Michaela Ramm

Federal health officials approved the Pfizer-BioNTech two-dose COVID-19 vaccine for children between the ages of 5 and 11 in early November. But three months later, national data shows the vaccination rate among this age group is still low.

Eastern Iowa ambulance service providers are busier than ever, but in the past year also have struggled to recruit new emergency medical service staff members.

The latest coronavirus surge continues to wind down in Iowa as new cases drop. With the transition to a new reporting system, Iowa is no longer releasing the number of hospitalizations and of long-term care facilities with outbreaks.

Should someone’s COVID-19 vaccine status determine what care they receive, if any at all? An Iowa expert in medical ethics weighs in on the question many have posed as COVID-19 cases threatened to overwhelm hospitals.

This week, Johnson County Ambulance Service has launched a new app connected with the county’s 911 dispatch that can call on community members to assist with nearby cardiac arrest events.

Iowa’s disaster proclamation in place since March 2020 will expire this week, shifting the state’s response to COVID-19 to mirror how it responds to other viruses such as flu. Local health officials emphasize that the end of the proclamation does not mean the end of COVID-19.

Even with federal COVID-19 vaccine mandates going into effect in Iowa by March, the vaccination status of much of the home health workforce is unclear. Some immunocompromised patients who can’t guarantee a vaccinated aide are deciding to go without help.

‘The Healthy Project’ creator Corey Dion Lewis initially planned to focus on health coaching throughout his podcast, but shifted focus to improving health equity for vulnerable patients as he heard more and more stories from people of color about their experiences in health care.

Following a nationwide trend, Iowa’s independent living facilities are attempting to retool and rebrand themselves, moving away from the senior-living label and instead favoring the feel of an active community for those 55 and older.

Long-term care facility outbreaks continue to increase as new COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are on the decline across Iowa. This latest phase of the pandemic comes as Gov. Kim Reynolds plans to end the coronavirus disaster proclamation that has been in place since March 2020.

The most recent spike in COVID-19 cases brought an increase in patients at the emergency department, which has resulted in ambulance diversions and turning away patient transfers.

With COVID-19 websites shutting down, state public health officials are changing coronavirus reporting

The number of long-term care facilities reporting an outbreak of COVID-19 among staff and residents continued its surge this week, reaching 109 total as of Wednesday. At the same time, new COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and positivity rates continue to decline.

Tim Charles, president and chief executive officer of Mercy Medical Center in Cedar Rapids, announced his plans to retire at the end of this year.

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.