Two-minute read: Another rural health care "solution"?

Like many other states (with which we must compete), Iowa is just a few years away from suffering historic and life-threatening shortages in all categories of health care workers: physicians, nurses and direct care workers. Iowa already has thousands of job openings, and by 2030, those numbers will be in the tens of thousands.

Watching state leadership and lawmakers throw stuff at the wall to see what might possibly stick is both frustrating and frightening.

"Healthy Hometowns," another fix for Iowa's rural health care

Where did all the children go?

The Baby Boom isn't just something that happened a long time ago. 

Quite the contrary. The impact of those 75,000,000 babies will continue for decades and generations to come. 

Four of every ten extended families in America include someone with dementia. What's the plan?

I can guarantee you that policy makers and stakeholders are not preparing for what's coming. That is why each one of us MUST.

Just when you and your physician were really starting to communicate . . .

Benjamin Franklin said, "You may delay, but time will not." Those words ring most true when it comes to seeking and receiving health care.

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

 If you ignore a public health issue long enough, will it just go away?

Thirty-five-year-old health care data just isn't going to cut it.

 

When EHR systems aren't speaking . . .

 

Failing to plan is--you know how it goes.

 

"I'm from the government, and I'm here to help you."

 

Two minute read: Simple steps reaping huge rewards.

If you're not yet familiar with health care's newest neologism, you're gonna luv this one: "bedlocked." 

How about some super simple life-extending action steps that just might come in handy in an emergency?

Get a PCP while the getting is good.

This time around: A 15-minute listen on what threatens health care access in Iowa

Whether or not you live in Iowa, your health care world is about to be rocked. The demographics of aging and chronic illness are straining a system where needs were already unmet. 

I recently joined John Busbee of The Culture Buzz for a conversation on what's happening in Iowa and how 2025 legislation may--or may not--make a positive impact on Iowans' survival. And I included a life-extending tip for accessing health care when, where and how you need it! 

Jo Kline on The Culture Buzz

Two-minute read - Lawmakers' at-bat for health care access in Iowa

A third of Iowa's rural hospitals are operating in the red, and we can expect to be short tens of thousands of physicians, nurses and direct care workers by 2030. 

Did Iowa lawmakers just improve our odds for access? 

The 2025 Iowa Legislature - A swing and a miss

Two-minute read - Iowa lawmakers tackle health care access. Not.

Iowa's census of physicians has shrunk by 500 over the past ten years, when it needed to grow by 300. Today, the top three employers for job vacancies at IWD are all health care providers.

How did health care access for Iowans fare this legislative session?

Did lawmakers improve health care access for Iowans?

Two-minute read: Is Iowa keeping up with its neighbors?

Is there value in comparing oneself to others? Yes, when we're talking about how a state fares in the battle for workers. I dug into health care-related stats for Iowa and its "Upper Midwest" neighbors, now and in 2030. See for yourself. It’s not looking good for Iowans. 

How tough will the competition for workers get?

Where's a funnel when you need one?

I was thinking of posting about some of the legislation currently being proposed to address Iowa's crisis of health care worker shortages. In the past, they've given us laws to limit malpractice claims and discourage nurses from being "travelers," which have had zero positive impact. So what's next in leadership's bag of tricks?

Instead, I've decided to wait until the field is narrowed with the first funnel. (No point getting our hopes up for no good reason.) In the meantime, I can only hope and pray that some of these pointless--albeit very expensive--"solutions" will die a natural death and never see the legislative light of day.