My responses below.

Kimberly Noble Piper, RNC, BS, CPH
State Genetics Coordinator
Iowa Department of Public Health
Center for Congenital and Inherited Disorders
321 E. 12th Street
Lucas State Office Building
Des Moines, IA 50319-0075
1-800-383-3826
515-281-6466
Fax: 515-242-6013
[log in to unmask]
www.idph.state.ia.us/genetics
 
 

-----Original Message-----
From: Communication for the Heartland Regional Genetics Group
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Jayne Brown
Sent: Wednesday, August 20, 2008 1:11 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Questions for Heartlanders

Dear Heartlanders:
We will be having a strategic planning meeting September 19th in Grand 
Forks. I have had members of our Genetic Advisory Committee ask what 
other states are doing for their genetic clinics. I would appreciate it 
if each of you could please answer these questions for me as soon as you

can so I can put them together for the meeting?

1. How do area states run their genetics program? (Is it through the 
department of health or are there private genetic health care providers,

or both?) The Iowa Department of Public Health holds the programs, and
contracts with other agencies, such as the University of Iowa, to
conduct the service.

2. How are your general genetic clinics formed? Do patients see only 
genetics or genetic counselors? Are the clinics multidisciplinary in 
type? If multidisciplinary, please list professionals the patients see.
Multidisciplinary - physicians (geneticists), genetic counselors,
nurses, occasionally nutritionist.

3. How do area states manage to fund assessable and available genetic 
clinics with decreasing funding? A portion of the metabolic screening
fee goes toward clinic support. Getting tighter and tighter to manage. 

4. Is there a shortage of geneticists or genetic counselors in your 
state? How does your state address the need for appointments with 
manpower shortages? Yes! We have cut back on the number of clinics
provided.

5. What is the wait time to see a geneticist? genetic counselor? Clinics
are often completely booked several months in advance, particularly in
Des Moines and at the University of Iowa. Because of this, some families
are requesting appointments in clinics further from their home in order
to be seen more quickly.
We are currently booking into January 09. 

6. What is the process of making a genetic appointment? All referrals of
patients to the genetics programs provided by the University of Iowa,
Division of
Medical Genetics, including the RGCS, are received and scheduled by
either a genetics division or pediatric department scheduler. One
individual serves as the main RGCS scheduler, but other schedulers serve
as back-up when this person is ill or on vacation, allowing for timely
scheduling through out the year. Patients/family referrals are triaged
into clinic appointments based on: the
urgency/severity of the referral, the timing of upcoming clinics in
their home region, the requests of the family and/or referring entity,
the family's willingness and/or ability to travel, and availability of
appointments in specific clinics. 

7. What is the average patients seen in a day for geneticists?  How many

genetic clinics are held in a week? Month? We have about 80 clinics a
year, with an average of 12 clients seen a day at clinics. 

8. What is the average number of patients seen in a day for genetic 
counselors? How many genetic clinics are held in a week for genetic 
counselors? Month? Same as above.


Thank you very much for taking your time in helping us as the Genetic 
Advisory Committee addresses these issues within North Dakota.
Jayne

-- 
*Jayne Brown, LSW*
Human Service Information Coordinator
Division of Medical Genetics
UND School of Medicine & Health Sciences Room 5910
501 N. Columbia Road Stop 9037
Grand Forks, ND 58202-9037
(701) 777-4276
www.medicine.nodak.edu/genetics

"Be kinder than necessary because everyone you meet is fighting some
kind of battle." 

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