HIAWATHA – Second-grader Isaac Hofferber plucked a tiny green sprout from a garden growing outside Hiawatha Elementary School. “Here’s a weed,” the 7-year-old said Wednesday, before pointing to a cucumber seedling “and that’s a plant.” Isaac and other Hiawatha students are learning more than plant differentiation with a new Healthy Gardens, Healthy Youth program....
Read more »

Updated: 12:45 p.m. May 4, 2012 Cedar Rapids will continue to pursue becoming a Blue Zones Community, even after the city fell short in its initial attempt. Cedar Falls, Waterloo, Mason City and Spencer were announced Friday, May 4, 2012, as Iowa’s first Blue Zones demonstration sites. “We do plan to continue our effort,”...
Read more »

CEDAR RAPIDS – Patients should benefit as a new partnership, called an Accountable Care Organization, begins in Iowa with Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield and the Iowa Health System. Commonly called an ACO, the collaboration is designed to improve quality and lower health care costs between Iowa’s largest insurance provider and the health...
Read more »

ALBERT LEA, MINN. — What would it take to improve your health? Access to interconnected trails, bike lanes and other recreational opportunities? Cooking classes and healthy menu options at restaurants and schools? How about supportive friends to help you make changes? What if you had it all? Iowans seeking to have the best health...
Read more »

One in five Americans will develop skin cancer; it is the most common form of cancer in the US. Each year there are more new cases of skin cancer than those of the breast, prostate, lung and colon combined. Fortunately, it is also the easiest to cure if diagnosed and treated early. Attend to...
Read more »

From the Iowa Board of Medicine: DES MOINES, IA – The Iowa Board of Medicine saw a 9.4 percent increase in number of new medical licenses issued in 2011, continuing a trend of significant growth in the number of physicians seeking licensure in Iowa. The Board issued 776 new licenses in 2011, up from...
Read more »

CEDAR RAPIDS – The new leader of Linn County Public Health sees the department’s role as a partnership with other agencies, organizations and individuals. Pramod Dwivedi, 47, won’t tell restaurant owners what to post on their menus or demand changes without community input, he said. “Public health is a team sport,” said Dwivedi, who...
Read more »

Petersen-Bubke, LLP, a beef cattle feedlot in Monona County, Iowa, has agreed to pay a $10,000 civil penalty to the United States for violations of the federal Clean Water Act related to discharges of pollutants into Rush Creek and its tributaries. According to an administrative civil consent agreement and final order filed by EPA...
Read more »

St. Luke’s Hospital is one of only two hospitals in the state named one of the nation’s 100 Top Hospitals by Thomson Reuters, the nation’s leading source of healthcare information. The award recognizes hospitals that have achieved excellence in quality of care, operational efficiency, financial performance and growth. This is the fourth time St....
Read more »

CEDAR RAPIDS – The Cedar Rapids Metro YMCA is one step closer to offering more support for local cancer patients, survivors, and families after winning a spot as a LIVESTRONG Community Impact Project Finalist Wednesday. The YMCA, 207 7th Ave., was the only YMCA in Iowa selected for the contest, and will receive the prize of...
Read more »