Michaela Ramm

Urine is familiar to everyone. But even with an everyday substance like pee, there’s still a lot of myths and misconceptions. Are any of them true?

COVID-19 poses serious risks to pregnant women, but despite that, many continue to forgo the vaccines. Iowa health care providers say they are seeing more pregnant patients — who are otherwise young and healthy — become severely ill from the virus.

After hosting a virtual-only event last year due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Mercy Medical Center’s annual Especially for You Race Against Breast Cancer will return this year in person on Sunday.

The state reports 163 intensive care unit beds available, an all-time low

CareSource, a health insurance company based in Ohio, announced Wednesday they plan to submit a bid to join Iowa’s Medicaid program as a managed care organization. The program current administers health benefits to more than 750,000 poor and disabled Iowans.

Throughout the course of the pandemic, Iowans have experienced more anxiety, depression and negative effects on their mental health. Local providers are working to help residents address those conditions through free services. Without it, the loss and stress and disconnect could have “a cumulative effect” on their overall well-being.

On Monday, University of Iowa Health Care began administering booster shots of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to more than 10,000 employees after federal officials issued new recommendations this past week. UIHC officials estimate the first phase will last four to six weeks.

Kathy Good, founder and director of the Family Caregivers Center of Mercy, has been named the director of the Chris & Suzy DeWolf Family Innovation Center for Aging and Dementia.

UnityPoint Health Hospice, in partnership with Cedar Memorial in Cedar Rapids, is hosting an event later this year called Virtual Cookies and Canvas. Through a guided painting class, children will learn about art as a tool to express their emotions following the death of a loved one.

COVID-19 exacerbated slashed budgets and low staffing that challenged Iowa’s public health workforce, but the high stakes they faced throughout the pandemic response has left many workers burned out. Experts are worried the workforce shortage could worsen as a result.

As a new law out of Texas opens the door to stricter abortion policies nationwide, one Iowa woman who obtained an abortion in 2017 says she fears what further bans in the state could mean for other women.

The Family Caregivers Center of Mercy has received a $1 million donation, officials announced this week. The Mercy Medical Center Foundation said the donation from John, Cindy and Bailey Bloomhall of Cedar Rapids and Naples, Fla., will fund two new staff positions at the center’s second location over the course of five years.

As of Wednesday, 50.14 percent of the state’s population has completed a COVID-19 vaccine series.

An Ankeny-based software engineer who helped Iowans find COVID-19 vaccine appointments earlier in the pandemic has now launched a new program to help individuals find coronavirus testing options.

What testing options are available in Iowa? How do I know which is the right option for me? Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about COVID-19 testing.