About
Beginning in 2016, the Iowa Chronic Care Consortium (ICCC) launched its commitment to the development of Community Health Workers (CHWs). This effort focused upon advancing the utilization of CHWs as a strategy to improve population health outcomes and soon centered on addressing the foundational need for professional skills training for the expanding CHW workforce.
As an innovative non-profit with a 20-year the mission of reducing the burden of chronic conditions and improving the health status of populations, this commitment to CHWs was a natural extension of its disease management demonstrations and training of Clinical Health Coaches across the U.S.
ICCC offered the first CORE training for CHWs in 2017 and then guided the creation of the Iowa Community Health Worker Alliance, a statewide collaborative of public health, state agency, college and university, community based organization, and working CHW representatives partnering in common cause to advance CHW utilization and their effectiveness, especially as they address the needs of individuals in marginalized populations.
In ensuing years, ICCC created and offered the CHW Professional Skills Training on a continuing basis, built a CHW Registered Apprenticeship Program with the Department of Labor, created specialty trainings in oral health, diabetes, behavioral health, utilizing community resources and more. During the recent pandemic, ICCC partnered with Iowa Workforce Development to train a cadre of Community Health Navigators across Iowa to aid in COVID-19 response and recovery. It has individually led and partnered with foundations, the University of Iowa and Iowa Health and Human Services to research various aspects of CHW use and employment in Iowa, and nationally.
Fortunately, ICCC has benefited in its work by collaborations and support from a host of active partners including Iowa Health and Human Services, Des Moines Area Community College and other Iowa community colleges, Iowa Workforce Development, Prevention Research Bureau and Institute for Public Health Practice at the University of Iowa, Amerigroup Iowa, several foundations, and others.
ICCC’s offices are located at:
2700 Westown Parkway in West Des Moines, IA 50266.
Visit the website to learn more.
