Iowa facing crisis with health care
The five lawmakers who attended a public forum on what State Rep. Todd Prichard, D-Charles City, calls a “rural health care crisis” received an earful from medical providers Friday.And they were also challenged to do something about it.The lawmakers heard “horror stories” about the issues facing providers in rural Iowa during the almost 90-minute forum that was put on by the Transitions of Care Team that includes representatives from MercyOne New Hampton Medical Center, Chickasaw County Public Health, New Hampton Nursing and Rehab and Linn Haven Rehab and Healthcare.“I think everyone of us can tell you a story about services being denied, payments being delayed or not being made,” said Cheryl Haggerty, MercyOne’s director of nursing who moderated the discussion. “What we all want is what’s best for our patients, but the challenges we face every day keep growing.”— For more on this story, see the March 26 New Hampton Tribune.