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Source: buildingnemn.com

Iowa Lake Delhi dam bursts – catastrophic failure

The Lake Delhi
dam in eastern Iowa has failed today causing massive flooding in local communities and forcing residents to evacuate. The dam is around 45 miles east of Cedar Rapids and suffered the catastrophic failure after huge amounts of rain.

Gov. Chet Culver told CNN that almost 10 inches of rain fell over a 12-hour period and the dam couldn’t hold. Jim Flansberg, Gov. Culver’s communications director told CNN that the roads on either side of the dam had given way, according to cnn.com. A 30 foot wide gap in the berm alongside the dam was reported by the National Weather Service.

Water is gushing from behind the dam to the Maquoketa River beneath and homes are engulfed by the flood waters. In Hopkinton, 700 people had only 5 minutes to flee their homes after evacuation sirens sounded at 1 pm. Governor Culver’s office said that the National Guard are being sent in to help out and disaster proclamations have been issued for Delaware and Jones counties.

Thankfully so far, there are no reported injuries. For more on this go to cnn.com. Are you in an area affected by the flooding? If so we’d be interested to hear your experiences so please do send us in a comment.

Source: onlykent.com

U.S. News & World Report: UT Southwestern Tops North Texas Rankings

Newswise — In the most recent U.S. News & World Report’s America’s Best Hospitals just released for 2010-11, UT Southwestern Medical Center is nationally ranked in six specialty-care areas, the highest ranking health care provider in North Texas. Only one hospital in the state ranked in more categories.

The America’s Best Hospitals guide identifies 152 out of about 4,800 medical centers nationwide that excelled in one or more of 16 specialties. The ranking in each of the specialties is determined by a combination of criteria, including objective measures of quality for 12 specialties (including death rates, procedure volume, and ratio of nurses to patients). UT Southwestern was nationally ranked in the specialties of urology, diabetes/endocrinology, gynecology, kidney disorders, neurology and neurosurgery, and ear, nose and throat. This is an increase from four in the rankings last year.

The data are available online at http://usnews.com/besthospitals. The print issue of the magazine will be available on newsstands starting Tuesday, July 27.

“These specialty rankings affirm the excellence UT Southwestern is building upon in our strategic initiatives,” said Dr. Daniel K. Podolsky, president of UT Southwestern. “The outstanding care at UT Southwestern that is recognized in these rankings is a reflection of the dedication of our physicians and all the members of our health care team to the highest standards of quality, safety and innovation in patient care, reinforced by superb clinical and basic research and our commitment to training the next generation of dedicated physicians and scientists.”

To make the list, a facility must be a teaching hospital; have at least 200 beds; or have at least 100 beds plus four or more types of important medical technologies.

To be ranked in a particular specialty, a hospital must have either a specified volume in certain procedures and conditions over three years, or must have been nominated in the magazine’s yearly survey of specialists across the country.

Dr. Bruce A. Meyer, executive vice president for health system affairs, said, “Our ranking in a steadily increasing number of specialties reveals the growing national recognition of the excellence of clinical care here at UT Southwestern. We are extremely proud of the staff and physicians whose outstanding care can be recognized in this way.”

In addition to UT Southwestern, Parkland Memorial Hospital – which is staffed by UT Southwestern physicians – was ranked in gynecology and orthopaedics. UT Southwestern physicians also provide the majority of specialists for Children’s Medical Center Dallas and the Dallas VA Medical Center.

Source: newswise.com