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LEADERSHIP AGENDA

ECONOMIC INDICATORS

DEPARTMENT PERFORMANCE

DEPARTMENT PERFORMANCE

Inspections and Appeals

Rod Roberts, Director

Mission Statement:
To fairly and impartially investigate, regulate, inspect and adjudicate to ensure efficient government, compliance with the law and protection of the health, safety, welfare and economic well-being of Iowans.

Measures:
Timeliness of Administrative Contested Case Decisions
Collecting Misspent Public Assistance
Addressing Nursing Facility Deficiencies
Making Sure Restaurant Food is Safe
Immediate Jeopardy Complaints and Incident Investigations Substantiated within Timeframe
DIA-DHS Pre-eligibility Investigations Completed Timely

Inspections & Appeals

•  Performance Plan
•   Strategic Plan
•   Performance Report

Why this is important:
This measure shows how the Department of Inspections and Appeals ensures recipients are afforded a timely due process for adverse actions taken by state departments.


What we're doing about this:
Improvements have been made in the scheduling and decision-issuance processes to ensure time delays are minimized or eliminated.

Why this is important:
This measure shows the results of the efforts by the department to recover money for the state and federal government from ineligible persons receiving benefit programs. In most cases, the recovered amount goes back into the benefit program to be used to provide benefits for eligible persons.


What we're doing about this:
The department continues to explore effective and efficient collection methods in collaboration with the Department of Human Services.

Why this is important:
This measure shows the results of how the department's efforts in conducting regular surveys helps nursing facilities identify any areas for improvement and make those improvements to provide high quality care for the residents.


What we're doing about this:
During the survey process, DIA surveyors review a facility's compliance with state and federal guidelines. A report is provided to the facility of the final findings. The facility is able to use this information to improve the health, safety and security for residents. In many facilities, these improvements result in becoming deficiency-free.

Why this is important:
There are several illnesses related to food establishments. Consistently inspecting the establishments that are the highest risk increases the safety of the public.


What we're doing about this:
A risk-based system has been established for the timeliness of inspections of food establishments. Those at the highest level of risk (Tier 5) will be conducted annually. This risk-based system was put in place in April of 2011. In Fiscal Year 2015, it was changed from a 3 Tier system to a 5 Tier system and Tier 5 went from inspections twice per year to annually.

Why this is important:
This measure shows the results of the department's complaint unit investigations into complaints made by the public.


What we're doing about this:
The department provides a toll-free number for concerned citizens to call to report problems in health care facilities. Once received the complaints are investigated, and the findings of these investigations are posted on our website for review.

Why this is important:
Preventing the up-front payment of public assistance benefits to ineligible persons saves the state money and provides greater availability of resources for eligible persons.


What we're doing about this:
On October 15, 2012, DIA and DHS started a new pre-eligibility investigation process to determine if an applicant is eligible for the applied benefits. This process will stop public assistance money from being paid out to applicants who are not eligible for the public assistance. The new process allows for a shorter turnaround time that allows for verification of information before benefits are started.

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