Agenda
A DAY OF DIALOGUE ON DIRECT CARE WORKFORCE ISSUES
8:00 AM
Continental Breakfast
8:30 AM
Greeting
Dr. Rob Denson, President, Des Moines Area Community College
Welcome
Elisabeth Buck, Board Chair, Iowa CareGivers
Today’s Focus Areas
Fran Mancl, Iowa CareGivers Direct Care Council
8:45 AM
Panel 1: A Conversation with Local Experts
Direct care workforce issues are a priority for several state-led and other initiatives. These local experts will highlight related recommendations that may provide opportunities for collaboration among stakeholders moving forward.
Eugenia Kendall, MSW, Strategic Planning and Assessment Coordinator, Division of Aging & Disability Services, Iowa Department of Health and Human Services Recommendations on Direct Care Worker Wages and Portability of Credentials by Healthy Iowans, Iowa Solutions for Aging with Independence and Longevity (IA SAILS), Multi-Sector Plan on Aging and Disability
Shalome Tonelli, PhD, RN, Assistant Professor of Instruction, Certification Center Director, College of Nursing: The Importance of Direct Care Worker Credentialing
Greg Woods, MPH, Program Coordinator, Public Health Division, Iowa Department of Health, and Human Services: Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD) BOLD Initiative
Kathy Leggett, Business Engagement Liaison, Business Engagement, Iowa Workforce Development: Iowa’s Technical Assistance Grant, National Direct Care Workforce Strategy Center
9:30 AM
2025 Direct Care Worker Wage and Benefit Survey Key Findings
Ryan Murphy, Division Administrator, Labor Market Information Division, Iowa Workforce Development
10:00 AM
Asset Limited Income Constrained Employed (ALICE) - Poverty Thresholds
Erin Davison-Rippey, Senior Community Impact Officer, United Way of Central Iowa
10:15 AM
Break
10:30 AM
Panel 2: Far-Reaching Impact of the Direct Care Workforce
Employer Perspective, Lisa Losen, Home Care Aide Manager, Cerro Gordo Public Health
Consumer Perspective, Alex Watters, Recipient of Services
Direct Care Worker Perspective, Fran Mancl, Retired Certified Nursing Assistant and Direct Support Professional
11:30 AM
Lunch - Taco Bar by Great Caterers of Iowa
12:00 PM
Direct Care Workforce – National Environmental Scan
Stephen McCall, PHI
In Dialogue: Working Together to Improve Direct Care Worker Job Quality in Iowa
Stephen McCall is the Director of Research at PHI, where he leads the organization’s applied research to improve the quality of direct care jobs and long-term services for older adults and people with disabilities. Collaborating closely with the Research & Evaluation team and other departments, Stephen develops and oversees studies, disseminates findings, and supports PHI’s position as a national leader in direct care workforce research. Before assuming his current role, Stephen was a Senior Analyst at Altarum, where he led mixed-methods research and evaluation projects on various topics for state and federal partners. Prior to that role, Stephen spent eight years as a researcher and analyst at PHI. Stephen holds an MPA from the Marxe School of Public and International Affairs at Baruch College and a BA in Political Science and Chinese from the University of California, Berkeley.
3:00 PM
Closing, Evaluations, and Next Steps
Renee Miller, Consultant, Iowa CareGivers
