Hunter Mickelson’s parents knew their infant son wasn’t thriving, but local doctors couldn’t say why. A search for answers led them to University of Iowa Health Care Stead Family Children’s Hospital. At just 6 months old, Hunter was diagnosed with an extremely rare condition called nephrogenic diabetes insipidus. The genetic kidney disorder affects just 1 in 2.3 million people and can lead to…

The Carver Rural Iowa Scholars Program is preparing doctors to serve the smaller-size communities where they are needed most, closing health care gaps in Iowa. It’s no secret. In rural America, physician demand continues to outweigh physician supply. The Association of American Medical Colleges predicts a shortage of up to 124,000 physicians across the U.S. by 2034, with some of the hardest-hit…

Heart palpitations can be a sign of a more serious heart problem. Take the quiz below to learn more and see if you should speak with a specialist about your heart

Until recently, University of Iowa Health Care orthopedic surgeon James Nepola, MD, didn’t have options for patients who needed a shoulder replacement but for whom a standard implant wouldn’t work. But with innovations, Nepola can now offer these shoulder patients a solution—and a pain-free future. "With custom-made prostheses and modern fixation techniques, we have been able to achieve things we…

While staying with family over Thanksgiving in 2022, Christen Schulte Phelps noticed a small dot on her breast. The then 36-year-old was due for her annual checkup, so she called her primary care provider, who saw her two days after she returned home. “She didn’t feel a lump, but she said to be on the safe side we should get it checked out,” Schulte Phelps says. “I had always thought breast…

University of Iowa Health Care and Air Methods are increasing Quad Citizens’ access to life-saving critical care services by opening a new helicopter base in Davenport, Iowa. The new base will serve as a hub for the expert physicians, flight nurses, pilots, and other professionals who staff UI Health Care’s AirCare emergency services and is expected to open this fall. AirCare provides emergency…

Cortisone shots are often used to reduce pain and inflammation from musculoskeletal disorders such as arthritis and tendinitis. Cortisone is a naturally occurring hormone. In its synthetic form, it can be injected as a potent but generally safe anti-inflammatory and pain-reducing agent. “In simple terms, cortisone injections reduce inflammation,” says Britt L. Marcussen, MD, a family medicine…

After waking up in the middle of the night with chest pain on March 9, 2024, Ken Platt was taken by ambulance from his Muscatine home to University of Iowa Health Care in Iowa City. When his wife, Kaitlynn Platt, arrived at the hospital, she was told that Ken’s heart had stopped twice despite health care professionals performing CPR and using a defibrillator to deliver an electric charge to try…

Atrial fibrillation (Afib or AF) is a condition in which the heart sometimes fails to beat at a steady rhythm, causing episodes of irregular and rapid heartbeats. This is caused by faulty signals from the electrical currents that control the heartbeat. The condition is more common in older adults, says E. Michael Powers, MD, MBA, cardiac electrophysiologist. “The atria, the heart’s two upper…

Jackson Casteel’s parents were given a bleak outlook after he was born at their local hospital in central Iowa: “Enjoy him for as long as you can.” Jackson’s parents had prepared for the worst, that Jackson might not survive birth, but as his mother Sara tells it, she knew from the moment he was born that Jackson was a fighter. So, the first-time parents put the heartbreaking moment behind them…