Every year, the Great Iowa Nurses program recognizes nurses across the state who go above and beyond every day to provide safe, compassionate care for their patients and share their knowledge and leadership with their communities.

As any fan of the old Schoolhouse Rock songs knows, "Three is the magic number." In the case of the Pinckney family, that takes the form of triplets — three healthy baby boys to complete this happy family from Coal Valley, Illinois.

When Nick Vance woke up one morning in November 2024, it felt like every other day. The 37-year-old took a shower and started getting ready for work. He walked out to his living room and addressed the voice-based virtual assistant connected to many of his household devices by saying, “Alexa, turn the lights on please.” But what came out was, as he calls it, “word salad.”

When you need a procedure as complex as open-heart surgery, you should choose the best, most experienced care team. That is exactly what University of Iowa Health Care offers to heart patients, says Mohammad Bashir, MBBS — and it’s one of the reasons the cardiothoracic surgeon joined the UI clinical faculty a year after completing his surgical training at Iowa in 2012.

Diana Marquez, RN, has always made it her mission to make a difference in the lives of her patients at UI Health Care. Her commitment was on full display when she used her bilingual skills and sound judgment to ease a challenging situation in the Neuro-Epilepsy Monitoring Unit at the UI Health Care Medical Center - University Campus.

One common issue is an arrhythmia, which means your heart beats too fast, too slow, or in an irregular way. The good news is that you can make simple lifestyle changes to help keep your heart healthy and lower your risk of developing arrhythmias.

What is a vasectomy? A vasectomy is a safe, effective form of male birth control. It’s a minor surgical procedure that prevents sperm from mixing with semen. During your vasectomy, a urologist will cut and seal the vas deferens, which are the tubes that carry sperm cells from the testicles. Without sperm cells in the semen, fertilization cannot occur. Why choose a vasectomy? Many men choose…

Providing comfort during life’s most difficult moments requires not only skill but also compassion. For Alaina Zachary, BSN, RN, CEN, that compassion shined through when caring for a patient who was near their end of life in the Emergency Department (ED) at UI Health Care Medical Center - University Campus. After the patient had returned to the ED following treatment, Zachary stepped in to ease…

Whether you're a seasoned athlete, a weekend warrior, or simply someone who loves staying active, injuries can throw a wrench in your plans. Former athlete and respected orthopedic surgeon Brian Wolf, MD, MS, understands these challenges firsthand. Now the director of University of Iowa Sports Medicine and head team physician for UI Athletics, Wolf brings his extensive experience with knee,…

Kinslee Mack’s fifth birthday was an especially big one for the Marion, Iowa girl. Kinslee was born with two rare congenital disorders, including TBCD, an ultra-rare genetic disorder that affects the brain, spinal cord, and other parts of the body. There are fewer than 50 cases in the world. Patients diagnosed with TBCD – tubulin folding cofactor D – typically have a lifespan of three to five…