Summer 2023 Transformation Collaborative Recap

August 01, 2023

The Iowa Primary Care Association recently hosted 12 of Iowa’s community health centers at our Summer 2023 Transformation Collaborative. The mission of the Transformation Collaborative series is to empower health centers in transforming their practices to achieve high quality, patient-centric care.

The overall theme of the Transformation Collaborative was social drivers of health. Social drivers of health have been shown to have a greater influence on health than either genetic factors or access to healthcare services. We know that we must examine social conditions and systems in order to improve health and address longstanding disparities. Community health centers are uniquely positioned to address disparities at the point of care, and social needs screening and referral have an important role in addressing social drivers of health. 

This summer's topics included electronic health records, whole-person health, and data collection. Objectives included:

  • Learning about the DMAIC continuous improvement framework
  • Considering next steps for social needs screenings and referral processes
  • Practicing conversations about social needs
  • Understanding the connection across social needs and health effects

Every Transformation Collaborative session is designed to be interactive and engaging, equipping participants with information and tools they can share with their teams and implement at their health centers. Sessions are designed to promote integrated care, and members from every department are welcome and encouraged to participate. Be on the lookout for the announcement of our Fall Transformation Collaborative!