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Overview/History
Recognizing the significant role of safety net providers in providing health care services to the uninsured and underserved, the Iowa General Assembly created the Iowa Collaborative Safety Net Provider Network in 2005. Through the creation of the Network the state’s community health centers, free clinics, and rural health clinics work together to gather information and identify and address common challenges in providing care to the uninsured and underserved. Year One (October 2005-June 2006) In October 2005 the Iowa/Nebraska Primary Care Association (IA/NEPCA) was awarded a contract through a competitive bid process to develop and administer the Iowa Collaborative Safety Net Provider Network. IA/NEPCA is the professional organization serving the community health centers in the bi-state. A Leadership Group comprised of two representatives of each of the three provider groups (community health centers, free clinics, and rural health clinics) was established. The Leadership Group provides direction to the Network staff on all aspects of the effort. An Advisory Group comprised of a broad cross-section of individuals representing state agencies, universities, health care providers and insurance carriers was also formed to provide guidance to the Leadership Group on the strategic direction of the Network. Provider Surveys & Information Gathering The enabling legislation specified seven broad areas for collaboration: training, information technology, financial resource development, a referral system for ambulatory care, a referral system for specialty care, pharmaceuticals, and recruitment of health professionals. To determine the priority needs of the three provider groups, an initial survey of safety net providers was conducted in fall 2005. Survey results identified the following top three needs: 1. Access to pharmaceuticals; 2. Access to specialty care; and 3. Health care provider recruitment. Because access to pharmaceuticals was identified as the number one overwhelming need across all providers, several focus groups were held in spring 2006 to gather additional information. This input was used by the Network and the pharmacy work group to develop several options for expanding access. An additional survey was conducted in fall 2006 to gather further information on the specialty care and recruitment needs. This information was provided to each of the work groups for consideration as they developed strategies.
Direct Provider Awards In spring 2006 safety net providers were given the opportunity to access direct funding through the Network. A total of $265,000 was available for these awards, including $120,000 for free clinics, $120,000 for rural health clinics, and $25,000 for community health centers. Funds were used to expand access for the uninsured and underserved through seven specific activities outlined in the enabling legislation. Safety Net Database In its first year the Network developed a comprehensive database of all community health centers, free clinics, and rural health clinics in the state. This database was used as the foundation for disseminating needs assessment surveys and informing providers of the direct funding opportunity, as well as gathering additional data from providers such as patient demographics and provider capacity. Year Two (July 2006-June 2007) In the second year of the Network, significant progress was made in developing strategies to address the three priority needs identified by safety net providers: access to pharmaceuticals, access to specialty care, and health care provider recruitment. Pharmacy Initiative With access to affordable pharmaceuticals overwhelmingly identified as the top unmet, the challenge to the Network was to develop a workable solution with limited resources that would have a positive impact on patients of all three diverse safety net provider groups. The pharmacy strategy was developed with the assistance of an Advisory Group, which included representatives from:
Specialty Care Initiative While Network surveys and focus groups revealed that many communities have informal systems in place for specialty care referrals, there remains a need for a more organized referral process for uninsured and underserved patients. The specialty care strategy was developed with the assistance of an Advisory Group, which included representatives from:
Recruitment Initiative Recruitment of health care professionals is an issue for all safety net provider groups. For the free clinics the ability to fully utilize the potential of the State of For community health centers and rural health clinics, recruiting and retaining qualified health care professionals is a considerable challenge that requires a significant investment of provider time and resources. A recruitment strategy was developed by a Brain Trust and included 1) developing a repository of recruitment resources and tools for safety net providers and 2) developing a recruitment program, including hiring full-time staff dedicated to recruiting health professionals and acquiring and utilizing a recruitment tracking program. The Recruitment Advisory Group included representatives of the following:
While no funding was appropriated by the Legislature for this initiative in FY 08, the Network will continue to work with the Iowa Department of Public Health and other partners to develop resources and identify areas for collaboration on health professional recruitment. Direct Provider Awards In its second year, the Network again provided an opportunity for safety net providers to access direct funding. A total of $200,000 was available for these awards, including $90,000 for free clinics, $90,000 for rural health clinics, and $20,000 for community health centers. Safety Net Database Building on the database created in its first year, in year two the Network began collecting periodic data, including patient demographics and provider capacity, from safety net providers. While the data-tracking capacity of providers varies, this database will provide a better understanding of the reach and capacity of Contact Us
c/o Iowa/Nebraska Primary Care Association Urbandale, Iowa 50322 Phone: 515-244-9610 Fax: 515-243-3566 |
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