The Rural Health and Primary Care programs are housed in the Bureau of Policy and Workforce Services in the Deputy Director’s Office at the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (Iowa HHS) and seeks to address health care issues that affect Iowa’s rural and local communities. This work includes health care infrastructure planning and development, systems building and addressing barriers that impact access to quality health care. The Rural Health and Primary Care programs promote access to quality health care for all Iowans.
The State Office of Rural Health (SORH)Program helps identify and resolve issues to strengthen rural health infrastructure. To improve the quality, availability and accessibility of health care for rural Iowans and to create health care solutions, the Iowa State Office of Rural Health:
Provides rural health advocacy and outreach
Coordinates efforts for rural health activities to reduce duplication
Collects and disseminates data and information on resources for rural communities
Provides consultation to rural Iowa communities and health care providers regarding Federal, State, and rural health program participation
The Primary Care Program works to improve access to services for underserved populations, especially those who remain at increased risk of illness and premature death. The Primary Care Program supports and enhances health systems programming to optimize effectiveness and eliminate health disparities.
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Rural Health and Primary Care Programs include programs that support provider recruitment and retention. These programs include:
Board Certified Behavior Analyst and Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst Program: A loan repayment program for Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBA) and Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analysts (BCaBA).
J-1 Visa Waiver: Allows J-1 exchange visitors to apply for a waiver of the 2-year home residency requirement upon completion of their exchange program (see Section 214(l) of the Immigration Nationality Act (INA)).
Medical and Psychiatry Residency Programs: Provides funding to sponsor organizations for the creation or expansion of medical and psychiatry residency programs.
Primary Care Loan Repayment Program: Offers two-year grants to primary care medical, dental, and mental health practitioners for use in repayment of educational loans.
Volunteer Health Care Provider Program: Strives to increase volunteerism by competent health care professionals by offering protection to eligible volunteer health care providers and eligible clinics providing free health care services.
Rural Health and Primary Care Programs include programs that support small rural hospitals. These programs include:
Small Rural Hospital Improvement Program (SHIP): Offers small rural hospitals opportunities to purchase hardware/software or participate in programs related to value-based purchasing, accountable care organizations or shared savings, and prospective payment system or payment bundling.
Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Program (Flex): Offers critical access hospitals opportunities to participate in free-of-charge technical assistance and programs for quality improvement, financial improvement, operational improvement, and population and community health.
SafeNetRx Program: Provides medications and medical supplies for little or no cost for Iowans in need of assistance.
The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (Iowa HHS) Rural Health and Primary Care Program works cooperatively with the federal Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), the Iowa Governor’s Office, and local communities to identify primary care provider (primary medical care, dental health care, and mental health care) shortages across the state.
