135B.33  Technical assistance — plan — grants.
  1.  Subject to availability of funds, the Iowa department of public health shall provide technical planning assistance to local boards of health and hospital governing boards to ensure access to hospital services in rural areas. The department shall encourage the local boards of health and hospital governing boards to adopt a long-term community health services and developmental plan including the following:
  a.  An analysis of demographic trends in the health facility services area, affecting health facility and health-facility-related health care utilizations.
  b.  A review of inpatient services currently provided, by type of service and the frequency of provision of that service, and the cost-effectiveness of that service.
  c.  An analysis of resources available in proximate health facilities and services that might be provided through alternative arrangements with such health facilities.
  d.  An analysis of cooperative arrangements that could be developed with other health facilities in the area that could assist those health facilities in the provision of services.
  e.  An analysis of community health needs, including long-term care, nursing facility care, pediatric and maternity services, and the health facilities’ potential role in facilitating the provision of services to meet these needs.
  f.  An analysis of alternative uses for existing health facility space and real property, including use for community health-related and human service-related purposes.
  g.  An analysis of mechanisms to meet indigent patient care needs and the responsibilities for the care of indigent patients.
  h.  An analysis of the existing tax levying of the health facilities for patient care, on a per capita basis and per hospital patient basis, and projections on future needs for tax levying to continue for the provision of care.
  2.  Providers may cooperatively coordinate to develop one long-term community health services and developmental plan for a geographic area, provided the plan addresses the issues enumerated in this section.
  3.  The health facilities may seek technical assistance or apply for matching grant funds for the plan development. The department shall require compliance with subsection 1, paragraphs “a” through “h” when the facility applies for matching grant funds.
86 Acts, ch 1200, §2; 90 Acts, ch 1039, §1; 2009 Acts, ch 41, §192