Representatives from Carroll County Growth Partnership (CCGP) traveled to our nation’s capital earlier this month to bring local concerns directly to elected officials and federal agencies. The contingent featured local city, county, and business leaders, who brought a variety of issues, such as support for first responders and loosening bed restrictions on critical access hospitals. CCGP Executive Director Kimberly Tiefenthaler says it is essential that the region’s officials and staffers have a person with whom to associate a concern.
Access Washington has been a part of CCGP’s, formerly the Carroll Area Development Corporation (CADC), annual planning for more than a decade. In her opinion, Tiefenthaler says support for rural healthcare providers was the most important issue on their list this year.
While no local hospitals are closing, Tiefenthaler is referencing MercyOne’s decision to shutter their Primghar facility in northwest Iowa. Often, it can take years for these visits to bear fruit. Prior trips to D.C. advocated for looser restrictions on critical access hospital (CAH) designations, which allow providers to recoup more from Medicare and Medicaid. St. Anthony Regional Hospital received that designation earlier this year, solidifying its financial position. However, Tiefenthaler says they must keep issues like that at the top of policymakers’ minds.
Featured topics aren’t always the most pressing issues. City Manager Aaron Kooiker and Mayor Jerry Fleshner brought concerns about the emerald ash borer (EAB) response as one of their topics. Communities in Iowa are faced with many of their ash trees dying due to the invasive pests, but cities and residents may not have the resources to handle the problem. Another example is support for rural emergency responders. In the past, many communities had dozens of first responders, but those numbers have dwindled in recent years due to the high time commitment and cost of maintaining licensure. Tiefenthaler says each issue the Access Washington group brought was well-received.
Tiefenthaler and Kooiker discussed their 2024 Access Washington Trip on KCIM Monday morning. The full interview is included below.
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