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

Iowa News

West Des Moines hospitals’ beds slow to fill
The two new hospitals in West Des Moines have dozens of empty beds most days, but administrators say they’re confident of the facilities’ future. When Mercy West Lakes opened with 82 beds last September, its leader at the time said it would be full within six months. Current leaders admit that the prediction hasn’t come true, but they see progress. (Des Moines Register)

Hancock County Memorial Hospital expansion given the green light
Hancock County Memorial Hospital will proceed with a multi-million dollar facility expansion following approval by its Board of Trustees earlier this week. The board gave hospital officials the go-ahead Monday to proceed with construction of a 20,000-square-foot addition that will improve the hospital’s outpatient and rehabilitative services. Although construction is expected to cost $8 million, total project cost is estimated at almost $12.8 million. (Forest City Summit)

Get some invaluable health care advice
The University of Iowa is offering Iowans the chance to learn more about the law. Average people – not just the policy wonks among us – should take advantage of the opportunity. That means finding a few hours a week to “go back to school.” The university has put together a semester-long class on the law and its impact. Though targeted at law students, all Iowans can benefit from the information being shared. (Des Moines Register)

Extra care for moms-to-be on bed rest
Ashley Adams is helping ease the stay for expectant mothers on bed rest at Iowa Methodist Medical Center. She’s the antepartum care coordinator, a new position created to provide more consistent care to those pregnant women. Adams is getting the word out about her role and building up donations of books, board games, gaming systems and laptops for patient use. (Des Moines Register)

U.S. News

America’s most profitable hospitals
The average American hospital barely breaks even. But some are enormous profit centers. Forbes’ first-ever survey of America’s most profitable hospitals reveals that some American hospitals make 25 cents or more for every $1 in patient revenue they take in. Our list, done by the American Hospital Directory, is based on operating income figures that hospitals must report to the federal Medicare program each year. (Forbes)

More ‘empowered’ patients question doctors’ orders
In the past, most patients placed their entire trust in the hands of their physician. Your doc said you needed a certain medical test, you got it. Now many physicians say an increasing number of patients are getting involved in decisions about their medical care, including medication choices, whether they need a specialist, and especially whether they need expensive diagnostic tests, which some health economists say are driving up the cost of health care. (USA Today)

Minnesota balks at health law funds
The executive order by Gov. Tim Pawlenty made Minnesota the first state to formally restrict itself from taking some federal dollars under the law. The order isn’t likely to significantly affect how the law is applied in Minnesota. It says the state can’t seek further discretionary money for demonstration projects and grant funding unless the governor approves it. In some cases, Minnesota’s legislature has already put in place plans to seek federal money under those programs. (Wall Street Journal)

Medicare: a prevention plan that could lower costs
The new smoking cessation program for seniors might seem a tad late. People usually smoke for decades before they get cancer, emphysema, heart disease and other smoking-related disorders — just in time for Medicare to pick up the tab. But the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services decision memo noted that even older smokers who quit can see fairly quick payback in terms of reduced illness. (Fiscal Times)

Duluth nurses object to proposed code of conduct
A final round of contract negotiations takes place Tuesday for more than 400 registered nurses who work at St. Luke’s Hospital in Duluth. The talks will focus on a proposed code of conduct opposed by the nurses’ union. Staffing issues are the main issue in the contract dispute between the nurses union and the two main hospitals in Duluth. (Minnesota Public Radio)

FDA is actively monitoring medical and health care apps in mobile app stores
Bradley Merrill Thompson, an attorney with an expertise in the FDA approval process for medical devices, is stating the Food and Drug Administration is actively monitoring app stores on various platforms. Regulating medical devices and health care related applications falls under the FDA’s jurisdiction. (iMedicalApps)

Federal spending rises a record 16%
Federal domestic spending increased a record 16 percent, to $3.2 trillion, in 2009, the Census Bureau reported Tuesday, largely because of a boost in aid to the unemployed and the huge economic stimulus package enacted to rescue the sinking economy. The rise in spending was the largest since the Census Bureau began compiling the data in 1983. (Washington Post)