Iowa Medical Society Foundation

Optimizing Telehealth in Iowa: Applying Best Practices and Unique Applications in Rural America

The Iowa Medical Society Foundation (IMSF) is the giving arm of Iowa Medical Society (IMS), the largest physician membership organization in Iowa representing more than 6,000 medical students, residents, and physicians. The mission of IMSF is to facilitate, and expand the educational and philanthropic endeavors of the Iowa Medical Society. IMSF carries out this mission through its four primary goals: to support initiatives for physicians which promote professionalism and leadership; to support the professional development of medical students in Iowa; to support public health initiatives; and to support the philanthropic efforts of Iowa physicians and the Iowa Medical Society.

Iowa currently ranks 42nd in the country for the number of physicians per capita. Given the rural nature of the state, many communities lack even basic access to routine medical care and rural Iowans typically will need to travel an hour or more for specialty care. Telehealth has long been viewed as an essential element of addressing our state’s provider workforce shortages and a means of expanding access to care to rural communities. As such, IMSF’s commitment to advancing telehealth in Iowa is not a fleeting notion, but rather is recognized and understood as a critical component for not only immediate efforts to address access issues, but a long-term solution to access, recruitment, and quality endeavors.

The IMSF/IMS has successfully recruited more than 76 clinics , as formally enrolled 5-2-1-0 Healthy Choice Count! Health Care clinics, to the Telehealth Initiative Cohort 2 project. These clinics sign on to a charter agreement, committing to implementing specific intervention tools, amplifying patient-focused messaging, and personal commitment to following the espoused goals for healthy eating and activity behaviors. These clinics also monitor and track clinical quality measure goals, such as Body Mass Index (BMI) and childhood obesity prevalence to track and monitor impact of interventions on improving individual and population health. These well-honed processes and expertise will be utilized through the project, ensuring integration with larger clinical quality priorities and building off proven methods for improvement.