Patient Care

Silent guardians: Inside the Central Monitoring Unit
Feb. 14, 2024 | uihc.org
Step into the Central Monitoring Unit (CMU) at UI Hospitals & Clinics and you’ll find an atmosphere charged with an almost musical rhythm: monitors beep, alarms buzz, and phones ring, all in a synchronized chorus that works to provide behind-the-scenes patient care. Self-described by members of the CMU team as “the eyes and ears” for nurses and doctors, the individuals who work in the unit…
UI expert teaches Ponseti method for club to providers worldwide
Feb. 13, 2024 | uihc.org
Jose Morcuende, MD, PhD, doesn’t want any baby with congenital clubfoot to undergo surgery. As the world’s leading practitioner and teacher of the nonsurgical Ponseti method, he aims to make this goal a reality. Developed at the University of Iowa in the 1950s by Morcuende’s mentor, Ignacio Ponseti, MD, the procedure is now widely recognized as a safe and extremely effective treatment for a…
Can an amino acid supplement prevent muscle loss after a hip fracture?
Feb. 13, 2024 | uihc.org
Loss of physical function and independence is a common outcome for older adults with hip fracture. Studies suggest that only 40% of older adults with hip fractures recover to pre-injury levels of function, and as many as 20% of hip fracture patients living in the community prior to injury require nursing home care after the fracture. This loss of physical function is typically due to the loss of…
Ankeny boy who spent 456 days in hospital 'doing really well'
Feb. 12, 2024 | uihc.org
Cooper Schmidt spent the first 456 days of his life at University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital. Following a successful kidney transplant, several members of Cooper’s care team celebrated with music and bubbles as he left the hospital to make his first trip to his Ankeny home in March of 2022. “Super Cooper,” as he is known, turned 3 in December 2023 and recently celebrated the two…
Starting the HPV vaccine series at age 9 could prevent future cancers
Feb. 08, 2024 | uihc.org
Although 85% of people will get the human papillomavirus, or HPV, infection in their lifetime, HPV vaccination rates are significantly lower compared to other vaccines in Iowa. The typical recommendation has been for providers to initiate the vaccine at age 11 or 12 years. However, both the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC…
Meet the mother-daughter pair leading two generations of nursing with UI Health Care
Feb. 07, 2024 | uihc.org
Jeanie Finnegan, RN, CNOR, and her daughter Ashley Finnegan, BSN, RN, CNOR, represent two generations of nursing with UI Health Care. Although they work in different departments on opposite sides of the organization, they have a lineage of providing patient care that amounts to more than 30 years. Jeanie was drawn to UI Health Care four years ago for ophthalmology. With more than 25 years of…
Do you know your target heart rate during exercise?
Feb. 05, 2024 | uihc.org
Sustaining a workout at this pace improves cardiorespiratory endurance. So, knowing your target heart rate helps you pace your workouts. Exercising at the right level of intensity will help you avoid burning out or wasting time with a workout that’s not vigorous enough to help you meet your goals. Cardiovascular exercise (also called aerobic exercise) is especially effective in keeping your heart…
Are wearable health and fitness data trackers reliable?
Jan. 24, 2024 | uihc.org
UI cardiologist explains how these devices work—and how they can work for you. From counting your steps to checking your heart rate, smartwatches and wearable activity trackers have become a popular way to measure and track exercise and health metrics for athletes and everyday users alike. So, it is no surprise that they’ve become a big topic of discussion between patients and their doctors.
New radiation therapy targets tumors more precisely
Jan. 22, 2024 | cancer.uiowa.edu
UI Health Care is the first medical center in North America—and the second in the world—to cross over into the next phase of MR-Linac technology, offering even more precise real-time targeting of soft tissue tumors with radiation therapy. MR-Linac technology combines magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with a linear accelerator to provide real-time tracking of a tumor during radiation therapy. In…