WORKSAFE IOWA Occupational Medicine Associates Network: a university--community partnership in occupational safety and health.

The WORKSAFE IOWA Occupational Medicine Associates Network is a unique health care model for dispensing regional occupational medicine services in the state of Iowa, USA. WORKSAFE IOWA is an educational, informational, and consultation service of the College of Public Health at The University of Iowa. WORKSAFE IOWA includes a fee-for-service industrial hygiene program, the Occupational Medicine Associates Network, and educational and informational services. The Associates Network provides education, information, and consultation in exchange for an annual fee paid by each Associate to the university-based network. The Associates clinics provide comprehensive occupational medicine services to up to 1,500 clients through 66,000 annual clinic visits in their respective communities. The Associates Network has been financially self-sustaining over a period of 10 years, and has proven to provide valuable services to the community-based Associates, and to provide excellent training opportunities for the University students in several occupational safety and health disciplines.