Center for Health Policy and Research

The Center for Health Policy and Research (CHPR) is the interdisciplinary focus for research on the organization of health care at the University of Iowa. In cooperation with other health services and related units within the University of Iowa, CHPR addresses issues related to the organization, delivery, financing, and outcomes of health care. Currently, CHPR supports 14 Center Associates, 22 Center Affiliates, and 15 Graduate Research Assistants through 23 research projects funded through the center. CHPR also supports proposal preparation and project management activities, supports educational activities for the Ph.D. program in the Department of Health Management and Policy, and sponsors a seminar series weekly during the academic year with speakers from within the College of Public Health and other academic units within and outside the university.

RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis

The RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis conducts original research in the topical areas of access to health care services, Medicare policies, development of rural delivery systems (including effects of national policy), and public health. The mission of the center is to provide timely analysis to federal and state health policy makers, based on the best available research.

The research of the RUPRI Center has included studies of Medicare managed care (currently Medicare Advantage plan enrollment), the Medicare prescription drug program, characteristics of the uninsured population in rural areas, classification of rural areas as unlikely to generate financial support for health care providers, and patterns of admission to hospitals for conditions treatable in an outpatient environment.

Specific objectives for the center’s work include: conducting original research and independent policy analysis that provides policy makers and others with a more complete understanding of the implications of health policy initiatives, and disseminating policy analysis that assures policy makers will consider the needs of rural health care delivery systems in the design and implementation of health policy.