Direct Care Worker Stories
Direct care workers provide hands-on, long-term healthcare and personal support to Iowans of all ages and abilities. Iowa CareGivers and the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services are working together to share the stories of direct care workers to bring awareness to this important and essential healthcare workforce.
If you would like to share a story of how this workforce has impacted you, email [email protected].
Visit https://www.iowacaregivers.org/ to learn more about the support of this workforce.
If you would like to share a story of how this workforce has impacted you, email [email protected].
Visit https://www.iowacaregivers.org/ to learn more about the support of this workforce.
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Sharing Stories of Positive Impact
"Stefanie Ford is our Utilization Review nurse. She spends her days on the phone and computer doing prior authorizations and aiding the providers in determining level of care for our patients. Some nurses would consider this a boring, tedious job. Stef, on the other hand, finds passion in this line of work. (Which the rest of us are grateful).
Over the last year, I have seen Stefanie's passion for UR blossom and her leadership skills grow. We have hired several new nurses in our department, her skill set in discharge planning and UR along with her positive attitude and ability to teach has helped retain the new nurses during their training.
We transitioned to a new edition of our level of care system (Indicia). Stef took the lead on this project and became our Superuser! Her background as a nurse educator was shining through as she educated others in our department on the new program.
Besides being busy with UR she also finds time to serve on our Superuser and Finance committees.
As a rural hospital, we all have to be diligent about our finances and provide the very best care we can. Care must never be compromised. Stef has helped minimize costs by aiding us in determining the level of care that is appropriate, retaining staff once hired, and increasing communication in our department to help individuals feel more engaged. Stef makes a difference in our organization, every day. It may not be seen daily by the patients, but she's in the background helping our hospital achieve our mission; to optimize the health and well-being of the people and communities we serve through patient-centered, high-quality, and compassionate services.
We make a difference in rural Iowa. We know our patients, and we make a difference in their lives. They know our staff, we know them and their families. We get to know them through their admissions and what they need and want. In our Transitional Care Program we had a patient that was readmitted for CHF. He did not understand the education we initially gave him about his diet, he was readmitted. We reeducated. He enjoys dining at a small town diner. He was able to educate the cook and she now prepares a meal especially for him so he can still go out to the diner with his friends. ONLY in a small town. This is why I enjoy working in rural Iowa."
Over the last year, I have seen Stefanie's passion for UR blossom and her leadership skills grow. We have hired several new nurses in our department, her skill set in discharge planning and UR along with her positive attitude and ability to teach has helped retain the new nurses during their training.
We transitioned to a new edition of our level of care system (Indicia). Stef took the lead on this project and became our Superuser! Her background as a nurse educator was shining through as she educated others in our department on the new program.
Besides being busy with UR she also finds time to serve on our Superuser and Finance committees.
As a rural hospital, we all have to be diligent about our finances and provide the very best care we can. Care must never be compromised. Stef has helped minimize costs by aiding us in determining the level of care that is appropriate, retaining staff once hired, and increasing communication in our department to help individuals feel more engaged. Stef makes a difference in our organization, every day. It may not be seen daily by the patients, but she's in the background helping our hospital achieve our mission; to optimize the health and well-being of the people and communities we serve through patient-centered, high-quality, and compassionate services.
We make a difference in rural Iowa. We know our patients, and we make a difference in their lives. They know our staff, we know them and their families. We get to know them through their admissions and what they need and want. In our Transitional Care Program we had a patient that was readmitted for CHF. He did not understand the education we initially gave him about his diet, he was readmitted. We reeducated. He enjoys dining at a small town diner. He was able to educate the cook and she now prepares a meal especially for him so he can still go out to the diner with his friends. ONLY in a small town. This is why I enjoy working in rural Iowa."
Carla Harvey, Quality and Infection Control Director, from Jefferson County Health Center, Fairfield
NOSORH Community Stars Award
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In partnership with the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health (NOSORH), Iowa Office of Rural Health and valued partners proudly announce Steve Simonin as Iowa's 2023 NOSORH Community Stars Award recipient. Steve's exceptional 27-year leadership journey has made an enduring impact on healthcare in Wright County and beyond, earning him recognition as one of the top twenty influential healthcare leaders. Steve, the CEO of Iowa Specialty Hospitals & Clinics, has been instrumental in the growth of the network of clinics across Central and North Central Iowa. Beyond his role, Steve actively contributes to the community's well-being, exemplified by initiatives like the establishment of a community food pantry to provide essential resources in a previously labeled food desert. This effort laid the foundation for a healthier, more equitable future. Let Steve's commitment inspire a healthier, more equitable future for all rural residents.
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2023 Hospital Hero: Christina Schauer, MercyOne Dubuque Medical Center |
2023 Iowa Hospital Hero: Jeff Sander-Welzien, RN, MercyOne Clinton Medical Center, Clinton, Iowa |
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2023 Iowa Hospital Hero: Dr. Jessica Zuzga-Reed, MercyOne Children's Hospital, Des Moines, Iowa
Iowa Dentist Receives Loan Repayment Award from FIND Project to Provide Care for Underserviced Populations in Polk County
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Dr. Daniel Binkowski, a Polk County dentist who also practices in multiple locations throughout Iowa, has been selected as the 2023 recipient of an educational loan repayment award from Fulfilling Iowa’s Need for Dentists (FIND), a collaborative public-private partnership. Read more about his story here.
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Through the FIND (Fulfilling Iowa's Need for Dentists) project, Delta Dental and its Foundation collaborate with the Iowa Area Development Group, The University of Iowa College of Dentistry and Dental Clinics, Iowa Department of Public Health, Aureon, Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines, the Iowa Dental Assocation, the State of Iowa and local Iowa communities to recruit and establish private practice dentists in rural and underserved areas in Iowa.
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The Iowa School Mental Health Hero award honors a practitioner, researcher, educator, or community partner for their defining contribution to school mental health in Iowa. After more than 20 years as a family nurse practitioner and psychiatric nurse practitioner, Sue Gehling, ARNP, MSN founded Classroom Clinic in 2019. Classroom Clinic provides rural school districts with timely and convenient access to children’s mental health services through the use of telehealth and related technologies.
Over the last three years, Classroom Clinic has worked with seven schools to provide mental health care services to 250 students.
Her vision is to improve children’s access to mental health care in rural Iowa by utilizing technology and integrating services into nontraditional places. She has been a champion of establishing cross-sector partnerships with educators, and a leader within the school-based telehealth movement here in Iowa. The Iowa School Mental Health Awards program recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to cultivating a positive mental health culture within an Iowa PreK-12 school, district, college/university, or community organization.
Over the last three years, Classroom Clinic has worked with seven schools to provide mental health care services to 250 students.
Her vision is to improve children’s access to mental health care in rural Iowa by utilizing technology and integrating services into nontraditional places. She has been a champion of establishing cross-sector partnerships with educators, and a leader within the school-based telehealth movement here in Iowa. The Iowa School Mental Health Awards program recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to cultivating a positive mental health culture within an Iowa PreK-12 school, district, college/university, or community organization.
