The state of Iowa says it will not necessarily disclose to the public the rationale for disciplinary charges against licensed professionals such as physicians, nurses, therapists and nursing home administrators. The determining factor appears to be whether the state’s licensing boards choose to include the allegations within the text of a final order in a […]
Department of Inspections and Appeals
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Bill eliminating regular health and safety inspections of hotels and motels in Iowa passes
The Iowa Senate gave final approval on Tuesday to a bill that addresses the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing’s (DIAL) decade-long failure to follow state law and inspect hotels and motels once every two years by eliminating the law requiring those inspections. HF 2426 repeals the biennial hotel inspection requirement, and instead requires […]
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House Republicans pass bill to eliminate regular health and safety inspections of hotels and motels in Iowa
A decade ago, the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing (DIAL) stopped following the requirement in state law that it inspect all hotels and motels in the state at least once every two years. The department didn’t inform the public or lawmakers that it stopped routine inspections in 2014. That fact didn’t come to […]
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Complaints pile up as Iowa ranks 49th among states in nursing home inspectors
A federal report suggests Iowa has one of the nation’s worst ratios of nursing home inspectors to care facilities, and that the state’s use of private contractors to inspect homes is extraordinarily costly to taxpayers. The report, published earlier this year by the majority staff of the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging, highlights some […]
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State loosens restrictions around dogs on restaurant patios
Restaurants no longer need a special waiver from the state to allow patrons to bring their dogs into outdoor dining areas. The Iowa Department of Appeals and Inspections (DIA), which oversees issues of sanitation and food safety at restaurants, eliminated the waiver requirement last week. “Food establishments still have to follow the same rules as […]
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COVID-19: Hospitalizations jumped from 600 to 700 in four days; 1,733 Iowans have died since March
Iowa set a new record for the number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients for the eighth day in a row with more than 700 patients hospitalized for the first time. The Iowa Department of Public Health was reporting 718 hospitalizations on Monday morning, an increase from Sunday’s record-setting total of 676 hospitalizations. The state surpassed 700 […]
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962 complaints about Iowa restaurants violating COVID-19 rules have resulted in one written warning
The Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals (DIA) has received 962 complaints about restaurants violating social distancing and other COVID-19 mitigation requirements, Iowa Capital Dispatch reported on Thursday. DIA has issued one warning as a result. An Aug. 14 warning emailed to Jason Jasnos, owner of Classic Deli & Ice Cream Shoppe in Brooklyn, Iowa, […]
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Iowa to strengthen enforcement of social distancing at bars and restaurants, as 582 more Iowans test positive for COVID-19
Social distancing and other mitigation measures at Iowa bars, restaurants and other food establishments will have stronger enforcement from the state starting this week. The Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals (DIA), along with the Alcoholic Beverages Division (ABD), will issue infractions for businesses not complying, according to a news release. Iowa businesses — including […]
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First COVID-19 death of a Johnson County resident reported as the state’s cases reach 868
On Sunday, the Iowa Department of Public Health reported the first COVID-19 death of a Johnson County resident. According to the department, the deceased was between the ages of 61 and 80. IDPH reported seven other deaths from COVID-19 on Sunday. • Appanoose County, 1 elderly adult (81+) • Polk County, 2 older adults (61-80 […]
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Rep. Cindy Axne calls for shelter-in-place order, as Iowa sees its biggest one-day increase in positive tests for COVID-19
“Today starts of the fourth week since Iowa’s first coronavirus cases were confirmed, and the reality is the end is not yet in sight,” Gov. Kim Reynolds said during her Monday afternoon press conference on the state’s response to COVID-19. Earlier in the day, the Iowa Department of Public Health reported 88 more Iowans had […]
