Cedar Rapids Birth of the Medicaid Waiver Debate
Jenny Bosking recalls Cedar Rapids origin of the Katie Beckett Medicaid Waiver in the late 1970s. Julie Beckett's advocacy led to home-based care with modest financial support, later championed by Ronald Reagan, turning a local idea into a national policy. The piece highlights Cedar Rapids' broader contributions and honors advocates who shaped disability care.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Wash- Amen
Cedar Rapids
Julie Beckett
Katie
Ronald Reagan
Julie
Reagan
Beckett
America
Grant Wood
Zach Johnson
Howard Hall
Arthur Collins
Community Letter on Antisemitism in Iowa Churches
Cedar Rapids writer Charles R. Crawley urges Iowa to study antisemitism in Christian texts and warns against suppressing speech over Israel Gaza criticisms. He cites historical cases and calls for contextual readings in churches and stronger Jewish understanding within a multireligious democracy.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Iowa
Brenna Bird
James Carroll
Charles R. Crawley
Cedar Rapids
Local teacher earns Dolly Parton pursuit award in Nepal outreach
Ernest Schiller, retired Iowa teacher and former Teacher of the Year, receives Dolly Parton’s Chasing Rainbows award for leading the Rebuild Nepal Education Foundation. He has made 12 Nepal trips, mobilized 200 volunteers, and raised a quarter million dollars to rebuild schools, fund uniforms, water systems, and pandemic aid, benefiting over 25 000 students and 49 to college. His next trip with 4 000 backpacks and visits to 32 schools is planned for late May.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Iowa
Donnellson
Ernest
Ernie) Schiller
Dolly Parton
Parton
Schiller
Nepal
Rebuild Nepal Education Foundation Inc
Kathmandu Valley
Rebuild Nepal Education Foundation
Rebuildnepaleducation.org
Rural hospitals risk collapse without Medicaid support says Washington County Hospital CEO
Todd Patterson, CEO of Washington County Hospital and Clinics, warns that Medicaid cuts threaten rural health care. He notes 60 percent of WCHC patients rely on Medicare or Medicaid and warns cuts could shutter maternity wards and emergency services, harming communities and local economies. Since 2010, over 140 rural hospitals have closed, underscoring the stakes for policymakers. Patterson urges sustained Medicaid funding at federal and state levels.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
America
Washington County
Iowa
Washington
WCHC
Also Mentioned on This Page
Jenny Bosking
The
Arc of
East Central
Community Letters
Israel
Gaza War
Michaelpramirez.com
Michael Ramirez
Creators Syndicate
Creators
Bob Molsberry
Bob Mossberry
Todd Patterson
Washington County Hospital and Clinics
Doonesbury
Garry Trudeau
Ana
Mallard Fillmore
Bruce Tinsley
This is just the beginning! Our collection holds over 300 years of history, including rare newspapers, obituaries, marriage records, birth records, and so much more—most of which you won’t find anywhere else!