Iowa strong in quality health-care services

Healthcare providers in Iowa often reach out to the community through health fairs. Here, Univeristy of Iowa dental students teach children proper teeth brushing/ Gazette file photo

Iowa excels at quality health care. It ranks as the 6th-healthiest U.S. state, based on 21 factors including access to health care providers, affordability of health care and a generally healthy population (Morgan Quitno Press, 2008)

Iowa is also first in the nation in providing a quality child-healthcare system. The  Commonwealth Fund used 13 performance indicators to rank Iowa No. 1 in 2008, saying “Iowa is a national leader in giving children access to care and ensuring high-quality care.”

The majority of Iowa’s 3 million residents are insured. According to Healthy Iowans 2010, a project of the Department of Public Health, the state continues to improve access to quality health services. During last year’s General Assembly, a number of bills were introduced to reduce to zero the proportion of children without health care coverage.

Iowa has seen a drop in the incidence in diabetes and a state excise tax on cigarettes is expected to reduce the numbers of cancer to a rate of no more than 450 per 100,000 people. It’s expected the tax will also keep an estimated 37,000 children from smoking.

Healthy Iowans reports that 60 Iowa counties have made nutrition and obesity a top priority for taking action. Along with the Department of Elder Affairs, Healthy Iowans reports that 81 percent of seniors assessed had improved or maintained a regimen of healthy food choices.

Iowa is home to one of the nation’s premier health centers – the University of  University of  Iowa Hospitals and Clinics located in Iowa City. UIHC is known for its medical education, research and clinical care.  Other Iowa healthcare facilities and home healthcare agencies also excel in providing quality care.

Click on our iGuide for links to Iowa hospitals and medical facilities or to find one near you.

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