Mueller discusses challenges facing rural hospitals

A study last year sponsored by the National Rural Health Association found 673 rural hospitals were at risk of closure and 210 are considered to be at an extreme risk for closing. Rural hospitals must attract more patients with employer-based insurance and adequate coverage to improve their payer mix and gain financial sustainability, says Keith Mueller, interim dean of the UI College of Public Health. (Columbia Daily Tribune) Published October 17, 2017

HMP students will represent UI at student case competition

In October, a team of University of Iowa graduate students will put their analytical and presentation skills to the test at the national Everett V. Fox Student Case Competition. "This is a great opportunity for our students to practice their skills and build their professional network," says Dan Gentry, clinical professor of health management and policy, director of the UI Master of Health Administration program, and the team's faculty mentor. "It's also a way our program can nurture and support more diversity among our students and in the health care executive profession." Published October 5, 2017

Fluharty comments on the rural higher-ed crisis

In the U.S., the high school graduates who go on to college in the lowest proportions are the ones from rural places. While the reasons vary, many are historic. Rural students live in places where it once was possible to make a decent living from farming, mining, and timber-harvesting, said Charles Fluharty, the president and CEO of the Rural Policy Research Institute at the University of Iowa. "You could get those jobs, so why should you go to college?" (The Atlantic) Published September 28, 2017

Kaskie studies marijuana use among seniors

The CDC has found that marijuana use among adults over 65 increased more than 300 percent between 2002 and 2014. Brian Kaskie, CPH associate professor of health management and policy, is studying this population's usage habits. "Older adults are, for example, more likely to have a prescription medication to begin with. And so how does the use of cannabis intersect with that?" he says. "That becomes one question — we don’t know." (Colorado Public Radio) Published September 21, 2017

Alum Chris Klitgaard credits company’s success to workplace culture

MediRevv is celebrating 10 years in business this year and the company's leader predicts faster growth and expanded offerings in the next decade. CEO and CPH alumnus Chris Klitgaard (99MHA) credits the company's success in part to a culture that balances hard work with flexible scheduling and opportunities to give back. Published September 20, 2017

Wright discusses the stopgap, guardrails, and the ‘spirit of the waiver’

Brad Wright, CPH assistant professor of health management and policy, recently answered questions about Iowa's proposed stopgap measure that would set up reinsurance as well as offer both age- and income-based tax credits. (The Gazette) Published September 12, 2017

Mueller discusses population health management

Population health management is the term du jour in the health care industry. The idea is to use data to target high users of the health care system who are likely accepting services in an inefficient way. Once that person is identified, health care providers work to treat that individual's medical needs as well as his or her social needs. To do so, said Keith Mueller, interim dean of the UI College of Public Health, health care providers have to go outside the four walls of a clinic and work collaboratively with agencies to address a person's social determinants of health. (The Gazette) Published September 8, 2017

Ward discusses NQF quality measurement framework plan for telehealth

A recent National Quality Forum (NQF)report aims to set a national framework for measuring and supporting success in telehealth and telemedicine. "Telehealth is a vital resource, especially for people in rural areas seeking help from specialists, such as mental health providers," says Marcia Ward, director of the UI Rural Telehealth Research Center and co-chair of NQF's Telehealth Committee. "Telehealth is health care. It is critically important that we measure the quality of telehealth and identify areas for improvement just as we do for in-person care." (Multiple sources) Published September 7, 2017

Video: CPH students start academic year with service projects

At its core, public health is about working together to create a healthier world. Each fall semester, our students have the opportunity get out of the classroom and put that ethos to work by volunteering with community organizations for a day of service. Published September 5, 2017

Wright comments on Iowa’s waiver request

Iowa is looking to create a temporary, standardized health insurance policy to stabilize the state's troubled individual insurance market. The proposed changes will test the Affordable Care Act's waiver guardrails; Federal officials promised in March to be more flexible with these waivers. "If it gets approved I think that's a signal to other states the administration is willing to take a pretty liberal interpretation of this waiver authority," says Brad Wright, CPH assistant professor of health management and policy. (Bloomberg BNA) Published August 31, 2017