Iowa Senate Democrats

Fighting for a Better Deal for Iowans.

  • Enhancing communities through land banks

    By State Sen. Pam Jochum, Dubuque (Senate District 50)

    Iowa communities may soon have a new tool to spur affordable housing, local investment and economic growth.

    Bipartisan legislation (SF 2369) establishing “land banks” has passed the Senate Local Government Committee. Land banks are public-private partnerships to rehabilitate rundown, vacant and tax-delinquent properties for productive use.

    This has been a priority for many in Dubuque. I appreciate the local advocacy and all who have traveled to the Statehouse to speak up for land bank legislation.

    The Local Government Committee made great progress to ensure this program can improve housing in blighted areas. Members listened to the input of organizations like Habitat for Humanity, local governments, and legal and financial experts to make sure this initiative will work well for all concerned.

    Vacant and abandoned properties signal a community is in decline. They can be magnets for crime, pose health and safety risks, and lower property values throughout the neighborhood.

    For communities and local governments committed to redevelopment and reuse, SF 2369 addresses some of the challenges they’ve faced.

    Under the legislation, local governments can create a public agency to purchase abandoned or blighted properties at a special tax sale and contract with private organizations to rehabilitate the sites. The land bank may rent or sell the renovated properties, and the money they make will go back into the pot to continue buying and fixing up additional properties.

    Renovated properties may be sold as homes, rented as apartments, turned into restaurants, offices or stores—and much more. It’s great for the local economy because it takes problem properties and turns them into assets.

  • Oversight meeting needed on state use of cloud-based software

  • Better tracking of rape kits

    By State Sen. Rich Taylor, Mt Pleasant (Senate District 42)

    New tracking system will offer victims greater transparency and accountability

    Victims of sexual assault will have more complete and timely information about their cases under a bill that has passed the Senate Judiciary Committee.

    Under SF 2376, the Attorney General’s Crime Victim Assistance Division will develop an automated tracking system for sexual assault evidence kits. The system will allow victims, county attorneys and certain others to track the location and status of a kit.

    Here’s how the system works:

    The crime lab enters information on new, unused kits, and documents when a kit is sent to a health care provider. Within 48 hours of receiving a kit, the health care provider will log its receipt in the system. When victims of sexual assault consent to a forensic medical exam and to having the evidence preserved, the health care provider will contact law enforcement, who will collect and store the kit.

    The location of the kit will be updated each step of the way, including when a kit is sent to the lab for testing and when results are complete. Victims will have decision-making ability throughout the process.

    Iowa’s Victim Compensation Fund will pay for any health-care related costs for the exams and for the lab fee.

  • Limiting disruptions in the the classroom

    By State Sen. Zach Wahls, Coralville (Senate District 37)

    The Senate has approved SF 2360, which is a step toward fixing what has become an overwhelming concern for our schools.

    Classroom safety and disruptive classroom behavior received a lot of attention during the interim. There has been a lot of media attention on this topic, including the use of classroom measures like “seclusion rooms” and “classroom clears.” Fundamentally, issues of classroom safety are about resources and staffing levels—classrooms are much more difficult to manage as class sizes grow and we have fewer teachers per student.

    As I worked on this bill in the Education Committee, I asked all of the school districts in my Senate district to weigh in with their feedback. I am grateful they were able to provide input as the Senate considered this proposal.

    Responding to those concerns, the Iowa Senate adopted SF 2360, which will give teachers and schools more tools for addressing disruptive student behavior. This legislation is not perfect, but because of good Democratic work in the Education Committee, on which I serve, it has improved significantly from where it started.

    The legislation does the following:

    • Sets up a competitive grant program that will help schools create therapeutic classrooms to provide intensive help for students who need it. Therapeutic classrooms are designed to be short-term breaks for students to “reset” and develop new coping strategies before returning to their regular classroom. Schools may collaborate or partner with local nonprofits and mental health agencies to establish a regional therapeutic classroom.
    • Provides funding to train educators on how to manage classroom disruptions and address student behavior. 
    • Increases job and whistleblower protections for teachers who report violence and personal attacks to school administrators and the police.

    New information and data will be collected from schools so that we can see how often incidents of disruption and classroom clears occur. This will help us continue to make improvements that ensure safe and productive learning environments for all Iowa students.   

    I still have significant concerns about this legislation, especially how little funding was appropriate to deal with what is rightly recognized as a significant statewide challenge. I supported doubling the funding for the first year of implementation. Republicans in the Senate voted against this proposal even though the bill’s manager agreed that more funding was need. That doesn’t make sense.

    I supported this bill, but I’m disappointed in the decisions the majority party continues to make with the resources people give us to improve this state. We must make sure that this first step is only the beginning and not the end.

  • Child protections cannot wait

    If we want to protect Iowa kids from abuse, neglect and potential death, it’s time to provide adequate funding for the Iowa Department of Human Services (DHS). That is the #1 takeaway from a heartbreaking report released by the State Ombudsman this week.

    It’s clear many mistakes were made in how DHS handled child-abuse reports about Natalie Finn, a West Des Moines teen who died in October 2016 following years of abuse and neglect.

    In “A Tragedy of Errors: An Investigation of the Death of Natalie Finn,” the Ombudsman makes several recommendations—some of which DHS has already implemented—including:

    • Thoroughly review DHS’s child-abuse intake operations.
    • Keep records of child-abuse reports and assessments for longer periods so that patterns can be identified.
    • Require intake workers to read their notes back to callers reporting abuse over the phone to ensure accuracy.
    • Train field workers on legal tools available to them when faced with resistance from parents.
    • Provide resources to help child-abuse workers cope with their job-related stresses.

    Increasing funding is a must if we’re going to give these workers the support, resources and numbers they need in the critical task of protecting our most vulnerable children. The number of child-abuse intake workers at DHS has not increased since 2011, but reports of abuse have.

    The death of Natalie and other children in our foster system has prompted many Iowans to be more vigilant. According to the Ombudsman’s report, child-abuse call volumes and accepted intakes have increased significantly. Already over-taxed field workers saw their caseloads go up 36 percent between 2016 and 2018, and the centralized child-abuse intake unit is strained.

    As we begin hammering out the state budget, we will be fighting for these workers and kids. Ensuring protections for vulnerable Iowans will always be a top priority.

  • Tax-hike proposal violates Iowans’ trust

    Iowans made clear their support for our natural resources and recreational opportunities at the ballot box, but Governor Reynolds is now threatening to shortchange them (SSB 3116/HSB 657).

    In 2010, voters approved a Natural Resources and Outdoor Recreation Trust Fund to be filled with a portion of state sales tax if the sales tax was increased. Governor Reynolds now wants to raise the sales tax, but is reneging on the agreed-to amount for natural resources and recreation.

    Iowans intended for at least $200 million a year in new money to go to natural resources and recreation, but the Governor’s sleight of hand will provide only $82 million in new funding, according to the Iowa Fiscal Partnership.

    Prior to the 2010 election, state legislators established how money would be generated and distributed so that Iowans knew in advance exactly what they were committing to when they voted for a constitutional amendment creating the trust fund.

    Although the idea was to beef up spending with new funding where it was sorely needed, the Governor’s plan ignores voters’ intent, and instead moves around money in existing programs. The result? Our land and water will get only about two-fifths of what was promised from the sales-tax increase.

    We will continue to listen to Iowans and push for changes to the Governor’s proposal as it makes its way through the legislative process.

    Learn more about what voters approved at iowaswaterandlandlegacy.org.

    Read the Iowa Fiscal Partnership’s analysis at iowafiscal.org/breaking-trust-with-the-trust.

  • Iowa Sister States seeks help for China with life-saving aid

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 20, 2020
    CONTACT: Iowa Sister States, Monty Freeman: 515.348.6265 | Monty.Freeman@IowaSisterStates.org

    Des Moines – The Iowa Legislature’s International Relations Committee met to address the deadly spread of coronavirus in Iowa’s sister cities in China. The Legislature is partnering with sister-cities’ local leaders in Dubuque, Davenport, Muscatine, Cedar Rapids and Des Moines, along with industry and business across Iowa, to ship relief supplies to communities in China under siege from coronavirus – and they are asking for the help of every Iowan.

    “Friendship is more than a trade partnership; Iowa has a strong tradition of helping our sister-cities and fellow citizens of the world in need. Our friends are asking to help save lives and we are asking Iowans to assist in any way they are able,” said Senator Zach Nunn (R-Bondurant), Chair of the Joint Senate-House International Relations Committee. Legislative efforts are being support by Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds and US Ambassador to China Terry Branstad.

    “This is a multi-partner approach, across parties and across Iowa to help our long-term friends in China and aim to reduce tensions on a people to people level,” stated Sen. William Dotzler (D-Waterloo) ranking member of the committee.

    High school legislative pages have taken to social media to raise awareness and help Iowa Sister States facilitate donations, to include reaching back to their hometowns to ask for medical masks from local doctors, and safety goggles from construction sites. “Hearing first-hand how a doctor in Iowa’s sister-city attempted to help fight the virus, became infected, and she and her entire family died inspired several of us to get involved and help in every way possible,” said Erica Nasstrom, of Osage High School, Osage. “We’ve set up alerts on social media and are passing along Iowan’s notes of compassion to folks in China to let them know we support them,” commented Kanyon Huntington, of East Union High School, Afton.

    The Health Impact to Iowa’s Sister-Cities

    As of Wednesday, over 75,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus outbreak had taken hold, with the death toll quickly surpassing 2,000 individuals, making it one of the worst outbreaks globally. “The number of confirmed cases in Iowa’s sister-state Hebei province has exploded,” said Dr William Zhang, who briefed legislators. Infections rose quickly this week to 265, with Tangshan, the sister-city of Cedar Rapids having 35 infected; Handan, sister-city of Dubuque having 31; Langfang, the sister-city of Davenport having 29; and Shijiazhuang, sister-city of Des Moines & Muscatine, having 27 cases. The outbreak is expected to continue into the long-term.

    Plea for Assistance

    Iowa Sister States (ISS) is coordinating a relief effort for quarantined citizens in sister-cities with essential donations. “What is critical at this time is medical supplies and sanitary items,” said ISS Executive  Director Monty Freeman.

    Iowa is asking for help and donations for these critical need items:

    1. One-time use protection gowns
    2. Medical masks (n95)
    3. One-time use surgical masks
    4. One-time use medical masks
    5. One-time use medical gloves
    6. Protective eye glasses
    7. Thermometers
    8. Hand-sanitizer
    9. Tissues
    10. Donations for shipping

    The Iowa Sister States’ Hebei Committee is leading a donation campaign. If Iowa businesses, medical facilities or communities have an ability to donate any of the supplies listed, it can be sent c/o Luca Berrone at SACMI USA, 3434 106th Cir., Urbandale, IA 50322. Donations may also be dropped with Iowa Sister States at c/o Monty Freeman at ISS, 1963 Bell Ave, Des Moines, IA 50309.

    Many Iowans are ready to take action and assist the people, families, and friends in China impacted by the large-scale coronavirus outbreak during this difficult time. Donations to  Iowa Sister States will be shipped immediately to Hebei Province.

    Updates can be monitored at Iowa Sister States: https://www.facebook.com/IowaSisterStates/

    Monetary donations are tax-deductible and can be offered at the link on the Iowa Sister States website: https://www.iowasisterstates.org

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  • Healthy Moms and Babies Act will address growing maternal health concerns

    Iowa Senate News Release

    For Immediate Release: Feb. 19, 2020

    DES MOINES – Senate Democrats have proposed legislation to address the growing maternal health crisis in Iowa.

    “Iowa is facing a maternal health crisis that we simply cannot ignore,” says Senator Janet Petersen, the Senate Democratic Leader. “Iowa’s maternal mortality rate has more than doubled in the past three years, hospital labor and delivery departments are shuttering at record speed, and 66 Iowa counties no longer have a single OB/GYN practicing in their county.”

    The scope of the problem includes:

    • Iowa has lost 37 labor and delivery departments.
      MAP OF OB UNITS | LIST OF CLOSURES
    • Iowa has the lowest number of obstetricians per capita in the country. Two-thirds of rural Level 1 hospitals have no obstetrician on staff.
    • Compared to other states, Iowa has a high rate of cesarean births, an indicator of potential health problems for mother and child.

    “Iowa taxpayers pay for more than 40% all births in our state through Medicaid,” Petersen said. “Governor Reynolds has put a system in place that allows out-of-state companies to make a profit off of labor and delivery services while our rural hospitals are financially penalized for providing care. Iowa’s privatized Medicaid doesn’t cover the full cost of delivering babies, which hurts rural and urban hospitals.” 

    The Healthy Moms and Babies Act (SF 2062), co-sponsored by 18 members of the Iowa Senate, will address the maternal health care crisis by:

    • Adjusting Medicaid rates so that hospitals are adequately reimbursed for the care they provide.
    • Ensuring labor and delivery units use proven practices—known as “safety bundles”—that save lives during delivery.
    • Expanding home visiting services for pregnant women, new moms and babies.

    – end –

    Summary of SF 2062: “Healthy Moms and Babies Act”

    Background

    Maternal health in Iowa is experiencing a crisis.

    Maternal death rates are higher in the U.S. than in any other developed nation, and they are rising.  In Iowa, maternal mortality has more than doubled in three years.

    In addition, moms-to-be are now sicker than in the past, with increasing maternal age, higher levels of obesity and related health complications, and societal problems such as substance abuse and mental health, all playing a role.

    To compound these problems, access to care is diminishing and the provider workforce is shrinking. Iowa has seen 37 labor and delivery units in critical access hospitals close since the year 2000, and Iowa has the lowest number of obstetricians per capita in the country, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

    • 64% of rural Level 1 hospitals have no obstetrician on staff
    • Iowa ranks 50th out of 50 in the number of OB/GYNs per capita
    • Iowa has a high rate of cesarean births which can lead to future health problems

    As of October 2019, 37 of Iowa’s 118 community hospitals have closed their birthing units since 2000, according to the Iowa Department of Public Health. There were two closures in 2019, down from eight closures in 2018 — the most in a single year. Since then, Mount Pleasant, New Hampton and Muscatine have announced closures.  Most of those closures have happened at smaller facilities. Hospitals are not reimbursed for the cost of the standard of care for labor and delivery so they lose money on every birth.

    About 40% of births in Iowa are Medicaid so making improvements to maternal care in the Medicaid program is key to improving maternal health and birth outcomes in Iowa. Privatized Medicaid doesn’t cover the costs for delivering babies in Iowa when health care providers follow the standard of care.

    Division I:  Medicaid Maternal and Child Health Improvements

    DHS is directed to adopt rules under both fee-for-service and managed care Medicaid, amend any managed care contracts, and apply for any Medicaid plan amendments or waivers necessary to improve care for moms and babies in all the following ways:

    1. Provide reimbursement in an amount that appropriately covers the entire standard of care costs for labor and delivery;
    2. Provide the same reimbursement for maternal-fetal medicine services and comprehensive maternity care when provided in person or via telehealth (covering both facility and professional fees);
    3. Allow continuous Medicaid eligibility for a woman for a 12-month postpartum period (compared to 60 days currently);
    4. Provide comprehensive maternity care which includes the basic number of prenatal and postpartum visits recommended by ACOG (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists), any additional prenatal or postpartum visits that are medically necessary, necessary laboratory, nutritional assessment and counseling, health education, personal counseling, managed care, outreach and follow-up services, and treatment of conditions which may complicate pregnancy;
    5. Provide reimbursement for doula care;
    6. Reimbursement for breastfeeding supports, counseling, and supplies including the standard cost of breast pumps and electronic breast pumps;
    7. Reimbursement for transportation to all prenatal and postpartum care appointments; and
    8. Reimbursement for all postpartum care products such as breast pads, period pads, comfort products, pain relievers, and other similar products.

    Division II:  Maternal Best Practices/Safety Bundles and Hospital Requirements

    Licensed hospitals that provide labor and delivery services shall be required to do the following:

    1. Adopt and implement the current best practices or safety bundles recommended by ACOG and the Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health; details here https://www.medpagetoday.com/obgyn/pregnancy/74631

    These maternal safety bundles include action measures for:

    • Obstetrical Hemorrhage
    • Severe Hypertension/Preeclampsia
    • Prevention of Venous Thromboembolism
    • Reduction of Low Risk Primary Cesarean Births/Support for Intended Vaginal Birth
    • Reduction of Peripartum Racial Disparities
    • Postpartum care access and standards
    1. Provide information to the public, including but not limited to maternity and neonatal level of care status and the meaning of that status;
    2. Provide cesarean birth statistics;
    3. Provide statistics on the number of vaginal births after cesarean (VBAC) and vaginal births after two cesareans (VBA2C);
    4. Provide rate of exclusive breastfeeding upon discharge;
    5. Provide all moms and babies receiving labor and delivery services with information and assistance in applying for services and health care coverage including but not limited to Medicaid; AEA agencies; WIC; and home visiting programs; prior to discharge from the hospital; and
    6. Have a comprehensive labor and delivery unit closure plan in place that includes a plan for future births and pregnancies and the capacity of other providers to absorb the services in case of unit closure.

    Division III:  Expanded Home Visiting Services

    DHS is directed to seek federal approval for any state plan amendment or waiver necessary in order to collaborate with the Department of Public Health and the Department of Education to expand maternal and infant home visiting services under Medicaid that:

    • promote healthy pregnancies;
    • positive birth outcomes; and
    • healthy infant growth and development.

    The departments shall design a home visiting approach that maximizes coordination and blending of programs and funding, reduces duplication of efforts and ensures that the services provided meet federal evidence-based criteria. Home visiting should start prenatally and include mental health services.

  • Iowans bring fight for their homes to Capitol

    Iowa Senate News Release

    WHAT: News Conference with the Iowa Manufactured Home Resident’s Network
    WHERE: Room 315, Iowa State Capitol
    WHEN: 11 a.m., Wednesday, February 19, 2020
    WHO: Manufactured home residents from around the state

    (DES MOINES) – Residents from manufactured home parks from across the state will meet at the Capitol in Des Moines on Wednesday to continue the fight for their homes by sharing their stories with Iowa lawmakers.

    The Iowa Manufactured Home Resident’s Network is a coalition of residents and allies who are committed to providing a voice to residents of manufactured home communities across the state.

    This week some of those residents will be raising those voices in Des Moines, as important legislation works its way through the Iowa House and Senate.  The bill (SF 2238/HF 2351) is an important first step toward providing checks and balances in a currently one-sided system, a system that is attracting unscrupulous private equity firms to the state as it drives Iowans out of their homes.

    The residents will hold a press conference at 11 am in Room 315 at the Iowa Capitol. Speakers will include manufactured home residents from around the state.

    Senator Wahls speaks in the Chamber about need for reforms

    News conference speakers and video of remarks

    Candi Evans, Golfview Residents Association, North Liberty

    • Park purchased by Havenpark in 2019 – I found out from notice taped to my door of rent increase …
    • Who’s in our community / we are real people
    • Our journey in the past year: from outrageous rent increases, to finding out Havenpark is private investor group from Utah, to first meeting of residents to months of work to get our voices heard, to a bill now under discussion to finally create some of the protections all Iowa manufactured homeowners should have had a long time ago
    • Why we need this bill … we have residents here from at least 7 different parks across Iowa who will share part of their stories with us today

    Angela Smith, Park Plaza Manufactured Home Park, Muscatine

    • Park purchased by Impact in 2019
    • Major rent increases and water overcharges (example) – then because we started to speak up and got help from our city and our municipal utility, the owners are starting to refund the overcharges
    • I’m worried it will happen again unless we get legal protection
    • We need this bill to protect all Iowa residents against fraud and unfair utility charges

    Jenny Heishman, Grinnell Manufactured Home Park, Grinnell

    • Story of trailer purchase and grandparents’ living situation
    • Park purchased by Impact in 2013
    • Since then, our lot rent has increased over 200%
    • We need this bill to protect proud, hardworking Iowans like my grandparents

    Carrie Presley, Table Mound Residents Association, Dubuque

    • Park purchased by Impact in 2017

    Margarita Rodriguez, Forest View Residents’ Association, Iowa City

    • Park sold to developer in 2016
    • With developer as our park owner, there is now no maintenance of park anymore; conditions deteriorating and unsafe
    • Sewers aren’t repaired. Potholes aren’t fixed. And there is no one for us to turn to.
    • We need this bill to create a way for residents to hold owners accountable for safe conditions in our parks, no matter who owns our parks in the future.

    Matt Chapman, Midwest Country Estates, Waukee

    • Waukee residents facing rent increases / who lives in my park
    • Park purchased by Havenpark in 2019
    • Part of national trend, private equity groups taking advantage of residents
    • Who are these owners who are trying to keep us from getting this bill passed?
    • The Iowa Manufactured Homes Association is one of the only opponents to this bill. They have “Iowa” in their name, but they are choosing to represent Havenpark and other out-of-state park owners against the interest of Iowans. In fact, we now know that Impact CEO Frank Rolfe sits on their board. Impact is headquartered in Colorado and now owns at least 23 parks in Iowa. Their CEO Frank Rolfe is the same man who famously told investors that a mobile home park “is like a Waffle House where the customers are chained to their booths.”
    • We need this bill to prevent the Frank Rolfe’s of the world targeting Iowa residents as easy marks for their quick profits.

    State Senator Zach Wahls, D-Coralville

    Senator Wahls offered an update on the current status of manufactured housing legislation traveling through both chambers. The House and Senate have introduce bipartisan bills intended to protect manufactured home owners. He clarified that this is not an issue of parks being sold for redevelopment. Out-of-state owners are eyeing mobile home parks as an opportunity to profit from the vulnerability of disabled or low-income people.

  • Rural Iowa’s Maternal Health Crisis: A Doctor’s Perspective

    By Senate Intern Kylie Spies, University of Iowa MSW student

    Women in Henry County soon will have to travel an hour to Iowa City or Ottumwa to give birth. In labor and delivery, every minute can be critical. Sarah Ledger of Mount Pleasant, a physician with Henry County Health Center, talks with State Sen. Rich Taylor about the consequences of closing obstetrics units in rural Iowa.

    Rural Iowa hospitals are struggling to keep their doors open, and family practice doctors are on the front lines. Dr. Sarah Ledger, D.O., visited the State Capitol to tell legislators about the challenges Iowa families and doctors are facing.

    Dr. Ledger provides prenatal care to southeast Iowa women at Henry County Health Center in Mount Pleasant. HCHC will close the doors to its maternity unit in June, leaving another Iowa community without a safe place to have a baby.

    Henry County Health Center is a Top 100 Critical Access Hospital in the United States. Critical Access Hospitals are small rural hospitals at least 35 miles from another facility. They have 25 beds or fewer, and must offer 24/7 emergency services. In rural Iowa, these hospitals may be a matter of life and death in a crisis.

    Dr. Ledger says that because of the way Medicaid providers pay hospitals for maternity services, they are sometimes forced to close their labor and delivery units to keep the rest of the hospital afloat. It takes a lot of staff and hospital resources to be ready to deliver a baby at any time. If Medicaid payments don’t cover the costs or aren’t made quickly, rural OB units suffer.

    Critical Access Hospitals are supposed to receive higher rates of payment for their services because they are so vital to the community. But profit-driven private Medicaid providers have squeezed hospital budgets so tightly that they can no longer serve Iowans.

    “You abandon OB to keep your hospital open,” says Dr. Ledger. “We’re running into the same thing with our EMS services. We run into the same thing with some of our inpatient care units. You have to cut back on the services that you provide to keep your hospital open. And we’re seeing hospitals that are still closing.”

    Dr. Ledger says women are at higher risk of health problems like high blood pressure and premature births than they were 20 years ago. She sees patients living with violence and hunger, and many without a vehicle for traveling to appointments.

    Good prenatal care is crucial for the health of moms and babies. Regular appointments during pregnancy allow doctors and midwives to monitor patient health, educate moms, and prepare them for labor and newborn care. Without access to prenatal care, Iowa women and their babies face serious health risks.

    “These women come in and we have no idea what the potential complications are going to be. It increases the cost of health care overall because we’re not prepared. We haven’t taught these moms how to take care of their babies. We haven’t taught these moms how to take care of their bodies. You see more complications with that.”

    Women in Henry County soon will have to travel an hour to Iowa City or Ottumwa to give birth. In labor and delivery, every minute can be critical.

    “It is much safer to deliver these babies in a stable OB unit with a trained OB clinician, rather than an ER, in the back of an ambulance, or in a personal vehicle on the side of the road,” says Dr. Ledger.

     The shortage of maternity units in rural Iowa puts moms and babies at risk.

    Iowa ranks 50th out of the 50 states in the number of OB-GYNs per capita. Two-thirds of Iowa counties don’t have a single OB. Combined with the 34 closures of rural Iowa maternity units since 2000, Iowa has a serious care crisis. Dr. Ledger is asking the Legislature to fix Iowa’s Medicaid mess to protect rural hospitals.

    “We need more support with our Critical Access Hospitals. We need more money, unfortunately we need higher reimbursement,” she says.

    “We pay a lot of money to these private MCOs, and we are getting less and less.”

    Sources

    www.acog.org/Clinical-Guidance-and-Publications/Committee-Opinions/Committee-on-Health-Care-for-Underserved-Women/Health-Disparities-in-Rural-Women?IsMobileSet=false

    www.hchc.org/

    www.ruralhealthinfo.org/topics/critical-access-hospitals

    www.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=52284a7453eb46b79149c1571d2d5e1b