Advocates meet legislators, highlight importance of Iowa hospitals
Iowa hospital advocates met with several legislators, including ranking majority and minority members from the House and Senate, during IHA’s 2023 Hospital Day on the Hill. The event was opened by IHA Board Chair Brian Dieter, CEO of Mary Greeley Medical Center in Ames.

Members heard updates about IHA’s legislative priorities including tort reform, certificate of need and the rural emergency hospital licensure. They also shared information for successfully connecting with legislators before traveling to the Statehouse. Advocates held productive discussions with Senate President Amy Sinclair (R-Allerton), Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver (R-Ankeny), Speaker of the House Pat Grassley (R-New Hartford), House Majority Leader Matt Windschitl (R-Missouri Valley), Senate Democratic Leader Zach Wahls (D-Coralville) and House Minority Leader Jennifer Konfrst (D-Windsor Heights).

IHA appreciates our hospital advocates and legislators for continuing to work together to create sound health care policies.

Getting to Know: Renee Hardman, MBA, Broadlawns Medical Center

Renee Hardman, MBA, joined Broadlawns Medical Center in 2022 as its first chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer and as vice president of human resources. Hardman was CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Iowa and is the president and founder of Hardman Consulting. She is the first Black woman to serve on the West Des Moines City Council and is a West Des Moines Human Rights commissioner.

 In our special Black History Month Getting to Know episode, Hardman talks about her DEI objectives at Broadlawns Medical Center, her career and her mission to create competent, compassionate health care.

Register for April Foundations of Governance Excellence webinar
April’s Foundations of Governance Excellence webinar will help hospital boards of trustees sift through the many issues they face and focus on the right things.

Susan Freed, Dentons Davis Brown, and Doug Morse, former CEO of Hansen Family Hospital in Iowa Falls, will review setting board agendas and identifying topics to ensure organizational success. Participants in the webinar also will discuss strategies for prioritizing meetings topics.

Keeping the Main Thing the Main Thing: Focus Your Board on the Right Things webinar is scheduled from 2-3 p.m. Thursday, April 20. Email Joah Hogan at IHA with questions.

Applications open for Medicare-funded residency slots
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services continues to advance health equity and access to care by accepting applications for the second round of 200 of 1,000 Medicare-funded physician residency slots for fiscal year 2024.

The goal of the physician residencies is to enhance the health care workforce and fund more positions in hospitals serving underfunded communities. Rural hospitals are among the facility types eligible to create new programs or expand existing residency programs. CMS is prioritizing training sites in health professional shortage areas.

The 1,000 residency slots were established in the fiscal year 2022 inpatient prospective payment system final rule and is phasing in 200 slots per year over the next five years. The first round of 200 residency slots was awarded to 100 teaching hospitals and will be effective July 1.

Applications are due Friday, March 31. For more information, see the FAQ and application submission process guide.

AssuredPartners predicts short- and long-term effects of tort reformServiShare partner AssuredPartners released an analysis of HF 161, the tort reform bill Gov. Kim Reynolds signed into law Thursday, Feb. 16. The bill places a $2 million cap for hospitals or a $1 million cap for all other health care providers on noneconomic damages in medical malpractice lawsuits. The analysis provides a snapshot of the liability coverage landscape and predictions for liability insurance rates in the next two to 10 years.