Iowa’s two medical schools are co-sponsoring a national conference in Omaha next week that will explore the role physician assistants play in the changing world of health care, especially in rural areas. Dr. Michael Huckabee is director of the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s P-A Education Division.  “You know there are barriers in rural primary care and a lot of this is the change that is required in health care reform and dealing with some of the misperceptions that come with that,” Huckabee says. “The PA is not in competition or making people leave their doctors. Unique to PAs, we, by state laws in every state in the country, must be linked to a physician’s practice.”

Huckabee says the increased need for health care is expected to be a burden to small communities that may not have the infrastructure and workforce to provide those services. “There are just not enough doctors to go around,” Huckabee says. “Physician assistants, by their very name, are linked to physicians to extend that care.” The fast-evolving health care landscape has created a time of change and challenges for the entire medical profession, he says, though some people may be unclear about what it is P-As do.

“All PAs are trained in the model of primary care so they’re equipped to manage acute and chronic health care problems of all types within the scope of their physicians’ practice,” he says. The conference is called “Advancing Rural Primary Care,” and it’s scheduled for next week (September 11th and 12th) at the Hilton Omaha Hotel. Huckbee says there will be a slate of national speakers.
He says, “All of them are here to address how PAs can effectively be utilized in rural communities to continue to extend the care of physicians.”

The conference is being co-hosted by the University of Iowa and Des Moines University, as well as Union College in Lincoln, Nebraska, the University of South Dakota and Wichita State University. The conference is tailored for those who hire and use P-As. It’s geared toward administrators, health care leaders, academicians, policy makers, physicians and P-As.

For more information on the conference, visit: https://unmc.edu/cce/rural_primary_care.htm>

(Radio Iowa)

Now that the Labor Day break is history, schools are back in session and students will spend the next several months in classrooms and doing homework. Kim Greder is an associate professor and Iowa State University Extension and Outreach family life specialist. She encourages parents to set high, but reasonable, expectations for the children and to get involved in their education.  “I think having positive open communication with your children on a regular basis is something that develops that relationship, so your kid is then going to talk with you when things aren’t going so well at school, when they have concerns about things, if they know they can trust you and you’re willing to listen,” Greder says.

Another key to a student’s success, according to Greder, is parents who frequently visit with their teachers and school counselors.  “I think some people realize that when they connect with teachers, school counselors, and their kids that it pays off, that their kids do well in school when they keep that communication going,” Greder says. “I think there are also parents who don’t understand how valuable this is.”

Greder says youth who are most at risk of failing a grade or dropping out of school commonly have parents who have low levels of education, low income, are a racial or ethnic minority, and live in a neighborhood that experiences high poverty.

She suggests parents take these proactive steps to avoid problems in school or potential dropout:
· Regularly talk with your child about his or her school day
· Encourage reading at home and be a role model to read regularly
· Talk to your child’s teachers and school counselor for updates on grades and behavior, and identify resources available to help your child at school
· Watch who your child hangs out with and make sure they are doing healthy activities
· Get your child involved in activities or sports to develop leadership skills and positive communication and conflict resolution skills.

(Radio Iowa)

Nearly 12 percent of new vehicles sold last year were “connected” — meaning they were equipped with devices that collect data and transmit it to the dealer or some other private company. Some even pinpoint slick spots on roads, but Iowa Department of Transportation director Paul Trombino says government agencies like his don’t have access to that information. “They’re the ones collecting the data,” Trombino says. “It’s not coming to us and I think there’s a big question on what happens to the data.”

Privacy advocates say government shouldn’t have access to that kind of data. Nearly all new vehicles have the equivalent of a “black box” to record speed and braking at the time of an accident and U.S. courts are starting to decide vehicle crash cases in which that “black box” evidence is being used. Automakers are even marketing cars that use computerized equipment to avoid accidents. The Iowa D-O-T’s director says if governments ultimately have access to vehicle data, he’s most interested in getting that information to other drivers, so they can avoid crash sites, traffic back-ups and bad road conditions.

“We want to make sure that we’re prepared to get the best advantage for the citizens of the state. And so, what are the things we need to do?” Trombino says. “That’s sort of what’s being debated right now.” Iowa and other states are already using a service called INRIX right now to process data from traffic management centers which collects information from roadway sensors, traffic cameras and accident reports.

(Radio Iowa)

CLARION, Iowa (AP) – Jury selection is scheduled to begin today (Tuesday) for a 33-year-old man charged with killing a Rockwell City police officer. Corey Trott is charged with first-degree murder in the slaying on Sept. 13 of Jamie Buenting. Prosecutors say Trott shot Buenting during a standoff at Trott’s house. Officers were trying to arrest Trott after an assault on his mother.

The trial was moved to Wright County at the request of defense attorneys. In June Rockwell City dedicated a park to Buenting.

Kraft Foods Group is voluntarily recalling 7,691 cases of select varieties of regular Kraft American Singles Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product. A supplier did not store an ingredient used in this product in accordance with Kraft’s temperature standards. While unlikely, this could create conditions that could lead to premature spoilage and/or food borne illness; therefore, the company is issuing the recall as a precaution. Kraft has had no consumer illness complaints for this product associated with this recall. The affected product is limited to four varieties with “Best When Used By” dates of February 20, 2015, and February 21, 2015.

The affected product was shipped to customers across the United States. It was not distributed outside of the United States.

The following varieties are being recalled:

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – A monthly economic survey index for nine Midwestern and Plains states rose slightly in August, suggesting growth is ahead. A survey report issued Tuesday says the overall Mid-America Business Conditions Index inched up to 57.2 last month from 57.0 in July. The index had reached a three-year high of 60.6 in June.

Looking six months ahead, the business confidence portion of the overall index climbed to 60.4 from 60.0 in July. It had hit 63.6 in June. The survey results from supply managers are compiled into a collection of indexes ranging from zero to 100. Survey organizers at Creighton University say any score above 50 suggests economic growth, while a score below that suggests decline.

The survey covers Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma and South Dakota.