 In this Issue:
- State Board of Health Update
- Regional Public Health Meetings
- Bill Summary Reminder and Tracking Update
- Inside State Government: Administrative Rules Overview
- Inside IDPH: Professional Licensing and Regulatory Programs
- IDPH Topics in the News
State Board of Health Update
The Iowa State Board of Health is the policy-making body for the Iowa Department of Public Health.
At its July meeting, the board elected Jay Hansen of Mason City as chair and Chris Atchison of Iowa City as vice chair.
The board has the powers and duties to adopt, promulgate, amend and repeal rules and regulations, and advises or makes recommendations to the governor, General Assembly and the director of public health on topics of public health, hygiene, and sanitation.
Find more information about the board and its members here. If you're interested in participating on the State Board of Health or to learn more about the board's meetings visit this site.
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Regional Public Health Meetings
Regional public health meetings are an important way to share information among state and local public health partners.
These meetings are held in six regions and are facilitated by regional community health consultants from the Bureau of Planning, Performance and Local Public Health Services.
Public health directors/administrators, home care aide directors, public health staff, community partners and any other parties interested in public health may attend the meetings.
Topics include local public health services contract information, updates from the Bureau of Local Public Health Services and Iowa Department of Public Health, and discussion/updates from the attendees.
Find meeting dates and times at the IDPH calendar. The next meetings are in October.
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Inside State Government: Administrative Rulemaking
Administrative rules are meant to simply and clearly state how the law will work.
Rules implement or interpret law, prescribe policy, or describe the organization, procedure, or practice requirements of an executive branch agency.
The collection of rules for state agencies make up the Iowa Administrative Code. In order for an agency to adopt a rule, authority must be given to the agency through an act or law of the legislative body.
Learn more about rules and find process flow resources at the Legislative Services Agency webpage here. You can also find biweekly publications of which rules are being contemplated by state agencies and legislators.
Inside IDPH: Professional Licensing and Regulatory Programs
IDPH is required under the law to license and regulate a number of programs and professions in the state. You can find a list of those here.
Programs and professions that are licensed and regulated vary greatly, ranging from professions such as optometry, mortuary science, massage therapy and dietetics to regulatory programs for radiation machines, tanning and tattoos.
Many have governor-appointed citizen boards, and the boards' executive directors are IDPH staff who work at the state office in Des Moines. These staff facilitate the boards' work and perform related administrative functions.
Four larger boards: The Board of Medicine, Board of Nursing, Board of Pharmacy and Board of Dentistry, are also housed in offices in Des Moines, headed by executive directors. Learn more about licensing of health care professionals here.
Licensing and regulatory functions, ranging from reviewing license applications and renewals to onsite visits and inspections to complaint resolution, are supported by fees paid by the participants and programs.
New licensing and regulatory programs are added through legislation, and administrative rules for each explain how the programs work. The goal is to best protect public health and safety while encouraging an open business climate.
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IDPH News
- Medical cannabidiol and hemp continue to be topics of inquiry. The Iowa Attorney General's Office recently released a position paper explaining IDPH's state regulated program compared to over-the-counter cannabidiol products, as well as movement with hemp legislation.
- IDPH expanded its 5-2-1-0 program to workplaces and more communities.
- Iowa has seen its first cases of West Nile Virus this season. In a joint effort with the State Hygienic Laboratory, the Iowa State University Department of Entomology, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, and several local health departments, IDPH has instituted a number of programs which have allowed Iowa to monitor West Nile virus activity.
- At this time of year, it's important to have drowning prevention and helmet safety reminders. Click on these resources to share with your communities.
- Iowa's Smoke-Free Homes Registry is growing, with new user-friendly features to help renters find smoke-free properties.
- New data was released on the prevalence of gambling in Iowa.
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