The department shall do all of the following:

1. 1. Provide technical planning assistance to rural communities and counties exploring innovative means of delivering rural health services through community health services assessment, planning, and implementation, including but not limited to hospital conversions, cooperative agreements among hospitals, physician and health practitioner support, recruitment and retention of primary health care providers, public health services, emergency medical services, medical assistance facilities, rural health care clinics, and alternative means which may be included in the long-term community health services assessment and developmental plan. The department shall encourage collaborative efforts of the local boards of health, hospital governing boards, and other public and private entities located in rural communities to adopt a long-term community health services assessment and developmental plan pursuant to rules adopted by the department and perform the duties required of the department in section 135B.33.
2. 2. Provide technical assistance to assist rural communities in improving Medicare reimbursements through the establishment of rural health clinics, defined pursuant to 42 U.S.C. §1395x, and distinct part skilled nursing facility beds.

3. 3. Coordinate services to provide research for the following items:

   1. a. Examination of the prevalence of rural occupational health injuries in the state.
   2. b. Assessment of training and continuing education available through local hospitals and others relating to diagnosis and treatment of diseases associated with rural occupational health hazards.
   3. c. Determination of continuing education support necessary for rural health practitioners to diagnose and treat illnesses caused by exposure to rural occupational health hazards.
   4. d. Determination of the types of actions that can help prevent agricultural accidents.
   5. e. Surveillance and reporting of disabilities suffered by persons engaged in agriculture resulting from diseases or injuries, including identifying the amount and severity of agricultural-related injuries and diseases in the state, identifying causal factors associated with agricultural-related injuries and diseases, and indicating the effectiveness of intervention programs designed to reduce injuries and diseases.
4. 4. Cooperate with the center for agricultural safety and health established under section 262.78, the center for health effects of environmental contamination established under section 263.17, and the department of agriculture and land stewardship. The agencies shall coordinate programs to the extent practicable.
5. 5. Administer grants for farm safety education efforts directed to rural families for the purpose of preventing farm-related injuries to children.
6. 6. Coordinate with the college student aid commission to administer the health professional incentive program created in section 256.222.

Legislative findings; 94 Acts, ch 1168, §1 For transition provisions regarding elimination of primary care provider recruitment and retention endeavor under this section, see 2025 Acts, ch 120, §6 Section amended and editorially internally renumbered and redesignated

89 Acts, ch 304, §702; 90 Acts, ch 1207, §1, 2; 90 Acts, ch 1223, §18 C93, §135.13 94 Acts, ch 1168, §2 C95, §135.107 95 Acts, ch 67, §10; 96 Acts, ch 1128, §2, 3; 97 Acts, ch 23, §14; 97 Acts, ch 203, §14; 98 Acts, ch 1100, §15; 2000 Acts, ch 1058, §16, 17; 2000 Acts, ch 1140, §23 – 25; 2000 Acts, ch 1223, §20, 21; 2005 Acts, ch 89, §5; 2009 Acts, ch 41, §41; 2010 Acts, ch 1031, §396; 2010 Acts, ch 1061, §26; 2017 Acts, ch 148, §13 – 15; 2019 Acts, ch 85, §70; 2022 Acts, ch 1032, §35; 2023 Acts, ch 19, §146; 2025 Acts, ch 120, §3, 4

Referred to in §262.78, 263.17