When Carol Mefford began her nursing career 58 years ago, nurses didn’t use gloves at patients’ bedsides. It was considered rude. She graduated from college the same time Lyndon B. Johnson passed Medicare. She worked as an oncology nurse at the beginning of the field’s development. She used to have patients Read more…
As told to Emily Barske Wood Tara Geddes grew up in a medical family. Her mom was an obstetrics nurse, and her dad an emergency medical technician. She knew early on that she also aspired to a career in health care – but she had zero desire to ascend to Read more…
By Nicole Paseka Grundmeier Andrea Arkland with her daughter, Emersyn. Submitted photo Andrea Arkland gave birth to her first baby at Broadlawns Medical Center in Des Moines. But when she has a second baby someday, she might drive almost 300 miles to her home state of South Dakota so she Read more…
At least 40 of Iowa’s birthing units have closed since the turn of the century. Rural communities have faced the brunt of the challenge: Thirty-one of Iowa’s 99 counties don’t have a labor and delivery unit, and the closures have led to a decline in Iowa women seeking prenatal care. Among the decline Read more…
Photo by Ann Olson. BY MACEY SHOFROTH For many women, waiting until the American Cancer Society’s recommended age of 40 to begin yearly screening mammograms can have terrible consequences.Especially in Iowa, which has the second-highest rate of cancer in the United States and is the only state where that rate increased Read more…
An allocation of federal coronavirus-relief money means that agencies that assist Iowans who are victims of crimes will not face immediate budget cuts. That means current service levels should be able to continue. But the Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence said it and other groups are worried about funding for Read more…
Nicole Grundmeier and her newborn daughter are pictured in January 2016. The baby is yawning and has a nursing blister on her upper lip, which can be a sign of a problematic latch. For years, I hid the fact that I was still breastfeeding. As a young woman, I read Read more…
Infant-at-work policies improve retention, preserve institutional knowledge It was time for Erin Moran to go back to work, with her baby daughter in tow as part of her workplace’s infant-at-work program.The start was not auspicious.“She had horrible gas, and acid reflux, and was screaming, and I thought, ‘Oh, no, I’m Read more…
BY CALAN SMIDT Editor’s note: This essay discusses suicide. If you or someone you know may be considering suicide or is in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. As a parent, one of the most harrowing experiences imaginable is watching your child battle with any illness Read more…
One of EveryStep’s doulas, Jazzmine Brooks, and her client Morghan. Submitted photo BY MACEY SHOFROTH, FEARLESS CONTRIBUTOR Pregnant employees working for EveryStep Care & Support Services now have access to potentially lifesaving pregnancy care on behalf of their employer. The Des Moines-based nonprofit, which provides care for Iowans at various stages of Read more…