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As we continue to align legacy Public Health and Human Services alongside Aging, The Child Advocacy Board, Early Childhood Iowa, Human Rights and Volunteer Iowa, the time is right to refocus our collective work toward a simple goal: better outcomes for Iowans.
- We’re not satisfied with the system we have today and we shouldn’t settle for something just because it’s the way we’ve always done things.
- Iowans deserve a health and human services system that is user friendly and thoughtfully planned—One that Iowans can navigate and access with ease and integrity.
- We contracted with Health Management Associates (HMA) to study the delivery of health and human service programs in our state.
After several months of hard work, we’re ready to share the HMA System Alignment recommendations with you. As a reminder, the goals for of the assessment were:
- Create consistency in the way Iowans access health and human services from county to county
- Harness the expertise and passion of our HHS workforce and local partners
- Make better use of funding
- Improve the way we work with local partners
- Better reflect the evolution of our state’s resources and partners
I am pleased to share the HMA recommendations and options developed as part of that work. You can view that report here.
When reviewing these recommendations, it’s clear that the scope of this work is significant. We want to be thoughtful about the ordering and pace as we address opportunities for improvement. As such, we recommend a phased approach to this effort, that first focuses on the needs related to Behavioral Health while conducting ongoing stakeholder engagement related to the broader recommendations. This will be the focus of our legislative discussions this session.
Our next step for the broader system alignment recommendations will be to continue conversations with stakeholders and legislators to develop an implementation plan with a timeline for different phases. We will provide updates as this work progresses. You can find more information and future updates here.
Through this work we will:
- Create a more efficient system – a pathway for a new and collaborative approach to reach our shared goals of improving outcomes for Iowans.
- Bring the community to the table more intentionally and foster meaningful input by local leaders and the individuals, families, and communities they serve.
- Reduce the administrative burden and allow for local flexibility to meet local needs and solve local problems.
- We are also considering the pace of a changing demographic of the state, our obligations related to litigation and ensuring resources are allocated equitably in a way that meets the needs of our diverse communities.
Thank you to everyone who has collaborated with us on this process and want to encourage you to continue giving us your guidance and feedback. We will continue seeking your input and engagement as this work progresses.
Robert Kruse, MD, MPH, FAAFP
State Medical Director, Director, Division of Public Health
Iowa Department of Health and Human Services
321 E. 12th St., Des Moines, IA 50319
Health and Human Services | Health & Human Services (iowa.gov)
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