Despite improvement, premature death remains high in Union County

In 2019, premature death (before age 75) rates in Union County peaked, not only above the nationwide averages but also ranking worst in Iowa. Since then, the county has made improvements but the number remains higher than average.

Union County Public Health Director Karla Hynes presented during Greater Regional’s monthly meeting a community needs assessment, including results from a survey delivered to county residents assessing what’s needed in the county for local health.

Public Health surveyed 375 Union County residents and used data from the last census and other health data. The county predominantly resides rural, agricultural and older Iowans. The average age of a Union County resident is 40.6; the county has a largely white population.

Hynes noted this year as being the first year the survey was offered in Spanish, which helped contribute to the first Hispanic responses to the survey. Hynes said she was proud in being able to reach a demographic which was unable to complete the survey otherwise.

While Union County ranks lower in health compared to other counties in Iowa, the state as a whole is ranked higher nationally.

Still, premature death in the county is a significant issue. This year’s assessment shows progress with the county receiving a higher ranking in the state, but there’s still work to be done.

“In Union County, our premature death rate is above both of [state and nationwide rankings],” Hynes said. “It’s come down from that really high one, but we still have some work to do. We’re doing better.”

The leading cause of premature death in Union County continues to be diseases of the heart, followed by malignant neoplasms (cancer) and accidents. Other noted

The three top health concerns noted in the survey for the county are drug use (65.7% of responses), mental health (52.5%) and obesity (46.6%). Noted was alcohol abuse (41.7%), which was higher than the average county in Iowa.

Hynes specifically noted deaths from cancer has jumped up the rankings from previous years, a trend that’s being seen all across Iowa.

For areas of improvement which could increase the health of Union County residents, the majority of responders said affordable health and wellness programs was the number one concern. More recreation options and fresh food/produce were other improvements residents were supportive of.

The biggest limitations for Union County residents in living healthy lifestyles were lack of motivation, not enough time to exercise and working too much.

Fifty-seven percent of Union County residents received a flu vaccine this year.

Trends for Union County residents from the survey show they feel healthier than the previous year. In good news for Greater Regional, less residents are looking outside the county for their health needs, allowing them to stay closer to their homes while receiving the care they need.

Survey respondents say areas of improvement for Union County continue to be affordable/quality housing, economic opportunity and quality/affordable food.

Data from this assessment will be used to create a health improvement plan over the next few months.

In other Greater Regional news...

Chief Financial Officer Matt McCutchan noted how payments for the Medicaid direct payments program have been repeatedly delayed, which has caused noticeable strain on hospital financials. Even with a noticeable operation loss in November, McCutchan remained confident despite a small dip for the hospital.

“Don’t panic; we’re going to bounce back,” McCutchan said.

Chief Executive Officer Monte Nietzel gave a warning, however, that if the hospital keeps seeing a decrease to hospital income, changes would be coming.

“If revenue continues to lag like it has for the first six months [of the fiscal year], we will modify our expenses to meet that new revenue projection,” Nietzel said.

Three capital requisitions were approved during the meeting. The biggest news comes from the board approving a CT cardiac package, which allows for the hospital to offer two new services to patients.

Calcium scoring and CTA angiogram scoring will help analyze patient arteries and serve as a powerful diagnostic tool for cardiologists. Chief of Staff Dr. Matthew Epp was particularly excited about the capabilities the acquisition can hold for the hospital.

“I think this is the first leading, critical-access hospitals, or one of the first CAH’s, to be a place to have CCTA,” Epp said. “This will be the next journey for most hospitals.”

The board approved acquiring replacement BeaconMedaes pumps and motors. The system allows for efficient vacuuming of contaminated air out of the hospital. This is most used in surgery rooms.

Technology for the Medical Arts Plaza’s HVAC system will also be upgraded. Network and Systems Analyst Ryan Cook reported that the IT the system uses still uses technology “invented in the ‘90s.” The upgrade will allow for the system to still function even if one strand of the system fails.

A request from St. Malachy for an outpatient classroom will be funded by Greater Regional as a part of their community reinvestment program. The school will receive $5,000 to create a class involving students with nature.