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Elizabeth Matney Marks One Year of Working as the Iowa Medicaid Director
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Hello friends! June 1 marked the end of my first year in this position and in the days since, I have been reflecting on what we have accomplished together and what remains to be done.
I want to thank all of the Medicaid members, providers and advocates that show up to the table with feedback about how this program can be better. Director Kelly Garcia frequently talks about the importance of the motto “Nothing about me without me” and I couldn’t agree more. This program is here to serve and all of your voices at the table are critical to making this program better year over year.
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So, what have we accomplished? Here are just a handful of items.
- Developed a strategic plan that clearly defines our mission, vision, goals and the values that we feel are important to hold close in all of the work we do.
- Implemented monthly town halls to hear from you! This has been such a valuable experience for us at the Medicaid program and we hope that you feel the same.
- Began an evaluation to determine how we can improve our behavioral health, aging, and disability services to promote better outcomes.
- Collected feedback from members and providers on areas where more transparency would be helpful and have begun some website changes to reflect that feedback.
- Distributed over $100 million in recruiting and retention bonus funds for Home and Community-Based direct service professionals.
- Implemented a number of stakeholder workgroups with the aim of process improvement and reduction of unnecessary administrative burden.
- Launched our Medicaid technology modernization initiatives with the overarching goal of improving how we do business and improving the experience of our providers and members.
While we are thrilled about some of the progress we have made, we are aware that there is a lot of work to do and we need your continued help. Some places that we know are of high priority include:
- Making preventative services more accessible and easier to navigate, whether they are for behavioral health or physical health.
- Better connecting our systems so that the Medicaid program is part of statewide solutions that impact more people in Iowa.
- Building up our community based workforce to ensure that they feel confident in the services they provide.
- Making entry points and services more visible and equitable for all of the populations we are here to serve.
"These are foundational changes to support our programs," DHS Director Kelly Garcia said. "This along with our investment in building out our team with the expertise to drive on our mission and vision is truly exciting. I could not be more proud of the Iowa Medicaid team and the positive direction we’re moving in."
Like I said, we have a lot of work to do this year and in years to come. But we are in this together and have the same mission: to make this program the best it can be for Iowa. I sincerely look forward to continuing this work with you and for you!
Director Liz Matney
Iowa Department of Human Services (DHS) and Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) to Begin Rebranding This Summer
What is happening?
IDPH and Iowa DHS are exploring options for aligning their programs, services and operations more closely in order to better serve the health and human services needs of Iowans. By “aligning,” we mean using, sharing, coordinating, or structuring two or more things (programs, services, processes, technology, data, access points like buildings or websites, etc.) in new, more closely connected ways. The new department will be called the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
When is this happening?
While the planning and development for the alignment has been underway since 2021, July 1, 2022 is currently the date state legislation is anticipated to establish a transition to HHS. A further detailed transition plan will be developed and published sometime in the fall of 2022.
Why is this important for Medicaid?
There are extensive connections between IDPH and DHS to help all Iowans live safe, stable, and healthy lives. It’s become clear we can serve Iowans more effectively and efficiently through:
- A combined organizational structure that brings similar functions and services together.
- Shared direction between staff and partners.
- A welcoming and more efficient "welcome" to state health and human services.
- A more efficient way to connect people in Iowa to services and supports they need.
- A combination of department data to make more informed decisions and provide seamless service to people in Iowa.
What's the end goal?
The Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) and Iowa’s Department of Human Services (DHS) are exploring options for aligning their programs, services and operations more closely in order to better serve the health and human services needs of people who live in Iowa. No programs will be dissolved as a result of this change; the expectation is that the alignment will create new and innovative opportunities to serve those in Iowa.
Who do I contact if I have questions?
If you have questions about the department alignment, please contact us here and we will work to get your questions answered as quickly as possible. Visit our HHS alignment webpage for more information on the alignment as the process moves forward. For more frequently asked questions about the HHS Alignment, please visit the FAQs page.
Upcoming Iowa Medicaid e-Newsletter changes
Along with the department alignment, some changes will be coming to your monthly Iowa Medicaid e-Newsletter. We will be separating the information into a "members," "providers" and "stakeholder" section, for your convenience.
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