diet                                                                i.      From: University of Iowa Health Care                                                              ii.      "People focus on how much fat or sugar is in the food they eat, but [in our experiments] something that has nothing to do with caloric content -- sodium -- has an even bigger effect on weight gain," say Justin Grobe, PhD, assistant professor of pharmacology at the UI Carver College of Medicine.                                                             iii.      The UI team started the study with the hypothesis that fat and salt, both being tasty to humans, would act together to increase food consumption and promote weight gain.                                                            iv.      To their surprise, the mice on the high-fat diet with the lowest salt gained the most weight, about 15 grams over 16 weeks, while animals on the high-fat, highest salt diet had low weight gain that was similar to the chow-fed mice, about 5 grams.                                                              v.      "This suppression of weight gain with increased sodium was due entirely to a reduced efficiency of the digestive tract to extract calories from the food that was consumed," explains Grobe.                                                            vi.      Summary: In a study that seems to defy conventional dietary wisdom, scientists have found that adding high salt to a high-fat diet actually prevents weight gain in mice. The findings highlight the profound effect non-caloric dietary nutrients can have on energy balance and weight gain, and suggest that public health efforts to continue lowering sodium intake may have unexpected and unintended consequences.                                                           vii.      Link: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/06/150611114419.htm   b.      11 Foods Scientifically Proven To Lower Your Blood Pressure                                                                i.      Beetroot – Helps, to reduces blood pressure.                                                              ii.      Garlic - Significantly lowers elevated blood pressure.                                                             iii.      Fish Oil – Helps, effective treatment for high blood pressure.                                                            iv.      Cashews and Almonds - Magnesium is an essential mineral involved in over 300 bodily process.                                                              v.      Kale - It's loaded with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and other compounds known to help prevent disease.                                                            vi.      Stevia - Natural sweeteners                                                           vii.      Turmeric - Indian curry spice                                                         viii.      Green Tea - Is so beneficial is because of its polyphenols                                                            ix.      Green Coffee - Unroasted coffee.                                                              x.      Vitamin K2 - Vitamin K2 helps regulate where calcium ends up in the body. It works to keep calcium in your bones, and removes it from blood vessels where it can cause arterial stiffness and calcification.                                                            xi.      Extra-Virgin Olive Oil - Is rich in heart-healthy monounsaturated fats and phenolic antioxidants.                                                           xii.      Source: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/11-foods-scientifically-proven-to-lower-your-blood-pressure.html   c.       How Your Gym Attitude Affects Your Exercise Habits                                                                i.      Researchers surveyed 1,552 individuals to determine their attitudes and behavior regarding exercise practices.                                                              ii.      Of the 1,552 individuals, 989 were considered overweight or obese.                                                             iii.      Overweight individuals had a greater belief that exercise would lead to improved appearance and self-image.                                                            iv.      Overweight individuals felt more embarrassed and intimidated by exercise, exercising around young people, exercising around fit people and about health club sales people                                                              v.      Overweight and normal weight individuals had the same attitudes regarding exercising with the opposite sex, using complicated exercise equipment, experiencing exercise boredom and overall intent to exercise.                                                            vi.      The heavier the individual, the lower his perception of health and the more negative emotions he would experience in association with health club exercise—this was particularly true for Caucasian adults.                                                           vii.      The interesting thing about this study is that both normal weight and overweight individuals had the exact same intent to exercise and held similar attitudes regarding gym equipment. The main barriers to exercise in overweight individuals were primarily due to negative attitudes regarding exercising around younger, more fit individuals                                                         viii.      If you're simply not comfortable working out in a gym setting, you don't have to ditch exercise altogether.                                                            ix.      Source: http://www.active.com/fitness/articles/how-your-gym-attitude-affects-your-exercise-habits     3.       Emails a.       From: Lion Heart @Jazz Question: What is more important; content or technique?   b.      From: Whispering Hoss @Jazz Question: I been following your Twitter for a while as well as been listening to you on FMC. For a while you haven’t been working out due to work or moving. But, here recently you talk about what made you get back in to working out. It been a while now from the time you started working out, so that is where my question lies. What keeps you motivated and pushing through the workouts? How about the day you hate the most leg day? Also, why do you hate it so much?   c.       From: Willy Scott @Jazz Question: Been a fan of your works as well as a little of an admirer to your works as an artist. Could you explain how Thurston and is he replaced your regular wolf? I do like Thurston but would like to still see your wolf character around.     d.      From: Kittylines @ Tiberious Question: Hello, I plan on going in to more of the powerlifting side of weight lifting. But problems I been having is more in the chest. I just can't make it grown bigger, I'm strong in the chest area but I would like it to be bigger than flat. Help?   e.      From: Jay @All Question: When I lift front squats I’m alright, but when I’m done with the lifting part I feel light headed. After I rest a little bit I feel alright, but should I be worry that I don’t hear of others saying the same thing are is it just me?   f.        From: Xoans @All Question: What is the best type of footwear should I wear when working out so that it feels good?   g.       From: Kroa @Tiberious Question: To keep your frame and stance of your look do you fine it to be right to do squats all the time when working out? If not, why, if so why as well?   h.      From: Kasz @Snowheart, Max, Tiberious Question:  Hello gentleman, what is the best way to improve my grip strength? Background: I had some surgery on my hands to correct a problem with them. So I’m not at 100% like regular people.     i.         From: RavenClaw @Jazz & Beastly Question:  I have been having serious art block and haven’t had the drive to draw. But I want to draw, how do I address my drive vs my head? How do you guys address this problem?   j.        From: WhiteWolf @Schredd Question: Do you have any problems with your back, due to having a full upper built?   k.       From: ToonWolf @ Maximus-Ursus Question: Now that you’re in sunny Florida would you consider going to “furry meets” in your area?   l.         From: Ponny @TonkaWolf Question: I hear you like to work out chest a bunch and that you lifted up to 300lbs on bench press. First that is great news and congratulations on the feat. I wanted to know what types of workout you focus on to help grow your chest and lift that much.   m.    From: Falconmage @All Question: A bowl of white rice or a plate of pasta, do they provide the same amount of carbs?   n.      From: Falconmage @All Question: Heard from an article stating that if you don't work out consistently, you'll gain fat instead of muscle. Is this true?   o.      From: Anonymously (Female) @Syn & Tiptoe (Follow Up) Question: With the current issues I have had with my husband, he is showing some support and is going to the gym sometimes but most of it is me pushing him to go. What can I do to support him to go to the gym and not come out as a person that is nagging him to much? Are, make it so that going to gym is not a negative turn off?   p.      From: Anonymously (Female) @All Question: Hello, I’m been a listen to the podcast for over a year now. I enjoy many things about the podcast that make it fun and not just a regular workout podcast. My question to you all is with is with all the bull shit on grunting and yell? Now if your lifting heavy one putting so much stress on stuff maybe you far are grunt. People have problems with this and have a meltdown. I mean sometimes I even fart when I lift heavy, it just happens.       q.      From: Anonymously @All Question: I go to the gym with my friend whom I like a lot. But I'm not sure if he likes me. We talk about stuff but nothing has change to show me that he likes me. Just basic friendship stuff. I'm very well a okay person but the problem is well..my body tells to others that I like what I see. I sometimes I get a freaking hardon and preing when looking at him working out sometimes. I try to work out and not allow it to bother me, but... this issue of not sure if he likes me and my body doing stuff I don't want it to so embarrassing when people look at me but not my face. Can you help, please? I'm 19 years old and in the states.   4.       Closing Out: a.       We can’t do the show with you, the listeners. Thank you for taking the time to rate us on iTunes, as well as all the feedback and question we received each month. b.      You can find the show on our website as well as iTunes, Libsyn, Stitcher Radio, Blubrry, doubleTwist, Miro and many other podcast directories. c.       You can email us at FurryMuscleCast@gmail.com, you can also call us and leave comments are questions at 571-208-Buff (2833). d.      You can find us on Twitter @FurryMuscleCast. e.      Show notes, pictures, links and many other materials can be found at our main website at http://www.furry-muscle.org. f.        Next Furry-Muscle Cast: July 10th.

Leisure Studies Professor Ben Hunnicutt explains how work-sharing arrangements have been used to preserve jobs during past recessions, Counseling Psychology Professor John Westefeld discusses suicide prevention and Dietician Denise Albert of University of Iowa Health Care provides tips for weight management during the holidays.

David Perlmutter, the new director of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, chats with Nicole Riehl about how the school is responding to major changes in the media industry; Dr. Judith Crossett, a geriatric psychiatrist with University of Iowa Health Care, speaks with Becky Soglin about maintaining emotional wellbeing later in life; and Jim Elmborg, director of the School of Library and Information Science, talks with John Riehl about a grant that will help address a shortage of teacher-librarians in schools across Iowa.