The Wellmark Foundation is investing $5.3 million in the University of Iowa College of Nursing’s Simulation in Motion-Iowa (SIM-IA) program to expand mobile clinical training for rural health care providers.
SIM-IA delivers on-site simulation training for first responders and health care professionals across Iowa, focusing on emergency and maternal care, trauma, cardiac arrest and other high-risk situations. The funding will allow the program to reach 86 rural and urban-mixed counties at least twice per year, including one session dedicated to maternal health, a release stated.
“Wellmark believes that where you live should not determine the quality of care you receive,” said Laura Jackson, executive vice president of health improvement at Wellmark and chair of The Wellmark Foundation. “Our investment is intended to remove the barriers of cost and access to critical, hands-on training for our dedicated rural first responders and health care providers. This training instills greater confidence within care teams enabling them to respond effectively to medical emergencies and creating better patient outcomes.”
Rural communities face growing challenges, including a shortage of providers and declining access to maternal care. More than half of Iowa’s counties no longer have obstetric services, and many emergency responders lack access to clinical training.
“The SIM-IA program is transforming how health care professionals in rural Iowa practice their skills and access continuing education,” said Julie Zerwic, dean of the UI College of Nursing. “We look forward to partnering with The Wellmark Foundation to expand the program and continue bringing simulation-based education directly to communities, where we are not only improving clinical skills and emergency response, but also building stronger, more confident care teams.”
By using mobile training units, SIM-IA eliminates the need for providers to travel to centralized facilities. Training scenarios include high risk obstetrics, trauma care, cardiac arrest, maternal and infant health care, and other critical situations individual communities may experience.
One in three Iowans live in rural areas, where access to timely, high-quality care remains a critical issue, the release stated. The SIM-IA program will provide no-cost training at least twice a year in 86 rural and urban-mixed Iowa counties, including one session focused on maternal health.
It’s the Wellmark Foundation’s latest effort to invest in quality-of-life measures for rural Iowans. In May, the company announced a $5 million grant aimed at tackling the growing mental and behavioral health crisis among Iowa youth.
