Q&A: Healthy Communities, Strong Economies: Why Rural Health Matters to Every Iowa Business

The health of Iowa’s rural communities may not be at the top of your next board meeting agenda. But it impacts many of the large challenges Iowa business leaders face today, from economic growth and community vitality to employee retention and workforce development.  

When people struggle to access basic services, including the health care they need, the impact extends far beyond individuals and families. It’s felt by schools, local employers and entire communities. And with one in three Iowans living in rural areas, the effects of these issues are felt across our state’s economy. 

At Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield, we work hard every day to make health care better. For us, that means more than improving health outcomes. It means helping build communities where businesses can grow, people can thrive and future generations can succeed. Through The Wellmark Foundation, we live this purpose by identifying partnerships that help remove the barriers that prevent people from living long, healthy lives.  

As someone who benefitted tremendously from growing up in rural Iowa, I have a lot of passion for the work we do. And with National Rural Health Day coming up in November, I wanted to share a few questions I hear most often and why the answers matter to every Iowa business leader. 

Why does rural health matter, and what challenges are communities facing? 

Let’s start here: Where someone lives should not determine how long — or how well — they live. 

For the one in three Iowans living in a rural community, there is no single challenge. Rural communities face a combination of issues that often intersect: Nutritious food can be hard to find. Behavioral health services may be limited. Maternity care options continue to shrink. Some families must travel hours for specialty care. And many hospitals and first responders are stretched thin. These gaps make it harder for rural residents to live well every day.  

At Wellmark, we know that good health starts well before someone enters a doctor's office. Research shows that many of the factors influencing health happen where people live, learn, work and play ​(American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 2016)​. If we're serious about creating thriving communities that enable a strong and healthy workforce, we must also be serious about helping communities address the conditions that shape health in the first place. 

Why is Wellmark involved in improving community health?

As Iowa's leading health insurer, we see every day how health is shaped by far more than what happens in a doctor’s office ​(KFF, 2024)​. Access to affordable, high-quality care matters, but so do education, economic opportunity and local community resources. If we want health care to cost less, we, as Iowans, need to use less of it – because we’re staying healthy.  

Working to improve these factors is incredibly complex, and no one organization can solve them alone. Lasting progress requires meaningful collaboration and that's where The Wellmark Foundation plays an important role. While Wellmark works to improve health care coverage, The Wellmark Foundation focuses on breaking down barriers to good health across Iowa. Our approach is not to dictate solutions. It's to use data to identify opportunities where strategic investments and strong partnerships can help create sustainable improvements. 

What does investment in rural health look like in action?

One example we are especially proud of is The Wellmark Foundation's School-Centered Behavioral Health Grant program, designed to support the state’s long-term behavioral health strategy. 

Behavioral health needs among Iowa's youth continue to rise, and rural families often face the steepest barriers. The goal of the grant is simple: remove barriers to much needed care for Iowa’s youth by meeting them where they are. In its first year, the program supported access to behavioral health care to more than 33,400 students across 37 rural Iowa school districts. 

The impact is already evident, and it doesn’t stop at the school doors. Kim Buryanek, superintendent at Denison Community School District, told us, “This truly is a multi-generational impact that The Wellmark Foundation is having. Not only is the child who is sitting in the classroom benefitting, but also the families are as well. And then if you think about the child who now has those coping skills, they’re going to grow up to be an adult in the community that is successful.” 

That’s why this work matters. Behind every statistic is a child who now has support they need and the opportunity to thrive well into the future. 

Why are partnerships essential to improving rural health?

True progress happens when strengths come together — health care, education, business, philanthropy and government, all focused on stronger communities and healthier outcomes for Iowans. 

Take Simulation in Motion-Iowa (SIM-IA). In partnership with the University of Iowa College of Nursing, The Wellmark Foundation is helping bring mobile, hands-on clinical training to rural hospitals, emergency medical services teams and first responders at no cost. These efforts equip rural health care providers with the training and resources they need to deliver high-quality care close to home, helping create a safer community. 

Another example is The Wellmark Foundation's support of the Iowa Perinatal Quality Care Collaborative. This public-private partnership will help Iowa birthing hospitals, especially those with fewer resources, strengthen participation in statewide programs that improve care for mothers and newborns. These efforts aim to make sure every mother and child in Iowa have the best possible start, no matter where they live. 

Why should Iowa businesses care about rural health? 

Because rural health isn’t separate from business success, and healthy communities power a strong economy. 

Access to quality health care services and community resources influences employee well-being, productivity, attendance, retention and the long-term strength of the workforce pipeline.  

Investments in removing barriers to good health also drive opportunity for the next generation. The School-Centered Behavioral Health Grant program is helping students get support earlier, giving them a stronger foundation for success both in and out of the classroom.  

As Central Decatur Community School District PK-6 Principal Amy Whittington said, "Ultimately, our whole community benefits. For many of our students, when they graduate from Central Decatur, they stay in this area. So, we’re making our community stronger by that early investment in supports for students." 

When businesses support healthy communities, they support Iowa’s future. That’s why Wellmark’s mission and the work of The Wellmark Foundation are so closely tied — to help more Iowans live long, healthy lives and keep our communities strong for generations. 

With National Rural Health Day around the corner, it’s a good reminder that rural health is everyone’s business. Together, we can remove barriers so where you live never determines how well you live. 

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Wellmark, Inc., and The Wellmark Foundation are independent licensees of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association 

​​References 

​​County Health RankingsCarlyn M. Hood, M. M., Keith P. Gennuso, P., Geoffrey R. Swain, M. M., & Bridget B. Catlin, P. M. (2016, February). American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Volume 50, Issue 2, pp. p129-135. 

​KFF. (2024). Market Share and Enrollment of Largest Three Insurers – Large Group Market. Retrieved from www.kff.org: https://www.kff.org/state-health-policy-data/state-indicator/market-share-and-enrollment-of-largest-three-insurers-large-group-market/?currentTimeframe=0&sortModel=%7B%22colId%22:%22Location%22,%22sort%22:%22asc%22%7D