Under a contract with the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH), researchers from the UI Center for Health Policy and Research evaluated 13 health workforce development programs overseen by the state’s Bureau of Oral and Health Delivery Systems.  The programs are integral to IDPH’s activities to secure high quality health care coverage throughout Iowa.

Led by Keith Mueller, Gerhard Hartman Professor and head of health management and policy, the team studied the programs’ scope and impact, and identified gaps and impediments to success. Eight of the 13 programs currently receive annual state-appropriated funds totaling $2,668,000. As part of the program evaluation, recommendations for fund-allotment to improve outcomes were made.

“We recommend that the state continue to target specific needs such as mental and dental health and fund approaches that promote recruitment and retention, including providing expanded training,” said Mueller. “IDPH administrators will continue to monitor program performance and shape future directions for developing Iowa’s health workforce, including appropriate reallocation of resources among existing programs. These programs represent the state’s response to needs of Iowans for proximate access to vital services, and ongoing evaluation will be important.”

This project was funded by IDPH and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.