Communities of Care Co-Location

This project will help rural health care providers, schools, and local partners leverage schools as trusted locations in rural communities for Iowans to access services. This initiative aims to make it easier for children and families living in rural Iowa to get care close to home. Funding will be invested in healthcare providers to collaborate with schools and other partners to offer more comprehensive and coordinated care including physical, mental/behavioral, and dental health, and other services and supports Iowa children and families need to stay or become healthier. The Iowa PCA will share training, tools, and support to help communities plan this work.

Kickoff Webinars:

The Iowa PCA and Iowa HHS hosted kickoff webinars to share an overview of Communities of Care Co-Location and Hometown Connections School-Based Services within Healthy Hometowns, what to expect in the months ahead, and how organizations can stay engaged. 

Healthy Hometowns: Communities of Care Webinar
May 15

View webinar recording here. Access the presentation slides here.

Healthy Hometowns: Hometown Connections School-Based Services
May 28

View webinar recording here. Access the presentation slides here.

Upcoming Trainings & Webinars:

Register for an upcoming training here

  • June 4: Osceola, IA| Clarke County Fairgrounds

    • 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.

    June 5: Dewitt, IA | DeWitt Community Center

    • 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.

    June 30: Shenandoah, IA | Shenandoah Historical Society

    • 1 p.m. - 4 p.m.

    July 1: Walnut, IA | Walnut Community Center

    • 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.

    July 2: VIRTUAL

    • 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.

    July 7: VIRTUAL

    • 1 p.m. - 4p.m.

    July 8: VIRTUAL

    • 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.

    July 9: Fairfield, IA | Fairfield Arts & Convention Center

    • 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.

    July 17: Marengo, IA | Marengo Library

    • 1 p.m. - 4 p.m.

    July 27: Denison, IA | Boulders Event Center

    • 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.

    July 28: Pocahontas, IA | Hinde Community Center

    • 1 p.m. - 4 p.m.

    July 29: Forest City, IA | Senior Community Center

    • 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.

    July 31: VIRTUAL

    • 1 p.m. - 4 p.m.

    August 3: Allison, IA | Allison Public Library

    • 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.

    August 4: Spillville, IA | Spillville Library

    • 1 p.m. - 4 p.m.

    August 6: VIRTUAL

    • 1 p.m. - 4 p.m.

    August 10: Manchester, IA | Delaware County Fair Community Center

    • 1 p.m. - 4 p.m.

    August 11: Madrid, IA | Aspen Grove

    • 1 p.m. - 4 p.m.

    August 14: Sheldon, IA | Sheldon Community Services Center

    • 1 p.m. - 4 p.m.

  • June 4: Osceola, IA | Clarke County Fairgrounds

    • 1 p.m. - 4 p.m.

    June 5: Dewitt, IA | DeWitt Community Center

    • 1 p.m. - 4 p.m.

    June 30: Shenandoah, IA | Shenandoah Historical Society

    • 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.

    July 1: Walnut, IA | Walnut Community Center

    • 1 p.m. - 4 p.m.

    July 2: VIRTUAL

    • 1 p.m. - 4 p.m.

    July 7: VIRTUAL

    • 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.

    July 8: VIRTUAL

    • 1 p.m. - 4 p.m.

    July 9: Fairfield, IA | Fairfield Arts & Convention Center

    • 1 p.m. - 4 p.m.

    July 15: VIRTUAL

    • 12 p.m. - 1 p.m.

    July 17: Marengo, IA | Marengo Library

    • 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.

    July 27: Denison, IA | Boulders Event Center

    • 1 p.m. - 4 p.m.

    July 28: Pocahontas, IA | Hinde Community Center

    • 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.

    July 29: Forest City, IA | Senior Community Center

    • 1 p.m. - 4 p.m.

    July 31: VIRTUAL

    • 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.

    August 3: Allison, IA | Allison Public Library

    • 1 p.m. - 4 p.m.

    August 4: Spillville, IA | Spillville Library

    • 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.

    August 6: VIRTUAL

    • 6 p.m. - 9 p.m.

    August 10: Manchester, IA | Delaware County Fair Community Center

    • 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.

    August 11: Madrid, IA | Aspen Grove

    • 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.

    August 14: Sheldon, IA | Sheldon Community Services Center

    • 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.

  • Overview of Community Health Workers

    General Legal Considerations

    Deeper Dive School-Based Care Considerations

    Billing Considerations

    Organizational Readiness

    • July 21

    • VIRTUAL

    • 12 p.m. - 1 p.m.

    Overview of Community Health Workers

    • July 22

    • VIRTUAL

    • 12 p.m. - 1 p.m.

    General Legal Considerations

    • July 23

    • VIRTUAL

    • 9 a.m. - 11 a.m.

    Continuous Quality Improvement

    • July 28

    • VIRTUAL

    • 12 p.m. - 1 p.m.

    Billing Considerations

    • August 5

    • VIRTUAL

    • 12 p.m. - 1 p.m.

Event cancellation policy:

If registration numbers are low for any event, it will be canceled. Attendees will receive notifications via email. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation.

Questions?

Submit your questions below. All submitted questions will be reviewed and addressed collectively through formal FAQ updates published on the website.

Submit questions here

Beginning in late spring and continuing through the summer,

The Iowa PCA will host a series of in-person training sessions, open to the public, across rural Iowa, in addition to several virtual training sessions and other webinars.

Iowa HHS intends to release an RFP mid-July to select up to seven pilot sites for the Communities of Care Co-Location initiative, focused on building sustainable, replicable co-location models in rural communities.

The Iowa Primary Care Association (Iowa PCA) has been selected by the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (Iowa HHS) to serve as the statewide Technical Assistance Provider for School-Based Services project and Communities of Care Co-Location project as part of Iowa’s Rural Health Transformation Program and the Healthy Hometowns initiative.

Through the Healthy Hometowns School-Based Services initiative, the Iowa PCA will provide training, tools, and implementation support to help rural Iowa schools, providers, and community organizations develop sustainable models that expand access to health services for youth and families by delivering care directly within schools and strengthening partnerships to support coordinated, whole-person care.

Rural Health Grants Eligibility Analyzer

Health care providers who are located in geographic areas that are defined as Rural by the federal government are eligible to apply for Rural Health Grants. Click here to determine if your location has rural eligibility status.

For more information on Iowa’s Rural Health Transformation Program, please visit: hhs.iowa.gov/initiatives/healthy-hometowns-iowas-rural-health-transformation-plan

The Communities of Care initiative is supported by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling approximately $209,040,063.71 with 100 percent funded by CMS/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official view of, nor an endorsement, by CMS/HHS, or the U.S. Government.

Thank you for your interest in being one of the pilot projects for the Communities of Care Co-Location grant, made possible through Iowa's Healthy Hometowns initiative through the Rural Health Transformation Fund. We are excited about the new partnerships and the ways organizations like yours can improve the health outcomes of Iowans. During this initial period, which runs through October 30, 2026, the Iowa PCA is limiting support to broad, publicly available, training and technical assistance.

Although we do not have a direct role in selecting pilot projects, our close association with Iowa HHS and this initiative could unintentionally give a provider an advantage if our assistance is tailored. Our website along with Iowa HHS's website has resources and frequently asked questions that you are welcome to review. Thank you for your understanding.