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

Iowa News

Oskaloosa Mayhem donates to MHP Mammography fund
The Oskaloosa Mayhem Girls Roller Derby Squad recently donated $400 to Mahaska Health Partnership Radiology Services for use in funding free or reduced cost digital mammograms for women. (Oskaloosa News)

Learning through shared medical appointments
As Dr. Anuj Bhargava’s patients arrive, a certified medical assistant checks their vitals and updates their records. But instead of waiting for the doctor in an exam room, they return to a larger room and sit in a semi-circle with other patients. (Des Moines Register)

New flu type, similar to one from ’90s, hits 3 children in north-central Iowa
Three children in north-central Iowa have been sickened by a new version of the flu virus. (Des Moines Register)

National News

Facing GOP opposition, Berwick will step down as Medicare chief
Dr. Donald Berwick, the Harvard pediatrician whom President Obama tapped to head the Medicare and Medicaid programs, will step down next week in the face of staunch Republican opposition to his permanent appointment to implement Obama’s healthcare law. (Los AngelesTimes)

Patients, Too, Turn to the Internet for Fund-Raising
Online fund-raising – a common tactic for nonprofit groups and charity events – is starting to spread to the world of costly health care. (The New York Times)

Where ‘Hospital Food’ Takes On A New Meaning
The pediatric clinic at the Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis gives its patients what they need to stay healthy: screenings, immunizations, prescriptions.  And, in an uncommon twist, food. (Kaiser Health News)

A Hard Turn: Better Health on the Highway
Beset by insurance costs and desperate to make sure that drivers pass health tests, trucking companies and industry groups are working to persuade them to change their habits. (The New York Times)

Jennifer Rouse, Physical Therapist at Lucas County Health Center in Chariton takes a few minutes to say what inspired her to pursue her career as well as what it takes to be a physical therapist.

For more information on health care careers in Iowa, click here.

(Watch this video on YouTube: http://youtu.be/iOkJd9L7M0Q)

 

 

Thursday, 8:45 a.m.
At last night’s House of Delegates meeting, Gary Riedmann, CEO at St. Anthony’s Regional Hospital in Carroll, was sworn in as the new IHA Board Chair.  Riedmann replaces last year’s Board Chair, Joe Smith, and will serve a one-year term as head of the board. Riedmann is slated to provide the opening remarks for today’s first session, the recognition of this year’s Iowa Hospital Heroes at 8:30 a.m. Following the awards, Riedmann will also introduce the final keynote speaker of this year’s Annual Meeting, Paul Auerbach.

Want to see more pictures from this year’s annual meeting? Click here to view the whole album on Flickr.

 

Thursday, 10:00 a.m.

Keynote speaker, Paul Auerbach, left the crowd stunned with the stories of his experience providing medical relief in the wake of the Haiti earthquake. His words and photos had a profound impact on attendees as they embarked on the final day of the 82nd Annual Meeting.

 

Thursday, 12:30 p.m.
Laurie Everhardt, Volunteer Services Manager at Waverly Health Center, provides her reaction to Cy Wakeman’s session, “Succeeding in Spite of the Facts,” and talks about challenging conventional wisdom in volunteerism.

 

Thursday, 3:00 p.m.

That’s all she wrote! The 82nd IHA Annual Meeting has officially adjourned. Thank you to all who attended, IHA hopes you had a great week. Safe travels – we’ll see you again next year!

 

Wednesday, 8:45 a.m.

The halls of the Des Moines Downtown Marriott are a’buzz this morning with hundreds of health care workers as well as over 50 trade show exhibitors. Attendees have filed into the ballroom once again to prepare for the morning’s opening session. Starting out day two of the Annual Meeting is an award ceremony, recognizing those who have completed the IHA Health Care Leadership Series.  Following the ceremony will be health care futurist, Jeff Goldsmith who will be delivering the Cordes/Ramsey keynote speech.

Pictures of the keynote and award ceremony will be posted soon.

 

Wednesday, 10:30 a.m.

Some pictures from this morning’s opening session:

Cordes/Ramsey keynote speaker, health care futurist, Jeff Goldsmith.

IHA Board Chair and CEO of Boone County Hospital, Joe Smith, handing out awards recognizing those who completed the IHA Health Care Leadership Series.

Wednesday, 12:45 p.m.

The afternoon sessions have begun. Today’s tracks include the following:

• Clinical Leadership: Finding Balance
• Reform: From Impact to Innovation
• Strategic Leadership
• Foundations: Giving for Good

After the final sessions of the day are finished, there are still a couple events happening at the conference. At 4:30 p.m. is the House of Delegates (for IHA Voting Delegates Only) in the Cedar Rapids/Council Bluffs rooms on the 3rd floor. Following this is the Chair’s Celebration at 5:30 p.m. in the Iowa Ballroom. All attendees are encouraged to attend this reception and enjoy an opportunity to relax and socialize amongst their peers at the conference.

Wednesday, 2:00 p.m.

Sherri Doggett, VP of Patient Care Services at Mercy Medical Center-Centerville talks about why its important for nurses to attend Annual Meeting and why it’s still a worthwhile conference to attend year after year.

 

Tuesday, 8:45 a.m.

The 82nd IHA Annual Meeting is now underway. Attendees have all gathered in the ballroom to hear opening keynote speaker, Dan Buettner. Health care workers will know Buettner as the renowned National Geographic author and creator of the “Blue Zones” concept. Buettner is set to discuss Blue Zones as well as how this ground-breaking project is being performed right here in Iowa.

 

Tuesday, 9:07 a.m.

 

Tuesday, 10:25 a.m.

The first of the morning breakout sessions have begun. Today’s session tracks are:

• Connecting with the Community
• Workforce for Tomorrow
• Legal Review
• Physician Focus

Lunch break is at 11:20 a.m. with the general lunch happening in the Des Moines Room on the 3rd floor and the marketing PR folks will be chowing down at the ISHMPR Luncheon (for members only) happening in Council Bluffs room on the 3rd floor.

 

Tuesday, 11:45 a.m.

Pam Delagardelle, CEO, Grundy County Memorial Hospital provides her thoughts on opening keynote, Dan Buettner, as well as how Grundy Center is taking on the “Blue Zones” initiatives in an effort to become the healthiest community in the state.

 

Tuesday, 1:00 p.m.

Afternoon sessions currently taking place. The Physician Focus track continues with three sessions:

• From Volume to Value: Physicians and Hospitals Playing Nice
• Development and Implementation of a Medical Home
• Developing a Sustainable Physician Relations Strategy

These sessions parallel with IHA’s new partnership with the University of South Florida College of Medicine to create the Physician Leadership Institute of Iowa. The Institute is designed to engage physicians in Iowa and provide them with the tools to become more empathetic, creative and collaborative in their practice.

Quotes from Twitter:

• @iowahospital “Dr. MacKinney stated it will take collaboration to deliver value in today’s environment” #iha2011am.”
• @iowahospital “No outcome – No income” replaces “No margin – No mission” in today’s reformed health environment. Clinton MacKinney, MD #iha2011am”

 

Tuesday, 2:00 p.m.

Here are some photos from throughout the day.

Joe Smith, IHA Board Chair and CEO of Boone County Hospital, delivering the opening remarks of the conference.

Keynote speaker, Dan Buettner, held a book signing immediately after his morning speech.

Clint MacKinney, MD, MS provided some illuminating points during his session “From Volume to Value: Physicians and Hospitals Playing Nice.”

 

Tuesday, 3:20 p.m.

Mark Baldwin, Board Chair at Allen Hospital in Waterloo took some time talk about how trustees can benefit from attending the IHA Annual Meeting along with why technology at the conference is one of his favorite reasons to attend.  A lot of buzz has been circulating around the conference about the IHA mobile app. Attendees have commented on how easy it is to use and appreciate that it’s an initiative to be more paperless.