USDA is also announcing $18.4 million for nearly 200 REAP projects in Iowa

DES MOINES — Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds promoted apprenticeship programs after getting an up-close look at one at Broadlawns Medical Center in Des Moines on Thursday.

According to Reynolds, the Broadlawns program has 80 apprentices with a goal of enrolling up to 220. The program exposes Iowans to potential health care careers.

“There is such a need for a health workforce right now,” Reynolds said at a news conference after a tour of Broadlawns and the program that was closed to the media. “We all know how effective apprenticeships can be.”

Iowa ranks 45th in the nation for patient-to-physician ratio, and 97 of the state’s 99 counties are classified as health care professional shortage areas, according to the American Medical Association.

And a 2021 survey from the Iowa Health Care Association found that nearly 19 percent of long-term care facilities in Iowa are facing a staffing crisis, and another 50 percent said their staffing situation is “worrisome.”

Maria Morgan, chief administrative officer at Broadlawns, said the teaching hospital is proud of the apprenticeship program, which she said produces health professionals working in Iowa.

Reynolds said the state has invested $16 million over the past three years in programs focused on health care careers. She said she has produced more than 380 apprentices, with nearly 100 expected to receive certifications by the end of this year.

She also noted recently passed legislation that created the Iowa Office of Apprenticeships within Iowa Workforce Development.

USDA awards $18 million to REAP projects in Iowa

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced $18.4 million through the Rural Energy for America Program, or REAP, for nearly 200 projects in Iowa to reduce costs for rural agricultural producers and small business owners.

The awards include a $500,000 grant to install a new, more efficient oil recovery system at Elite Octane, an Atlantic ethanol producer; $260,000 for a solar array at the Bottlebrush Swine hog and pig production farm near Garner; and $100,000 for a solar array at Polasheks Locker Service’s meat processing facility in Protivin.

“All of these projects funded today shine a light on how the promise of clean, reliable and renewable energy can be fulfilled for Iowans,” USDA Iowa State Director of Rural Development Theresa Greenfield said in a news release.

“USDA is delivering on the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to increase access to clean energy sources and lower costs for Iowa farmers, small businesses and families.”

A list of all REAP project awards can be found at

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