A Maid-Rite loose-meat sandwich. (Gazette file)

A state demand that Taylor’s Maid-Rite in Marshalltown change the way it’s cooked loose-meat sandwiches for 82 years has some customers all riled up.

About 1,400 of them joined the “Save Taylor’s Maid-Rite” page on Facebook within 12 hours after the site was launched over the weekend.

“That kind of shows how our customers feel about this,” said owner David Short, who’s been fighting a state citation against the way the restaurant prepares its ground beef for three years.

Short is the fourth generation owner of the restaurant, which was started by Cliff Taylor in 1928. His parents, Sandy Taylor Short and Con Short, operate the restaurant. David Short also runs the architectural salvage business he owns in Des Moines.

The restaurant is in trouble for the way it uses the “Maid-Rite Cooker,” a three-foot-long rectangular cooker with a sloping bottom. Ground beef is dropped into the low end, cooked from its original pink color to a deep brown and stored for serving at the high end until it’s served.

Even though the restaurant has never had food safety complaints, the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals says the cooker can’t be used that way. Live bacteria or other contamination from uncooked meat could potentially get into the cooked meat waiting to be served, it says.

David Short argues against the change. He says the temperature of the cooker is hot enough to destroy any bacteria, but state officials have never investigated that aspect.

Taylor’s Maid-Rite was cited over the cooker in December 2007, and appealed. The restaurant lost its appeal of the citation before a state administrative law judge last September. The judge suggested the restaurant simply modify the cooker to separate it into holding and cooking compartments.

That didn’t satisfy David Short, who further appealed the ruling to Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals Director Dean Lerner.

Lerner isn’t expected to be sympathetic.

“We feel we’ll be ruled against when it does come out,” David Short said.

Taylor’s Maid-Rite gave away 600 loose meat sandwiches made in the cooker last week to lawmakers in Des Moines, along with letters urging them to intervene.

The state isn’t the only objector to the cooking process. Maid-Rite Corp. CEO and co-owner Bradley Burt has asking state regulators to put the squeeze on Maid-Rite franchisees who use the old cookers since he acquired the restaurant chain about seven years ago. In a letter to lawmakers, Burt said “very few” of the 70-plus franchised Maid-Rite restaurants still use the old style cookers, and fixing the problem isn’t a budget buster. He said Taylor’s Maid-Rite can solve the problem by buying a $50 roaster oven to hold meat after it’s cooked.

Cedar Rapids Maid-Rite owner Jim Hanson said his restaurant’s use of the Maid-Rite cooker has never been a problem. He said the meat is prepared in the cooker, transferred to a separate container until a batch is finished, and then returned to the cooker for holding.

It’s not a matter of expense to David Short. He said the cooking style is needed to meet the volume demands of his busy kitchen, and produces tastier sandwiches.

Elevated fine particle levels were recorded in northeast Iowa and Johnson County this morning.

Fine particulate levels near EPA health standards are expected to continue until late Saturday morning.

The DNR recommends that Iowans living in this area with respiratory or heart disease, the elderly, and children limit prolonged outdoor exertion until air quality conditions improve.

The EPA’s 24-hour health threshold for fine particles is 35 micrograms per cubic meter.

As of noon today, fine particle levels averaged in the high 30s to low 40s across parts of northeast Iowa.

Monitors recorded fine particulate levels at 39 in Cedar Rapids, 36 in Iowa City, and 54 in Waterloo.

Yesterday, an air monitor in Waterloo recorded a 24-hour fine particle level of 41, Cedar Rapids recorded a level of 36, Davenport recorded 36, and Muscatine recorded 43.

Fine particles are emitted by vehicle traffic and other combustion sources, and are formed by chemical reactions in the atmosphere. Stagnant air masses do not allow the fine particles to disperse, and pollutant levels rise.

The fine particle levels in the state have been following a pattern of rising rapidly during the evening and nighttime hours, and falling back to levels below the standard in late morning or early afternoon.

This cycle is expected to continue until winds pick up Saturday afternoon.

EPA’s national air quality map is available online at www.airnow.gov.

See real-time data for Linn County at: www.linncleanair.org

Greg Shireman, vice president of marketing, said vision was a natural offshoot of what Delta Dental — Iowa’s largest dental benefits provider — has been offering and something that employers were looking for.

Shireman cited surveys that showed two-thirds of employees would trade a vacation day for vision coverage and the same number use some sort of vision correction.

He also noted that eye strain has become more pervasive in the work force.

“It’s something both employees and employers are dealing with,” Shireman said.

Vision benefits encourage regular examinations that can detect diseases such as diabetes and brain tumors, he said.

DeltaVision offers several vision care plan options, including a materials-only option designed to complement medical plans that cover a yearly vision exam.

The plans offer employers a choice of co-payments and different frame and contact lens allowances.

Shireman said premiums will range from $6 to $10 monthly for single coverage.

Delta Dental contracted with EyeMed Vision Care, a vision managed care organization that includes optometrists, ophthalmologists, opticians and optical retailers.

Shireman said EyeMed has 504 providers in 179 locations in Iowa. People can go outside that provider network, but the cost would be higher.

More than 60 providers are listed in the Cedar Rapids-Iowa City Corridor, including Sears Optical and Pearle Vision. Most are in the Cedar Rapids area, with a handful in Iowa City/Coralville.

All of the DeltaVision full coverage plans include annual contact lens fit and follow up exams at no additional cost.

Along with the new benefit plans, anyone with Delta Dental benefits also have access to a free vision discount program.

Shireman said the discount, which includes savings on frames, contact lenses, eye exams and other services, averages 30 percent in savings.

The number of calls to Iowa’s helpline for quitting tobacco use skyrocketed in late December and January.

The 5,284 calls to Quitline Iowa (1-800-QUIT-NOW) exceeded the total received during the same period last year by nearly 36 percent.

“Frankly, we’re very surprised by these numbers,” said Iowa Department of Public Health Director Tom Newton. “Iowa has seen a 22 percent decrease in adult smoking since 2006. A smaller pool of smokers should mean fewer calls to Quitline Iowa, not more.

“Whether it’s the economy or some other factor, these numbers clearly show that Iowans appreciate and need this valuable public health service.”

Iowans who called during the January campaign could receive a four-week supply of nicotine patches, gum or lozenges to help break their addiction to tobacco — Iowa’s number one cause of preventable death.

Iowans who missed the campaign can still call to receive a free two-week supply of the nicotine replacement products.

For more information, call 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669) or visit www.quitlineiowa.org

Anyone in northeast Iowa with respiratory or heart disease, the elderly and children should limit prolonged outdoor exertion until the air quality improves, the DNR warned.

Fine particulate pollution levels above the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency threshold were measured this morning in northeast Iowa and were expected to continue until Friday morning.

At noon today, fine particle levels averaged in the 30s across Iowa, with higher levels in northeast Iowa.

Cedar Rapids recorded 39, Clinton, 42; Davenport, 40; Iowa City, 41; Muscatine, 35; and Waterloo, 42.

The EPA’s 24-hour health threshold for fine particles is 35 micrograms per cubic meter.

Air monitors on Wednesday recorded 24-hour fine particle levels above EPA health standards at Hoover School in Iowa City and in Davenport and Muscatine.

Fine particles, found in smoke and haze, can be emitted from sources such as fires, or they can form when gases emitted from power plants, industries and vehicles react in the air, according to the EPA.

Smaller particles can pass through the throat and nose and enter the lungs. Once inhaled, the particles can affect the heart and lungs and cause serious health effects, according to the EPA.

Mount Trashmore is already home to countless unknown chemicals. That’s why ground water and leachate, or liquid waste from the garbage, will be monitored for years to come. (The Gazette)

Asbestos and other contaminants that may go to the reopened landfill from the Sinclair demolition pose a greater health issue to workers handling the material than to the public, experts say.

Those experts say the southwest Cedar Rapids landfill, known locally as Mount Trashmore, is capable of handling debris from the flood- and fire-damaged Sinclair site. Closed in 2006, the Site 1 landfill, 2250 A St. SW, reopened on an emergency basis to accept debris from the 2008 flood.

Two bidders for the Sinclair demolition suggest taking the former meatpacking plant’s debris out of state. The City Council plans to vote today on the contract.

“I don’t think it’s going to make a bit of difference,” said Karmin McShane, executive

director of the Cedar Rapids/Linn County Solid Waste Agency. “I don’t think this little pile of waste on top is going to change the big picture on this huge mound.”

McShane noted that at one time, even chemicals were allowed to be dumped in the landfill, and no one is sure exactly what exists there.

That’s why more than 30 monitoring wells are set up throughout the site, she said. Ground water, gas and leachate — liquid waste produced from the garbage — will be monitored for at least 30 years.

McShane said the agency isn’t pushing to keep the Sinclair debris at the local landfill.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s here or in Minnesota or in Illinois,” she said. “You’re still responsible for it, and you still have to mitigate if (a pollutant) shows up.”

New Iowa landfills are required to be lined, usually with compacted clay, plastic or a combination, and the 45-year-old landfill is unlined.

Even so, burying the Sinclair debris there should not pose additional health risks if handled properly, said Doug Hawker, senior environmental specialist for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources in Manchester. The office oversees 15 Eastern Iowa counties, including Linn.

Hawker said the wood, brick and concrete that could go to the landfill from Sinclair are less apt to create a hazard than the organic material through which leachate is created. Leachate could pose a threat to ground water or the nearby Cedar River.

Because all material from the Sinclair site will be treated as if it contains asbestos, certain precautions are required.

The demolition crew will need to wet the debris at the site, cover it during transport and bury it immediately with soil at the landfill, so asbestos fibers cannot become airborne.

Asbestos is not generally a water pollution problem; it’s an air problem, Hawker said.

“The big health issue is when you breathe it in,” he said.

That puts demolition crews and landfill workers most at risk.

McShane said records are kept of where asbestos-contaminated debris is dumped to help in monitoring.

Hawker said the DNR will check on the Sinclair demolition but will not have an inspector on site. The DNR will rely on the expertise of the company hired for demolition and landfill personnel to identify and handle any contaminants, he said.

Allan Rickard, 70, who has lived nearby on C Street SW for 30 years, said he trusts that the landfill will handle the material appropriately.

Melody Morgan, 37, isn’t as trusting. Morgan, who has lived in a neighboring apartment complex for 10 years, said debris remained exposed for a long time on top of the landfill after the flood, creating a stench.

“You couldn’t even open your windows because of the smell,” she said.

Cases of the respiratory virus known as RSV are on the rise in Iowa.

More surprising may be that seasonal flu is still virtually non-existent in the state.

According to the latest report from the Iowa Department of Public Health, seasonal influenza had yet to be detected in Iowa or surrounding states in late January.

All cases so far have been H1N1 flu, according to the Iowa Influenza Surveillance Network, with 539 people hospitalized this season from diagnosed H1N1.

Iowa’s flu season typically peaks in early February.

Respiratory syncytial virus, the disease known as RSV that is particularly hard on infants, was at peak levels, according to the latest state report in late January.

Symptoms of RSV mimic the common cold with a runny nose, fever and coughing, but it also can be more severe, with wheezing and difficulty breathing.

Dr. Christine Ziebold and Dr. Charles Jennissen said the University of Iowa Children’s Hospital in Iowa City has seen an increase in RSV in the past month.

Jennissen said the RSV season so far appears to be relatively mild compared to past years.

“It is possible that the RSV virus is not quite as virulent this season, or perhaps we still haven’t reached the peak of the disease in the community,” he said.

Dr. James Matsuda, St. Luke’s Pediatric Hospitalist medical director, agreed.

Matsuda said he does not think the number of cases is any more than what is typical for this time of year.

St. Luke’s Cedar Rapids Pediatrics said cases of RSV are on the rise in the Cedar Rapids area, mostly in children under one year. RSV can be more severe in infants and young children because of their smaller airways.

The same is true at Mercy Medical Center in Cedar Rapids, where an uptick has been seen in RSV, but no dramatic increase.

Some pediatric patients have been admitted to the hospital.

“Not a surge by any means at this point but an indication that RSV is out in the community,” spokeswoman Karen Vander Sanden said.

Like other viruses, RSV is spread by coughing and sneezing or touching something containing the virus and then rubbing the eyes, nose or mouth.

It’s a myth that viruses are killed by cold weather.

Experts note that heat and humidity kill viruses, while influenza and other respiratory viruses thrive in cold, dry environments.

Thoroughly and frequently washing hands can help stem the spread of illness.

Two more diners became ill after eating at the same restaurant two days later.

Would you like to know which restaurant?

Finding an answer isn’t simple.

State law governs what information can be released during outbreaks.

A bill that would have relaxed the law didn’t get far this year in the state Legislature.

State epidemiologist Dr. Patricia Quinlisk said each investigation or outbreak is handled based on the circumstances.

In the December case, 11 people were diagnosed within a week with the same strain of salmonella, often a food-borne illness.

Because a direct cause of the illness was not identified, no warnings were issued and the name of the restaurant and two others where patients ate, were kept confidential.

Curtis Dickson, director of Linn County Public Health, said the county can release only what the state allows.

“Unless we tie it to a particular food source, we can’t take it to the public,” he said.

Dickson said he is willing to notify the public in cases where public health is at risk, but that must be balanced with fairness to the businesses involved.

“We don’t want to cause panic among people, either,” he said.

Sen. Amanda Ragan, D-Mason City, introduced the bill that would have eased restrictions on information that can be released during outbreaks.

The bill, which did not make it out of a subcommittee, would have kept names confidential, but allowed releasing the county of residence, health condition, sex and approximate age of a person infected with a reportable disease.

Quinlisk said she and others opposed the bill, which came in the wake of the H1N1 flu epidemic.

One concern was that people might be hesitant to get tested for a disease if they thought the information might become public, she said. Opponents also questioned releasing other health conditions that might not be related to the disease.

Quinlisk said the law already allows an individual, business or other entity to be identified to protect public health.

For example, the public would be notified if a restaurant worker could have infected customers with hepatitis A.

But most times that doesn’t happen, especially with food-borne illnesses where the source is seldom found.

“You don’t want to destroy somebody’s business if they had nothing to do with it,” Quinlisk said.

To see Iowa’s policy for disclosure of reportable disease information, go to: www.idph.state.ia.us/adper/common/pdf/cade/disclosure_reportable_diseases.pdf

The report, issued today by the Alliance for Biking & Walking, also examined federal investment in those activities and safety rates in the 50 states and 51 largest cities.

In Iowa, the report showed 8 percent of trips are made by foot or bike, but only 2 percent of federal transportation funding is invested in projects conducive to biking or walking.

Iowa’s funding is slightly better than the nation as a whole, which rings in at just over 1 percent. Nationwide, 10 percent of trips are made by foot or bike, according to the report.

Seven percent of traffic fatalities in Iowa are bicyclists or pedestrians, compared to 13 percent nationwide.

The report also showed:

• While bicycling and walking levels fell 67 percent between 1960 and 2000, obesity levels increased by 241 percent.

• Between 1966 and 2001, the number of children who bicycled or walked to school fell 68 percent, while the percentage of obese children rose 367 percent.

• In general, states with the highest levels of bicycling and walking have the lowest levels of obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes and have the greatest percentage of adults who meet the recommended 30-plus minutes a day of physical activity.

• In almost every state and major U.S. city, bicyclists and pedestrians are at a disproportionate risk of being killed and receive less than their fair share of transportation dollars.

• U.S. investment in biking and walking lags far behind that of other developed nations, which may explain why the U.S. has fewer people who bike and walk than its international peers.

Sen. Amanda Ragan, a Mason City Democrat, has introduced a bill to ease restrictions on information that the Department of Public Health can release during outbreaks, such as the H1N1 flu.

Ragan, who chairs the Senate Human Resources Committee, says she shares health officials’ desire to protect the identify of disease victims, but Iowans might take outbreaks more seriously if they knew more details about the victims.

Department of Public Health Director Tom Newton says his agency doesn’t see the value in telling Iowans exactly where flu victims lived, how old they were or what their other health problems were.

– Associated Press

John Burge, 50, of Cedar Rapids (from right) talks about the process of receiving a kidney from Nick Etten, 24, of Cedar Rapids, who is a friend of his son Matthew Burge, 22, also of Cedar Rapids Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2009 at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City. Etten responded to a Facebook post by Matthew asking if anybody would donate a kidney to his father. (Brian Ray/The Gazette)

Nick Etten is inching closer to getting back to work full time and to his normal routine.

Five weeks ago, Etten’s story circled the globe when the Cedar Rapids man gave up a kidney after reading a Facebook post from a friend.

“It got kind of a little nutty,” Etten said Monday from the couch of John Burge. Burge is now walking around with a new kidney — Etten’s former left kidney.

The reason the story filled newspaper space in Great Britain, Norway, Russia, Germany and Japan is because it started with a Sept. 18 Facebook post by Matthew Burge. He put out a call for someone to help his father, John Burge, who suffered from polycystic kidney disease. Time was running out. John Burge had already been on the kidney donor list for years.

But within an hour of Burge’s request, Etten wrote that he would like to help. Etten had never met his friend’s father before agreeing to see if his kidney would be a match.

On Dec. 17 at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Etten lost a kidney and John Burge gained one.

“It was a little bit overwhelming,” Burge admitted Monday during the first face-to-face meeting between donor and recipient since the surgery.

Now both men are working to get back to what a normal life should be.

Burge, who says he loves to cycle, can’t do it right now. The doctors are telling him to take it easy — but not too easy.

“All I’m limited to doing is just walking,” he said. “Sometimes I want to push myself faster than what the doctors want me to.”

Burge plans to be back working full time within two weeks.

Etten said his plan to stay healthy is similar to Burge’s: “Don’t get fat!” He laughed as he admitted he needs to keep off the couch.

“My daily lifestyle hasn’t changed,” he said, adding that the surgery required four cuts and his body is recovering a little bit more each day.

As their health continues to get stronger, both men are also noticing the attention they have garnered is starting to temper as well.

“The amount of people on Facebook got a little overwhelming,” Etten said. In the days after the surgery, he said, he was overwhelmed with messages from people who wanted to become his Facebook friend.

“I’m still at a loss for how to thank Nick,” Burge said. “I can’t believe what it’s done for me.”

– Chris Earl, KCRG-TV9

Iowa has made progress on many smoking-related health goals in the last decade. (Liz Martin/The Gazette)

Iowa still has the remainder of this year to reach health goals the state set for 2010. But just as with New Year’s resolutions, some measures will fall short.

Healthy Iowans 2010 is the name of the plan written one decade ago as a road map for improving the health of Iowans.

Louise Lex, health planner for the Iowa Department of Public Health, said those plans will be evaluated through the remainder of this year, even as the 2020 goals are developed.

“We’ll look at where we are, what have we been doing, where to improve and where to put our emphasis,” Lex said.

A 149-page database provides an item-by-item breakdown of all the 2010 goals, from access to quality health care through violent and abusive behavior.

Examples include increasing cancer survival rates, reducing the diabetes death rate and eliminating elevated blood lead levels in Iowa children.

Some goals, such as having all Iowans under age 65 covered by health insurance, aren’t likely to be attained.

But Lex said the state has made progress in many areas. Chief among those are goals related to smoking.

One goal was to decrease to 18 percent the proportion of Iowa adults who smoke cigarettes. The prevalence has decreased from 23 percent in 2002, to 20 percent in 2004, 18 percent in 2006 and 14 percent in 2008.

“Policy change does a great deal,” Lex said. “This is a big example.”

She pointed to the Smokefree Air Act, which went into effect in 2008. The act prohibits smoking in nearly all public places in Iowa, including restaurants and bars.

Iowa also implemented a $1 per pack cigarette tax increase in 2007.

Areas where the state could improve include obesity rates, which have risen in the past decade, and activity levels.

About two-thirds of Iowans are either overweight or obese.

“Iowa is not alone in this,”

Lex said, citing obesity levels

that have been climbing nationwide.

She noted that by increasing activity levels — the goal is 30 minutes per day of moderate exercise, five days per week — maintaining healthy weight and not smoking, Iowans could decrease the risk of four major diseases: cancer, heart and lung disease and diabetes.

“Risk factors are certainly something people can do something about to stay healthy,” Lex said.

Already, 600 objectives have been suggested for the 2020 report.

The number of HIV diagnoses hit a record 126 in 2007 but then dropped to 107 in 2008. However, Jerry Harms of the state Department of Health said 70 HIV and 46 AIDS diagnoses were reported during the first half of 2009 – figures that both topped the averages for the previous five-year periods.

As of last June 30, there were 1,667 people – 1,314 males and 353 females — living in Iowa who had tested positive for HIV or AIDS, including 11 people under the age of 13. Health officials reported there were 26 HIV-infected deaths in Iowa in 2008.

Harms said figures for the entire 2009 year won’t be available until March. But, he said with the relatively small number of HIV/AIDS cases in Iowa, it is difficult to draw many conclusions about trend lines or other factors in tracking the disease.

“It looks like they’re going to be up,” Harms said. “It looks like we could be approaching 2007 numbers. I don’t think they’re going to be beyond historical highs and the ‘why’ of it at this point is unknown. It’s a hard thing to pin point.”

The data can be affected by increases in the levels of testing and the dissemination of prevention messages, he noted. The federal Center for Disease Control has estimated about 21 people who have been infected with HIV do not know it and there has been an increased push to encourage people to get tested, he added.

Also, Harms said, it is unclear whether the increased numbers reflect new diagnoses or people who moved to Iowa after having been previously diagnosed elsewhere.

A total of 58 males and 12 females were diagnosed with HIV infections and 39 males and seven females with the AIDS disease between Jan. 1 and June 30. The yearly average for the period from 2004 through 2008 was 53 HIV diagnoses and 39 AIDS diagnoses.

Polk County had the highest number of residents diagnosed with HIV or AIDS with 470, followed by Scott County with 172, Johnson County with 128, Linn County with 113, Black Hawk County with 81, Pottawattamie County with 64 and Woodbury County with 62. There also were 62 inmates diagnosed with HIV or AIDS in Iowa’s nine prisons as of last June 30.

Cedar Rapids Medical District plans

Advocates say a new Cedar Rapids Medical District will mean better patient outcomes in a city already cited as among the top 10 nationwide for high-quality, low-cost health care.

The Cedar Rapids Healthcare Alliance, a non-profit group that works on health care and patient safety issues through community partnerships, sponsored a forum last night to discuss the district, which was announced in October.

More than 75 invited guests attended the event at the Kirkwood Training and Outreach Services center in Marion.

The district will have related services clustered along 10th Street SE, between St. Luke’s Hospital and Mercy Medical Center.

Mayor Ron Corbett said the district should help bring jobs to the city.

One of the forces behind the district is a plan by Physicians’ Clinic of Iowa to build a $40 million “medical mall” that will straddle Second Avenue SE, said John Helbling, a Cedar Rapids consultant hired to facilitate planning of the district.

Groundbreaking on that 180,000-square-foot building could be in October, with a goal of opening in late 2012, said PCI’s CEO Mike Sundall.

But panel members noted that the concept is not just about buildings.

“The prevention side of this is huge,” said Gary Streit, a Cedar Rapids attorney and longtime volunteer for the American Cancer Society.

Streit said making it easier for area residents to get cancer screenings and other preventive care means better outcomes for the entire community.

Panelists said spending less on health care results in more to spend on parks, cultural activities and other elements that contribute to a better quality of life.

Dr. Jim Levett, president of the Cedar Rapids Healthcare Alliance, who moderated the discussion, along with Mercy CEO Tim Charles and St. Luke’s CEO Ted Townsend, represented the city during a conference last month in Orlando by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement.

Cedar Rapids was cited in a keynote address in front of thousands at the conference as a model for health care delivery.

REPLAY: Live blog from Wednesday night’s meeting:

The new study, reported in the journal Cell Metabolism, revealed how a channel in the heart and skeletal muscles affects the balance between food intake and energy used.

Investigators found that disrupting the ATP-sensitive potassium channel made mice burn more calories even while at rest, but also made them less fuel efficient when exercising.

ATP, or adenosine triphosphate, is the “energy currency” used by cells in the body.

The findings point to a potential pathway through which to manage and prevent obesity, said Dr. Leonid Zingman, senior study author and UI assistant professor of internal medicine, who began the research while at the Mayo Clinic.

“The ion channel, which is present in many tissues, had been studied extensively, but its role in heart and skeletal muscle function under normal, not stressed, conditions has not been previously understood,” Zingman said. “Our work indicates that the channel limits how certain muscle cells, called myocytes, use energy under normal workload conditions.”

When researchers disrupted the channel’s function in muscles, the mice used more energy and became lean even while on a high-fat diet. In essence, the mice became resistant to obesity.

However, this resistance was met at the cost of reduced endurance.

“Through evolution, living organisms have become energy-saving. They responded to limited food resources and the high energy need to survive by becoming energy efficient,” Zingman said. “But now, with excess food supply and an inactive lifestyle, this energy efficiency is a problem for humans.”

Researchers are interested in whether interfering with this “biological perfection” is possible to manage obesity without negatively affecting heart and muscle function.

“While mechanisms that preserve energy are naturally protective — in times of food shortage or environmental stress — they promote obesity in a sedentary, modern society,” said lead author Alexey Alekseev of the Mayo Clinic.

Alekseev said findings suggest that targeting the channel function, specifically in muscle, could offer a new option for obese patients with lower capacity for exercise.

Besides the UI and Mayo, the study included scientists from the University of Connecticut and New York University School of Medicine.

The study was supported by Gerstner Family Career Development Award in Industrialized Medicine, Mayo Graduate School Fellowship, National Institutes of Health grants, Marriot Disease Research Program/Marriot Foundation, and by a Medical Research Initiative Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust pilot grant and a Fraternal Order of Eagles, Iowa Aerie, grant.

The 60-39 vote on a cold winter morning capped months of arduous negotiations and 24 days of floor debate. It also followed a succession of failures by past congresses to get to this point.

Vice President Joe Biden presided as 58 Democrats and two independents voted “yes.” Republicans unanimously voted “no.”

The tally far exceeded the simple majority required for passage, but clearly showed the philosophical split between Democrats and Republicans over how American health care should be delivered.

And that acrimony is expected to persist as the Senate’s bill gets merged with legislation passed by the House. That has to happen before Obama can sign a final bill in the new year.

There are significant differences between the two measures but Democrats say they’ve come too far now to fail. Both bills would extend health insurance to more than 30 million more Americans.

The bill’s passage will offer Obama a bright end to an often rocky year that began with huge hopes following his election victory. His public approval level now hovers around 50 percent as he copes with high unemployment, increasing violence in Afghanistan and the divisive health care debate.

Obama delayed his Christmas vacation in Hawaii until the Senate vote, a sign of its importance to his presidency. The legislation will likely shape the 2010 congressional elections and possibly Obama’s 2012 re-election bid.

Obama has signaled that he’s ready to go forward with the legislation.

In an interview with PBS broadcast Wednesday, the president sought to shift the focus from how the bills differ to how they are similar.

“I’m getting 95 percent of what I want,” Obama said. “Now, I might not be getting 95 percent of what some other folks want.”

Vicki Kennedy, the widow of the late Massachusetts Sen. Edward Kennedy, who made health reform his life’s work, watched the vote from the gallery.

“This morning isn’t the end of the process, it’s merely the beginning. We’ll continue to build on this success to improve our health system even more,” Majority Leader Harry Reid said before the vote. “But that process cannot begin unless we start today … there may not be a next time.”

At a news conference a few moments later, Reid said the vote “brings us one step closer to making Ted Kennedy’s dream a reality.”

After passage, House Minority Leader John Boehner assailed the bill.

“Not even Ebenezer Scrooge himself could devise a scheme as cruel and greedy as Democrats’ government takeover of health care,” the Ohio Republican said in a statement.

“Senator Reid’s health care bill increases premiums for families and small businesses, raises taxes during a recession, cuts seniors’ Medicare benefits, adds to our skyrocketing debt, and puts bureaucrats in charge of decisions that should be made by patients and doctors,” he said. “The bill also authorizes taxpayer-funded abortions, violating long-standing federal policy. It’s no coincidence that the more the American people learn about this monstrosity, the more they oppose it.

The legislation would ban the insurance industry from denying benefits or charging higher premiums on the basis of pre-existing medical conditions. The Congressional Budget Office predicts the bill will reduce deficits by $130 billion over the next 10 years, an estimate that assumes lawmakers carry through on hundreds of billions of dollars in planned cuts to insurance companies and doctors, hospitals and others who treat Medicare patients.

For the first time, the government would require nearly every American to carry insurance, and subsidies would be provided to help low-income people to do so. Employers would be induced to cover their employees through a combination of tax credits and penalties. The legislation costs nearly $1 trillion over 10 years and is paid for by a combination of taxes, fees and cuts to Medicare.

Some liberal Democrats have not been enthusiastic about the Senate bill because they don’t believe it goes far enough, leaving some 24 million people uninsured.

And there are no plans for a government-run national health care system that would cover all Americans. Even a more modest proposal to have a government-run health plan compete with private insurers had to be stripped from the Senate bill in the face of opposition from moderate Democrats.

Negotiations between the House and Senate to reconcile differences between the two bills are expected to begin as soon as next week.

– Associated Press

The Facebook page of Matthew Burge, 22, of Cedar Rapids still shows the post asking for a kidney donor for his father John Burge, 50, of Cedar Rapids and the response by his friend Nick Etten, 24, also of Cedar Rapids Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2009. Etten is scheduled to donate a kidney John, who has a genetic disorder called polycystic kidney disease, today at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. (Brian Ray/The Gazette)

A kidney transplant Thursday that resulted from a Facebook request “went well for all involved,” said Dr. Alan Reed, chief of the University of Iowa Organ Transplant Center.

Nick Etten, 24, donated one of his kidneys to John Burge, 50, after Burge’s son posted a request on his Facebook page, asking for a kidney donor for his dad.

Etten and Burge, both of Cedar Rapids, had not met before Etten responded to the request.

Burge suffers from polycystic kidney disease and faced dialysis in the coming weeks if a match and donor kidney weren’t found. None of his family matched.

Vice President for Medical Affairs Jean Robillard says shrinking the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics work force by 676 people over the past year and cutting expenses has placed the hospital in position to handle the current financial climate.

Officials say the hospital finished fiscal 2009 in the red. Last month, Robillard said $17 million must be cut by the end of the 2010 fiscal year.

Robillard says the hospital is now focused on a new outpatient clinic in Coralville. If approved by the Board of Regents in February, the project could be completed in two years.

Robillard says early discussions suggested leasing rather than owning buildings, making that other details to be resolved.

Montana was judged least prepared, with a three, and eight states tied with the highest score of a nine in the report released today by the Trust for America’s Health and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

The report found that the H1N1 flu outbreak has exposed serious underlying gaps in the nation’s ability to respond to public health emergencies and the economic crisis is straining an already fragile public health system.

For the full report, see: www.healthyamericans.org or: www.rwjf.org

Nichol Johnson, a Southeastern Community College student, has blood drawn by Hannah Garnjobst, while Johnson's friend Elizabeth Hnizdo looks away, during a blood drive in 2004. (AP)

Blood drive cancellations due to winter storms has led to a greater need.

In the Waterloo-area alone, the Red Cross cancelled three blood drives resulting in nearly 250 fewer blood donations.

Overall, the Badger-Hawkeye Blood Services Region of the American Red Cross cancelled 14 blood drives due to inclement weather, totaling more than 800 blood donations.

As Iowans dig out from the snow and ice, and traveling is deemed to be safe again, the American Red Cross is urging eligible donors to make an appointment to help replenish lifesaving blood supplies.

Platelet and type O negative blood donations are especially needed.

Type O negative is the universal blood type and can potentially be transfused to anyone. A recent surge in patient usage has increased the need of this blood type.

With a shelf life of just five days, platelet donations are constantly needed, especially when severe weather affects the normal steady flow of donations. Platelets are used to help cancer patients, who rely on transfusions following chemotherapy and radiation treatments.

For those interested in making an appointment to donate platelets at the Waterloo Blood Donation Center, call 1-800-626-4017 ext. 357.

Upcoming Blood Donation Opportunities

• Waterloo Blood Donation Center, 2530 University Ave. Open Mondays and Wednesday through Saturday.
• Epworth community blood drive on Friday, December 11 from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the United Methodist Church (102 E Main St, Dyersville). For an appointment, call Joyce at 563-875-7434.
• Grant Wood Chapter blood drive on Saturday, December 12 from 8 a.m. to noon at 6300 Rockwell Dr NE (Cedar Rapids).
• Cedar Falls AMVETS blood drive on Monday, December 14 from 12:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. at AMVETS Post #49 (1934 Irving St, Cedar Falls.) For an appointment, call Marv at 319-268-1280.
• Grant Wood Chapter blood drive on Monday, December 14 from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at 6300 Rockwell Dr NE (Cedar Rapids.)
• Cipco blood drive on Tuesday, December 15 from noon to 5 p.m. at 1400 Hwy 13 (Cedar Rapids.) For an appointment, call Jeanie at 319-366-4512 ext. 300.
• Cedar Rapids Holiday Blood Drive on Thursday, December 17 from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Marriott (1200 Collins Rd NE, Cedar Rapids).
• Grant Wood Chapter blood drive on Saturday, December 19 from 8 a.m. to noon at 6300 Rockwell Dr NE (Cedar Rapids.)
• Grant Wood Chapter blood drive on Monday, December 21 from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at 6300 Rockwell Dr NE (Cedar Rapids.)

Call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE (1-800-448-3543) or visit givebloodgivelife.org to make an appointment or for more information.

All blood types are needed to ensure a reliable supply for patients. A blood donor card or driver’s license, or two other forms of identification are required at check-in.

Anyone 17 years of age (16 with parental permission in some states), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements.

Iowa’s state employees also pay substantially lower out-of-pocket health insurance costs, such as deductibles and office co-payments, than private-sector workers, according to an independent study of nearly 900 businesses and government employers conducted this year by David P. Lind & Associates of Clive.

Government employees at all levels in Iowa, including those working for schools and local governments, pay maximum out-of-pocket costs that are about half the amount paid by workers in private businesses, Lind’s survey found. That represents a possible annual savings of $1,000 or more for each employee.

The combination of higher benefit costs and lower state revenue has prompted calls for change.

Rep. Scott Raecker of Urbandale, the top-ranking Republican on the House Appropriations Committee, has proposed that state employees contribute $50 a month for health care premiums.

As of July 1, 84 percent of the 28,522 state employees enrolled in health insurance through their jobs participated in plans for which they paid no premiums, according to the Iowa Department of Management. That number includes employees in all branches of state government.

The five other states that offer at least some of their employees no-premium health insurance are Arkansas, Delaware, North Dakota, Oklahoma and Oregon.

Iowa offers employees a variety of insurance plans. Generally, the 16 percent of state employees who pay part of their premium costs have chosen more comprehensive insurance, which covers more medical conditions, such as chronic illnesses, or pays a greater percentage of total claims.

“We ask indigent Iowans and those living under the poverty level to contribute up to $40 a month for their state-sponsored health plan, yet, in many cases, do not ask state employees to contribute anything,” Raecker said. “It’s not an easy thing to do, but I think most Iowans would appreciate the fact that state employees would contribute to their health care plan.”

The proposal is unlikely to go anywhere in the coming legislative session. Democrats occupy the governor’s office and hold majorities in both the Iowa House and Senate.

House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, D-Des Moines, called Republicans’ push to cut state employee benefits “a turkey.”

Benefits were negotiated with unions in legally binding contracts, and cutting them would be unfair, McCarthy said.

He agreed that medical costs are “out of control,” but said the issue needs to be resolved through national reform.

Several other states are looking at how to rein in health insurance costs.

Officials in Alabama, California, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine and Nevada are considering increasing employees’ share of premiums and co-payments, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. At least 11 states are considering trimming coverage.

Requiring employees to pay partial premiums would not only help offset the government’s costs but also help them gain awareness of health costs, which ultimately would help hold down rates, said Fred Buie, president of Keystone Electrical Manufacturing Co. in Des Moines.

Keystone, which has 60 full-time employees, has kept health insurance costs level in the past four years largely by setting up health reimbursement accounts, which reimburse employees for some medical expenses. The accounts come with a tax advantage that helps offset costs for Keystone.

Keystone employees pay an average of about 18 percent of health care costs through monthly premiums.

“I don’t know of any private business where employees don’t pay premiums,” Buie said. “If you’re contributing, you appreciate it more and tend to make better use of it.”

Union officials who represent state workers have long argued that good benefits are part of a trade-off state employees make for accepting lower pay.

That depends on state workers’ education levels, according to a review of salary data conducted for the Register by Iowa State University economist David Swenson.

Highly educated state workers, on average, do make less than those in the private sector, by $15,000 or more a year, Swenson found. But state workers as a group make nearly $5,400 more a year on average in base salary and receive $4,700 more in benefits than their private-sector counterparts.

Danny Homan, president of AFSCME’s Local 61, contended last month that the salary and benefits information obtained by the Register is “either a lie or miscalculated.”

The Register, in response, shared much of its data with Homan and spokesman Charlie Wishman and requested they provide information or studies that dispute the newspaper’s findings. They declined to do so, although Wishman, in an e-mail, questioned Lind’s methodology because it did not break out education levels.

Lind’s study focused upon health insurance costs, which, unlike salaries, do not correlate closely with education levels. Lind said the survey has an accuracy rate of plus or minus 3.3 percent.

Union officials say members have accepted smaller raises in recent years to help preserve good benefits. Across-the-board wage increases have been 3 percent or less for the past 10 years, with no raises in 2006 and the current fiscal year. Some employees are eligible each year for step increases beyond the across-the-board raise.

Susan Shields, a pharmacist with the state’s corrections department, falls in the category of highly educated state workers who are paid less than private-sector counterparts. Eleven years ago, she left a pharmacist job with a large retailer to join the state work force. Last year, her pay remained roughly $4,000 less than that of the average pharmacist in Iowa.

Shields said she was working nearly 80 hours a week in the private sector and now works closer to a normal workweek. While pay is less with the state, the benefits are better, she acknowledged.

“I don’t think of myself as being any better off or worse off (than) most pharmacists,” Shields said. “No, I don’t make the same amount of money as someone who works for a big-box retail chain. They make a lot of money, but they also work a lot of hours and have a lot of stress. I’ve been there. It’s not worth the money.”

The state has taken steps in recent years to rein in its increased costs for employee health benefits. Those efforts have created tension.

Beginning in January of this year, for example, Iowa eliminated United HealthCare as a health insurance option for state employees, a move estimated to save $10.8 million this year, according to a memo sent in September to state officials by Ed Holland, division administrator for the Iowa Department of Administrative Services.

Iowa’s five-member Executive Council, headed by Gov. Chet Culver, made the decision. Opponents, including members of his own party, said thousands of workers would have to choose among plans that offer less flexibility, particularly to see specialists in other states. They also cast doubt on the savings.

Holland said last week that the decision has led to few problems to date.

The state also expanded education on wellness and prevention, which officials think will help lower long-term costs.

State leaders, including Culver, have also set up a working group of unions and government representatives to identify ways to reduce health care costs. The next time union contracts are up for negotiations is 2011.

The negotiation process that leads to union agreements on salaries and benefits is conducted almost entirely in private. Typically, the governor, a handful of other state employees and union representatives participate. Although authorities make final union agreements public, union leaders, state negotiators and lawmakers usually do not discuss how negotiators arrived at the agreements.

The Department of Administrative Services denied a request for an interview with any employee of that department involved in the collective bargaining process.

Senate Majority Leader Michael Gronstal, D-Council Bluffs, said the negotiation process takes much of the decision-making about employee benefit costs out of the hands of lawmakers.

Questioned about the premium-free health insurance offered to state employees, Gronstal said: “I don’t want to characterize it as good or bad because that is unfairly biasing the collective bargaining process. This is a job for the executive branch to negotiate with the employee unions, and I am not going to jawbone the unions down or state government up in this equation. I think it’s inappropriate for us to comment on subjects relative to collective bargaining.”

Senate Republican Leader Paul McKinley said the union negotiation process should be more transparent to allow more citizen input as negotiating takes place.

“One of the things we know is that the total compensation package of state employees has exceeded that of private employees, and it has gotten to the point where we’re seeing billion-dollar deficits,” McKinley said. “The bargaining process just isn’t working to protect the taxpayers.”

If a governor wanted to require employees to pay part of insurance premiums or take other steps to control costs, such changes are often years in the making, said Richard Cauch, health program director for the National Conference of State Legislatures.

“Changes for public employees generally move at a slower pace,” Cauch said, noting the complex union agreements that bind most states. “It’s unlike the private sector, where a company can announce, ‘In 60 days, here’s what we’re doing to you.’”

– Associated Press

Three-month-old Lily Gearheart of Cedar Rapids, IA smiles at her mother Becky during a baby massage session in a Mommy and Me class at the Nassif Center for Women's and Children's Health at St. Luke's Hospital on Monday, Aug. 6, 2007, in northeast Cedar Rapids, IA. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)

With a baby and a 6-year-old, Sara Sheeder has her hands full.

Having another child is not in her plans, especially since tips at her waitressing job dipped with the economy.

“I just don’t make enough money to support any more kids,” said Sheeder, 27, of Cedar Rapids, a student in Kirkwood Community College’s nursing program.

Sheeder, who uses a long-acting birth control and wants to graduate and stabilize her finances before considering a larger family, isn’t the only one putting pregnancy on hold.

A Guttmacher Institute report showed nearly half of women surveyed said they want to delay pregnancy, while 64 percent said they couldn’t afford to have a baby because of the economy.

Local and state birth statistics don’t show a definite trend, but some say the recession has had an effect on family planning.

“There is no doubt that the economy is directly affecting the women in our community,” said Jenifer Vick, development and communications director for Planned Parenthood of East Central Iowa in Cedar Rapids.

Vick said an increasing number of patients report losing health insurance coverage because of job loss and they need help continuing their birth control to prevent pregnancy.

She pointed to the following:

• Before November 2008, Planned Parenthood enrolled an average of five to six women each week in the Iowa Family Planning Network, a program that provides free birth control and other prevention services for low-income women. Now, five to six women enroll in the program daily.

• Planned Parenthood is receiving 10 to 20 calls per day from women asking for help continuing their contraceptive use, many saying they or their spouse lost their job and insurance.

• More women who had been patients with insurance are asking about programs for the uninsured.

Vick said nongeneric birth control pills can cost $50 to $90 per month without insurance and Depo Provera birth control shots run $80 to $100.

Francine Thompson, health services director for the Emma Goldman Clinic in Iowa City, said abortion numbers are dropping at the clinic, as they are nationwide.

Thompson had not heard women say they are delaying pregnancy because of the economy, but said the recession definitely has had an effect. “We are seeing more women in need of financial assistance for whatever service they’re seeking at the clinic,” she said.

Nationwide, most consider the current recession to have started in late 2007. Iowa started seeing layoffs in mid-2008.

Stephanie Trusty, maternal health consultant for the state’s Bureau of Family Health, said total births in Iowa have risen in recent years. She didn’t foresee that changing.

“I haven’t heard from any of the big birthing centers that the numbers have fallen off,” she said.

In Cedar Rapids, St. Luke’s Hospital reported 2,683 births in 2007; 2,715 in 2008 and 2,371 so far this year, as of mid-November.

Mercy Medical Center reported 839 births in 2007, 816 in 2008 and 726 so far this year. Mercy was closed about 10 days last year during the flood.

Mercy Iowa City had a rise in births, from 1,163 in 2007 to 1,230 in 2008 and 920 so far this year.

University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City had 1,808 births in 2007; 1,811 in 2008 and 619 as of Oct. 31.

The Preventive Services Task Force said that women should not get routine mammograms any earlier than at age 50, with tests every two years.

But federal Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius took the unusual step Wednesday of discrediting that recommendation, saying that the government’s guidelines had not changed. She urged women to begin getting mammograms at age 40, which is also the American Cancer Society’s recommendation.

University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City are reviewing the task force’s recommendation.

Both St. Luke’s Hospital and Mercy Medical Center in Cedar Rapids will continue to follow guidelines from the American Cancer Society and American College of Radiology.

Radiology Consultants of Iowa, which works with both hospitals, supports early detection, breast cancer screenings, self breast examinations and encourages women to begin annual mammograms at age 40.

Women of all ages are also advised to discuss the pros and cons with their doctors and make screening choices based on individual needs.

“A lot of people feel women’s health has made advancements over time, and some people may see this as a step backward,” Heidi Berns, director of radiology at Mercy Iowa City, said of the task force recommendations.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer for women in the United States.

This year, nearly 200,000 women will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer, according to the American Cancer Society.

The national poll showed that 52 percent of Americans disapprove of Obama’s performance, while 48 percent approve. When asked about healthcare reform, 52 percent said government action would do more harm than good, and the remaining 48 percent supported change.

Conducted Oct. 23-31, the phone survey included 772 respondents with a margin of error of +/- 3.5 percent. Topline results and sample characteristics are available here.

Read more

Source: The University of Iowa News Service

Vote

[polldaddy poll=2271913]

Iowa ranked 15th in America’s Health Rankings, released today by United Health Foundation, the American Public Health Association and Partnership for Prevention.

The state faces challenges with a high prevalence of binge drinking — ranked 48th with a rate of 20 percent — and limited availability of primary care physicians — 47th, with 83.9 per 100,000 people.

Vermont ranked first in the report and Mississippi was last.

Nationwide, tobacco use and obesity emerge as the two factors that threaten the nation’s health, according to the report’s authors.

“The nation has become adept at treating certain illnesses and diseases, but Americans are not modifying risk factors that contribute to chronic diseases,” the report said.

While tobacco use nationwide dropped from 19.8 percent last year to 18.3 percent, about 440,000 deaths annually are still attributed to smoking.

Iowa ranked 28th in smoking prevalence among the states and 26th in prevalence of obesity.

According to the report, smoking in Iowa decreased 33 percent, from 28 percent in 1990 to 18.7 percent this year.

Other surveys showed that smoking dropped to 14 percent of Iowa adults in 2008, after the state increased its tobacco tax and banned smoking in most public places.

Nearly 27 percent of Iowans are considered obese, a 108 percent increase from 12.8 percent in 1990.

On the plus side, Iowa’s 87 percent high school graduation rate ranked third and 9.4 percent rate of uninsured ranked fifth.

The report said the U.S. spends more per capita than any other nation on health care, including $1.8 trillion in medical costs associated with chronic diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer, which are linked to smoking and obesity.

Left unchecked, obesity will add nearly $344 billion to the nation’s annual health care costs by 2018 and account for more than 21 percent of health care spending, the report said.

If rates in Iowa continue to rise at the current levels, obesity is projected to cost $3 billion by 2018, according to the report.

For the full report, see: www.americashealthrankings.org

Ann Jubeck suffered a heart attack this year at age 50. Shot in downtown Cedar Rapids on Thursday, November 12, 2009. (Cliff Jette/The Gazette)

What Ann Jubeck didn’t know could have killed her.

Jubeck, 50, of Marion, had no idea that heart disease was the number one killer of women until her own close calls.

She will be among the heart disease survivors featured in a video at the Go Red for Women luncheon Friday in Cedar Rapids. Johnson County’s luncheon will be Dec. 10.

A customer service and collection manager at Alliant Energy, Jubeck said she was always on the go until, at age 45, her left arm started going numb.

Thinking it was carpal tunnel syndrome, Jubeck delayed having the problem checked.

“Looking back, I should’ve noticed more of the signs,” she said.

About two months later, after finally seeking help, doctors diagnosed a clogged artery and implanted a stent.

A series of other health problems that seemed minor to her at the time led up to a heart attack in May.

Jubeck had returned from the grocery store when she started feeling light-headed.

She asked her husband to unload the car so she could lay down.

When he came back indoors, he heard a gurgling sound coming from her and could tell she wasn’t breathing. He called 911 and Jubeck was taken to St. Luke’s Hospital.

Jubeck spent the next two weeks hospitalized and lost her memory of the months prior to her heart attack.

A vacation in Mexico was forgotten until she saw photos taken during the trip.

When she saw the car her husband drove to the hospital once while visiting, she didn’t recognize it.

“You bought a car while I was in the hospital?” Jubeck recalls asking her husband.

It took more photos for her to remember they had purchased the vehicle before her heart attack.

Jubeck said her family has a history of heart disease, but only among the men.

Her husband, too, had suffered a heart attack and underwent bypass surgery.

His symptoms were the ones most people know — shortness of breath and chest pain — but, as Jubeck now knows, those symptoms are not always the same for women.

A smoker since age 18, Jubeck has since given up cigarettes. She and her husband both watch what they eat and have regular physicals.

“They say you

have to be so in tune with your body,” Jubeck said. “It is important that women know.”

Tara Nurre just wants her life back. Diagnosed with degenerative disc disease, the Marion mother of three has lived with pain for the past five years. Simple chores like laundry or vacuuming are exhausting and even turning her head can be difficult. Because she is only 33, surgery to fuse the spinal discs in her neck is not recommended and steroid epidural injections have not relieved the pain. Nurre underwent two surgeries at a clinic in Florida, but the pain continued. As a last resort, she is seeking treatment at a hospital in Germany, which offers an artificial disc replacement that is unavailable in the United States. The M6 artificial cervical disc was developed in the U.S., but is still undergoing review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Nurre said the disc has something those available here do not: compression. “It acts just like a real disc,” she said. A part-time employee at the Marion Hy-Vee Starbucks, Nurre and her husband, Mike, 40, a Whirlpool Corp. employee, are raising money for the trip with the help of friends, employers and the Knights of Columbus. She said the procedure at Bremen’s Stenum Hospital, along with a two-weeks stay, will cost $45,000 or more, depending on how many discs are replaced. Nurre said she doesn’t fear going overseas for surgery. She’s been in touch with an American who had the surgery there, with excellent results. Nurre hopes to raise enough money to go to Germany for the procedure this summer. “I would love to be able to go swimming with the kids,” she said. “I’d love to be able to ride a bike again, or even just go to a movie with my family without hurting.”

Tara Nurre just wants her life back.

Diagnosed with degenerative disc disease, the Marion mother of three has lived with pain for the past five years.

Simple chores like laundry or vacuuming are exhausting and even turning her head can be difficult.

Because she is only 33, surgery to fuse the spinal discs in her neck is not recommended and steroid epidural injections have not relieved the pain.

Nurre underwent two surgeries at a clinic in Florida, but the pain continued.

As a last resort, she is seeking treatment at a hospital in Germany, which offers an artificial disc replacement that is unavailable in the United States.

The M6 artificial cervical disc was developed in the U.S., but is still undergoing review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Nurre said the disc has something those available here do not: compression.

“It acts just like a real disc,” she said.

A part-time employee at the Marion Hy-Vee Starbucks, Nurre and her husband, Mike, 40, a Whirlpool Corp. employee, are raising money for the trip with the

help of friends, employers and the Knights of Columbus.

She said the procedure at Bremen’s Stenum Hospital, along with a two-weeks stay, will cost $45,000 or more, depending on how many discs are replaced.

Nurre said she doesn’t fear going overseas for surgery.

She’s been in touch with an American who had the surgery there, with excellent results.

Nurre hopes to raise enough money to go to Germany for the procedure this summer.

“I would love to be able to go swimming with the kids,” she said. “I’d love to be able to ride a bike again, or even just go to a movie with my family without hurting.”

Stacey Reginnitter of Marion (center) waits with her quadruplets, (left to right) Noelle, Jakob, Jarred (on lap) and Rebeckah, along with her 1-year-old daughter, Clairre, and mother-in-law, Kathy Reginnitter of Cedar Rapids, as the March of Dimes 2009 Premature Birth Report Card was released Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2009, at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City. Iowa rated only a D on the report card. Stacey Reginnitter spoke at the event. (Cindy Hadish/The Gazette)

A life or death situation is a valid reason for an early birth; an upcoming visit from your mother is not.

Given Iowa’s D grade on today’s March of Dimes Premature Birth report card, experts are on a campaign to reduce the numbers of elective preterm births in the state.

“Many women do everything right, yet they still have their babies born too soon,” said Dr. Stephen Hunter, associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinic, where the report was released this morning.

For those women, the causes of premature birth remain unknown, but Hunter and others want to ensure that factors that can be controlled, are.

One that raises the ire of Hunter is the number of induced births and elective Caesarean sections that happen before 39 weeks gestation.

At 35 weeks, he said, a baby’s brain weighs only two-thirds of what it weighs at 39 weeks. Preterm babies have higher rates of disability, feeding and breathing problems and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.

As associate director of the Iowa Statewide Perinatal Program, Hunter said he has seen improvements as he visits the state’s 78 hospitals with obstetric departments.

Still, some C-sections are scheduled to fit around a doctor’s vacation or because the mother feels uncomfortable late in her pregnancy, he said.

The March of Dimes is calling on hospitals and doctors to assess C-sections and induced labor that happen before 39 weeks gestation.

“Nine months of a healthy pregnancy is the best gift you can give your baby,” Hunter said.

Iowa’s preterm birth rate of 11.6 percent — from 2007 data — is the same as the previous year and only a slight drop from the year before. The nation’s objective is 7.6 percent.

Like Iowa, the United States received a D on the report card. Iowa also received a D last year.

No state received an A grade and only Vermont scored a B.

Grades were based on the number of uninsured women, which rose in Iowa from 13.1 percent to 14.7 percent; rate of women smoking and late preterm births.

Smoking cessation and access to health care before and during pregnancy can help reduce preterm births.

Iowa’s rate of women smoking dropped from 23.6 percent to 20.3 percent and late preterm births declined from 8.4 percent to 8.1 percent.

Alzheimer’s disease continues to move up the list of the top causes for deaths among Iowans.

The incurable, degenerative and terminal disease first identified in 1906 now ranks fifth among Iowa’s morbidity rates, according to the 2008 vital statistics data issued by the state Department of Public Health, moving ahead of accidental or unintentional injuries that include motor vehicle crashes.

“We’ve been seeing the numbers increase exponentially,” said Carol Siple, executive director for the Alzheimer’s Association of Greater Iowa.

Experts say the climb of Alzheimer’s — the most common form of dementia generally diagnosed in people over 65 — as a major cause of death in Iowa reflects better methods of identifying the ailment, improved medical treatments for other death threats and the fact that more Iowans are living longer.

“We’re able to do a better job of diagnosis and, on top of that, there’s not as much of a stigma with the disease so people aren’t afraid to say I have dementia or I have Alzheimer’s like they may have been in the past,” Siple said.

With medical advancements to treat other Iowa major causes of death, such as heart disease, cancer, respiratory ailments or stroke, people are living longer and aging is one of the risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease, she noted.

“What’s going to happen on top of that is as the baby boom generation gets older and reaches 70, 80, 90 years old, we’re going to see even more cases of Alzheimer’s disease,” Siple added. ”

The data was contained in a new state report that indicated more Iowans died in 2008 than in each of the previous 34 years.

A total of 28,370 deaths were reported to the state Department of Public Health last year, the most since 1974 when 38,730 Iowans died.

Nine of the top 10 causes of death for Iowans posted increases as well, with heart disease, cancer, chronic lower respiratory diseases, stroke and Alzheimer’s disease topping the list of maladies that killed Iowans last year.

“I think over time we’ll probably see an increase in the number of deaths just because we have an aging population in the state,” said Jill France, deputy state registrar with the state Department of Public Health.

For the first time in seven years, live births in Iowa posted a decline in 2008 with 40,221 successful deliveries, including 3,629 babies born to mothers under the age of 20. Also, fewer Iowa couples got married while more got divorced than in 2007. A total of 19,566 marriages were performed in 2008, down 329 in 2007, while 7,752 marriages dissolved last year, an increase of 130.

Marijuana a joint and a pipe Thursday, Oct. 22, 2009. (Matt Nelson/The Gazette)

While a state board is considering the medical benefits of marijuana, some Eastern Iowans admit they already turn to the drug to ease an array of health problems.

“It allows me to get up every day and function as a mother,” said Lisa Jackson, 43, of rural Crawfordsville, who has the long-term pain syndrome fibromyalgia.

Opponents say marijuana is already Iowa’s most abused illegal drug, and allowing it for medical reasons will make the state’s problem even worse.

“It’s definitely seen as a gateway drug. It leads to the use and abuse of other types of drugs,” Lorna Richards of Area Substance Abuse Council said.

The Iowa Board of Pharmacy held four hearings over the past few months to seek scientific evidence and testimony on whether marijuana should be allowed for medical purposes in the state. The review could lead to a recommendation to the Legislature whether to change Iowa laws, but lawmakers say the state’s budget problems make it unlikely the issue will be addressed in the next session that begins in January. Thirteen states allow the use of medical marijuana.

Jimmy Morrison of Muscatine (left) and Lisa Jackson of rural Crawfordsville talk about their use of marijuana to treat medical conditions Thursday, Oct. 22, 2009 in rural Crawfordsville. (Matt Nelson/The Gazette)

Pharmacy board member Peggy Whitworth of Cedar Rapids said those who claim marijuana helps treat medical conditions like glaucoma, cancer, epilepsy, and multiple sclerosis, have been more outspoken.

“I quite frankly have been surprised at the very, very few people who have spoken in opposition to it,” says Whitworth.

Jackson and Jimmy Morrison, 23, of Muscatine were among those who testified in favor of allowing medical marijuana.

They said they struggle to get out of bed, and smoking marijuana helps.

Morrison said he suffers from anxiety and bipolar disorder and smoking marijuana about three times a day helps him manage his illnesses.

“My productivity has gone up so much, people don’t even know,” Morrison said. “I run a painting business, and I’m a media director at a church,” says Morrison.

Jackson and Morrison say they’re not speaking out to get sympathy. They just don’t want to be considered criminals for using marijuana for medical purposes.

“I shouldn’t have to suffer with the pain. I shouldn’t have to go back to bed. And I shouldn’t have to go to jail,” says Jackson.

Richards, of the Area Substance Abuse Council, said legalizing marijuana for medical purposes would send a message the drug is safe, when it’s not.

“It could affect the brain, different parts of the brain, and inhibit the functionality of the brain. It affects the lungs very similar to tobacco, so similar to those types of respiratory illnesses,” Richards said.

The director of the University of Iowa’s Drug Information Network warns against legalizing medical marijuana without more research.

“We don’t know enough right now,” Dr. Ron Herman said.

Herman said the marijuana plant contains hundreds of chemicals. Some of the chemicals have beneficial effects when smoked, he said, but others can have serious health and psychological effects.

Herman pointed out researchers in Iowa hesitate to seek funding for and dedicate time to researching an illegal drug that might never be used for medical purposes.

“I’m hoping once the state realizes it is a medicine, they will start looking at more research,” Morrison said.

The pharmacy board is scheduled to meet Tuesday and Wednesday but the medical marijuana issue is not on the agenda.

Claire Kellett, KCRG-TV

Chris VanSpeybroeck, of Conona, Ill., died Monday, according to information from the Van Hoe Funderal Home in East Moline, Ill.

VanSpeybroeck was living in Cedar Rapids and pursuing an associate degree in fire science at Kirkwood.

Funeral services will be 10 a.m. Friday at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, East Moline, Ill.

Earlier this week, Linn County Public Health had reached 10 people in close contact with VanSpeybroeck. They were being given antibiotic treatments.

Meningitis, an infection of the fluid in the spinal cord and fluid that surrounds the brain, can be caused by a viral or bacterial infection.

Bacterial meningitis, which is much more serious than the viral form, can result in brain damage, hearing loss, paralysis and death. Symptoms include high fever, headache and stiff neck.

The disease is typically spread through saliva — by kissing or by sharing a drink, eating utensils or cigarette, for example.

A vaccine for meningitis is available.

As Miss Iowa and in her new partnership with the University Hygienic Laboratory, Langguth, 22, will promote science careers to Iowa youths who might have similar dreams.

The Iowa City native was introduced today as the Coralville-based lab’s Environmental and Public Health Ambassador.

Studies show in the next 11 years, more than 4,200 public health jobs are expected to be vacant in Iowa due to a shortage of skilled workers and another 250,000 vacancies are expected nationwide.

Langguth will visit with students and science teachers to help fill that void.

An aspiring Miss America might seem an odd choice to partner with a public health lab, but with Langguth, the choice made sense, said lab director Christopher Atchison.

Atchison noted that Langguth graduated this year from Harvard University and was accepted into the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine.

Langguth can draw attention to the looming work force shortages and raise awareness of the variety of careers in science, Atchison said.

“Sometimes public health is a bit invisible,” he said, noting that it’s hard to demonstrate the prevention role served by the lab.

Crowned shortly after graduation, Langguth will defer her entry into med school for one year to serve as Miss Iowa.

Langguth said her career choice, which likely will involve public health policy, was influenced by positive role models and mentors.

Her father, Brad Langguth, is a banker and mother, Nancy Langguth, is a teacher in the University of Iowa College of Education.

Langguth said she will discuss her role as ambassador during the Miss America competition in January in Las Vegas.

Curtis Dickson

Imagine easily finding calorie counts posted at restaurants and supermarkets; cigarette sales prohibited from stores where customers buy nicotine patches; unhealthy trans fats banned from restaurants and kids no longer eating candy bars instead of school lunches.

Where some might cry foul, or government intrusion, Curtis Dickson, director of Linn County Public Health, sees the road to a healthier state.

The health department plans to apply for federal stimulus money to implement policies that address disease prevention as a model for the rest of Iowa.

Ringgold County, in southwest Iowa, also is partnering in the application with Iowa’s Department of Public Health.

None of the ideas is set in stone, noted Dickson, who moved from North Carolina to take over the reins of Linn’s health department in February.

At stake is up to $16 million that could be used toward hiring 20-30 staff to kick-start the plans.

Some of the proposals have precedent.

For example, New York and other cities have banned trans fats — linked to heart disease — from restaurant food.

Seattle and Oregon are among areas to pass laws requiring calorie counts posted in restaurants.

Other proposals would be firsts.

Just this year, the Food and Drug Administration gained power to regulate tobacco products, including provisions for local control, Dickson said.

That means Linn County could move to ban cigarette sales at stores that have a pharmacy, such as Walgreen’s or Walmart, or ban tobacco ads at cash registers.

Parents might applaud suggestions to remove candy from checkout lines or ban vending machines from schools.

Only 30 to 40 grants will be awarded throughout the country, said Aaron Swanson, of the state health department’s Division of Tobacco Use, Prevention and Control.

Applications are due Dec. 1. Iowa should know in February results of the grant, part of a $650 million Communities Putting Prevention to Work initiative that addresses tobacco use, nutrition and physical activity.

Goals are to reduce risk factors for chronic diseases and promote wellness, said Judy Solberg, chief of Iowa’s Bureau of Nutrition and Health Promotion.

More than a fourth of Iowa adults are considered obese and one quarter fail to engage in physical leisure activity.

Obesity is a major factor in conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and stroke, with costly health care implications.

Smoking dropped to 14 percent of Iowa adults in 2008. Youth smoking remains a concern.

Grind and bear it may be more accurate.

A North Liberty dentist reports some of her patients are so stressed, it’s taking a toll on their teeth.

Dr. Kristen Waldschmidt of North Liberty Dental has heard complaints of jaw pain and headaches from patients in her dental chair.

“When I ask if they are stressed, they nod,” said Waldschmidt. “That’s when they make the connection. They are clenching their mouth a lot because of that stress.”

The unconscious grinding and clenching of teeth is called bruxism. If left untreated, bruxism can lead to teeth sensitivity, headaches, jaw pain and even cracked teeth.

Not every dentist reports an increase in the number of teeth grinders, though.

“It’s a very common problem,” said Dr. Douglas Horton, a Cedar Rapids dentist. “We have those all the time.”

Still, Waldschmidt says she’s making more mouth guards than usual. A mouth guard protects teeth at night, helping grinders not add dental bills to their list of worries.

“I’d say we’ve had an increase within the last six to 12 months,” Waldschmidt said.

Stress can lead to other mouth problems, too, like canker sores and dry mouth.

The American Academy of Periodontology warns that financial stress and patients subsequently scaling back dental maintenance also may create an increase in periodontal gum disease, which may lead to even more serious health problems. So dentists stress the importance of healthy oral hygiene habits.

“Brush your teeth regularly, see your dentist every six months and eat healthy foods,” said Dr. Thomas Peek with Cedar Rapids Endodontics.

Preventive care, he said, is better than the alternative.

“We want to take additional time to hear from staff and others who have concerns and to listen to suggestions for how we might improve the program and attain UI Health Care’s philanthropic goals,” Jean Robillard, UI Vice President for medical affairs, said today in a statement.

No timeline has been set for refining or resuming the process.

The donor program, known as philanthropic contact consent, had not yet started at the UI’s 200-plus outpatient clinics but was slated to begin this winter, spokesman Tom Moore told The Gazette last week.

Under the program, patients would receive a letter at registration from Robillard and a form that authorizes the UI Foundation to contact them about donating money to the hospital. Patients who do not want to receive the information in the future would have to sign a form to opt out.

Doctors and other health care staff would not know who agrees to be contacted or not.

A national watchdog organization, Patient Privacy Rights, had voiced concern about the program.

Founder Deborah Peel said the idea sounded coercive because patients are in a vulnerable position and may feel like they can’t say no.

Several hospitals contacted by The Gazette, including the Mayo Clinic and other universities, said they did not have similar programs.

Paula Dayton, Donor Recruitment for the UI DeGowin Blood Center, said the high number of sick people has most likely caused donations to drastically drop in the past two weeks.

“We need a steady supply of healthy donors,” Dayton said, noting people must be healthy for a period of five days before they can qualify to donate blood, platelets, or plasma.

While there are constant blood drives, she said platelet donations are not taking during those times.

Cancer and trauma patients rely heavily on blood transfusions for many procedures and platelets to stop blood clotting, Dayton said.

Dayton encourages any willing donor to call the DeGowin Blood Center at (319) 356-2058 to see if you qualify to be a donor.

The idea for a medical district was first hatched back in 2006, council members said last night, and the idea has been part of two major planning documents, one in 2007 and one created earlier this year.

Christine Butterfield, the city’s community development director, last night said medical districts in Rochester, Minn., Austin, Texas, and Chicago provide examples of what the Cedar Rapids district can become. Jason Hellendrung, a principal for consultant Sasaki Associates Inc. of Watertown, Mass., pointed to Grand Rapids, Mich., where that city’s “Medical Mile” has seen an investment of $1 billion in new medical facilities and related development. Tenth Street SE can become Cedar Rapids’ Medical Mile, he said.

Physicians’ Clinic of Iowa on Monday announced it will build a new $40 million “medical mall” at Second Avenue and 10th Street SE to kick off new development in the medical district. The new medical building should be ready to open in late 2012 or early 2013. Hellendrung noted there also has been community discussion about a new cancer center and perhaps a dialysis center. He also envisioned a hotel, work force housing and an office building.

Butterfield’s memo to the City Council suggests that the city will pay for infrastructure improvements to the district in the area between Seventh and 11th streets SE and First and Eighth avenues SE. The hospitals and PCI are planning to create a special taxing district and will use special tax levies to keep up the city’s improvements, her memo states.

City Manager Jim Prosser noted Wednesday night that the two non-profit hospitals do not pay property taxes, however, other buildings in the district do and will. But he said the hospitals have indicated a willingness to participate in helping pay some of the costs in the district.

The plan is to build a regional reputation for the district and to make it easy for patients using the medical services in the district to be able to find what they are looking for easily.

Mike Sundall, PCI’s chief executive, said Tuesday that the plan is to build the new 180,000 square foot building in 2011 and 2012 and to move into it by late 2012 or early 2013.

Sundall and the top executives at the city’s two hospitals joined Mayor Kay Halloran at a Tuesday morning news conference to announce PCI’s building plans and to announce the formal creation of a Cedar Rapids Medical District with St. Luke’s Hospital and Mercy Medical Center serving as bookends for the district.

The idea for the district, in part, is to “re-envision” medical care in Cedar Rapids and to make it more “logically comfortable” for those who come to the city to see a doctor or go the hospital, Ted Townsend, president/CEO of St. Luke’s Hospital said. He said the idea of a demarcated medical district can turn Cedar Rapids into a medical “destination,” and he named Rochester, Minn., and Cleveland, Ohio, as medical centers that have accomplished that.

Tim Charles, president/CEO of Mercy Medical Center, said the era is coming when there will be a shortage of medical providers, and he said the creation of the medical district and the newly announced investment by PCI will help the community recruit medical providers in the years to come.

PCI’s Sundall said PCI currently is comprised of 55 physicians, 25 additional “midlevel” providers like physicians assistants and physical therapists, and 230 staff members. PCI hopes to grow to have 70-75 physicians, he said.

Tuesday’s news conference was held at the four-story medical office building at 600 Seventh St. SE, which is owned by Mercy Medical Center and where PCI leases space on three of the four floors, Sundall noted.

Sundall said PCI will leave the building and four other spaces when the new building opens. But he suggested that the 600 Seventh St. SE building did not necessarily have to remain as a medical building once PCI leaves it. Maybe it could become an office for, say, a software company or even a hotel for family members visiting those in the hospital, he said.

The new medical district will become a special self-supported municipal improvement district — downtown Cedar Rapids is another such district — that will have the ability to impose additional property-tax levies on itself with the extra revenue used for improvements in the district.

Mayor Halloran said the city also will provide some improvements to the district, and PCI’s Sundall said the physicians’ group will receive some financial incentives to build its new medical office building.

Sundall said the group looked at some 25 different areas in and outside the city to build a new building before settling on a spot between the two hospitals. He said City Manager Jim Prosser played a key role in convincing the group to invest in a new medical district.

Tuesday’s announcement comes one week before the Nov. 3 city election, and three City Council members on the ballot, mayoral candidate Brian Fagan, District 1 council member Kris Gulick and District 3 council member Jerry McGrane, were introduced at Tuesday’s event.

Afterward, Gulick noted that the new medical district had been an idea that first surfaced in 2006 at City Hall and has been discussed there ever since. The district, he added, sits at the edge of his council district, which is predominately the westerly part of northeast Cedar Rapids. Gulick said PCI drove the timing of Tuesday’s event, not him.

Halloran said she did not “orchestrate” Tuesday’s announcement or “choreograph it” to occur at any particular time. “As soon as we got it done, we did it,” she said.

Sundall said his group began meeting with the hospitals and the city back in the spring. All along, he said his board and shareholders were looking to make a decision in October about being a part of the medical district. PCI shareholders didn’t ratify the decision until last Tuesday, he said.

“From our perspective, they (city leaders) were playing to our timetable,” Sundall said. He said PCI asked the city not to make PCI’s announcement a political event.

An artist's rendition of the new Cedar Rapids medical district. (KCRG-TV9)

A new regional medical district is coming to Cedar Rapids. The city of Cedar Rapids, St. Luke’s Hospital, Mercy Medical Center and Physicians Clinic of Iowa are all entering a cooperative venture.

Specifics of the plan were announced at a news conference today at PCI.

The Physicians Clinic of Iowa plans to consolidate five offices into a “medical mall”, located on 10th Street SE in Cedar Rapids, running between the two hospitals, Mercy Medical Center and St. Luke’s. There are a number of medical facilities in that area already, but this would be an effort to develop more, and hopefully attract patients from around the region.

“Anyone who lives within 90 minutes of Cedar Rapids has reason to want to have their medical treatment, especially their specials, to be done in Cedar Rapids,” said Cedar Rapids Mayor Kay Halloran.

The plan to consolidate the five Physicians Clinic of Iowa offices is about a $40-million proposal. The plan is to make the preparations to start work sometime next year, perhaps opening by 2012 or 2013.

The PCI building would be the biggest new building along the district. The hope is that more new buildings would follow.

– Dave Franzman, KCRG-TV9