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Culver critical of Romney’s healthcare stance

May 31, 2007 By

Iowa Governor Chet Culver, a Democrat, is criticizing Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney for not presenting a federal healthcare plan Romney said during a stop in Iowa Wednesday, that expanding healthcare should be left up to the states. Culver says that isn’t going to sit well with Iowans.

"We’ve waited long enough," Culver says, "the federal government has to play a role. Even in states like Iowa, where we’re doing very well, they still have to partner with us and step up to the plate." As Governor of Massachusetts, Romney signed legislation forcing most residents to purchase health insurance and it also offered assistance to the low income residents. Romney says other states should be allowed to come up with their own plans and not look to the federal government.

Culver doesn’t agree."I believe that will be an issue that Iowans take exception with if he continues to believe that," according to Culver. He says the states have to use the resources of the federal government "to help solve this crisis in America." Culver says most states cannot afford to cover all of the uninsured without federal assistance. There are roughly 250,000 Iowans without healthcare coverage, and 45 million nationwide.

Filed Under: Health & Medicine, Politics & Government Tagged With: ,

Study shows suicide most prevalent in people 65 and older

May 31, 2007 By

Despite the attention given to preventing teen suicides, studies find the suicide rate in Iowa –and nationwide– is highest for people 65 and older, especially for white men 85 and over. A University of Iowa study is looking into the causes of depression in the elderly — and ways to prevent it. Erika Holm is a researcher in the U-of-I psychiatry department.

Holm says, "We are interested in emotion processing and late-life depression and the different ways that depression can be presented in people of an older age versus younger age." She says their research has found that more than half of older suicide victims saw a physician within a month of their death, which indicates depression could be overlooked and underdetected.

Holm says, "Older people sometimes do not report feeling sad or losing interest in things, which are two symptoms that are required for a diagnosis of major depressive disorder, so we are studying why that is." Volunteers in the Iowa City area are still needed to take part in the study. For more information on the study, call Holm at (319) 353-8514 or e-mail her at "erika-holm@uiowa.edu". 

Filed Under: Health & Medicine Tagged With:

Seven-year-old girl thrown through windshield in I-35 wreck

May 31, 2007 By

An accident on Interstate-35 near Norwalk seriously injured a seven-year-old girl and brought traffic in the northbound lanes to a standstill for three hours today.

Iowa State Highway Patrol Lieutenant Tom Lampe says witnesses reported the vehicle was swerving on the highway before the accident. "The pick-up hit the east guard rail at the entrance to the bridge. After hitting that guard rail, it spun and hit the opposite side guard rail. At that point the passenger — a seven-year-old — was thrown from the truck and came to rest on the west side of the bridge, next to the cement rail," Lampe says.

The girl’s mother was driving the vehicle. The accident happened at about 11:15 this morning.  A trooper performed CPR on the child until a helicopter arrived to fly the girl to a Des Moines hospital. The girl’s mother — the driver of the vehicle — was driven to the hospital, in an ambulance, for treatment of minor injuries.

Warren County deputies helped troopers interview witnesses and state investigators measured track marks and recorded other details at the scene of the accident. "The next step will be to reinterview people and possibly interview the driver of the pick-up," Lampe says.

Investigators are asking for the driver’s blood to be tested to determine if she was under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time of the accident. Lampe says there could be a number of reasons the truck was swerving on the highway. "It could be simply reaching down for something, talking on the cell phone to mechnical to (driving) under the influence," Lampe says. "That’s what we’re trying to determine."

Investigators worked on the scene until about two o’clock and then re-opened the northbound lanes to traffic.

The pick-up had Iowa license plates.

 

Filed Under: Fires/Accidents/Disasters

Girls golf championships make it through the rain

May 31, 2007 By

The girls state golf meet finished before heavy rain hit in central Iowa. Ottumwa won the 4A championship. Ottumwa coach Dustin Stewart says they have gone undefeated for the year in a "fantastic season."

Stewart says his team did a good job of battling the elements, saying they’ve had a few meets in the rain this year. Iowa City West senior Laura Cilek was the medalist with a 146.

Washington won the Class 3A title and coach Leonard Kull says his team shot its best round ever yesterday and came back to play in tough conditions today. It is the first state title for the program. Kull says they started the program 25 years ago and this is the first time they’ve been "able to reach that brass ring." Alex Curry of Shenandoah-Essex was the medalist with a 156.

At Otter Creek in Ankeny, Algona Garrigan won the 1A title with a two day total of 702. Lamoni’s Amanda Butler was the medalist. Grundy Center won the 2A title with a 691 total while Jessie Fueurbach of Iowa City Regina was the medalist. 

Audio: John Martenson reports class 4A and 3A golf meet. :77 MP3

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Vilsack and Branstad on panel to push candidates to address problem of chronic disease

May 31, 2007 By

Two former Iowa Governors are co-chairs on a bipartisan panel that’s seeking to make the battle against chronic disease a key campaign issue for presidential candidates. The "Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease" includes former Governor Terry Branstad, a Republican, who is now the president of Des Moines University, a medical school.

Branstad says the U.S. spends two trillion dollars on health care each year and 75-percent is spent on chronic diseases. "The rising rates of chronic disease are literally crippling our health care system in America, and have the potential to bring our economy down," Branstad says, "the good things is, we can, if we get involved now, make a difference, and make a change."

Branstad says Iowa is not the only state that battles chronic disease, as seven out of ten deaths in the U.S. are attributed to chronic diseases. Branstad Iowa has a unique opportunity as, "we are at the epicenter of the beginning of the political process of selecting the next President of the United States, so Iowa is the focus." Leaders from unions, health care and faith-based organizations are also part of the effort.

"This historic partnership will build awareness about treatment and prevention of chronic diseases throughout Iowa," Branstad says, "and we as Iowans need to use our unique role in the beginning of this presidential selection process to talk to the candidates, and to really bring home how important it is to deal with these issues of prevention, and appropriate methods of dealing with chronic diseases."

Governor Tom Vilsack, a Democrat, says it’s important that Iowa take the lead. Vilsack says: "This isn’t just a chance that we have in the state of Iowa, it is a responsibility. And the reality is that the future of this country depends on us getting this thing solved. why? The Governor mentioned that we spend two-trillion dollars today on health care. That’s more than any industrialized nation spends per-capita. And unfortunately, we do not have the best results for the money we spend."

Vilsack says things will get worse unless something is done. Vilsack says as the nation ages, the amount spent on health care will go from two to four trillion dollars unless something is done. Vilsack says it will end up hurting the ability of the country to compete in a global economy. Both governors say both parties need to work together to solve the health care problem.

Vilsack says, this is not a Republican issue or a Democrat issue, it’s "an American issue," and Vilsack says it’s important that everyone join together and "demand of our national leaders that this issue be addressed."

Branstad says all Iowans should be asking the presidential candidates about the issue. Branstad says: "When you are confronted by one of the candidates, and it’s pretty hard not to be. Whether it’s a coffee shop, a pancake breakfast, or just if they come door-to-door in your neighborhood. Bring this issue up…and find out where they stand and what they intend to do about it."

The coalition plans what it calls a "grassroots" campaign in Iowa and other campaign states to get the candidates to address the healthcare issue. For more information, surf to: www.fightchronicdisease.org . 

Filed Under: Health & Medicine, Politics & Government Tagged With: , , ,

Iowa among cheapest vacation locations according to Triple-A

May 31, 2007 By

Triple-A says Iowa is one of America’s cheapest vacation spots. There’s no place like home — for a summer vacation. Triple-A’s Rose White says many folks may be staying closer to home over the next few months as four Midwestern states top the list of least expensive vacation destinations.

White says the most economical lodging and food prices are in North Dakota, where a family of four can expect to spend an average of 187-dollars a day. Nebraska is second with 199-dollars per day, while Iowa and Kansas are tied at third in the U.S. at 201-dollars per day. On the other end of the survey, she says Hawaii has the most expensive vacations, averaging 650-dollars a day.

She says the survey found two adults and two kids could expect to pay a national average of 270-dollars a day for food and lodging this summer. Of that, 152-dollars is for lodging, up about eight-percent from last year, while the cost of meals is down about one-point-three percent. White says travel numbers are expected to be up again this summer, despite escalating gasoline prices.

Audio: Radio Iowa’s Matt Kelley reports. :46 MP3

Filed Under: Recreation & Entertainment

Calls to smoking quitline continue strong

May 31, 2007 By

The one dollar increase in Iowa’s cigarette tax took effect on March 15th, and health officials have noticed that a lot of smokers in the state are trying to quit. Bonnie Mapes, with the Iowa Department of Public Health, says the number of calls to Quitline Iowa have tripled since the tax passed.

Mapes says, for now, tracking the number of calls to 1-800-QUIT-NOW is the best indicator of how many Iowans are trying to kick the habit.  Officials will, however, begin an extensive telephone survey next year. "We won’t have data on the impact of the tax on all of the different tobacco use behaviors for another year," Mapes says, "so the calls to the quit line are really the best indicator of how many Iowans are trying to quit smoking."

Mapes says the biggest key to quiting is counseling."Most people think if they get a patch or gum – that’s sort of the magic bullet," and while Mapes says those do help with withdrawl symptoms, "they don’t really help with the psychological addiction and the habit." Around 18-percent of Iowans currently smoke cigarettes. Today is World No Tobacco Day, an effort by the World Health Organization to encourage people to quit smoking.

Filed Under: Health & Medicine Tagged With:
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