GLENWOOD, Iowa — EDITOR'S NOTE: The video above is from April 27, 2021. Read more here.
An agreement between the state's largest hospital and human services department is hoping to recruit a new leader to manage the Glenwood Resource Center (GRC) and improve support of Iowans with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs).
The Iowa Department of Human Services (DHS) and University of Iowa Health Care (UIHC) announced Thursday they are partnering up to find a chief medical officer (CMO) for intellectual disabilities at the facility for those with IDDs.
DHS and UIHC say the CMO would serve as the chief physician for the center's residents and be a member of a multidisciplinary team of therapists, psychologists and Qualified Intellectual Disability Professionals (QIDPs). Another responsibility will be expanding the capacity of the community system of care to better serve Iowans with IDDs.
No timetable for the position's hiring has been given.
This comes after the U.S. Department of Justice's (DOJ) year-long investigation into the facility determined the state has a pattern of endangering GRC residents.
In April, the facility had to move seven residents out of the facility due to staffing shortages. DHS cited several reasons, including a competitive job market and the DOJ investigation.
“While we have started the transition to a community-based model of care, there are a number of elderly residents at GRC who have lived there for decades and have complex health conditions that could make transferring to a community placement difficult,” said Kelly Garcia, the director of DHS, in a press release. “To give these residents access to the high-quality care they deserve, we are seeking a CMO who is highly qualified and passionate about serving individuals with IDDs. Our agreement with UI Health Care allows us to tap into its expertise at recruiting exceptional physician leaders and maintaining high standards of quality control.”
RELATED: Changes at Glenwood Resouce Center: Iowa DHS staff now 'directly responsible' for individuals
The chair of the search committee for GRC's new leader is Kevin Glenn, MD, who is also a clinical associate professor of internal medicine at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine.
“As the state’s academic medical center, UI Health Care is committed to providing high-quality care for all Iowans, including the state’s most vulnerable populations,” Glenn said in a statement. “We are thankful for the opportunity to help DHS fill this important position. This collaborative agreement will provide the new CMO with access to a breadth of resources to support their success.”
The new GRC CMO would also have access to medical experts in every specialty, infection and quality control support, ethics consultations and more, according to DHS. The department also said it could help Iowa "develop better pipelines for future recruitment of quality medical and other health care providers, particularly in the public sector."
“Our continued and evolving partnership with the university has been vital to the stabilization of numerous services within DHS’ Mental Health and Disability Services division,” said Cory Turner, MHDS Division Administrator for Facilities. “This is yet another example of our collaboration built on a foundation of trust and rooted in clinical expertise that ensures Iowans, wherever they reside, receive the best care possible.”
UIHC is also recruiting for the Glenwood Medical Director position, and a detailed job description for that position can be found by clicking/tapping here.
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