Des Moines – The Office of Inspector General (OIG) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has issued a fraud alert warning the public about a preventive genetic (DNA) testing scam.  Iowans have reported being contacted about this testing scam.

“Scammers are promoting a so-called free genetic (or DNA) test to Iowans on Medicare.  People are falsely told that Medicare will pay for a preventive genetic test to check for cancer,” said Kris Gross, director of the Iowa Senior Medicare Patrol.  “Iowans are being targeted in a wide variety of ways including at health fairs, door to door and through telemarketing calls.”

Scammers ask for a cheek swab to send to a lab for analysis. The individual is then asked for their Medicare number to cover the costs of the test.   Don’t become a victim to this scam.  Medicare does not cover genetic testing, except in very rare circumstances and such a test must be medically necessary and ordered by your own doctor.

“Walk away from this scam and hang up on any calls that attempt to secure your Medicare number,” encouraged Gross.

Iowans can report suspected Medicare fraud, including the genetic (DNA) test scam to the Iowa Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) by calling 800-351-4664 (TTY800-735-2942) or reporting at https://iid.iowa.gov/iowa-smp-fraud-reporting-form.

More information regarding current scams can be found at http://smp.iowa.gov.  The Senior Medicare Patrol is a service of the state of Iowa Insurance Division.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Universities in Nebraska and Iowa are seeing an uptick in humanities courses in some medical schools. The Omaha World-Herald reports that the University of Nebraska at Omaha got the green light last month to offer a major in medical humanities. The subject areas include art, philosophy, ethics, religious studies, and the history of medicine among others.

Faculty members at Creighton School of Medicine and the University of Nebraska Medical Center say studying humanities can promote empathy and help students learn to listen.

Creighton has just created a department of medical humanities in its medicine school. The University of Iowa College of Medicine’s bioethics and humanities program also offers med students elective courses in creative writing.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller is asking Roman Catholic officials in Iowa to provide records on clergy sexual abuse so his office can launch a third-party review.

Miller says Monday he’s sent letters to bishops in Davenport, Des Moines, Dubuque and Sioux City seeking lists of priests and other church employees deemed “credibly accused” of sexual abuse and lists of accusations deemed not credible. He also wants notes from board meetings where accusations were considered, documentation of reports of abuse received by church officials and actions taken, and copies of settlement agreements with abuse survivors.

Miller says he wants a response by Aug. 1. He says survivors have urged his office to investigate and “bring attention to the injustice they and others have suffered.”

Iowa Catholic Conference spokesman Tom Chapman says each diocese plans to comply with Miller’s request. He says if there have been failures in the past, it is not for lack of trying, adding “there is no perfection this side of heaven.”

Miller’s office has a report form and a hotline for survivors on his office website .

Deputies with the Page County Sheriff’s Office, Sunday, arrested 21-year old George William Douglas, of Osceola, on a warrant for Violation of Probation. Douglas was arrested at the Clark County Sheriff’s Office, and transported to the Page County Jail where he was being held on $2,000 bond, pending further court proceedings.

George W. Douglas

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Gov. Kim Reynolds has appointed a Des Moines woman to head the Iowa Department of Corrections. Reynolds on Monday announced she had named Beth Skinner as director of the department, which oversees nine correctional institutions. Skinner will replace interim director Dan Craig, who will retired in June.

Skinner has been working as the department’s director of risk reduction, in which she led recidivism reduction efforts. She also lad the department’s research division and training department.
She has bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degrees from the University of Iowa.

Officials with the CAM School District report that on Tuesday, May 28th, seven semi-finalists interviewed with the two district school boards for the shared CAM/Nodaway Valley School District Superintendent position. The screening interviews included electronic interviews for 25 minutes with each candidate. The board reports the following three finalists that have been invited to the district on June 6th for formal interviews with multiple interview teams:

Brian Wall-Mr. Wall has served the IKM Manning School District as the High School Principal since 2008. He was the Manning High School Principal for 7 years prior. Before his tenure in school administration he served as a math teacher and coach. In 2014, he was named Iowa Association of Student Councils Administrator of the Year. He has also routinely served as a mentor for new principals through School Administrators of Iowa. One of Brian’s accomplishments is helping to lead the Irwin-Kirkman-Manilla and Manning School Districts through whole grade sharing and reorganization. He has also led the district in integration of Professional Learning Communities and the Teacher Leadership and Compensation Grant.

Paul Croghan-Mr. Croghan current serves as the Shared Superintendent between the East Mills and Essex School Districts. He has served in this role for the last 5 years. Prior, he served the East Mills District as the High School Principal and Activities Director from 2010-2013. He also served as the Assistant High School Principal and AD in Atlantic and Walnut High School Principal prior to that. His leadership efforts have expanded vocational opportunities for students, improved the financial conditions of both districts and also included multiple facilities improvements.

Brad Anderson-Mr. Anderson currently serves as the Woodward-Granger Superintendent. Prior to being named superintendent in 2011 Brad served the district and the PK-5 Principal. On top of his superintendent duties, Brad also serves the district as Special Education Director, Curriculum Director, Transportation Director, Title I Coordinator and CRISIS Coordinator. As the district leader, Brad was responsible for adding both voluntary pre-school and after school care for students, among other notable accomplishments. His prior experience includes serving as an elementary principal for United Community Schools, 3rd grade teacher in Earlham and 5th grade teacher in Gilman City, MO.

The school board will consider feedback from the formal interview teams as they decide who will be the new shared district superintendent. The new superintendent will officially begin their duties on July 1, 2019

MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa (AP) — A driver has pleaded not guilty to a charge stemming from the death of an 8-year-old who was struck by the woman’s car as he was walking home from school in Marshalltown. Marshall County court records say the plea was entered last week for 71-year-old Marilyn Diggins. The charge: failure to yield to a pedestrian at an intersection. Her pretrial hearing is scheduled for July 10.

Police say Christian Maxon was crossing West Main Street on his way home from Franklin Elementary School when he was hit by Diggins’ vehicle as she turned onto West Main from South 13th Street.