Healthy Hometowns is Iowa’s submission to the Rural Health Transformation Program, a federal funding initiative. One of the five key initiatives is Combat Cancer: Prevent and Treat. More information about Healthy Hometowns overall is available on the Healthy Hometowns - Iowa's Rural Health Transformation Plan webpage.
The purpose of the Combat Cancer initiative is to comprehensively tackle cancer throughout the state by increasing access to cancer screening, forming cancer-specific Health Hubs, upgrading equipment for cancer screening and treatment, delivering supportive care for families impacted by cancer and supporting studies and analyses by academic partners. Iowa will address lung cancer prevention through radon testing and mitigation, breast cancer by paying for mammograms and follow-up breast MRIs, colorectal cancer through FIT tests and follow-up colonoscopies, skin cancer through telehealth and new equipment, and prostate cancer through routine screening methods.
Prevention and Screening Contractor: Marion County Public Health
Marion County Public Health was selected by Iowa HHS through a competitive Request for Proposals process to be the prevention and screening contractor for Combat Cancer. Marion County Public Health is partnering with many local public health departments to implement this project. This project involves the following components:
- Cancer Screening & Knowledge Risk Reduction
- Share messaging designed to reach rural Iowans with evidence-based content on health and lifestyle factors that may increase personal risks for the development of lung cancer, colorectal cancer, and skin cancer.
- Support Radon Testing and Mitigation
- Provide financial assistance for radon mitigation.
- Purchase, distribute, and track 30,000 radon test kits.
- Provide reimbursement up to $2,000 each for 500 homes needing mitigation.
- Perform outreach to homeowners.
- Perform outreach to certified mitigation specialists about the financial assistance for radon mitigation for homes in rural Iowa counties.
- Provide $750 in scholarship reimbursement to at least 28 new Radon Mitigation Specialists.
- Provide $600 in scholarship reimbursement to at least 28 new Radon Measurement Specialists.
- Colorectal Cancer Screening and Detection
- Purchase, distribute, and track at-home colorectal cancer screening test kits to uninsured Iowans through existing health care provider sites where rural Iowans are served.
- Provide a reimbursement payment per follow-up office visit for up to 200 eligible Iowans who receive positive screening results.
- Skin Cancer Screening
- Purchase and distribute approximately 1,475 dermatoscopes to health care professionals who practice in rural Iowa counties.
- Provide training on use of the dermatoscopes
- Access to Cancer-Related Health Services
- Plan for, purchase, and disseminate at least one telehealth-enabled tablet in libraries or pharmacies in each of Iowa’s designated 87 rural counties.
More information is available on Marion County Department of Public Health Combat Cancer
Key Drivers of Cancer in Iowa - Collaborative Cancer Study with University of Iowa College of Public Health
Iowa HHS is working in partnership with the University of Iowa College of Public Health to examine the rise in cancer rates in Iowa. Through this study, scientists will review factors that may contribute to higher cancer rates from:
- Behavioral factors
- Environmental factors
- Genetic factors
For more information about the Key Drivers of Cancer in Iowa project and how this project will help to create better public health outcomes for Iowans, visit the Key Drivers of Cancer in Iowa website.
Hubs & Spokes
The purpose of the Hubs & Spokes component of Combat Cancer is to establish a rural hub-and-spoke model of cancer prevention, screening, treatment, and survivorship care.
- The hubs serve as regional organizations while the spokes consist of community-based providers.
- A list of selected hubs can be found under the Notice of Intent to Award Combat Cancer Health Hub Program website
Health Hub Technical Assistance Provider: University of Iowa
The University of Iowa (UI) was selected to be the Combat Cancer Health Hub Technical Assistance (TA) Provider. This project will support the development, implementation, and sustainability of rural hub-and-spoke models of cancer prevention, screening, treatment, and survivorship care.
- The goal is to improve access, quality, and coordination, of high-quality and sustainable cancer care for rural populations by strengthening regional partnerships between “hub” organizations and community-based “spoke” providers.
- This expands the University of Iowa’s existing work supporting hospitals across the state through the I-CAN network and county-level prevention initiatives through the University of Iowa Cancer Partnership.
- More information is available on the University of Iowa Healthy Hometowns webpage.