Health Care and Medicine

WASHINGTON (AP) — Pfizer on Tuesday asked the U.S. to authorize extra-low doses of its COVID-19 vaccine for children under 5, potentially opening the way for the very youngest Americans to start receiving shots as early as March.

Members of the billionaire Sackler family that own Purdue Pharma are close to a deal to increase their contribution to the OxyContin maker's sweeping opioid settlement that includes Iowa.

The number of people hospitalized due to the coronavirus and the number of confirmed infections have dropped in Iowa, but hundreds of people in the state remain seriously ill with the virus, according to state data released Monday.

Iowa State Auditor Rob Sand released a new audit Monday stating that his office did not identify any significant concerns“ about the integrity of COVID-19 data collection and reporting from the state public health department.

Sam Valentine is a patient representative at the Eastern Iowa Health Center, making her the first point of contact for patients arriving at the organization. In that role, Valentine and other patient representatives can help identify patients’ needs -- including non-medical needs -- and connect them with services.

UIHC Chief Nurse Executive Kimberly Hunter will take over as the interim CEO of University of Iowa Hospitals and Clincs after on an interim basiWhen outgoing University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics after current CEO Suresh Gunasekaran assumes his new post in San Francisco on March 1.

The temperature outside when she was found by facility staff members was minus 8 degrees, officials said.

As of Wednesday, 86 long-term care facilities in Iowa were reporting a COVID-19 outbreak -- five times the number reporting outbreaks six weeks ago. At the same time, hospitalizations and new cases are declining statewide.

A federal appeals panel Tuesday allowed the state of Iowa to enforce a law that prevents local schools from imposing mask mandates — but not for schools attended by students whose disabilities make them more vulnerable to severe illness if they get COVID-19.

Cedar Rapids resident Cathy Folkers was hospitalized for 89 days with COVID-19, moving in and out of the intensive care unit. The cost of her stay? More than $1 million. Fortunately for her the cost was covered entirely by Medicaid

After butting heads with community health care providers opposed to its plans to build a new hospital in North Liberty, University of Iowa Health Care now is echoing its critics’ concerns as the state considers a proposal to build a new ambulatory surgery center down the road from UIHC’s project.

Iowa reported 38,574 new COVID-19 cases in the past seven days, the highest weekly total ever seen in the pandemic. Public health officials also reported more than 1,000 COVID-19 patients this week as the omicron variant continues its rapid spread throughout the state.