Iowa has allocated its full first-year funding of approximately $209 million through the Rural Health Transformation initiative, known as Healthy Hometowns.
According to the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services, the state has obligated $209,040,063.71 awarded through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The funding supports efforts to expand health care services, strengthen the rural health workforce, upgrade technology and infrastructure, and improve coordination among rural health providers.
State officials report that first-year projects have supported several developments, including advanced surgical equipment at rural hospitals, expanded maternal-fetal medicine and behavioral health services, recruitment of health care professionals, cancer prevention programs, and improvements to Iowa’s health information exchange.
Among the reported accomplishments, seven medical equipment installations have supported 44 advanced procedures, including robotic-assisted orthopedic surgery. Iowa’s new Maternal-Fetal Medicine Telehealth Network served 27 rural patients during its first two weeks of operation, allowing specialists to review advanced imaging remotely.
Additional efforts include the recruitment of health care professionals in several specialties, the addition of three rural cancer prevention specialists, and the distribution of 96 telehealth tablets across 65 counties. Statewide training events have reached more than 600 providers, while more than 100 facilities have connected to updated health information exchange tools.
The initiative also includes a new ImageTrend Community Health module intended to support emergency medical services and mobile integrated health programs, including chronic disease management and efforts to reduce avoidable emergency department visits.
Governor Kim Reynolds said the initiative is intended to help Iowans access health care closer to home. Iowa HHS Principal Deputy Director Larry Johnson said the state will focus on measuring the program’s results and building on its first-year progress.
The Rural Health Transformation Program is funded by the federal government through CMS and is structured as a potential five-year grant. The first-year allocation represents the funding obligated by Iowa, while the long-term effects of the projects will depend on their implementation and measured outcomes.
Iowa HHS has established a public dashboard with information about funding, investments and reported outcomes.
The dashboard is available at hhs.iowa.gov/HealthyHometowns.
Source: Iowa Department of Health and Human Services
