Iowa Collaborative Safety Net Provider Network

Mission

Through collaboration, innovation, and advocacy, the Iowa Collaborative Safety Net Provider Network improves access to health services, quality of patient care, and the health of underserved patients in Iowa.

Core Values

We are PATIENT CENTERED as the patient is at the heart of everything we do.

We believe that EVERYONE DESERVES ACCESS TO HEALTH SERVICES regardless of who they are, where they are, and their ability to pay.

We strive to USE RESOURCES EFFICIENTLY as we know that resources are limited and we must work wiser to improve the health and well being of the patients we serve.

We are ADVOCATES for the patients we serve.

We are committed to COLLABORATION with health care organizations across the continuum of care.

We value DATA-DRIVEN DECISION MAKING and believe data collection and analysis are critical to improving access, quality and patient outcomes, and making health system improvements.

Overview

Many underserved, low-income Iowans turn to Iowa’s safety net providers for affordable primary and preventive health care. Through a unique partnership created in 2005 by the Iowa Legislature, the Iowa Collaborative Safety Net Provider Network (Network), Iowa’s health care safety net providers have united to identify common unmet needs that can be addressed cooperatively. The goals of the Network are as follows:

Increase the underserved population’s access to health services.
Improve the financial viability of safety net providers.
Increase health system integration and collaboration across the continuum of care with a focus on safety net services.
Enhance the Iowa Collaborative Safety Net Provider Network’s communications and education efforts.

Listed below are the key partner organizations that comprise the Network. The Iowa Primary Care Association coordinates and manages the Network.

AARP Iowa
Child Health Specialty Clinics
Community Health Centers
Critical Access Hospitals
Delta Dental of Iowa
Des Moines University
Family Planning Agencies
Free Clinics
IowaCare organizations
Iowa Academy of Family Practice
Iowa Association of Community Providers
Iowa Behavioral Health Association
Iowa Dental Association
Iowa Department of Public Health
Iowa Health Systems
Iowa Hospital Association
Iowa Medical Society
Iowa Medicaid Enterprise
Iowa Pharmacy Association
Local Boards of Health
Maternal/Child Health Centers
Polk County Medical Society
Rural Health Clinics
Safety Net Patients
State Board of Health
Telligen
The University of Iowa
UnitedHealthCare
Wellmark Blue Cross & Blue Shield

State Fiscal Year 2011 Outcomes

The Network makes funding available to a variety of clinics and organizations that serve safety net patients (those at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level or under or uninsured). All of the funding distributed by the Network focuses on improving access to affordable pharmaceuticals, improving access to specialty care services, and medical home development. Following is a list of outcomes from Network-funded activities for SFY11:

88.7% of funding allocated to the Network supported direct services to safety net patients from across the state.
The Network provided funding to 129 clinics or grantees.
Nearly 9,500 patients received direct services from ten of the Network’s grantees (medical home, specialty care, and pharmacy initiatives).
Over $7,196,292 in free care was provided by five grantees who tracked this data, which includes the over $1.43 million in free pharmaceuticals that were shipped to participating clinics for safety net patients as part of the Iowa Prescription Drug Corporation’s Drug Donation Repository Program.
For every state dollar invested, the state received over $6 in free care for safety net patients in return.
Data is collected annually by the Network and based on the findings from calendar year 2010, the clinics served 398,449 people in Iowa accounting for a total of 1,502,806 patient visits.
- Just over 13% of the population served belongs to a racial minority compared to 6% of the total state population.
- 15% identify as being Hispanic/Latino compared to 4% of the total state population.
- Women are using Network clinics at far higher rates than men among all clinic types.
- Young adults, ages 18-24 years old, are also among the highest Network clinic users.
- Compared to the state of Iowa’s 21% combined uninsured and Medicaid population, the Network has a combined uninsured and Medicaid population of 63%.
- Majority of patients are being seen for treatment of chronic diseases.

State Fiscal Year 2012 Activities

Following is a list of the organizations that are receiving funding from the Network during SFY12. Outcomes for these projects will be available in July of 2012.

Provider Awards

Funding is being provided to 104 free clinics and rural health clinics to support medical home development within their organizations.

Access to Affordable Pharmaceuticals

Funding is being provided to the Iowa Prescription Drug Corporation to administer several programs focused on increasing access to affordable pharmaceuticals for safety net patients. More information about the three programs can be found at www.iowapdc.org.

Access to Specialty Care Services

Funding is being provided to support increased access to specialty care services for safety net patients.

Linn Community Care’s Project Access Program
Polk County Medical Society’s Volunteer Physician Network
Primary Health Care, Inc.’s Integrated Primary and Behavioral Health Program

Medical Home Development

Funding is being provided to develop community-based initiatives to support patient-centered medical home development.

Dallas County
Johnson County
Poweshiek County
Visiting Nurse Association – Dubuque
Siouxland Community Health Center – Sioux City
Visiting Nurse Services of Iowa – Des Moines

Questions About the Network

For more information on the Iowa Collaborative Safety Net Provider Network, visit our website at www.iowasafetynet.com. We can also be contacted at info@iowasafetynet.com or 515-244-9610.