hospitals & clinics

Iowa has been awarded a $209 million federal grant to expand and improve health care across the state — the first installment of what officials say could total $1 billion over the next five years. The funding is part of the federal Rural Health Transformation Program and is aimed at strengthening access to care, equipment and workforce development in rural communities. Leaders from Iowa’s critical access hospitals talk about what this funding could mean on the ground and why they say it falls far short of what rural providers are bracing for. We also discuss workforce shortages, the challenge of recruiting specialists like OB-GYNs, and the “hub and spoke” model Gov. Kim Reynolds has promoted to reshape rural health care delivery. Later, host Charity Nebbe announces Talk of Iowa’s 2026 Book Club selections with IPR talk show producer, Caitlin Troutman.

UnityPoint nurses in Des Moines voted this week on whether to unionize. But the final result is delayed due to contested ballots.

New rankings by the nonprofit LeapFrog put Iowa 48th in the nation for hospital safety. Iowa is one of four states where no hospital received an "A" grade.

83 million Americans live in areas without adequate access to primary care physicians, according to the American Medical Association. Iowa ranks 44th in physicians per capita.

Iowa has one of the lowest rates of OB-GYNs in the country, and some are concerned Iowa's abortion restrictions may be driving some doctors away.

Hospitals across the Midwest are bracing for cuts to services and staff in the wake of funding changes created in President Donald Trump's budget bill.

Sen. Chuck Grassley responds to recent actions by President Donald Trump's administration and discusses the role of Congress.

Long ER waits in the U.S. are common, especially for older patients. Some wait for many hours or even days to get a hospital bed. That's according to a new data analysis by Side Effects Public Media and the Associated Press. And experts say things will only get worse as the U.S. prepares for a "silver tsunami".

State data shows flu cases continue to spike in Iowa, as rates of COVID and RSV remain relatively low.

83 million Americans live in areas without adequate access to primary care physicians, according to the American Medical Association. Iowa ranks 44th in physicians per capita.