Our Partners
The University of Iowa serves as the lead organization for the Iowa-GWEP, funded by the Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program (GWEP), bringing together its Colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Public Health, Pharmacy, and Liberal Arts and Sciences, and School of Social Work. Collaboration with primary care clinics in Oklahoma and Iowa, as well as with statewide community-based and quality improvement organizations, advances our goal of developing a responsive interprofessional rural workforce that engages older people as partners and improves their health outcomes.
Read on for additional information about our collaborating partners.
Des Moines University (DMU), founded in 1898, is the 2nd oldest osteopathic school in the U.S. and the largest medical school in Iowa. Three health science colleges offer 9 degrees including doctorates in osteopathic medicine, podiatric medicine, and physical therapy. Their Rural Medicine Educational Pathway (RMEP) offers an elective on rural health and scholarships for select students who commit to practicing in a rural Iowa community.
The Meskwaki Tribal Health Clinic mission is to promote wellness, prevent disease, and treat diseases within the Sac & Fox Tribe of the Mississippi community in Tama, Iowa, working in partnership with the community to support health and wellness, and provide health care for individuals and families in the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual healing process.
Milestones Area Agency on Aging, Northeast Iowa Area Agency on Aging, and Elderbridge Area Agency on Aging represent 3 of 6 Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) in Iowa that provide a variety of community services to help older adults remain in their homes. These 3 AAAs serve individuals in 42 of 99 counties, providing programs related to family caregiving, healthier living through evidence-based activities, and nutrition support.
The Northeast Iowa Area Agency on Aging (NEI3A), which serves as the state lead for Dementia Friendly America, recently collaborated with the Iowa-GWEP to develop the position of Dementia Friendly Iowa State Coordinator. This position oversees two major dementia friendly initiatives for the state: Dementia Friends Iowa and Dementia Friendly Communities.
Oaknoll Retirement Residence opened its doors to the Iowa City community in 1966 with a dream of providing a safe living environment for retired residents with the guarantee of nursing care when needed. Today, Oaknoll is an Active LifeCare Community offering independent living, assisted living, and a health center and is recognized by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement as an Age-Friendly Health System.
The Office of Statewide Clinical Education Programs & Continuing Medical Education coordinates the Iowa Family Medicine Residency Network (FMRN) which is composed of 7 independent primary care systems across the state (Davenport, Des Moines, Iowa City, Mason City, Sioux City, and Waterloo).
Oklahoma City Veterans Administration Health Care System (OKC VAHCS) serves 50 counties in Oklahoma and north central Texas with a Veteran population of over 63,000. In addition to a 192-bed teaching hospital in Oklahoma City, the OKC VAHCS provides services in 16 outpatient clinics.
Telligen provides services to Medicare providers and beneficiaries as the Quality Improvement Network - Quality Improvement Organization for Iowa, Illinois, and Colorado.
The University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics Emergency Department is recognized by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement as an Age-Friendly Health System and has implemented a variety of Age-Friendly practices.
The University of Kansas Medical Center (KUMC) Project ECHO has a rich history of developing and delivering statewide ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) programs. As the Kansas hub for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Nursing Home COVID-19 Action Network, it provides training and mentorship to nursing homes across the country to increase the implementation of evidence-based infection prevention and safety practices to protect residents and staff.
VA Eastern Kansas Health Care System (VA-EKHCS) serves 39 counties in Kansas and Missouri with a veteran population of over 104,000. In addition to facilities in Topeka (Colmery-O'Neil VA Medical Center) and Leavenworth (Dwight D. Eisenhower VA Medical Center), the VA-EKHCS provides services in 9 community-based outpatient clinics with a strong community-based family education platform across rural Kansas.
Western Home Communities (WHC), based in Cedar Falls, Iowa, has over a 100-year history of serving the varied care needs of older adults. The campus provides a full continuum of care that includes independent condominiums and patio homes, congregate independent and assisted living apartments, skilled nursing care, memory care, and home health services.
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