Iowa Health and Human Services (HHS) announced plans to transition the state’s public health system into a regional model by 2028. The move will shift the oversight of funds for each county to a lead entity in each region.
The plan is meant to improve coordination across counties and create more consistent services across the state. Iowa HHS said it wants Iowans to be able to access essential services easily, regardless of where they live.
The move will group the state’s 99 counties into seven regions, called public health districts. One public health department from each region will become a lead agency and will administer state funds to the rest of their region’s health departments rather than Iowa HHS…