For those direct care workers or health facility employees who are interested in or required to take ongoing training, you will find some helpful information and links for some of that training here.
OASIS stands for “Outcome and Assessment Information Set” as a group of data elements. Medicare and Medicaid use OASIS data sets as an important piece in assessments for adult home care patients and to help measure patient outcomes. Over many years and pieces of clinical research, the OASIS system has been refined to help health providers accurately assess and measure outcomes for their patients.
If you are interested in learning more, OASIS 101 classes provide a basic review of CMS guidance on how to complete OASIS data required by Medicare and Medicaid. If you work in the home health care field in any capacity, this training would be beneficial. In Iowa, only the staff of home health agencies are offered OASIS training.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, all scheduled OASIS training will be held virtually via Google Meet until further notice.
Register for an OASIS Training
The OASIS course is geared toward home health clinicians new to OASIS, or as a refresher course for anyone working with OASIS. The one-day training will go over the clinical aspects of OASIS and review CMS OASIS and CoP guidance related to OASIS and comprehensive assessments. There is no cost for the class.
Several training sessions have been scheduled for 2021. All classes are scheduled to run 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (course is one day only). More specific training details will be sent to contacts or participants prior to the session.
- March 16
- March 18
- April 20
- April 22
- May 18
- May 20
- June 22
- June 24
To register, please send an email containing the date of the training you would like to attend, your name, title, place of work and email address to Iowa.OASIS@dia.iowa.gov.
Your name will be added to the class roster. Closer to the training date you will receive two emails from Maribeth Freland, OASIS education coordinator, one inviting you to the Google meeting and the second giving you information related to the training with handouts needed for the training.
Please note that if you have not received an email back regarding registration of staff DO NOT assume your staff are registered. If you don’t receive an email confirming registration within a week you will need to send a follow up email to Iowa.OASIS@dia.iowa.gov to confirm registration.
Cancellation requirements: If you need to cancel the registration for any of your participants please notify Iowa.OASIS@dia.iowa.gov immediately so those spots may be opened up to other participants.
For questions regarding OASIS training, including questions about course content and future scheduling requests, please contact Maribeth Freland, OASIS education coordinator, at 515.669.6236 or Iowa.OASIS@dia.iowa.gov.
In 2019, HF 731 modified the requirements for mandatory reporter training for child and dependent adult abuse. The Iowa Department of Human Services now provides online training for free. The AEA provides the same trainings online for a fee. Visit the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners website for more information.
Iowa's community colleges offer training for individuals interested in becoming certified nursing assistants (CNAs). The colleges offer both classroom studies and hands-on clinical training. Written and skills tests also are provided by the schools for anyone interested. Contact information as well as links for the course and testing information for each community college are provided below by the Iowa Association of Community College Trustees. If testing availability does not suit a potential CNA's schedule, they may contact their nearest community college for other options.
Successful completion of both tests is required to be placed on the Iowa Direct Care Worker Registry (DCW). If a potential CNA does not pass either one of the tests in three attempts, the 75-hour course and tests must be retaken.
Click the name of the school to be linked to the college's CNA program information.
Northwest Iowa Community College
603 West Park Street
Sheldon, Iowa 51201-1046
Julie Paulsen | jpaulsen@nwicc.edu | 712.324.5061 | 800.352.4907 ext. 264 | FAX: 712.324.4136
Northeast Iowa Community College
1625 Highway 150 South, Box 400
Calmar, Iowa 52132
Darla Butikofer | butikoferd@nicc.edu | 844.642.2338 ext. 1177
Jomarie Scholtes | scholtes@nicc.edu | 844.642.2338 ext. 6905
Town Clock Business Center
680 Main Street, Suite 100
Dubuque, Iowa 52001
Charissa Wegemann | wegmannch@nicc.edu or 844.642.2338, ext. 3106
Iowa Lakes Community College
3200 College Drive
Emmetsburg, Iowa 50536
Dawn Kollasch | dkollasch@iowalakes.edu | 712.852.5227 | FAX: 712.852.5324
Western Iowa Tech Community College
4647 Stone Avenue
Sioux City, Iowa 51106
Mary Steinhauer | Mary.Steinhauer@witcc.edu | 712.274.8733 ext. 1471 | FAX: 712.274.6412
Kerry Patchin | Kerry.patchin@witcc.edu | 712.274.8733 ext. 2733 or 800.352.4649 ext. 2733 | FAX: 712.274.6412
Debbie Rodriguez | Debbie.Rodriguez@witcc.edu | 712.274.8733 ext. 2151 | FAX: 712.274.6412
North Iowa Area Community College
500 College Drive
Mason City, Iowa 50401
Lorna Zrostlik | lorna.zrostlik@niacc.edu | 641.422.4437 | FAX: 641.423.1711
Dena Ketelsen | dena.ketelsen@niacc.edu | 641.422.416 | FAX: 641.423.1711
Iowa Central Community College
One Triton Circle
Fort Dodge, Iowa 50501
Brenda Larsen | 800.362.2793 or 515.574.1330 | FAX: 515.574.1321
Iowa Valley Community College
3702 South Center Street
Marshalltown, Iowa 50158
Jon Nunez | Jon.Nunez@iavalley.edu | 641.844.5656 | FAX: 641.752.1692
Julie Thomas | Julie.Thomas@iavalley.edu | 641.752.4645 | FAX: 641.752.1692
Indian Hills Community College
525 Grandview Avenue
Ottumwa, Iowa 52501
Lori Reeves | 641.683.5337 or 800.726.2585 ext. 5337 | FAX: 641.683.5296
Hawkeye Community College
120 Jefferson Street
Waterloo, Iowa 50701
Melissa Smith | melissa.smith@hawkeyecollege.edu | 319.277.2490 or 319.296.2329, ext. 3004 | FAX: 319.266.6772
Southeastern Community College
1500 West Agency Road, Box 180
West Burlington, Iowa 52655-0180
Alicia Anderson | aanderson1@scciowa.edu | 319.208.5278 or 319.752.2731 ext. 5278 | FAX: 319.208.5005
Iowa Western Community College
2700 College Road, Box 54-C
Council Bluffs, Iowa 51502-3004
Rhonda Casson | rcasson@iwcc.edu | 712.325.3259 | FAX: 712.325.3271
Wendy Hunter Williams | 712.325.3357 | FAX: 712.325.3271
Des Moines Area Community College
2006 South Ankeny Boulevard
Ankeny, Iowa 50023
Registration Phone: 800.342.0033 or 515.964.6800
Tammy Steinwandt | tjsteinwandt@dmacc.edu | 515.256.4906
Melissa Simmons | mlsimmons3@dmacc.edu | 515.256.4908
Kirkwood Community College
6301 Kirkwood Boulevard SW
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52404
Kimberly Klein | Kimberly.klein@kirkwood.edu | 319.398.4970 | FAX: 319.398.7741
Eastern Iowa Community College
101 West Third Street
Davenport, Iowa 52801
Registration phone number: 563.441.4100
Debbie Ludvigsen | daludvigsen@eicc.edu | 563.336.3454 | FAX: 563.336.3350
Southwestern Iowa Community College
1501 West Townline Street
Creston, Iowa 50801
Janet Wuebker | wuebker@swcciowa.edu | 641.782.1445 or 800.247.4023 ext. 445 | FAX: 641.782.1334
