DES MOINES, Iowa – Health disparities in the United States are getting more attention, between the pandemic and last year’s social-justice protests. In Iowa, certain barriers are being addressed, including mistrust of health agencies and providers. State health officials have said Iowa mirrors national data for people of color experiencing negative health outcomes. They have noted that the state’s Black population has the highest rate of mortality in almost every cause of death, not including suicide.

Izaah Knox, executive director of Urban Dreams, a statewide nonprofit that helps reduce racial barriers, said he feels that, in terms of outreach, the health-care industry has lacked a strong presence in marginalized neighborhoods. “I think the biggest thing,” he said, “is that too many times organizations, hospitals – or anybody that all of a sudden wants to reach out – only comes out every once in a while, and if it’s of benefit to them. ” He said that’s why his group is partnering with others, such as the American Heart Association, to maintain a consistent presence. The Heart Association is advocating for increased state funding for a program to help marginalized Iowans get healthier foods at a lower cost. The group has said expansion of tele-health is another priority in closing these gaps.

Nalo Johnson, division director of health promotion at the Iowa Department of Public Health, agreed that improved engagement can help make these communities more resilient, especially during public-health emergencies. She said the state is trying to ramp up support for lower-level agencies in this area. “Providing resources around translation; providing connections from what we are hearing or seeing at the federal level, in terms of resources or information,” she said.

Through grant opportunities, the department also is trying to reduce disparities for diseases such as hypertension. Community groups have said policymakers need to bolster infrastructure in poorer neighborhoods, so residents can be more mobile and improve their physical health. On its website, the American Heart Association has more information on efforts to end structural racism and other initiatives to improve health outcomes in states such as Iowa.

(By Mike Moen/Iowa News Service)

(Radio Iowa) – Committees in the Iowa House and Senate have approved a bill to require 100 percent in-person classes in Iowa schools. Republican Representative Phil Thompson of Jefferson says parents in some districts haven’t had the choice to send their kids to school every weekday. “As Iowa reopened its schools in the fall, the learning experiences have not been equitable for our children,” Thompson said. “National studies show that keeping children out of the classroom has resulted in significant learning loss.”

The bill is a priority for Republican Governor Kim Reynolds. Representative Tracy Ehlert, a Democrat from Cedar Rapids who is a teacher, says the bill is being fast-tracked before adequate safe guards are in place for students and educators.  “We are telling you what is going on and what is happening in these schools,” Ehlert said.

The Centers for Disease Control released a report this week showing there’s little evidence in-person classes in K-through-12 schools are contributing to the rapid spread of Covid-19. The C-D-C researchers did recommend schools require face masks, maintain social distancing and improve ventilation systems to keep infection rates low.

(Radio Iowa) – It would be illegal to use a hand-held smart phone while driving under a bill that’s being proposed again in the Iowa House. Susan Cameron Daemon is a lobbyist with the Iowa Sheriffs and Deputies Association — a group that’s been supporting a “hands-free” law for years. “Iowa is one of the few states that does not have this law,” she said, “and we know that it works and saves lives.”

Michael Triplett, a lobbyist for the Alliance for Automobile Innovation, says the companies in the alliance developed the technology in dashboards that now makes hands-free driving while talking on a cell signal possible. “You can access your phone while keeping both hands on the wheel and both eyes on the road,” he says. Matthew McKinney, a lobbyist for Nationwide Insurance, asked legislators to consider also banning the use of other types of electronic devises, like Kindles, that could be held to read while driving.

“Whether it’s a communication device that actually communicates or whether it’s an electronic device and you’re distracted, you shouldn’t be,” he says. Matt Eide, a lobbyist for the ride-sharing company Uber, asked legislators to make an exception for Uber drivers. “They have to press some buttons to accept rides,” Eide says, “and they are going to use their phones, generally.”

The Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau first proposed a ban on handling a cell phone while driving in 2015, and former Governor Terry Branstad lobbied lawmakers, but the bill has repeatedly failed to pass the legislature. Iowa *is* among the 48 states that ban texting while driving.