Committees and Councils

Make life-long connections and help advance the long-term care profession. Apply to join one of our committees or councils that best fits your qualifications and interests. The application period for IHCA's 2025 committees and councils is now closed. Selected members will be notified by November 2024, with their terms beginning in January 2025. The application window for the 2026 committees and councils will open in the summer of 2025.

Committees

Care Continuum Providers Committee
  • Purpose: Serves as a dedicated group, entrusted with shaping the association’s strategy to provide robust and relevant resources for the Iowa care continuum community.
  • Membership: Comprised of members representing the care continuum sector. The Care Continuum Providers Committee chair also serves on the IHCA Strategic Planning Committee and is a member of the IHCA Board of Directors.
  • Meeting Frequency: Two times per year: spring and summer.
  • IHCA Staff Liaisons: Brent Willett, Megan Stoulil and Brandon Hagen
Public Policy Committee
  • Purpose: Provide insight and advice on the association’s legislative agenda priorities for recommendation to the IHCA Board.
  • Membership: Membership is subject to approval of the IHCA Executive Committee Chair. Special consideration for committee membership shall be given to graduates of the IHCA Executive Health Care Leadership Institute. Committee membership will be limited to 20 members per year. Includes one chair.
  • Meeting Frequency: Once a year (in July to set legislative agenda), or as needed at the request of the committee chair. The committee chair also has the ability to form task force groups to meet on special initiatives as needed.
  • IHCA Staff Liaisons: Merea Bentrott and Brandon Hagen
Strategic Planning Committee
  • Purpose: Oversee and develop organizational strategic plan recommendation for consideration by the IHCA Executive Committee and IHCA, ICAL and ICHC boards.
  • Membership: Members are comprised of the IHCA Board chair, ICAL Board chair, ICHC Board chair, Single Facility Conference chair, Multi-Facility Conference chair, Assisted Living Conference chair, Residential Care Conference chair, Care Continuum Providers Committee chair, Public Policy Committee chair, Quality Improvement Advisory Council chair, Workforce Committee chair, the Strategic Planning Committee chair and Strategic Planning Committee chair appointee. The Strategic Planning Committee chair is appointed by the Executive Committee chair and must be a member in good standing to be appointed.
  • Meeting Frequency: Three times per year: spring, summer and fall.
  • IHCA Staff Liaison: Brent Willett

Councils

Education & Competency Advisory Council
  • Purpose: Provide insight and advice on education offered by the association.
  • Membership: Membership is subject to approval of the IHCA Executive Committee chair. Council membership will be limited to 20 members per year. Includes three chairs, one from each board (IHCA, ICAL and ICHC).
  • Meeting Frequency: Three times per year, or as needed at the request of the council chair.
  • IHCA Staff Liaison: Hannah Freund
Quality Improvement Advisory Councils
  • Purpose: Provide insight and advice on the association’s quality programming.
  • Membership: The association offers two separate Quality Improvement Advisory Councils. The IHCA Quality Improvement Advisory Council is for nursing facility members, and the ICAL Quality Improvement Advisory Council is for assisted living members. Membership is subject to approval of the IHCA Executive Committee chair. Special consideration for council membership shall be given to graduates of the IHCA Executive Health Care Leadership Institute. Council membership is limited to 15 members per year. Includes one chair.
  • Meeting Frequency: Three times per year, or as needed at the request of the council chair.
  • IHCA Staff Liaison: Brenda Irlbeck

Peer Groups

Iowa Council of Activity Professionals (ICAP)
  • Purpose: To offer activity services staff education and professional growth opportunities, promote understanding of the activity professional role, encourage teamwork with other disciplines and promote effective resident activities and family/community involvement programs.
  • Membership: ICAP membership is open to any activity professional employed by an IHCA or ICAL member organization.
  • Meeting Frequency: The ICAP Steering Committee meets quarterly to discuss survey trends and education priorities. ICAP also holds quarterly networking calls, a June Activity Professional Conference and educational tracks at events throughout the year, including IHCA’s Convention.
  • How to Join: Complete this interest form.
  • IHCA Staff Liaison: Hannah Freund
IHCA Nurse Connect
  • Purpose: To offer a no-pressure environment where long-term and post-acute care nurses can network and learn from each other. IHCA Nurse Connect meetings and calls cover bite-size compliance information, hot topic education and practical learning that can be implemented the same day.
  • Membership: IHCA Nurse Connect membership is open to any nurse employed at an IHCA or ICAL member organization. Content will be geared toward directors of nursing, assistant directors of nursing, MDS coordinators, infection preventionists and nurse leaders.
  • Meeting Frequency: IHCA Nurse Connect holds monthly networking calls, as well as gatherings at IHCA’s larger educational events throughout the year, including IHCA’s Convention and Spring Education Conference.
  • IHCA Staff Liaison: Brenda Irlbeck
If you have questions about joining a committee, council or peer group, contact us at [email protected] or 800-422-3106.