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Council approves renewal of data-sharing agreement for community health worker program pending attorney review
Summary
Glenwood City Council approved a Business Associate Agreement renewal to support a community health worker shared between Mills and Kawadami counties, after a presentation showing preliminary data suggesting reduced ER and inpatient use among 200 people served.
Rachel Reese, director of community health, told the Glenwood City Council the city’s existing Business Associate Agreement (BAA) for the county’s community health worker (CHW) program is up for renewal and enables police, fire and public health to share limited information to coordinate care.
Reese said the CHW position — based in Mills County Public Health with a worker who coordinates referrals from police, fire, clinics and other partners — was reestablished in May after staff turnover. She described the job as connecting high-utilizers of emergency services to social supports and infrastructure (Medicaid, SNAP, disability and supportive housing) to reduce repeated emergency responses.
On program impact, Reese said preliminary analysis of 200 people who received CHW visits compares ER and inpatient visits before and after intervention and layers EMS and police data. "Preliminary what we have seen is for every dollar we spend we save $33 on the back end for that person," she said, adding the analysis is ongoing and based on current case counts.
City staff clarified a minor change in the draft BAA: an exhibit now allows disclosing patient discharge and care-coordination information among partners while remaining subject to HIPAA protections. Council moved to approve the BAA renewal "pending Matt’s review," referring to the city attorney; the motion passed on roll call.
Why it matters: The agreement preserves a formal pathway for cross-agency coordination that city and county staff say aims to reduce emergency calls and public-safety costs by addressing underlying social needs. Reese emphasized the program remains in an evidence-development phase and that staff are working to finalize evaluation metrics.
What’s next: The approval is conditional on attorney review; staff said formal execution will follow that review and continued data analysis of program outcomes.
