As the number of uninsured in America continues to rise, communities struggle to find ways to provide affordable, quality health care to everyone. 

A 2002 report by the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured reported the following statistics:

·         11.8% of Iowa children and 12.7% of Nebraska children living in poverty are uninsured

·         29.8% of non-elderly Iowa adults and 29.1% of non-elderly Nebraska adults living in poverty are uninsured.

To help communities provide primary health care, President Bush – with bi-partisan Congressional support – launched a five-year initiative in 2001 that seeks to add 1,200 new Community Health Centers and double the number of patients who make CHCs their medical home by 2006.

To fulfill this initiative, IA/NEPCA implemented an effort that provides assistance to communities exploring CHC opportunities, as well as existing CHCs to expand their efforts to provide quality, affordable health care services.

Community development services provided by IA/NEPCA include:

• Information about Community Health Centers
• Assistance in determining if a CHC is an appropriate fit for a community’s health care needs
• Develop and implement a strategy for developing a new access point application
• Ongoing technical assistance after a new access point funding award is made

For more information on community development assistance, contact Tori Squires, Community Development Director, at 515-244-9610 or tsquires@ianepca.com.