Healthy Homes Des Moines receives national recognition
BUSINESS RECORD STAFF Apr 5, 2018 | 4:23 pm
2 min read time
388 wordsAll Latest News, Arts and CultureHealthy Homes Des Moines, an initiative to improve the health of low-income families in Des Moines, has received national recognition from the Green & Healthy Homes Initiative and the Center for Healthcare Strategies.
The Des Moines program received one of two awards for pro bono technical assistance from the nonprofit Green & Healthy Homes, which works to address the link between unhealthy housing and unhealthy children. The award is one part of the nonprofit’s National Initiative for Asthma Reimbursement, which seeks to both increase the number of quality comprehensive asthma programs and the number of health plans serving Medicaid populations and/or state Medicaid programs that reimburse for these services.
Initially funded in June 2015 by a $250,000 matching BUILD Health Challenge grant, Healthy Homes Des Moines leverages funding and in-kind services from health systems and social service agencies to educate low-income families, help renovate their homes and provide medical services in areas of the city identified as having the highest rate of asthma-related emergency room visits in Central Iowa.
To date, the program has educated 151 Des Moines families, provided supplies for 148, and repaired 49 homes through projects such as replacing leaky plumbing and old carpet and providing high-efficiency vacuum cleaners. Initial tracking suggests that the children of these families experienced a 74 percent decrease in emergency room visits, six more symptom-free days every month, and reduced school and work absences for the children and their family members.
The initiative represents a broad collaboration among the Polk County Housing Trust Fund, Polk County Health Department, Mercy Medical Center, Broadlawns Medical Center, UnityPoint Health, the city of Des Moines, Viva East Bank, the Mid-Iowa Health Foundation, Visiting Nurse Services of Iowa, Polk County Public Works and Des Moines Public Schools.
“We’ve long known housing and health are tied when it comes to creating safer and healthier environments,” said Eric Burmeister, executive director of the Polk County Housing Trust Fund. “However, it’s one thing to be successful, and it’s another to be sustainable.
“As obvious as the results are for how this program saves money within the health care system and improves the lives of children and families, it really takes the focused effort and guidance of experts to help secure payment contracts with entities such as Medicaid and insurance companies. The timing for this award is perfect.”