Report finds more than half of rural hospitals no longer deliver babies
A new report found a growing number of rural hospitals no longer have labor and delivery services. The Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform analyzed federal data and found, as of last month, 55% of the nation’s rural hospitals no longer have obstetric care, and of the rural hospitals still providing care, one-third were […]
As more rural hospitals stop delivering babies, some are determined to make it work
At a time when many rural hospitals continue to make the tough choice to shutter their obstetrics units and stop delivering babies, Iowa Specialty Hospital’s OB unit is thriving. Jenn Mewes steps around construction equipment into Iowa Specialty’s brand new labor and delivery room in Clarion, Iowa. The new room is equipped with a bathtub, […]
How one science-backed program helps couples build strong romantic partnerships
Emily Stenhoff and Spencer Strunic first met at a Sugar River Pizza in Madison, Wisconsin nearly five years ago. Today, the couple says they’re grateful for an online program that helped them strengthen their relationship and feel more equipped to tackle the challenges of marriage and parenting. Before they met, Emily and Spencer both said […]
Are schools prepared to respond if a student’s heart stops? Data shows some aren’t
A 56-year-old football official went into cardiac arrest on the sideline at Jefferson High School in Lafayette in 2006. Then, a teenager who was playing basketball during lunch at the school’s Tecumseh Junior High gym went into cardiac arrest a decade later. Both were in the Lafayette School Corporation. Both survived. The district’s preparation for […]
Should Illinois become 11th state to adopt ‘right to die’ legislation?
A bill filed on Thursday would allow qualified individuals, not medical professionals, to self-administer a medication to end their lives. There is of course opposition to such measures, specifically from the Catholic and evangelical communities. Illinois Senate Democrats are moving forward on legislation that would give mentally capable patients who are terminally ill an option […]
Capitol Briefs: State gets ‘average’ lung cancer grade, announces opioid settlements, manufacturing grants
Lung Association rates state policies; opioid funds top $1.3 billion; Made in Illinois program launches.
Why are people afraid of the most popular opioid addiction treatment?
Buprenorphine saved Eric Ezzi. Heroin had overrun the Philadelphia-area native’s life in his early 20s. He lost jobs, went to jail and burned bridges with his family. A few years into his addiction, Ezzi found what he hoped would be the ultimate solution: buprenorphine. Often known by the brand name Suboxone, buprenorphine is a medication […]
State partners with Google to launch new portal for children’s mental health resources
Platform scheduled for summer start; aimed at both parents and providers.
Parents say student found dead on University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus was an “energetic, happy-go-lucky kid”
Akul Dhawan’s friend called campus police about an hour after midnight on Saturday, Jan. 20. It wasn’t until 10 hours later that an unrelated university employee found the 18-year-old dead on a nearby porch.
Some Midwest states earn failing grades in tobacco prevention and cessation efforts: ALA report
The American Lung Association released its 2024 State of Tobacco Control report Wednesday, which evaluates state efforts to eliminate tobacco use. Indiana, Missouri, Kentucky, Iowa and Ohio scored failing grades in most categories. The report compares state policies to evidence-based practices known to prevent youth from using tobacco and help smokers quit. It looks at […]
Champaign County is short 300 nursing home beds. Health officials want input on how to help
National data shows that beds are disappearing while the need for senior care is growing. This problem will only multiply because of the rapid projected growth of U.S. residents ages 65 and older — from 56 million in 2020 to 81 million by 2040.
Capitol Briefs: State Police report fewer deaths on Illinois highways in 2023
Leaders credit stepped up enforcement for lower fatalities and shootings across the state.
Illinois House speaker assembles lawmakers to recommend help for migrant crisis
About 38,000 migrants have arrived in Chicago. They come on buses largely at the behest of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who said he is lifting the burden from small border towns in his state.
Freezing temperatures complicate Chicago’s struggles to house asylum-seekers
For more than a year, Chicago has wrestled with how to house new arrivals until shelter space is free, with measures city leaders insist are a stopgap.
Medicaid unwinding is causing people with disabilities to lose coverage with devastating consequence
Since the pandemic-era freeze on Medicaid disenrollment ended this spring, millions across the country –– including eligible recipients –– have lost their coverage for administrative reasons. Paperwork errors, system glitches, long wait times and outdated notices are kicking people off the rolls and vexing those caught up in the process. For people with disabilities, the […]
