The Office of Multicultural Health became an established office by the 2006 Omnibus Bill, House File 2734, Section 76, new section 135.12. The office is located within the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH), Division of Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention.

The IDPH Office of Multicultural Health, (OMH) exists to actively promote and facilitate "health equity" for Iowa's multicultural communities. The office envisions the state of Iowa as one where there will be 100 percent health care access and zero percent health disparity for Iowa's multicultural communities.

The definition of multicultural is to be inclusive of communities of racial, ethnic and/or linguistic diversity. The mission, vision and practices of the IDPH Office of Multicultural Health are instructed by the following "truths:"

• IDPH OMH must be a public health advocate for Iowa's multicultural communities, of which many are disenfranchised or unempowered,
• IDPH OMH must provide public health leadership regarding existing or potential issues or practices that can or could affect the health status of multicultural individuals and families, immigrant and refugees in the state of Iowa,
• IDPH OMH must help create a climate of "inclusiveness" in the public health sector on state, regional, and local levels by partnering with its multicultural constituents to help them improve their collective health status,
• IDPH OMH must actively promote continuous cultural competency in health care practice and education throughout Iowa's public health care sector, and
• IDPH OMH must be allocated sustained and adequate resources to build an infrastructure that will enable it to meet its current charge and the challenges of the future.

The major program activities and areas of the IDPH OMH are education, health planning/policy development, health promotion/disease prevention, training/technical assistance, and data evaluation.

Infrastructure Building

During the 2007 Fiscal Year, IDPH OMH received funds from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Minority Health to expand capacity and build the infrastructure of a multicultural health network in Iowa. The objectives were three-fold:

• Complete a comprehensive assessment and develop a strategic plan for the IDPH OMH that will meet the health needs of Iowa's minority, immigrant, and refugee residents now and in the future. This plan was completed in 2007,
• Strengthen existing multicultural health coalitions within the public health regions in Iowa and
• Re-establish an IDPH OMH Advisory Council. This advisory council will be re-established upon the completion of the administrative rules process spring of 2008.

Strategic Planning – Key representatives from around the state helped chart a strategic map for IDPH staff and its constituents to travel during the next three to five years as the office strengthens its infrastructure and continues to meet its mission. This project plan was completed in April 2007. Statewide distribution of 500 hard copies of the plan have been made to constituents, legislators, program contractors, faith-based and community-based agencies, IDPH staff and programs. We intend to post the plan to the IDPH Web site in the spring of 2008. A second printing of the plan will take place in the summer of 2008.

Ongoing activities address strengthening multicultural health coalitions. The regional minority health coalition concept has never been implemented in Iowa; although county coalitions have been established. Both aspects of coalition building have yielded increased partnerships and network establishments that are working to achieve this goal.

The Advisory Council is expected to begin its duties in Fall 2008. Prior to the re-establishment of the council, administrative rules had to be approved by the attorney general's office and written into statute. The rules have been adopted by the state board of health, and the anticipated effective date will be July 2008. Members will be appointed by the Director of Public Health in July and the first meeting will be in late summer 2008.

Workshop and Training Programs

In response to training needs identified by statewide community-based organizations, public health programming and academic institutions, IDPH OMH provides cultural diversity, awareness, and sensitivity trainings. Topics are inclusive of, but not limited to, program evaluation, cross-cultural communication, acculturation, and barriers to health care systems and delivery of services. Technical assistance and trainings are also provided to address community partnership building, strategic planning, culturally relevant interventions, and outreach. Seventy-five activities were completed in 2007.

Impact of Program Activities on Communities/Program Evaluation

August 2007 IDPH OMH held a two-day cultural competency training with Jose Reyes, Ed.D, for IDPH employees. This first-of-its-kind training allowed participants ranging from division and bureau chiefs to support staff to engage in addressing cultural awareness.

• Recruitment and retention of a diverse workforce was successful in securing a programmer for IDPH OMH. This intern is also pursuing a dual master's of public health.
  
  
• IDPH OMH developed and disseminated 500 copies of a program brochure.
  
  
• IDPH OMH secured a grant from the Region VII office, and the funds were utilized for a one-day African Americans Women's Health summit targeting females ages 14-18. For April 2008, the summit focus is STDs, HIV/AIDS education and awareness, individual skill building for risk reduction, positive self- esteem building and positive life-style choices.
  
  
• Staff serving on the Iowa Dept. of Public Health include senior staff, the Division of Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention management team, and an integrated committee.
  
  
• IDPH OMH programming is averaging one to two new community partners per month.
  
  
• Staff continue to partner with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment Center for Health Disparities on various program operations, resources and technical assistance strategies. We are on the agenda for the 2008 "Healthy Cultures-Healthy Kansas: Moving Forward" conference and will present on addressing health disparities through collaboration, commitment and creativity.
  
  
• An IDPH OMH consultant was appointed and serves as an adjunct professor for Des Moines University, teaching Public Health & Policy: Cultural Awareness, spring semester 2008, for graduate students. The consultant is also an adjunct staff member, teaching Minority Health at the University of Northern Iowa for undergraduates. In addition, the consultant serves as facilitator/training staff for Healthy Child Care Iowa, and twice a year provides cultural awareness in child care through the Iowa Training Project of Child Care Nurse Consultants.
  
  
• Staff continue to partner and maintain ongoing communication with Region VII HIV/AIDS, Women's Health, OMH, Regional Health Administrator and Deputy Regional Health Administrator staff. The relationship has been enhanced with increased communication, technical assistance, and funding and support services.
  
  
• Staff continue to serve on several advisory boards and committees that are inclusive of, but not limited to, the Global Health and Project Export advisory boards for the University of Northern Iowa, the Diversity Committee for the University of Iowa, and chair of the Iowa Minority Recruitment, Education & Advocacy on Careers in Health Network.
  
  
• In 2007 IDPH OMH staff was appointed to and serves on the National Association of State and Territorial AIDS Directors (NASTAD), African American Advisory Committee, Strategic Prioritization and Partnership Building Subcommittee.

The IDPH OMH's plan for eliminating health disparities includes the following goals, objectives, and activities that will be established for implementation:

• Implement the IDPH OMH strategic initiatives as outlined in the plan,
• Establish a multicultural health advisory council in administrative rules, and
• Create a regional IDPH OMH presence through coalition building.

 

Year	Federal	State	Private
FY 2006	$0	$0	$0
FY 2007	$72,500	$0	$0
FY 2008	$180,086.50	$0	$0

There are currently two staff persons assigned to IDPH OMH. The consultant for the office is lead staff and responsible for all program policies, procedures, technical assistance, training, and program implementation. The consultant also provides partial program coordination for the refugee health program. The consultant serves as part of the division management team and department senior staff. The office has no sustained budget funding; however the salary for the consultant staff person is funded 92 percent through the HRSA Title V block grant funding and 8 percent through HHS, Office of Refugee Resettlement funds. The Refugee Health Program is also housed within IDPH OMH and 100 percent of the Refugee Health Specialist salary is through HHS Administration of Children and Families Office of Refugee Resettlement funding.

Prepared by National Association of State Offices of Minority Health (NASOMH)