As the health care reform debate continues, it is critical that Iowa’s Congressional Delegation hear from hospital leaders on the issues, especially in light of the announced cuts to hospital payments.  Over the next few weeks, Iowa Senators Tom Harkin and Chuck Grassley and their staffs will be traveling across Iowa holding listening posts and town hall meetings on health care reform.  Hospital leaders are encouraged to attend these meetings and take the opportunity to address concerns about health care reform.

It is very important for hospital leaders to attend these forums to address concerns and share ideas.  IHA has produced talking points for hospital advocates to use while addressing Iowa’s congressional delegation in these meetings.  Our health care reform hospital talking points have been updated to include the recent announcements of major cuts to Medicare.

Events hosted by Senator Grassley

Grassley is the ranking member on the Senate Finance Committee that oversees the Medicare program and other health care finance related issues.  He is not holding specific hospital meetings, but will be holding the following events:

June 30 8:15-9:15 a.m. Allamakee County Town Meeting Farmers & Merchants Savings Bank Community Room 201 West Main Street, Waukon	July 3 7:30-8:30 a.m. Marion County Town Meeting Pella Community Services Building 712 Union Street, Pella
10:45-11:45 a.m. Clayton County Town Meeting Elkader City Hall Lower Level 207 North Main Street, Elkader	10:00-11:00 a.m. Poweshiek County Town Meeting Brooklyn Public Library 306 Jackson Street, Brooklyn
1:45-2:45 p.m. Dubuque County Town Meeting Dupaco Community Credit Union 5865 Saratoga Road, Asbury	12:00-1:00 p.m. Tama County Town Meeting Renig Toledo Civic Center 1007 South Prospect Drive, Toledo

Events hosted by Senator Harkin

Harkin chairs the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee’s Prevention and Public Health Working Group charged with crafting the prevention and public health components of the health reform bill. Notice time change for Cedar Rapids.

June 29 9:00-10:00 a.m. Linn Community Health Center Medical Plaza Building- Lower Level 855 A Avenue NE, Cedar Rapids	June 30 9:30-10:30 a.m. Adair County Memorial Hospital 609 Se Kent St., Greenfield	July 1 9:00-10:00 a.m. Winneshiek Medical Center Conference Room B 901 Montgomery Street, Decorah
10:30- 11:30 a.m. (corrected) St. Luke’s Hospital 1026 A Avenue NE, Cedar Rapids	11 a.m.-noon Regional Health Services Of Howard County 235 8th Avenue West, Cresco	10:00-11:00 a.m. Denison Community Room 111 N. Main Street, Denison
12:30-1:30 p.m. (corrected) Mercy Medical Center 701 10th Street SE, Cedar Rapids	1:30- 2:30 p.m. Guthrie County Hospital Todd/ Neff Conference Room 710 N 12th Street, Guthrie Center	11:30-12:30 p.m. Crawford County Senior Center 201 S. Main Street, Denison
	2:45-3:45 p.m. Mercy Medical Center- New Hampton Health Education Center 308 N. Maple Avenue, New Hampton	11 a.m.-noon Veterans Memorial Hospital Lower Level Large Conference Room 9 40 First Street SE, Waukon
	4:00-5:00 p.m. Grape Community Hospital Cafeteria 2959 State Highway 275, Hamburg	2:00-3:00 p.m. Burgess Health Center Boardroom 1600 Diamond Street, Onawa

Attending an event? Send us your feedback

If you attend any of these events, feel free to send us your notes or feedback about what was discussed. We’d love to continue these conversations on our blog.

Content can be forwarded to Dan Royer.