The federal government is sending the Iowa Department of Public Health nearly $8.4 million over the next four years to continue work on a plan to share medical records. Health Department director, Tom Newton, says the money will help them move ahead with the work of the electronic health information advisory committee created by the legislature in 2008.

He says they will use the money to plan and begin to implement a system where multiple providers can share health information electronically. Newton says the idea is to pull all the different medical providers together so they can share in one system.

Newton says independent providers have the ability to share records in their system, but the problem comes when you go from one health system to another to get your health care.

“Often times those are technical problems, sometimes they’re legal problems as to what level of detail they are willing to share, sometimes it’s competitive problems, you know, patients are customers,” Newton explains. Newton says the eventual goal is to create a system that addresses all the problems, and shows the health providers the benefits to the patients in sharing their health records.

According to Newton, the sharing of records across health systems improves the quality of care, and has the potential to decrease the cost of health care. The money from the stimulus package is for four years, and Newton says that likely won’t be enough to complete the system.

Newton says the federal government has identified some possible incentives for providers through Medicare and Medicaid and that extends out beyond 2014. He guesses that it will take five to 10 years to get the system moving forward.

Newton says they will be looking for other sources of money to eventually finish the “e-Health project.” You can find out more information on the project through the Department of Public Health’s website .

The Iowa Association of School Boards isn’t facing insolvency, but a lawyer who’s been hired to sort out the group’s affairs says some association services may be scaled back.  Des Moines attorney Nolden Gentry was hired last week after a series of financial irregularities came to light, including a salary for the group’s executive director that was not approved by the association’s board of directors.

“We will do everything we can to make certain that there’s no interruption in service,” Gentry says. 

The association manages a wide array of services, like helping school districts form foundations for private fundraising and helping schools obtain school bus insurance.

Representative Vicki Lensing, a Democrat from Iowa City, says the Iowa Association of School Boards’ board of directors should have seen “red flags” that something was going wrong in the same way things were mismanaged at the Central Iowa Employment and Training Consortium where top managers were overpaid and have been sentenced to jail for their financial misdeeds.

“Some of us who went through this with CIETC, it’s like you think something is made pretty clear, you take for granted that’s going to happen,” Lensing says.

Lensing is co-chair of the Legislative Oversight Committee.  The panel held another hearing today, asking questions of the lawyer and private auditors who’ve been trying to sort through financial records for the Iowa Association of School Boards.  C.P.A. Ted Lodden and his auditing firm have been reviewing the group’s accounts for five years and he says it’s been hard to judge just how deep the association’s “financial crisis” may be because they’re still sifting through and trying to find documents.

“Let me say this:  certainly things are not great,” Lodden told legislators this morning.  “It’s sort of a combination of a perfect storm.”

Lodden cites stock market losses for the association’s investments, along with some of the group’s management problems. Lodden’s auditing firm estimates a for-profit business that’s owned by the Iowa Association of School Boards has a $2.4 million operating loss.  Outside bond attorneys are owed another $2 million in connection with an investment service the association runs.

A group of state leaders chaired by Iowa Governor Chet Culver is calling on Congress to adopt new national standards for renewable energy. The Governors’ Wind Energy Coalition wants Congress to mandate ten-percent of America’s electricity be renewable by 2012. Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says that’s aiming a little high.

Senator Grassley says he’s supported what are referred to as renewable portfolio standards in the past, but not necessarily at that percentage or by that year. Grassley, a Republican, says wind energy is growing in popularity, but the mandate the governors are calling for is too high.

“Probably not ten-percent by 2012,” Grassley says, “I don’t think that that’s possible but I surely think 15% by 2020 is possible.” Culver is among 29 governors who signed a letter to President Obama, requesting the renewable energy mandate. Reports say Iowa already gets up to 20% of its electricity from the wind.

A group of state lawmakers used strong language to describe their frustration with alleged financial misdeeds at the Iowa Association of School Boards.

A lawyer and a C.P.A. who’ve been trying to unravel the organization’s financial records testified late this afternoon before the Legislative Oversight Committee.  Senator Rich Olive, a Democrat from Story City who is the committee’s chairman, kicked off a question-and-answer session with this pointed statement.

“Iowans and this committee are pissed that this went on and that’s the truth,” Olive said.  “We are not happy that suddenly we have to call people into (the) Oversight (Committee) to look into the misuse of taxpayer dollars.” 

The association’s executive director increased her own pay, without approval from her board of directors, and she also boosted the salaries of three of her top lieutenants.  The association’s board of directors placed her on paid administrative leave last week and the auditor who’s been trying to sort through the group’s records says her explanation of her own pay hike doesn’t “jibe” with the facts.  Senator Tom Courtney, a Democrat from Burlington who is a member of the Legislative Oversight Committee, called the organization’s top managers “no more than common thieves” and Courtney warned his colleagues that he was “burned up” about the situation.

“We spend over $3 billion a year in this state on education and these people found a way to steal some of it,” Courtney said.  “…This is outrageous.  I hope the FBI gets involved.  I hope they all wind up in prison.  I hope they’re there for a hundred years.  This is ridiculous.”

Representative Deborah Berry, a Democrat from Waterloo, was among the last Oversight Committee members who spoke during today’s 90 minute meeting. ”First of all, I want you to know how I feel about this whole situation. It’s exactly how Senator Courtney feels, so I’m glad he got it out and I can look like a lady today,” Berry said, as some other members of the committee laughed. 

C.P.A. Ted Lodden delivered a timeline to the committee, revealing that after months of review his firm is still unable to fully account for some of the association’s financial transactions between July 1, 2008 and June 30, 2009.  He suggests the executive director’s explanation of her significant salary increase makes “no sense” to him. Lodden also warned legislators that the Iowa Association of School Boards is in danger of losing its tax-exempt status.

“In retrospect you’re probably sitting there, like I am, saying ‘This is the strangest thing that I’ve ever been through in my entire career,’ and I can honestly tell you that,” Lodden said.  “This is very, very strange.  I’ve never run into this before and I hope I never do again.” 

Attorney Nolden Gentry and his law firm were hired by the association’s board of directors last week to try to sort out the situation.  Gentry told lawmakers there is no one working at the association today who can help answer many key questions.  Two top administrators have serious health problems and the board of directors has asked the group’s executive director to stay out of the office while her conduct is being investigated.  Gentry told legislators he’d answer as many questions of their questions as he could.

“We understand the seriousness of this matter and want to cooperate fully with you,” Gentry told lawmakers. 

Gentry’s law firm has been contacted by an F.B.I. agent about the case.  Earlier today, Governor Culver hinted a state-level criminal  investigation may be underway.

“Obviously we’re very concerned with that situation,” Culver said of IASB.  “We are relying primarily on the attorney general’s office to investigate and determine any criminal wrongdoing.”

Culver made his comments during a question-and-answer session today with statehouse reporters.  One reporter asked Culver is he had “faith” in the IASB right now.

“No, and I doubt that Iowans do given the seriousness of these allegations,” Culver replied.

About 500 students participating in the “Jobs for America’s Graduates” program in Iowa are at the statehouse today, along with managers of the program, to ask legislators to continue state funding for the effort. The program helps students who’re in danger of dropping out of school, but Laurie Phelan, president of Iowa Jobs for America’s Graduates, says the budget draft legislators have developed doesn’t provide any state support for the program.

“Our goal in working with the governor and our legislators — and all the students are here for that reason — is to help get that restored in the budget,” Phelan says. Former Des Moines County Recorder Marilyn Monroe serves on the board of directors for the Iowa Jobs for America’s Graduates program. She says 93 percent of students who participate in the program graduate, which is higher than the statewide average graduation rate of 88 percent.

“We are very proud of what we do for Iowa and the education system,” Monroe says. Over a thousand students from 27 Iowa high schools are currently participating in the program, being linked with Iowa businesses where they learn job skills. Jeremy Schoen (SHAYN, like Shane), a senior at Des Moines East High School, has been in the program for two years, getting help from Cargill along the way with plant tours and advice about how to write a resume.

“Because of Cargill, I now know the importance of how one soybean farmer can change the fate of many businesses,” he said during a statehouse news conference. “I would take pride in my work if I were an employee of Cargill.” The Iowa Jobs for America’s Graduate program has raised about $340,000 from private businesses to go along with state and federal funding for the current year. Governor Culver has recommended that the program get $540,000 in state resources for the next budgeting year.

Democratic Governor Chet Culver is again urging legislators to provide an additional $347 million to Iowa’s K-through-12 public schools.  In January, Culver called on legislators to approve a two percent increase in general aid to those public schools, along with an additional $100 million to help fill some budget holes.

“I have no reason to believe that leadership will not comply with that budget request,” Culver says. “But I just think it is critically important that I make it crystal clear that these public schools across our state are relying on this additional funding.”

Senate Democratic Leader Mike Gronstal of Council Bluffs said Friday legislators will probably provide slightly more than the governor has recommended. ”We will be at least at the governor’s level.  A lot of school districts are talking about what if we’re not at the governor’s level when it comes to funding for K-through-12 education and that’s really pretty unrealistic,” Gronstal said Friday on “Iowa Press” on IPTV.  “We are, of course, at a minimum going to be at the governor’s level and we are working with the governor to try and identify resources to get beyond his level.” 

School officials throughout the state have been publicizing a variety of proposed layoff plans for teachers and staff.  Legislators haven’t made a final decision on the matter. But — according to Gronstal — lawmakers will likely embrace Culver’s general education spending proposal, along with Culver’s call for an additional $100 million allotment to help schools deal with the budget crunch.

“I think we’ll reach just a little bit further than that,” Gronstal said on IPTV.  “I think that’s better than what school districts are expecting right now.” 

Culver spoke this morning at an education-related event at the statehouse and he used the occasion to pass out a document which lists how much more state support every Iowa school district would get under his spending plan.

“I think it’s important that we let the public know, let our constituents know and, in particular, these school districts that we hear their concern loudly and clearly and that we are trying to be responsive to their needs at the local level,” Culver said.  “And these additional funds are going to go a long way to help keep teachers employed.” 

Culver publicly accepted a  $50,000 donation today for the Iowa Jobs for America’s Graduates program.  Cargill’s check will help more students enroll in the program which currently serves students from 27 Iowa high schools.

Education Secretary Arne Duncan listens during a forum in Cedar Rapids.

The U.S. Education Secretary says it’s time for an overhaul of the “No Child Left Behind” law.   “We want every child to have a chance to fulfill their great potential,” U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan said Sunday in Cedar Rapids.

Duncan made stops in Cedar Rapids and Des Moines Sunday to discuss some of the reform ideas he’ll present to congress today. ”I think the past law was too punitive, was too prescription and actually led to a lowering of the bar, a lowering of expectations,” Duncan said. 

 ”We want to have a high bar.  We want to reward success and we want to really increase local control and flexibility and we think the great ideas are always going to come at the local level.” 

Under current “No Child Left Behind” standards, schools are judged based on how many students in a school reach or exceed certain test scores. Duncan’s agency reports 13 states have lowered their standards for math, reading and science in order to meet the testing goals. Duncan’s new proposal calls for shifting away from solely measuring whether students are performing at their particular grade level.  Instead, states will be encouraged to adopt new standards that judge whether students are prepared for college or a career.  The Obama Administration is encouraging states to adopt a common set of standards, too.

“I think Iowa should be very proud of its education system.  There’s a lot that’s going right here, but we all want to continue to get better,” Duncan said in Cedar Rapids. “We all want to continue support more talent coming into education, do a better job of keeping great teachers in the classroom.”

Iowa Senator Tom Harkin leads the Senate committee that will begin hearings this week on the changes Duncan is outlining. ”We’re not going to have sound economic recovery, sustainable economic recovery in this country unless we focus on education,” Harkin said Sunday in Cedar Rapids.

Later today Duncan will formally present congress with a “blueprint” for revising “No Child Left Behind.” It includes a recommendation for getting rid of the “No Child Left Behind” name for the law, as well as new teacher evaluations and removing some teacher benefits that are based on seniority.

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder is in Ankeny today along with U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack for a discussion of competition and regulation in agriculture. Holder opened the discussion today on the Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) campus by calling the meeting a “milestone”

Holder says he doesn’t use the word milestone lightly, but he says it’s been 100 years since the Sherman Antitrust Act became law and nearly 90 years since the Pakers and Stockyard Act entered the books. He says in that time the Department of Justice and Department of Agriculture have never come together to discuss competition in the ag industry.

Today’s forum is one of five workshops the former Iowa Governor Vilsack has set up on the issue. Vilsack says they don’t know what specific action might come out of the discussion. Vilsack says they have to be careful to predetermine what result from the workshops. “Certainly they will inform our regulatory process as we continue our work to reinforce the Packers and Stockyard Act for example, as we deal with the farm bill requirements of defining undue preferences and unfair practices,” Vilsack says, “and I think it will also help and assist us in preparing for discussions of the 2013 farm bill.

Holder says his presence with the Ag Secretary shows the commitment to addressing the issues. He says it shows the administration is committed to using all the tools it has to look at the problems that exist in the agricultural sector and to alleviate those problems. “To make sure that we see fairness, that we see transparency, that were are appropriately aggressive, that we don’t stifle innovation,” Holder said. Vilsack says the discussion is all part of the effort to revitalize rural America.

Vilsack says there are a lot of issues they are dealing with regarding rural development and this is a component. He says if the system is not fair and not making it easier for mid-size operations to stay in business, and therefore is leading to further declines in the number of farmers, then it is something they need to address. Vilsack says rural American has been in a recession long before the rest of the country.

He says that’s why rural populations are declining, the population is aging, has less education, less per-capita income and higher poverty and unemployment rates. Vilsack says the workshop allows them to shine the spotlight on the problems in rural areas. Holder says the Justice Department will take action when wrongdoing is found and cited a recent Wisconsin lawsuit over a monopoly in the milk industry. Holder’s assistant also confirmed there is an investigation in to “potentially anticompetative practices” in the seed industry.

The rain and melting snow have turned many of Iowa’s rural roads into a muddy mess. Some secondary roads in western Iowa are impassable. Carroll County Engineer Dave Paulson, who’s in charge of maintaining around 800 miles of gravel roads, says the main problem in his county is with potholes.

“In other places we have some ruts beginning to form. Maybe they were caused by heavier vehicles breaking through what crust there is yet,” Paulson said. “The frost seems to be in the middle of the road and that seems to be saving us right now from the roads rutting.” Shelby County Road Foreman Mike Kienast says there’s not much road crews can do to fix the gravel roads until it stops raining.

“If it keeps staying like this, you tear up roads just to get to a bad spot and then you have more roadway to repair. So, we’re kind of on hold right now,” Kienast said. There are more than 66,000 miles of gravel roads in Iowa. Richard Hansen helps maintain 650 miles of gravel surfaces as the assistant engineer in Cass County. He says there are a few spots that are too muddy for some vehicles.

“We have one or two areas where you definitely need a four-wheel drive vehicle to get through things,” Hansen said. “It’s just muddy and the more traffic that’s out there…it’s just getting worse until we get some sunshine.” Hansen says a little sun and wind will dry the mud and allow crews to blade the road and lay down some new gravel. He says farmers can help out by waiting for drier weather to haul heavy loads of grain or livestock.

Cedar Rapids city leaders say they’ll request Congress fully-fund permanent flood protection regardless of whether the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recommends it. Initial results show the Corps will not back the city’s preferred flood protection plan, which is a series of walls and levees to protect against the level of the historic June 2008 flood. Ron Fournier  is a spokesman for the Corps’ Rock Island district.

“We have not fully developed all the alternatives or the economics of those alternatives,” Fournier says. “We hope to have those available late June or early July when we will have a public meeting here in the city to discuss those findings.” Congress can approve building flood protection without the Corps’ recommendation. Cedar Rapids City Manager Jim Prosser says the community will ask for complete funding regardless of the study’s outcome.

Prosser says, “It might be that the Corps’ project would just provide approval or support for a portion but it is our intention to seek funding for the full plan.” The Corps is completing its study in a shorter timeframe than usual because Congress might consider special legislation to fund flood protection projects throughout the country this year.