A survey of health care providers and community leaders in Iowa and six other states focused on the state of health care in rural America — and strategies to improve it. Heidi Schultz, a rural health care program officer with the Bipartisan Policy Center, says there are renewed efforts to revive rural America, but its residents continue to face greater disparities and barriers to quality health care than their urban counterparts. “What we hear the most is just concern for being able to provide the kind of health care that each community needs,” Schultz says. “These health care providers really want to do the right thing for their patients but a lot of times their hands are tied by either reimbursement mechanisms or regulations.”

A federal report finds 46-million Americans living in rural areas are at a greater risk of dying from heart disease, cancer, chronic lower respiratory disease, and stroke than city dwellers. Schultz says rural residents also have higher rates of obesity, tobacco and opioid use, and suicide than in urban areas. “A lot of times, it’s access to health care, it’s distance to health care and it’s our population,” Schultz says. “Our population in rural (areas) tends to be older, we have a lot of obesity and we do have a lot of people living in poverty, so there are quite a few reasons those statistics exist.”

According to the report, some of the main health care issues rural residents are struggling with include heart trouble, C-O-P-D and lung problems, and a high rate of type two diabetes. Schultz says, “We also have a lower number of mental health providers and we heard a lot in these roundtables and interviews, concern for people with mental health issues and concern for the providers that want to help them but maybe don’t have the tools they need or a place to refer them to.” One recommendation is to “rightsize” health care services to fit community needs, recognizing that every rural area is different and has different needs. “It doesn’t necessarily mean that every community needs a hospital with in-patient beds,” she says. “What we see in a lot of rural communities is the need for clinics, out-patient services, specialty care, therapies following a stroke or a severe illness.”

The report, “Reinventing Rural Health Care: A Case Study of Seven Upper Midwest States,” was created in collaboration with the Center for Outcomes Research and Education (CORE). In addition to Iowa, the surveys were also conducted in Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming. See the full report at: bipartisanpolicy.org.

(Radio Iowa)

Red Oak Police this (Tuesday) morning, arrested 36-year old Bobbie Jo Bruce, of Red Oak. Bruce was taken into custody for Driving While Barred, at around 8:12-a.m., following a traffic stop in the 200 block of Hammond Street, in Red Oak. She was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $2,000 bond.

(9-a.m. News)

The Atlantic City Council is set to hold a regular meeting Wednesday evening, at City Hall. The meeting starts as usual, at 5:30-p.m. On their agenda is a report from the Community Protection Committee, with regard to a proposed Rental Inspection Ordinance. The CPC met last Tuesday, and at that time decided not to recommend the full Council approve the Ordinance, at this time. We’ll hear more on the reasons why from Councilman Chris Jimerson, who also serves as the CPC Chair.

The Council will also hold a Public Hearing on a proposal to enter into a General Obligation Essential Purpose Loan Agreement . City Administrator John Lund says according to the Fiscal Year 2019 Budget and the City’s Capital Improvement Plan, the City is scheduled to assume a $2.68-million dollar General Obligation (G.O.) debt. A G.O. debt is that which is backed 100% by the City’s unlimited authority to levy taxes against property in the City’s jurisdiction. Unless tax revenues fall short of the amounts required to repay the debt, Lund says the G.O. makes default impossible. Essential corporate purchase debt is something the City can assume without a referendum, and is limited to infrastructure, public safety equipment and other essential functions. Iowa Code requires a Public Hearing to proceed with debt issuance.

Following the hearing, the Council will act on passing a Resolution “Taking additional action to enter into a General Obligation Essential Purpose Loan Agreement, and a Resolution setting the date for a public hearing on a proposal to enter into the aforementioned agreement.  Of the $2.68-million in debt being issued, Lund says the City is assuming $304,181 in General Corporate Purpose debt. The bond portion of the CIP would cover Police & Fire vehicles, Police & Fire equipment, a Rural Fire Pumper truck, Airport maintenance projects, street and bridge projects. It would also include Fire station improvements, beautification projects, phase 2 of the Library remodel, and an Animal Shelter incinerator.

The Council will also hold a Public Hearing, Wednesday, on a Proposal to enter into a G.O. Solid Waste Management Loan agreement, and act on a Resolution taking additional action on the proposal. Other Resolutions will cover the following: Accepting easements for the Turn Around project on South Palm Street; A Resolution adopting the preliminary Fiscal year 2019 Budget, and setting the date of a Public Hearing for March 7th and to adopt the FY2019 budget.; They will also act on a Resolution setting March 7th as the date for a Public Hearing on the Proposed adoption of the FY 2019 10-year Capital Improvement Plan (CIP).

The Atlantic City Council meeting will conclude with a closed session for an annual performance review of City Administrator John Lund.

NEWTON, Iowa (AP) — An Ankeny man has been sentenced to life in prison for kidnapping and sexually abusing an 11-year-old girl in Jasper County. The Des Moines Register reports that 58-year-old Jeff Altmayer was sentenced Monday in Jasper County District Court. Last month a jury found him guilty of kidnapping, sexual abuse and two counts of enticing a minor.

Prosecutors say Altmayer was arrested after he approached a girl and her friend in Colfax on Aug. 16, 2016. Police say he offered them $100 to come to his home in Des Moines and do yard work. Police say the 11-year-old got into his car, where Altmayer assaulted her.

A pretrial conference is scheduled March 5 in Grundy County for similar charges Altmayer faces there.

The Creston Police Department reports six recent arrests. Arrested Sunday, Feb. 18th, was: 20-year old Tyler Ray, of Creston, for Driving While Suspended, and on a Union County warrant for Probation Violation. His bond was set at $2,000; 21-year old Jeffrey Campbell, of Des Moines, was arrested for Possession of Paraphernalia, and on a Polk County warrant for Theft in the 3rd Degree. He was being held in the Union County Jail pending transfer to Polk County; And, 58-year old Jonathan Selim, of Creston, was arrested Sunday for OWI/2nd offense. Selim was later released on $2,000 bond.

Saturday, Creston Police arrested 32-year old Cassondra Arni, of Creston, on a Clinton County, MO., warrant for Failure to obey a Judge’s Order on an original charge of two counts of Possession of a Controlled Substance/Marijuana, and Unlawful Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Arni was transferred to the custody of Clinton County authorities. Last Friday, Creston Police arrested 43-year old Lois Taylor, of Creston, for Theft in the 5th Degree. She was released on a promise to appear later, in court. And, 35-year old Mathew Scherer, of Creston, was arrested for OWI/1st offense. He was later released on a $1,000 bond.