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Studey finds Iowa E-R patients get treated fastest

June 19, 2006 By

A nationwide study finds emergency room patients spend the least amount of time in the E-R when they’re in Iowa hospitals. The average E-R patient in Iowa spends two hours, 18 minutes there — the nation’s best time. The national average is three hours, 42 minutes. Arizona had the longest time at nearly five-hours.

Laura Sagers, emergency services manager at St. Luke’s Hospital in Cedar Rapids, says the response of their E-R doctors can be better measured in minutes, not hours.
Sagers says, “If there is a surgical problem, time is usually even more of the essence and so a quick response time from them would be very important.”

At Mercy Medical Center in Cedar Rapids, Doctor Brad Wisnousky says the E-R keeps its wait time down with a new “fast track” system, where non-critical patients are seen within 30 minutes. Wisnousky says, “We’re able to do that with our fast track just by handling what we call minor emergencies, which expedites care, makes patients more happy and obviously you’re not waiting around for a long time.”

The Institute of Medicine says the high risk of being sued and the high cost of insurance premiums discourages many surgeons from working in the E-R. The group has recommended Congress appoint a commission to examine the increasing problem of medical malpractice liability and the E-R.

Filed Under: Health & Medicine

No charges from Amber Alert; cop says teens wanted to go "on some sort of vacation"

June 19, 2006 By

Two Le Mars teens are telling police they were not kidnapped by a Le Mars man. An Amber Alert was issued Sunday afternoon for 17-year-old Janet Haugen and 16-year-old Chassa Norris.

The two teens, who are both from Le Mars, were with 19-year-old Nathan Hemmingsen and police described him as dangerous. But the teens have now told Le Mars police officer Justin Daale they left with Hemmingsen voluntarily. “There was no abduction. They left of their own free will. At no time were they ever kept against their will,” Daale says. “It ends up being they wanted to get away on some sort of vacation.”

The teenagers’ parents had reported the girls as missing late Saturday night. Officer Daale says the teens had only known Hemmingsen for two weeks, and didn’t know his background. “Due to Mr. Hemmingsen’s past history and some of the charges he was facing, we felt the girls weren’t aware…of the subject they were with and felt that being around Mr. Hemmingsen could put them in danger,” Daale says.

The girls are now back at home with their parents. Hemmingsen faces drug charges in Sioux City.

Filed Under: Crime & Courts

Iowa puts hold on season ticket sales for football

June 19, 2006 By

The University of Iowa has suspended season ticket sales for the upcoming football season. U-of-I ticket manager David Sandstrum says 42 thousand season tickets have been sold to the general public and that is combined with four thousand for faculty and staff and another 10 thousand 500 for students. He says they aren’t sold out, as they have corporate and other obligations they have to meet too.

Sandstrum says they need to hold tickets back for a number of reasons, the opposing team, contracts with the radio rights provider, for departmental and recruiting purposes. Plus each player is allowed a complimentary pass for friends and family.

Sandstrum says they reached their limit last week, and he says it surprised everyone in the ticket office. Sandstrum says there could be single game tickets available for a few of the games but they would not go on sale until July. The Hawkeyes open September second at home against Montana.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: ,

E-P-C approves rule on construction of livestock operations

June 19, 2006 By

The state Environmental Protection Commission approved a rule today (Monday) that would give the Department of Natural Resources more authority to deny a construction permit or require modifications of a manure management plan for livestock operations.

D-N-R spokesman Kevin Baskins says the rule gives the D-N-R power to act in cases that aren’t currently covered by state law. Baskins says it gives the department the ability to deny construction permits or modify manure management plans, “If there were some obvious environmental threats that could occur with those activities.”

Baskins says there are some set guidelines for environmental threats. He says some examples are if the plan is within a two-year catchment basin of a public water supply, if the manure would have to be applied in an unusually long distance, if the manure was going to be applied to slopes of greater than seven degrees without an approved conservation plan. Baskins says the manure could also not be spread in certain parts of northeast Iowa where the manure might get to the groundwater.

The Iowa Legislature passed a bill in May that would have preempted commission action on the rule — but Governor Tom Vilsack vetoed the bill. Baskins says the bill was part of what’s been a vigorous debate over the issue. Baskins says there’s been a lot of discussion both from supporters of the livestock industry and those who’re against the industry.

Baskins says both sides “have really probably overestimated the actual impact of what this rule will do.” Baskins says the rule will not have as wide-ranging an impact that some people think. Baskins says they looked over the record amount of permits in the last four years and found the rule would only have probably been used less than 20 times.

Baskins says the rule will now go to the Legislature’s administrative rules committee for review. He says that review will likely be later this summer.

Filed Under: Environment & Conservation, Politics & Government Tagged With: ,

Regents will consider energy surcharge at meeting

June 19, 2006 By

Members of the Iowa Board of Regents are scheduled to consider a new energy surcharge during Tuesday’s meeting in Ames. Regents Executive Secretary Gary Steinke says they’ll consider charging students 100-dollars per semester, beginning in fiscal 2007.

Steinke says the regents requested 40-Million dollars for the universities’ operating budgets, but lawmakers approved only 11-Million. The proposed surcharge would raise 11-Million dolllars, though Steinke says that’d still leave a gap of 18-Million. Steinke says the regents’ budget today is less than it was in 1997, when you compare operating appropriations from the state, and he calls that “frustrating.”

In exchange for the energy surcharge, the regents would agree to a three-year moratorium on requests for capital funding from the state for new construction, not counting projects already underway or getting private funding.

Steinke says there will be “lots of internal re-allocations,” and as much cost-cutting as the presidents can do. He says they’ll get by, and the quality of the schools will not erode, and their leaders will manage the budgets to create the least hardship possible.

The school presidents say they face mandated cost increases and don’t want their educational quality to suffer. Steinke says student leaders are not pleased with the surcharge but he says they understand the need for it.

Filed Under: Education Tagged With: , ,

Woman finds biological mother after 30 years

June 19, 2006 By

A 30-year-old woman who found her biological mother this past February — and discovered the two used to be co-workers in a Davenport salon — will be telling her story to the country tomorrow (Tuesday) on “Good Morning, America.”

Michelle Wetzell was adopted when she was four days old and a recent medical test prompted the search for her biological mother. “I had had a blood test and it showed that I had extremely high cholesterol and because of my age, they didn’t think it should be that high,” Wetzell says. That is, unless her biological parents had passed along that genetic tendency.

Wetzell found her biological mother, 55-year-old Cathy Henzen of Eldridge. Henzen had been a receptionist at the Davenport salon where Wetzell worked 10 years ago as a manicurist. Wetzell, who grew up in her adoptive family’s home in Prophetstown, Illinois, knew from records she dug up that she had two sisters. “You know when you’re adopted and you know that you have two biological sisters, you just kind of wonder,” Wetzell says.

Henzen gave Wetzell up for adoption when she was going through a messy divorce and was trying to raise two young girls on her own. While biological mother and daughter have been talking often over the past five months to try to get to know one another. “We just say that we’ll take it day-by-day, one day at a time,” Wetzell says. “I think we’ll just remain friends. We talk like once or twice a week.”

Wetzell’s biological father has not contacted his daughter but did give her his medical history. Wetzell and her biological mother told their story to the Quad City Times, the story was linked on The Drudge Report today and the invitations came pouring in for mother and daughter to tell their story to a nationwide audience.

“There’s a lot of negativity in the media and you know I just wanted something good to come out of this and it has,” Wetzell says. And by the way, Wetzell’s biological mother does have high cholesterol.

Filed Under: Human Interest

Lietenant Governor goes on tour to promote tourism

June 19, 2006 By

Lieutenant Governor Sally Pederson is embarking on a tour of 18 different communities across the state to try and give a boost to tourism at the official start of summer. Pederson says her tour is to let Iowans know there are a lot of things they can do in the state.

As the cost of gasoline has gone up, Pederson says Iowans have changed their thinking about travel. Pederson says people are interested in shorter vacations and she says they’re interested in value. Pederson says this trip will show people how to find value with trips in the state.

Pederson will begin her trip in Perry on Thursday and end up in Ottumwa on Sunday.
Pederson says her first tour in 2001 was intended to introduce people to “treasures” around the state and she says the things have only gotten better. Pederson’s trip includes a bluegrass jam in Council Bluffs, a winery in Newton and a ballgame in Burlington.

Filed Under: Politics & Government, Recreation & Entertainment
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