Featuring hospital and health care headlines from the media and Web.

Iowa News

S. C. nurses lift patient/fellow nurse’s Super Bowl spirits
Sioux City’s Mercy Medical Center’s staff threw a Super Bowl party for a patient who says sports is more than just game. Anyone in the hospital room could recognize the glimmer in the eyes of a real sports fan. (KTIV)

Test Police: insurers hire help to monitor doctors’ testing
In Washington, the debate continues over the government’s role in health care. But doctors say there’s already someone playing a role in your care, you probably don’t know about. You won’t ever meet them, but they could have the final say in your health care decisions. (WHO)

U.S. News

Bills stalled, hospitals face rising unpaid care
For the nation’s hospitals, at least, the cost of doing nothing in Washington translates into tens of billions of dollars each year in medical bills that go unpaid by patients with little or no insurance. Nationwide, the cost of unpaid care for hospitals, which includes charity care as well as money that could not be collected from patients, was around $36 billion in 2008. (New York Times)

Ex-Clinton advisers recall health care battle
The aides are united in believing that Democrats cannot afford another health care disaster but divided on whether scaling back Obama’s plan would be an acceptable solution. (Boston Globe)

As focus shifts to jobs, the uninsured seek solutions
The national debate over health care appears to be taking a back seat to jobs creation — but the problem persists for people who have jobs but no health insurance. (National Public Radio)

‘Village’ groups help seniors remain in their homes as they grow older
The idea: If neighbors could help one another with basic services such as transportation and simple home maintenance and with friendly visits, people could stay in their homes longer as they aged. (Washington Post)

In Haiti, practicing medicine from afar
In the desperate days soon after the earthquake in Haiti last month, foreign medical volunteers relied on improvised, low-tech devices for consultations and coordination. But American doctors are switching to more sophisticated technology to help improve public health in Haiti, one of the world’s poorest nations. (New York Times)

Hospital was prepared for power plant explosion
The explosion occurred at the Kleen Energy Plant, which was under construction at the time and not operating. Contractors were conducting various tests at the site when the explosion rocked the area. Middlesex Hospital, a 275-bed community hospital in Middletown, was quickly put on alert about a potential mass casualty event. (HealthLeaders Media)