Project Grant TR145917

RURAL PUBLIC HEALTH WORKFORCE TRAINING NETWORK PROGRAM - LEE COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT (LCHD, #3 JOHN BENNETT DRIVE, PO BOX 1426, FORT MADISON, IA 52627-7600, WWW.LEECOUNTYHD.ORG) IS A LOCAL COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH AGENCY GOVERNED BY THE LEE COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH WITH OFFICES LOCATED IN FORT MADISON, IOWA. THE AGENCY SERVES ALL OF LEE COUNTY AND SEVERAL NEIGHBORING COUNTIES IN SOUTHEAST IOWA AND WESTERN ILLINOIS THROUGH A DIVERSE RANGE OF PROGRAMS AND SERVICES THAT BUILD AND STRENGTHEN HEALTH IN RURAL IOWA FROM MATERNAL HEALTH TO HOSPICE CARE. OUR AGENCY HAS AN EXCELLENT AND LONG STANDING REPUTATION FOR PROVIDING QUALITY COMMUNITY-BASED SERVICES AND PROGRAMS SINCE 1946. LCHD CURRENTLY MANAGES 23 GRANTS WITH AN ANNUAL BUDGET OF $1,857,505.86. EXAMPLES OF THE MANY SERVICES INCLUDE MEDICARE AND MEDICAID CERTIFIED HOME CARE AND HOSPICE; MATERNAL CHILD ADOLESCENT HEALTH; HOME VISITING SERVICES; PREVENTIVE ORAL HEALTH SERVICES; WELLNESS PROGRAMS; EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS; COMMUNICABLE DISEASE; AND 1ST FIVE HEALTHY MENTAL DEVELOPMENT. TOGETHER, THESE PROGRAMS ADDRESS MAJOR GAPS IN HEALTH SERVICES FOR LOW-INCOME, RURAL, AND/OR AT-RISK CHILDREN AND ADULTS. LCHD REQUESTS $547,302.36 FOR THE 3-YEAR GRANT PERIOD TO BUILD UPON EXISTING ASSETS, SKILLS, AND QUALIFICATIONS AND DEVELOP THE SOUTHEAST IOWA PUBLIC HEALTH ACADEMIC TRAINING PROGRAM. THIS PROGRAM WILL FOLLOW TRACK #1 COMMUNITY HEALTH SUPPORT WITH BREANNA KRAMER-RIESBERG AS THE PROJECT DIRECTOR. LCHD AND NETWORK PARTNERS, SOUTHEASTERN COMMUNITY COLLEGE (SCC), SOUTHEAST IOWA REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER, AND BLESSING HEALTH KEOKUK, WILL DEVELOP CROSS-TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES FOR NEW AND EXISTING HEALTHCARE PERSONNEL TO LEARN PRINCIPLES OF COMMUNITY HEALTH WORK, COMMUNITY RESOURCES, AND PUBLIC HEALTH CONCEPTS THAT WILL ASSIST KEY HEALTH CARE STAFF IN REFERRING TO APPROPRIATE RESOURCES TO BETTER THEIR PATIENT'S HEALTH. THIS WILL BE ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH TWO CORE FOCAL AREAS: 8-WEEK NON-CREDITED CERTIFICATE PROGRAM AND CONTINUING EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES. THIS CHW CROSS-TRAI NING PROJECT WILL IMPROVE THE OPERATIONAL CAPACITY OF OUR HEALTH CARE SYSTEM TO MEET BROADER HUMAN AND SOCIAL SERVICE NEEDS WHILE SUPPORTING HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND JOB PLACEMENT IN OUR RURAL REGION. THE CERTIFICATE WILL INCLUDE EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING WHERE STUDENTS WILL PRACTICE SKILLS AT LCHD MOBILE ROTATING CLINICS HELD IN THE MOST RURAL PARTS OF THE REGION USING EXISTING LCHD PARTNERSHIPS WITH PUBLIC LIBRARIES. THROUGH PHASED IMPLEMENTATION, THESE ROTATING CLINICS WILL OFFER A RANGE OF SERVICES OPEN TO ANY PERSON REGARDLESS OF INCOME, AGE, OR INSURANCE STATUS THROUGHOUT LEE, HENRY, AND DES MOINES COUNTIES. THE LONG-TERM GOAL OF THE SOUTHEAST IOWA PUBLIC HEALTH ACADEMIC TRAINING PROGRAM IS TO ADVANCE HEALTH EQUITY AND PUBLIC HEALTH WITHIN OUR RURAL HEALTHCARE SYSTEM THROUGH THE MULTI-FACETED PROGRAM. CROSS-TRAINING WILL BE EMPHASIZED FOR HIGH VALUE AREAS (PATIENT NAVIGATORS, MEDICAL ASSISTANTS, ETC.) WITH A TARGETED EFFORT TO RECRUIT DIVERSE APPLICANTS FOR THE CERTIFICATE PROGRAM AND JOB PLACEMENT. AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE HRSA INVESTMENT PERIOD, SCC WILL MAINTAIN A WELL-ESTABLISHED AND EVALUATED CERTIFICATE PROGRAM THAT HAS BEEN SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED TO MEET WORKFORCE DEMANDS AND OPERATIONAL NEEDS WITHIN THE LOCAL HEALTHCARE NETWORK WITH EXPERIENTIAL PORTIONS CONTINUING UNDISRUPTED AS THEY ARE WOVEN INTO EXISTING PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICES. LEE COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT IS REQUESTING A FUNDING PREFERENCE BASED ON QUALIFICATION 1. SOUTHEAST IOWA (LEE COUNTY, DES MOINES COUNTY, HENRY COUNTY) REGION DESIGNATED AS A HPSA AREA.