DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa State Board of Education has adopted new rules that limit district on how and when seclusion rooms are used to discipline students. The Des Moines Register reports that the board voted unanimously Wednesday to limit educators to using seclusion and restraint of students as a last resort and only when there’s a threat of bodily injury. The new rules also require schools to notify parents of the use of seclusion and restraint as soon as possible and to use rooms at least 7×8 feet. Schools have five years to implement the new size requirements. The change comes after years of criticism and pushback on use of the rooms. In 2017, the Iowa Department of Education determined that the Iowa City Community School District improperly used the rooms for minor infractions.

DES MOINES – Gov. Kim Reynolds introduced a new public awareness campaign Thursday (today) aimed at encouraging Iowans to step up and stop the spread of COVID-19.  Reynolds says “It’s more important now than ever to reach as many Iowans as possible with information about what they can do to stop the spread of the virus. If everyone does their part, we’ll get life back to normal and keep our businesses open, our kids in school, our hospitals stable and our essential workforce healthy.” 

Several notable Iowans have joined the Governor in communicating the informational and motivational message in the campaign’s television spots, including: 

• Tom Vilsack, former Governor of Iowa and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture; 
• Dan Gable, legendary Iowa wrestling coach, Olympic gold medalist, and recent recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom; 
• Carson King, Carson King Foundation; 
• Suresh Gunasekaran, CEO, University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics; and 
• Katie Witt, a Test Iowa nurse. 

The state was able to leverage special programs and pricing for government and non-profit organizations to deliver its public awareness message through Iowa’s newspapers, radio and television stations. The campaign totals approximately $440,000 and will be funded through Iowa’s CARES Act allocation. The state worked with the Iowa Newspaper Association (INA) to place ads in its more than 250 member newspapers and online publications across the state, and extended the campaign’s reach to include Spanish and specialty publications. Newspaper ads started earlier this month and will run through the end of the year. 

The state also leveraged the Iowa Broadcasters Association’s (IBA) Public Education Partnerships Program for broadcasting educational messages statewide. Television and radio spots will be available to more than 200 IBA member stations through mid-March. 

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office says two people were arrested Wednesday on separate warrants. 41-year-old William Holt Jensen, of Glenwood, was arrested on a warrant for Failure To Appear. His bond was set at $5,000. And, 34-year old Yasmeen M. Mahmood, of Bellevue, NE., was arrested on a warrant for OWI/1st offense. Bond was set at $1,000.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — More than half of bankers surveyed in rural parts of 10 Plains and Western states are projecting a drop in holiday retail sales this year from last year as the coronavirus pandemic worsens across the country. The Rural Mainstreet Survey’s overall index fell to 46.8 in November from October’s 53.2. It’s the first time since April that the index has fallen, but it remains well ahead of the 35.5 reading in March, when the index bottomed out as the outbreak began. Any score below 50 suggests a shrinking economy, while a score above 50 suggests a growing economy.

Bankers from Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming were surveyed.

Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds today (Thursday) warned there will be an increase in the number of COVID-19 outbreaks at Long-Term Care facilities (LTC’s) throughout the State. At 10-a.m. Today (Thursday), the Coronavirus dashboard indicated there were 94 outbreaks. During her press conference, the Governor said 120 new outbreaks are expected to show-up on the dashboard this afternoon, for a total of 114 active cases.

There are approximately 443 LTC’s in the State. The governor said the dashboard is being updated to show the number of new cases over the past 14 days in facilities with active outbreaks.

Governor Reynolds announced also, $14-million worth of CARES ACT spending will be allocated to Iowa’s Long Term Care facilities to assist with the increased costs related to testing and staffing.

Atlantic, IA – As part of National Rural Health Day, Cass County Health System Thursday (today) announced it has been recognized by The Chartis Center of Rural Health and the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health (NOSORH) for overall excellence in Quality and Outcomes. The Performance Leadership Award program utilizes the results of the Hospital Strength INDEX® to recognize top quartile performance among Critical Access Hospitals and Rural & Community Hospitals. CCHS CEO Brett Altman said “We are very pleased to receive this recognition of being in the top 25% for both quality and outcomes of more than 2,200 rural hospitals across the country. This is a direct result of the outstanding team we have who strive to make these quality and outcome measures a top priority with every patient, every time.”

Celebrating its tenth anniversary, the INDEX is the industry’s most comprehensive and objective assessment of rural hospital performance. Based entirely on publicly available data sources, the INDEX methodology is the data foundation for a number of industry-leading rural recognition programs, rural health safety net-related research, and legislative initiatives. Performance Leadership Award recipients are rural hospitals ranking in the 75th percentile or above in the INDEX performance pillars for Quality, Outcomes, or Patient Perspective.

“Despite the fact that COVID-19 has created greater instability across the rural health safety net, we continue to see countless examples of rural hospitals rising to the challenge to serve their communities,” said Michael Topchik, National Leader, The Chartis Center for Rural Health. “I believe this dedication to mission and drive to overcome unexpected challenges echoes the long-standing commitment among rural hospitals to deliver high-quality care. We are thrilled to honor this year’s top quartile performers.”

“Across the nation, rural hospitals have been working exceptionally hard to adjust to the realities of the COVID-19 pandemic. While it has not been an easy year, I believe the perseverance displayed by rural hospitals and their partners at the State Offices of Rural Health exemplifies the true spirit of National Rural Health Day,” said Teryl Eisinger, Chief Executive Officer, NOSORH. “We are delighted to join The Chartis Center for Rural Health in honoring the 2020 Performance Leadership Award winners.”