Iowa is known as the Hawkeye State, as a tribute to Indian leader Chief Black Hawk. Iowa is bordered by the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers. This state ranks first in the nation with corn and soybean production as well as in hog production from its 93,000 farms. Iowa covers 55,869 square miles, with a 2006 estimated population of 2,982,085 people - 1,337,025 living in rural Iowa (USDA-ERS). Des Moines, the state capital, is located in the south-central region of the state. The state's largest cities are Des Moines, Davenport, and Cedar Rapids. According to the 2005 Census, 94.9% of the state’s population is white, 2.3% is Black/African-American, 0.3% is American Indian, 1.4% is Asian, and 3.7% is of Hispanic/Latino origin.
There are 116 hospitals in Iowa, 84 of which are located
in rural areas (North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy
Analysis Center, 2007). The state has 82 hospitals currently identified
by the Flex Monitoring Team as Critical Access Hospitals. There
are 129 Rural Health Clinics in Iowa, and nine Federally Qualified
Health Centers provide services at 44 sites in the state (Kaiser,
2004). Most
Iowans have some form of health insurance coverage, although 9%
of its residents lack any health insurance (Kaiser, 2004-2005.)
According to the Economic Research Service, the average per-capita income for all Iowans in 2005 was $31,640, although rural per-capita lagged at $28,794. 2004 estimates indicate a poverty rate of 10.5% exists in rural Iowa, compared to a 10.5% level in urban areas of the state. 2000 data reports 15.7% of the rural population has not completed high school, while only 12.3% of the urban population lacks a high school diploma. The unemployment rate in rural Iowa is at 3.9% while in urban Iowa it is at 3.5% (USDA-ERS, 2006).
For a national comparison, please see an overview of the United States.
Data Sources:
U.S. Census Bureau: State & County Quick Facts
USDA Economic Research Service: State Fact Sheets
North
Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
Kaiser Family Foundation State Health Facts
Flex Monitoring Team: Critical Access Hospital List
Organizations
AgriSafe Network
National organization
Supports and trains health professionals who deliver occupational health services to farm families. National headquarters is located in Spencer, IA.
Homeward, Inc.
Nonprofit/Foundation
Works to improve the vitality of Iowa's rural communities by providing financial and other development services. Includes information on the Energy Efficiency Loan Program, geothermal loans, homebuyer loans, and home owner loans.
HUD Community Development Block Grants: Iowa
Federal government
Contact information for the State CDBG program. Provides funding for community development projects.
Iowa 2-1-1
State/regional organization
Provides 2-1-1 service for all 99 counties in Iowa. There are eight call centers that cover the entire state and the model is considered a regional concept. Iowa has 24 hour coverage for the entire state and cell phone access with the majority of all cell providers in the state.
Iowa Bureau of Administration, Regulation & Licensure
State government
Licenses and monitors approximately 110 substance treatment programs, which include community-based, hospital-based, assessment and evaluation services, OWI correctional and correctional institutional programs.
Iowa Center on Health Disparities
Nonprofit/Foundation
Provides statewide academic leadership in addressing and reducing health disparities among minority, immigrant, and medically underserved populations in Iowa. Serves as a national model to other rural states challenged with addressing health disparities.
Iowa Community Action Association (ICAA)
State government
Consists of locally-based private, non-profit organizations that network with a wide-array of local organizations to enhance the opportunities for low-income Iowans (children and families) to meet basic needs and develop their own capacity to do so. Includes information on the Weatherization Assistance Program, the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, and the Family Development and Self-Sufficiency Program.
Iowa Department of Education: Special Education
State government
Works with the learning needs of children and adults needing special education services.
Iowa Department of Elder Affairs
State government
Provides advocacy, educational, and prevention services to older Iowans.
Iowa Department of Human Services (IA DHS)
State government
Provides informative, and up-to-date information in 99 counties, including mental health, child support, child care, food assistance, various forms, health insurance for children, medical assistance, and research.
Iowa Department of Human Services: Child Support Program
State government
Works to enforce child support payments. Works with the foster care program, fathers, and employers.
Iowa Department of Human Services: Division of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities (MH/DD)
State government
Provides program support services for persons with mental illness, mental retardation and developmental disabilities; plans for state services; works with counties in the development and implementation of their services plans; develops policy for the state mental health institutes and the state resource centers for persons with developmental disabilities; provides consultation and technical assistance; and, provides accreditation for providers of MH/DD services.
Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH)
State government
Exercises general supervision of the state's public health; promotes public hygiene and sanitation; does health promotion activities, prepares for and responds to bioemergency situations; and, unless otherwise provided, enforces laws on public health.
Iowa Finance Authority (IFA)
State government
Finances, administers, advances and preserves affordable housing and promotes community and economic development for Iowans.
Iowa Health Care Association and Iowa Center for Assisted Living (IHCA and ICAL)
State/regional organization
Represents over 580 Iowa nursing homes, assisted living programs, residential care facilities, independent senior living and retirement communities, and elder group homes. Provides consumers with tools and resources on long term care living options, including Alzheimer's and dementia care.
Iowa Hospital Association
State/regional organization
Represents Iowa hospitals and supports them in achieving their missions and goals. Shapes health policy, fosters new forms of health care delivery, gathers data, and monitors health care payment systems.
Iowa Office of Substance Abuse Prevention
State government
Provides technical assistance to individuals, groups, and contracted agencies and organizations; coordinates and collaborates with multiple state agencies and organizations for assessment, planning, and implementation of statewide prevention initiatives; and
coordinates, trains, and monitors funding to local community-based organizations for alcohol, tobacco, and other drug prevention services.
Iowa Public Health Association (IPHA)
State/regional organization
Represents public health interests in Iowa. Advocates for and supports the public health workforce by providing education, networking and leadership development opportunities.
Iowa Rural Health Association (IRHA)
State/regional organization
Works for the preservation and enhancement of the health of individuals in rural Iowa and provides a mechanism for bringing individuals and organizations together to identify and address rural health issues.
Iowa State Office of Rural Health
State government
Provides rural health advocacy and outreach; coordination of rural health resources; consultation to communities and health care providers; promotes local, state and federal partnerships; supports recruitment and retention of health providers; and administers the FLEX and SHIP programs. Part of the Iowa Department of Public Health, Bureau of Health Care Access.
Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Services
State government
Works for and with individuals with disabilities to achieve their employment, independence, and economic goals.
Iowa Workforce Development (IWD)
State/regional organization
Provides quality customer-driven services that support prosperity, productivity, health and safety for Iowans. In conjunction with state and local economic development efforts, IWD also assists businesses to fulfill their workforce needs.
Iowa's Center for Agricultural Safety and Health (I-CASH)
State government
Establishes and coordinates prevention and education programs to enhance the health and safety of Iowa's agricultural community.
Iowa-Nebraska Primary Care Association (IA/NEPCA)
State/regional organization
Provides development, support services and programs to its member community and migrant health centers. Promotes the concept of quality, primary, preventative and ameliorative health care through a comprehensive primary health care delivery system.
Midwest Assistance Program (MAP)
State/regional organization
Aims to help rural communities in Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming to improve their environment, quality of life and be self-sustaining.
National Network of Libraries of Medicine, Greater Midwest Region (NN/LM-GMR)
State/regional organization
Works to improve access to health information for health professionals, librarians and members of the public in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin.
Nebraska 2-1-1
State/regional organization
In addition to serving 38 counties in Nebraska, the Center services eight counties in Southwest Iowa. Provides service to 79% of Nebraskan's who can access health and human services 24/7 by dialing 2-1-1. The statewide 2-1-1 Resource Call Center is housed at United Way of the Midlands. Efforts continue to build partnerships to get 2-1-1 telephone service statewide.
Northern Great Plains Inc.
Nonprofit/Foundation
Works to maximize the potential of the Northern Great Plains region through regional collaboration, by identifying and promoting policies and practices that support an integrated approach to economic opportunity, a healthy environment and vital rural communities.
Proyecto/Project IDEAS
State/regional organization
Srives to improve HIV prevention services for Latino/Hispanic populations living in Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, North Dakota, South Dakota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Utah and Wyoming. Focuses on adapting and tailoring CDC-approved interventions that are culturally, linguistically and educationally appropriate. This is a capacity building assistance program for community-based organizations and state and local health departments.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development: Iowa
Federal government
Works to increase homeownership, support community development and increase access to affordable housing. The HUD state office provides information about HUD housing programs and local contacts for the state.
USDA Rural Development Iowa State Office
Federal government
Committed to helping improve the economy and quality of life in all of rural America. The Rural Development State Office provides information about Rural Development programs and applications for financial assistance.
Tools
ERS State Fact Sheet: Iowa
Web site
Statistics on population, educational attainment, employment, income, farm characteristics, and farm financial indicators for the state.
Great Plains Telehealth Resource and Assistance Center
Web site
Assists rural health care providers, facilities, and organizations within the region and around the nation in order to better utilize and implement telehealth technology. Assists those just beginning their telehealth program development as well as those looking to add new telehealth-related services.
Iowa QuickFacts
Web site
Basic demographic and economic statistics for the state, with links to county-level data.
Iowa AgrAbility: Innovations That Work for Home and Farm
Web site
Provides information on a program that helps farm families affected by disabilities to adapt their homes and farms. The program can help any family member with a disability to:
modify tools, equipment, and machinery, make home and farm buildings more accessible, and
find services that meet specific needs.
Iowa Community Level Information on Kids (CLIKS)
Web site
Provides data on child well-being for the state.
Iowa Go Local
Web site
Links MedlinePlus users to health service providers and organizations in the State of Iowa.
Iowa Health Centers Data
Web site
Provides access to information on Federally Qualified Health Centers for the state. Includes a map of FQHC locations, as well as information on the populations served by health centers, services provided, staff, patient visits, costs of care, and use of electronic health information.
Iowa Health Workforce: Highlights from the Health Workforce Profile
Web site
Highlights compiled 2000 data on levels of employment, projected growth and key environmental factors that affect demand for health care. Details for medicine, nursing, dentistry, pharmacy, mental health and aides.
Iowa Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Program
Web site
Preserves access to primary and emergency health care services, improves quality of rural health services, provides health services that meet community needs, and fosters a health delivery system that is both efficient and effective. Consists of five core components: rural health planning, Critical Access Hospitals (CAH), emergency medical services, quality improvement, and networking.
Iowa State Health Facts
Database
The latest state-level data on demographics, health, and health policy, including health coverage, access, financing, and state legislation. Individual state profiles and 50-state comparisons.
Iowa State Medicaid Profile
Web site
Provides data on Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) for the state.
Iowa Youth Survey
Web site
Results of a survey completed by students in the 6th, 8th, and 11th grades across the state of Iowa who answered questions about their attitudes and experiences regarding substance abuse and violence, and their perceptions of their peer, family, school, and neighborhood/community environments.
Meadowlark Project
Web site
Describes a two year process aimed at systemic change by bringing a diverse sample of the Northern Great Plains region's population to the table to discuss the region's future.
National Healthcare Quality Report State Snapshot: Iowa
Web site
Health care quality report for the state, based on the National Healthcare Quality Report.
NN/LM Greater Midwest Region: Iowa Resources
Web site
Overview of the state, with links to state agencies, health associations, and other resources for Iowa.
Plain & Simple: A Health Literacy Project for Iowa
Web site
Aimed at helping public health workers and partners use plain language when writing or speaking about health. Involves communication that people can understand the first time they hear or read it.
Southwest Iowa Latino Resource Center
Web site
Committed to facilitating understanding
and cooperation between the American and Latino Communities in Southwest Iowa.
State Data Center of Iowa
Web site
Provides population, housing, business and government statistics about Iowa, including data from the U.S. Census Bureau, Iowa state agencies, and other state and federal sources.
State Profiles- Iowa: Health Information Technology (HIT)
Web site
Profiles the state’s health information technology (HIT) issues. Contains sections on demographics, HIT legislation, telemedicine, Health Information Exchanges (HIE) & Regional Health Information Organizations (RHIO), grant funded HIT projects, and HIT survey information.
See also: Resources for All States: Tools Funding
Delta Dental of Iowa Public Benefit Program
Funding to make a measurable difference in the oral health of underserved Iowans.
Family Development Certification Training Scholarships
Scholarships for family support programs who work with families with young children to attend Family Development Certification Training.
First Children's Finance Loan Fund
Loans to child care and early education businesses, especially those serving lower-income communities.
FirstHome Plus Loans
Cash assistance to help Iowa homebuyers with closing costs and down payment or repairs.
HCBS Rent Subsidy Program
A rent subsidy program to aid people receive services under a federal Medicaid waiver program called home- and community-based service (HCBS) and who are at risk of nursing facility placement.
Healthy and Well Kids in Iowa (hawk-i)
A program that provides health care coverage for Iowa children, under the age of 19, in families with limited incomes.
Homeward, Inc. Energy Efficiency Loans
Loans for making homes more energy efficient.
Homeward, Inc., HomeBuyer Loans
Loans to assist families with their down payments and closing costs as they purchase their rural Iowa home.
Homeward, Inc., HomeOwner Loan Program
Low-interest loans for home improvements to people who own and occupy the home as their primary residence.
IFF
IFF is a nonprofit community development lender providing affordable, flexible and accessible loans to nonprofits serving low-income or special-needs populations.
Iowa Finance Authority FirstHome Loans
Loans to help the borrower obtain a below-market interest rate on their mortgage loan if they are purchasing a home in the state of Iowa.
Iowa Healthy Communities Initiative Grant Program
Grants to provide coordinated programs at the community level to encourage healthier lifestyles, promote wellness and prevent the health and financial consequences of chronic disease that are often lifestyle related.
Jerry Karbeling Award
Recognizes an individual who has demonstrated successful activism for improving rural health and a commitment to community service.
Love Our Kids Grant Child Injury Prevention Project FY2009
Funding to federally appointed rural areas to develop and implement injury prevention and education initiatives for Iowa children.
Mental Health Professional Shortage Area Program
Funding to agencies to provide recruitment and retention stipends to psychiatrists who work as medical directors in mental health professional shortage areas in Iowa.
Midwest Assistance Program Loan Fund
Provides low-cost, short and intermediate term loans for community water and wastewater projects through its Community Revolving Loan Fund.
NewHome Construction Program
Loan funds to construct new single-family homes in Iowa communities.
PRIMECARRE Loan Repayment Program
A loan program to encourage qualified health care professionals to provide primary care services in designated health professional shortage areas (HPSAs) in Iowa.
Wellmark Foundation Community Responsive Grant (Cycle 2)
Grants to improve the health of communities in South Dakota and Iowa.
Inactive Funding
Inactive Funding Opportunities -
Lists additional funding programs for this state that are not currently accepting applications. Programs that are inactive may be offered again in the future.
Documents, Reports and Other Publications
Addressing the Nursing Shortage in Iowa
Author(s): Erica Hauck
A new center is helping facilities throughout Iowa mentor and recruit new nurses and nurses' assistants.
Journal citation: Rural Monitor Volume 10 Issue 3
Date: 01 / 2004
Demographic and Economic Profile: Iowa
Author(s): Kathleen K. Miller
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute
Presents demographic, economic information and statistics on Iowa. Includes charts, maps, and graphs.
Date: 05 / 2006
Financially Distressed Rural Hospitals in Four States
Sponsoring organization: NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
Policy brief discussing the impact of the outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) on the financial performance of rural hospitals in Iowa, Texas, Washington, and West Virginia.
Date: 01 / 2004
How Farmers and Ranchers Get Health Insurance and What They Spend for Health Care
Author(s): Carol Pryor, Jeffrey Prottas, Bill Lottero, Mark Rukavina, Alana Knudson
Sponsoring organization: Access Project
Issue brief examining health insurance costs and health care spending of farmers and ranchers. Based on a 2007 survey of farm and ranch operators in Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota.
Date: 12 / 2007
Retaining Rural Nurses: Midwestern Summit on Retaining and Making Best use of the Older More Experienced Rural Registered Nurse
Sponsoring organization: Minnesota Office of Rural Health and Primary Care
Highlights of a one-day session, consisting of 25 nurse-leaders from Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota who engaged in a series of roundtable discussions on the future of older
nurses in rural communities.
Date: 08 / 2007
Rural Food Access Patterns: Elderly Open-Country and In-Town Residents
Sponsoring organization: Iowa State University
Examines how rural households in two high poverty Iowa counties access food for daily living. Discusses grocery store consolidation, which has resulted in the loss of many rural small town grocery stores.
Date: 06 / 2004
Small Business Profile: Iowa
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Small Business Administration
Profile of the state's economy, covering the number of firms, industry composition, small business income, banking, women and minority business ownership, and employment.
Date: 2006
Solving Food Insecurity in Rural Iowa
Author(s): Lois Wright Morton, Ella Annette Bitto, Mary Jane Oakland, Mary Sand
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Rural Policy Research Center
Discusses the role of family, friends and community groups in addressing food insecurity in rural Iowa counties. Also discusses the impact of grocery store closings on food insecurity in rural counties.
Journal citation: Perspectives: On Poverty, Policy, and Place Volume 2 Issue 2 Pages: 14-16
Date: 2004
State Profiles - Iowa: Reforming the Health Care System
Sponsoring organization: AARP Public Policy Institute
Detailed profile of the state's health care system. Covers demographics, expenditures and financing, health status, utilization and quality of services, health care providers, Medicare, Medicaid, health insurance coverage, and key trends.
Date: 12 / 2005
Status of the Nurse Workforce in Iowa
Sponsoring organization: Iowa Department of Public Health
Discusses nursing trends in Iowa as well as in the United States, evolution of nursing education in Iowa, workforce trends, nursing wages, national projections, and Iowa considerations. Final report will be out in March, 2006.
Date: 02 / 2006
Vital Statistics of Iowa in Brief: 2006 Data
Sponsoring organization: Iowa Department of Public Health
Includes statistics on births, deaths, and diseases in Iowa for the year 2006.
Date: 08 / 2007
See also: Resources for All States: Documents Journals
Iowa - Iowa Health Focus Newsletter
Bi-monthly electronic newsletter that features local and national current events in healthcare, epidemiological reports, legislative updates and more.
Iowa - Rural Health News
Quarterly newsletter which shares health-related information, efforts of the IRHA, and updates on member services and opportunities.
Success Stories
ASSURE Project
The ASSURE Project was designed to ensure that all children and adolescents in Iowa's Washington County have access to mental health and substance abuse treatment services.
Building Healthy Families Project
The Building Healthy Families project is designed to meet the unique cultural, social, and linguistic needs of pregnant Hispanic women living in Marshall County.
Domestic Abuse and Sexual Assault Consortium
Through a community effort, this project aims to launch an attack against domestic abuse and sexual assault through education, screening practices and public awareness.
EMS Co-op Helps Rural Providers
Using the power of group purchasing within a cooperative structure, the North Central EMS Cooperative (NCEMSC) is an Emergency Medical Services (EMS) cooperative developed to serve Minnesota and surrounding states.
Expanding Access to Agricultural Health Services
A consortium of six rural hospitals and Iowa's Center for Agricultural Safety and Health (I-CASH) joined forces to increase access to agriculturally based preventive health and safety services among farmers, their families, and their employees.
Healthy Child Project
A partnership between a community action agency and six rural school districts established preventive health clinics in the schools of six northwest Iowa counties, significantly improving the access and availability of preventive health care for children 0 to 18 years of age.
Healthy Kids Clinic
Three local school districts, two local health departments, one nonprofit health agency, and all local area physicians and dental providers formed a consortium to provide health and dental services to students in the schools regardless of income or insurance status.
Integrated Service Pathways Network Project
This project aims to divert people with co-occurring disorders from the traditional criminal justice system/jail into programs which can effectively treat the problem and break the cycle of arrest, jail, release, and re-arrest.
Internet Access in Iowa Rural Hospitals
Funding from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will enable participating hospitals to install a fiber optic connection to increase their capacity to send medical records, increase the speed with which the records are transmitted, and decrease the amount of time for a patient to receive treatment.
Jasper County Wellness Program for Persons With Mental Illness
Club Health was developed to provide personal wellness programs in a friendly and supportive atmosphere to all
those suffering from chronic mental illness in Jasper County, Iowa.
Marshalltown Community/School Health
Outreach grant funds were used to implement a school-based health program designed to improve the overall health status of school-aged children and to teach families how to access medical and dental services in the community.
Maximizing Independence of Rural Elderly Through Use of Assistive Technology and Access to Health Care Services
Five organizations joined together to address the health care needs of the aging rural Iowa population by providing assistive technologies and home modifications, increasing access to primary health care and rehabilitative therapies, and educating rural elderly and health care workers to help identify potential hazards in homes.
NetWORKS
The principal activity funded by the grant was the development of occupational health and safety programs for local businesses and industries, to enable employees and employers to access much-needed health care services generally available only in more heavily populated communities.
Northwest Iowa Trauma Training Consortium
Northwest Iowa Community College developed this outreach project to coordinate, unify, and improve the training of
all medical personnel in the region who treat trauma patients, in both the pre-hospital and hospital arenas.
Rural Bridges Project
The Rural Bridges Project is an innovative outreach program designed to assess and address the specific needs of unlicensed direct caregivers (namely, certified nurse assistants and home care aides) in four rural Iowa counties.
Southern Iowa Rural Outreach EMS/Trauma Consortium
Activities include the implementation of a uniform EMS training curriculum, triage and trauma treatment protocols, and improved communication among EMS and hospital providers throughout the region.
Tri-County Health Connections Network
This project was a community-based initiative to enhance prevention and early intervention services for pregnant and postpartum women, their infants, and families living in rural central Iowa.
Wayne County Multi-Generational Behavioral Health Project
The Project aims to increase access to behavioral health care for children, youth, and isolated elderly members by providing outreach and education resources, and promoting greater community involvement in an integrated network of services.
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