Iowa Collaborative Safety Net Provider Network
Progress Report
July 19, 2013
The Iowa Primary Care Association (Iowa PCA) is under contract with the Iowa
Department of Public Health (IDPH) to direct and manage the Iowa Collaborative Safety Net Provider Network (Network). The following information serves as the progress report on Network activities from April 1 – June 30, 2013 and is broken down into sections summarizing funded initiatives, provider awards, medical home development, governance, other Network activities, and evaluation.
Information about each grantee is summarized based on all quarterly reports that were submitted to the Network during the state fiscal year. Only the third and fourth
quarterly reports are attached for additional information as the first and second quarterly reports were shared as part of previous progress reports.
Initiatives
The Network continues to manage two funded initiatives, access to specialty care and access to affordable pharmaceuticals.
Specialty Care Networks
Three organizations were funded to improve access to specialty care for safety net patients. A brief summary of each contract awarded and key activities are highlighted below.
• Linn County Project Access ($39,802; received funding from the Network in SFY08, SFY09, SFY10, SFY11, SFY12 and SFY13): Linn County Project Access is housed within Linn Community Care (LCC), the local Federally Qualified Health Center.LCC manages the volunteer physician referral network which served 101 patients and made 32 referrals for specialty care services in SFY13. The value of free health care services provided to underserved patients during the year totaled $140,988 although LCC did not receive claims data on all services provided. Project Access has had several changes since it had started but it couldn’t have happened without the providers. First of all, potential patients were given direction on what was expected if they participated in the program. Patients had to be living in Linn County for 90 days, have no commercial insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, or Iowa Care be in need of short term care and meet income limits. When coming to their appointment they needed to have a photo ID, proof of residency, paystubs from all members of the household, and the denial letter from Iowa Care. This was to ensure they were not eligible for any other resource. Specialty clinics who were donating their time were supportive of the newly implemented process. Overall this year has been very successful for Project Access. As with any program there were challenges. Providers are still willing to commit to Project Access and stand behind what it means.
• Polk County Medical Society ($153,748; received funding from the Network in SFY08, SFY09, SFY10, SFY11, SFY12 and SFY13): PCMS continued the work of the Volunteer Physician Network. Four hundred and forty-two (442) volunteers currently participate in the program representing 54 specialty services. The VPN Administrator was successful in recruiting 3 new specialists to the program. The VPN has resumed working with the UnityPoint Clinic Director to recruit specialists in high demand specialties. The VPN successfully recruited 10 new specialists to the program while maintaining the existing volunteer specialists, hospitals and surgery centers. The program is strong and continues to grow as we increase volunteers in high demand specialties such as orthopedic care for knee and hip issues, and oncology/radiation services. The VPN has experienced an increase in the number of referrals from last year. It is anticipated the VPN will see a higher number of patients in the future due to changes with health care reform. There will continue to be a gap in specialty care coverage available for individuals who are between 139% and 200% of the federal poverty level. This population will not be eligible for Medicaid or subsidized private coverage through the new state sponsored Iowa Health and Wellness Plan. The PCMS and VPN worked diligently throughout the year to increase program visibility, by meeting with community leaders, businesses and foundations, and attending numerous community events. We are gradually increasing awareness of the program. PCMS completed 951 referrals for 466 patients during the year. During the year, $3,791,010.24 in free care was provided to safety net patients (please note this is a conservative estimate of the value of care provided as PCMS does not currently have access to all data from the volunteer physicians).
• Primary Health Care, Inc. (Des Moines and Marshalltown) ($114,924; received funding from the Network in SFY08, SFY09, SFY10, SFY11, and SFY12): PHC
provided integrated primary care/behavioral health services at two of Primary Health Care’s Des Moines sites for adults and also to PHC’s pediatric population through a partnership with Orchard Place. PHC provided psychiatric medications to low-income patients with behavioral health needs and focused on providing behavioral health educational interventions to PHC providers in order to improve the quality of
behavioral health care provided to patients. Primary Health Care now has behavioral health consultants (BHCs) at all four sites, with the final site going live on 4/15/13. They have also implemented the substance use Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) program at all four sites. They are involved in a more sophisticated training program for their professionals, and in general made good progress on all objectives. PHC has indicated they feel much more prepared to meet the challenges of reform. PHC provided integrated behavioral health services to 4,119 patients and also provided $16,620.04 in free medications to patients during SFY1.
Pharmacy Initiatives
The Network again contracted with the Iowa Prescription Drug Corporation (IPDC) to take the lead on the pharmacy initiatives discussed below ($318,415; received funding from the Network in SFY08, SFY09, SFY10, SFY11, and SFY12).
During FY2013, IPDC set new program records for both the Drug Donation Repository Program and the Iowa Medication Voucher Programs. In total, 8,222 safety net patients received medication and medical supplies through the Drug Donation Repository
Program compared to 7,567 patients served in FY2012. A total of $2,593,314 in medication and medical supplies was donated to the program and $2,477,716 in medication and supplies was distributed to participating medical facilities. This compares to $1,924,487 in incoming and $1,877,496 distributed in FY2012 and $1,634,592 in incoming and $1,430,735 distributed in FY2011. Two thousand seven-hundred and fifty-one (2,751) orders for medication and supplies were filled in FY2013 compared to 2,461 and 1,583 in fiscal years 2012 and 2011 respectively. In addition, a new monthly record of $303,261 in incoming donated medications and supplies was achieved in May 2013.
A new program record was also set for the Iowa Medication Voucher Programs. In FY2013, a total of 6,628 vouchers were filled through the $3 Co-Pay and DOC Behavioral Health Medication Voucher Programs compared to 6,233 vouchers in FY2012.
IPDC began serving released offenders with behavioral health disorders on April 1, 2013. This program was developed over the last two years and required considerable investment of time and resources. To date, a total of 153 vouchers for behavioral health medications have been utilized by individuals released from the Iowa Department of Corrections.
Drug Donation Repository Program
Network funds were used to continue to expand the Drug Donation Repository
Program, which has proven helpful to safety net patients and providers in Iowa. IPDC also contracts with the Iowa Department of Public Health for this program. Network funds are used to both maintain and expand the program to new clinic sites. IPDC completed several marketing and outreach sessions about all of their programs during the year
Drug Discount Card Program
IPDC continues to contract with MedOne, a Pharmaceutical Benefit Manager, located in Dubuque for the drug discount card program. During the year, 4,064 prescriptions were filled through the program. Savings to patients totaled $253,353.94during SFY13.
Pharmacy Benefit Manager Settlement
The Pharmacy Benefit Manager Settlement funds continued to be used to support the Iowa Medication Voucher Program. Generic medications were made available for the following disease states or conditions: diabetes, high blood pressure, elevated
cholesterol, depression, and pregnancy/pre- and post-natal care. During the year, 6,628 prescriptions were filled. Expansion of the Medication Voucher Program to serve
individuals transitioning out of the Iowa Department of Corrections system began April 1, 2013. This innovative program is the first of its kind in the nation and has been the result of a collaboration between the Iowa Prescription Drug Corporation, Attorney General’s Office, Iowa Department of Corrections, Iowa Pharmacy Association, University of Iowa College of Pharmacy, and the Safety Net Network Pharmacy Oversight Committee members.
Pharmacy Oversight Committee
The Pharmacy Oversight Committee met on April 17th, 2013 and a meeting summary is
included as an attachment to this report.
Provider Awards
Provider awards are another component of the safety net legislation and contract with the IDPH. The legislation established awards for the following safety net partners: Community Health Centers, Rural Health Clinics and Free Clinics. Family Planning Agencies were not awarded funds for this state fiscal year.
During the last quarter, Network staff worked to collect and aggregate the required data from the various clinics. It should be noted that all Community Health Centers and Free Clinics submitted 2012 data to the Network. All Rural Health Clinics that received a provider award and four RHCs that did not receive a provider also responded to the data request. The 2012 Calendar Year Data Report is included as an attachment to this progress report.
Following is a brief summary of the provider awards distributed as well as data received to date by clinic type for the 2012 Calendar Year Data Report.
Rural Health Clinics - $141,544: Fifty-three of the 144 Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) in Iowa applied for funds from the Network. Each RHC received $2,572.98 and staff received 2012 data from 57 RHCs. Additionally, $5,176 was awarded to the Iowa Association of Rural Health Clinics to provide additional infrastructure to support Iowa’s Rural Health Clinics including education and training and ongoing support of a website dedicated to RHCs in Iowa.
Free Clinics - $273,322: The Free Clinic line item received a significant increase for SFY13. Funding is intended to be used in two different ways in SFY13. The Free Clinic leadership organizations recommended that $149,602 be directed to the Free Clinics Iowa to provide ongoing support to their member Free Clinics. The remainder
($123,720) was allocated to individual Free Clinics that applied for provider awards. Forty (40) Free clinics received a provider award for $3,093. All clinics that received a provider award submitted data.
Federally Qualified Health Centers - $75,000: All funding was allocated to the FQHCs through provider awards. Thirteen (13) out of the 14 centers applied for funding meaning each FQHC received $5,769.23 to support to support medical home
development and necessary data and informatics infrastructure. All 14 FQHCs provided annual data to the Iowa PCA via the Uniform Data System that is maintained by the federal government.
Medical Home Development
Legislation provided funding for three Local Boards of Health and three Maternal and Child Health Centers to work on medical home development within their counties. Competitive requests for proposals were developed and issued, and as a result of the independent review process and approval by the Leadership Group, contracts were negotiated with the six applicants. A brief summary of each contract awarded and key activities are highlighted below.
Local Boards of Health Medical Home Development
• Dallas County ($25,718; received funding from the Network in SFY08, SFY09, SFY10, SFY11, and SFY12): The health navigator now has a weekly presence at the free clinic, referrals have increased and feedback is being completed. A feedback loop has also been established for clients referred to Health Navigation by Dallas County Hospital ER. The Mercy Clinic in Perry has established plans to educate nurses and make the referral process easier, and increase the referrals received. Mercy clinics in Adel and Mercy Waukee have established the referral and feedback process. Dallas County Health Department (DCHD) continues to operate their Health Navigation program and referrals increased as more health care providers better understood the program and how it could benefit patients with multiple needs. DCHD has hired and trained a bi-lingual Health Navigator, which has improved the program for Spanish-speaking patients and resulted in an increased number of referrals from community partners serving Spanish-speaking DCHD served 613 patients resulting in 2,321 patient encounters and 1,264 referrals during SFY13 the year.
• Johnson County ($25,718; received funding from the Network in SFY12): Johnson County Public Health (JCPH) expanded existing referral networks developed by Medical Homes Build Health during fiscal year 2012 to increase the number of persons who have and regularly use a medical home. During this grant year, the network agencies have increased communication and collaboration among member agencies. The UI CON has been a source of ongoing volunteers for safety net
services. Shelter House and UI Mobile Clinic began using the same system for EHR and shared strategies for using the system efficiently and to improve care. See meeting notes for more information. JCPH identified several community utility champions to help promote a local referral system for high blood pressure and abnormal cholesterol, who then brought others into the network. JCPH provides multiple services to people seeking a medical home or medical services that they are not currently able to obtain. JCPH provided enabling services to 32 patients at
Shelter House nursing clinics this quarter. JCPH provided 7 Tdap and 1 flu vaccines this quarter to a total of 8 persons this quarter. JCPH provided 109 bus tickets to 20 families in the third quarter. JCPH provided three cab vouchers which allowed four persons to attend medical appointments this quarter. JCPH received 7 calls this quarter from people looking for various medical services. JCPH provided utility services directly to several agencies this quarter including Shelter House, various Johnson County schools, UIHC and associated clinics, Mercy and associated clinic, the Iowa City Visiting Nurses Association, the Iowa City Free Medical Clinic, and the University of Iowa College Of Nursing. JCPH is working with several organizations that are providing resources to help provide medical homes in Johnson County. JCPH regularly recruits social work practicum students and currently has an MSW student for the spring semester of the 2013 school year. JCPH has a MSW student for the 2013-14 school year. JCPH identified 27 persons that needed chronic disease and/or health promotion services this quarter. JCPH provided vouchers for 4 persons seen at Shelter House clinic and three free clinic patients.
• O’Brien County ($25,718; received funding from the Network in SFY12): The goal of this project is to reduce disparities in health care and resource access through the development of a community utility that will coordinate care delivery by a
collaborative arrangement between O’Brien Public Health and Mercy Medical primary care clinics in O’Brien County Iowa. In addition, a larger patient population will have access to care through the medical home model through an increase of the patient population in the Primghar Mercy Patient Centered Medical Home and the expansion of the medical home concept in a second primary care clinic, the Hartley Mercy Medical Clinic. The target population for the community utility will be patients with diagnoses of hypertension and high cholesterol. During the fourth quarter, the objectives of the grant proposal have been completed and finalized. We have expanded the medical home concept to a second clinic. In addition, the patient population in the medical home has been expanded to include patients with heart disease, high cholesterol and obesity. The resource directory is being utilized and promoted though the use of the continuous slides in each of the clinic exam rooms and in the public access room at the Baum Harmon Mercy Hospital O’Brien County saw 498 unduplicated patients in SFY13 and donated $18,600 in care.
Maternal and Child Health Centers Medical Home Development
• Dubuque Visiting Nurse Association (VNA) ($31,709; received funding from the Network in SFY08, SFY09, SFY10, SFY11, and SFY12):During the 3rd Quarter the
VNA has made progress in developing structure for the adult referral program and chronic disease management. The VNA case managers have continued to make regular contact with families for case management in all six counties. Plans are being made to improve offer adult case management and referral service to Clayton County as they are exploring an ACO. During the final quarter 2013, the VNA has made progress in promotion of both My Healthy Pathway adult referral program and Better Choices, Better Health. Additional staff has completed the health coach course through the Iowa Chronic Care Consortium; staff has enrolled in the online course to complete this summer 2013. VNA served 42 patients during the year and all services were provided to the pediatric population and their families.
• Siouxland Community Health Center ($31,709; received funding from the Network in SFY09, SFY10, SFY11, and SFY12): The Medical Home Enhancement Project at Siouxland Community Health Center (SCHC) continues to emphasize partnerships with local hospitals to reduce emergency department usage for primary health care services and increase follow-up care for health center patients post-hospitalization. In addition, the project focuses on building a network of community partners to engage in promoting medical homes, health promotion, and prevention among individuals that receive services in their respective settings. During the third quarter, work continued to focus on referral systems established in hospital emergency departments and follow-up care for hospitalized health center patients. Throughout the quarter, 88 patients were referred to SCHC from emergency departments at Mercy Medical Center and St. Luke’s Regional Medical Center. Each of these
emergency departments has been provided SCHC welcome packets to distribute to new patients with information about the health center’s services and hours of operation. Of the 88 patients that were referred to SCHC from the emergency department, 38 were new patients. One factor that should be noted is that a
computer hard drive failure occurred in February and resulted in a loss of data. It is estimated that data for approximately 30 patients was lost as a result of this failure. During the fourth quarter, work continued to focus on referral systems established in hospital emergency departments and follow-up care for hospitalized health center patients. Throughout the quarter, 123 patients were referred to SCHC from
emergency departments at Mercy Medical Center and St. Luke’s Regional Medical Center (now UnityPoint). One trend that has been consistent throughout the project period is that more referrals are received from Mercy Medical Center, accounting for 91% of all referrals from the emergency department. The Medical Home Case Manager, SCHC Quality Director, and Clinical Pharmacist have each have contacted St. Luke’s UnityPoint to determine factors that have affected the referral process; however response has been limited. SCHC made a total of 449 referrals and served 458 patients during the year. Free care to patients totaled $24,991.91
• Visiting Nurse Services of Iowa ($31,709; received Network funding in SFY08, SFY09, SFY11, and SFY12): The 2013 Medical Home Initiative builds on the
Inc. (PHC) and offers enhancements of the community utility work accomplished to date with the 2012 medical home initiative. The project is focused on integrating public health, with the knowledge and experience of VNS of Iowa, and primary care, with the clinical services provided at PHC, to support medical home development and overall improved patient health. The project integrates two components into the already established community referral system to support safety net providers and patients.
Sexual Assault Response Team Funding
The Network was awarded $50,000 in funding to support an initiative through the Iowa Coalition Against Sexual Assault for SFY13. The intention of this funding is to support the establishment of a grant program for training sexual assault response team (SART) members, including representatives of law enforcement, victim advocates, prosecutors, and certified medical personnel. The goals of the funding are specifically to:
1. Provide scholarships to support training for Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANEs), particularly in rural areas.
2. Provide ongoing training/support/technical assistance to support the retention of SANEs across the state.
3. Develop a comprehensive plan for training for SART team members in
partnership with all stakeholders. Consideration of how training can be integrated into nursing programs throughout the state should be included in the longer-term plan.
4. Based on the plan, provide training for other Sexual Assault Response Team members: law enforcement, prosecutors/county attorneys, and victim advocates. During SFY13, 35 individuals from 24 counties received a SANE nurse scholarship. Iowa CASA also provided training at the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy on October 12, 2012 and November 7, 2012. One-hundred twenty two (122) law enforcement personnel from 47 counties have been trained through this initiative.
Free Clinics of Iowa
In SFY13, the Free Clinic leadership organizations recommended that $149,602 be directed to the Free Clinics Iowa to provide ongoing support to their member Free Clinics. Objectives of this funding are as follows:
1. Maintain two paid staff members dedicated to the mission of FCI on an ongoing basis.
2. Acquire and distribute donated medical supplies, office supplies, and pharmaceuticals to member free clinics on an ongoing basis.
3. Implement a self-sustainability plan.
4. Facilitate networking and educational opportunities for member clinics.
5. Provide computer workstations and training to new member clinic leadership on an ongoing basis.
6. Support volunteer provider recruitment activities for member clinics on an ongoing basis.
7. Provision of fiscal controls and proper insurance coverage for member clinics on a quarterly and annual basis.
8. Provision of universal marketing materials for use by member clinics by June 30, 2013.
2012 was a transitional year for FCI, in that a custom electronic, web-based data
system was developed and went live with on-going training and support of our member clinics. As new FCI members join the network, a computer workstation is provided. All FCI members are utilizing the web-based system for patient and volunteer data
reporting purposes. Through a FCI intern, multiple training webinars were created and archived for existing and new free clinic volunteer’s use. FCI processes volunteer
applications on an on-going basis and include child abuse, criminal and adult dependent abuse background checks. Additionally, all providers are confirmed to have an active, unrestricted license to practice in the State of Iowa. As applicable, volunteer providers are provided a VHCPP application to acquire no-cost professional indemnification via the State of Iowa. There are currently more than 1000 volunteers dedicating time and talent in community-based free clinic settings. As applicable, volunteer providers apply and enroll in the VHCPP. On a monthly basis, the FCI Executive Director submits
expenditures and deposits to the Greater Des Moines Community Foundation via the back-office support program. GDMCF manages the FCI funds and facilitates payment of all expenses and manages deposits. Quarterly financial statements are developed and submitted for review to the FCI governing Board of Directors. At year end, a separate CPA firm reviews all financial information from the GDMCF and completes the 990 tax filing.
Governance
The Network is governed by the Leadership Group which is comprised of safety net partners from legislatively mandated organizations. The Network looks to the
Leadership Group to guide decision making and provide guidance on the distribution of funds identified in the legislation. The Leadership Group meets every other month and on an as needed basis via conference call or in-person. Additional guidance is sought and provided on issues electronically as needed.
The Network Advisory Group provides a broader perspective to the Network and
focuses more on policy issues related to safety net issues. The Advisory Group has been instrumental in guiding the Network’s response to health care-related legislation passed during the 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 legislative sessions. The Advisory Group is chaired by Christopher Atchison of The University of Iowa College of Public Health. The Advisory Group met once during this reporting period.
Work also continued to secure new members for both the Leadership and Advisory Groups.
Other Network Activities
Commonwealth Fund Project with the University of Iowa Public Policy Center
Staff continues to participate in weekly steering committee calls. Dr. Pete Damiano and his team continue to work on the inventory reports and policy briefs, one of which will include financial modeling focused on FQHCs and the possible changes resulting from the ACA and other health care reform initiatives. The capacity survey focused on FQHCs and RHCs has been disseminated and the findings will be compiled during the month of July.
Health Benefits Exchange Implementation Grant
PCA staff continues to work with the Iowa Department of Public Health on the Health Benefits Exchange initiative. Staff worked with IDPH and the University of Iowa Public Policy Center to develop a consumer survey to help inform officials about the needs, attitudes and perceptions of Iowans. The survey was sent out in early June and responses are being collected by the Public Policy Centers. At the end of June, IDPH shared the toolkit contents with a group of stakeholders. This group had very positive feedback and offered a few minor revisions. IDPH then provide a variety of resources to incorporate into the toolkit.
Community Transformation Grant
The next six counties for the small grant awards have been made in partnership with the IDPH. These counties include: Cerro Gordo, Clayton, Iowa, Plymouth, Warren, and Webster. Staff will be scheduling a technical assistance session with the grantees in August 2013 based on lessons learned from the first round of funding. Staff also continues to participate on the CTG Leadership Team and Advisory Council. Community Care Coordination Implementation
Governor Terry Branstad signed Senate File 446, which included among many other important initiatives, the Iowa Health and Wellness Plan (Medicaid expansion), funding for the Iowa Collaborative Safety Net Provider Network, and funding to support
implementation of community care coordination teams. The community care
coordination funding totaled $1,158,150, which will be used to support two regionally-based community care coordination teams as well as state-level infrastructure to support the teams and the providers they are serving.
Safety net providers identified the need for an integrated care model to provide patients with a seamless continuum of care through community care coordination regions. This includes access to a set of services including, but not limited to the following, all of which will support primary care practices in becoming more patient-centered:
• Behavioral health consultative support so that patients can be effectively
managed within a primary care setting. This approach also makes better use of the limited behavioral health providers in the state for those patients with the highest behavioral health needs.
• Pharmaceutical support to primary care practitioners such as medication therapy management, reconciliation, and adherence.
• Care management and coordination services not available to small independent practices and other practices that are unaligned with a larger health system (such as ACOs or other managed delivery systems). As we have learned from other states, these services are needed to manage cost and quality in safety net patient populations.
Staff are working to finalize an implementation plan and budget and will also be conducting meetings with key state-level stakeholders and legislators as well as developing an outreach and education plan to engage interested clinicians and
community-based organizations throughout the state. Staff are also working to develop a draft Request for Proposals as a way to compile and organize the overall goals,
potential target populations, possible services, and anticipated outcomes for the regions to meet. A plan is also being developed to implement the state-level infrastructure and staff support for the regions.
SIM Participation
The Network will have representatives on three of the five work groups including: metrics and contracting design, long term care integration design, and member health engagement. Most recently, IME hosted a SIM Learning Session on long term care, which staff attended.
National Academy of State Health Policy Technical Assistance Opportunity
Iowa has two months left of the Learning Collaborative with the National Academy of State Health Policy (NASHP). Staff will be making a final technical assistance request to NASHP and will be finalizing the site visit report in partnership with members of the Iowa team.
Network Outreach, Communications, and Other Activities
Network staff worked diligently during the reporting period to communicate with the safety net membership and provide information and complete outreach about the Network, among other activities. Following is a list of outreach/communication-related and other activities that Network staff completed, which were not already discussed above:
• Staff developed and regularly sent out an E-Update to the Network membership which contains information on issues relevant to safety net providers and health care in general.
• Staff continued working on updating the safety net database and populating the Network website.
• Staff compiled data based on the quarterly reports received from grantees and also fielded questions from grantees and clinics that received provider awards.
Data Work Group
The Network Data Work Group did not meet during the reporting period. State Health Care Development Involvement
As the state has continued to focus on and advance changes to the health care system, representatives from the Iowa Collaborative Safety Net Provider Network and the Iowa PCA have served on several of the advisory councils focused on this important work, including the Electronic Health Information Advisory Council, Health and Long-Term Care Access Advisory Council, and the Medical Home System / Prevention and Chronic Care Management Advisory Council. Information about the Network’s involvement with all of the above reform councils is provided below.
Medical Home and Prevention and Chronic Care Management Advisory Council
Chris Espersen, Director of Quality from Primary Health Care, Inc. has replaced Dr. Bery Engebretsen on this Advisory Council. Network staff also attends these meetings and provide regular updates to the Advisory Council on the various initiatives of the Network.
E-Health Advisory Council and Health Information Technology Development
Ted Boesen continues to serve on the E-Health Advisory Council and staff continue to disseminate information to safety net providers as aspects of the IHIN are made available. Network staff have also continued to track and review information about Meaningful Use definitions and criteria for safety net providers through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid and Telligen.
Health and Long-Term Care Access Advisory Council
Libby Coyte is the Network’s representative on this council and remains an active participant. Network staff also continue to participate in these meetings.
Network Strategic Plan
Staff are working to finalize the updated strategic plan for the Network based on the planning session held during March of 2013 and based on subsequent feedback
provided by Leadership and Advisory Group members via email. The final strategic plan will be made available during August of 2013.
Evaluation
The Network retained Rural Health Solutions (RHS) to conduct the evaluation, though this is not a requirement of the legislation. RHS has been a valuable partner of the Network, providing input and services beyond their contract deliverables. Continuing the relationship with RHS has provided continuity and created an institutional knowledge of the Network over time. RHS was again involved at the beginning of the fiscal year to better monitor expectations and outcomes for all of the grantees and funded initiatives. RHS also continues to participate as a member of the Data Work Group and facilitated
the strategic planning session and plan development. A draft of the SFY13 evaluation report for the Network will be provided to staff during August of 2013.
Enclosures
• Specialty Care Grantee Reports (3rd and 4th quarter)
Linn County Health Department Polk County Medical Society Primary Health Care, Inc.
• Pharmaceutical Initiative Grantee Report (3rd and 4th quarter)
Iowa Prescription Drug Corporation
• Local Boards of Health Grantee Reports (3rd and 4th quarter) Dallas County Board of Health
Johnson County Board of Health O’Brien County Board of Health
• Maternal/Child Health Grantee Reports (3rd and 4th quarter) Dubuque Visiting Nurse Association
Siouxland Community Health Center Visiting Nurse Services of Iowa
• Sexual Assault Response Team
Iowa CASA 3rd quarter
• Free Clinics (3rd and 4th quarter) Free Clinics of Iowa
• Meeting Summaries
April 17, 2013 Pharmacy Oversight Meeting June 6, 2013 Leadership Group Meeting
June 19, 2013 Joint Leadership/Advisory Group Meeting
