Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, announced June 15 that the University of Iowa will receive a Health Care Innovation award.

The award — made possible through the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act — will help improve coordination and communication with care teams in rural areas, according to a press release on Harkin’s Senate page.

The UI will receive a $7.6 million grant over three years for the work. The program is also estimated to save $12.5 million in health-system costs, according to the release.

"Iowans continue to see the benefits of health reform, and this grant award represents the best of our state’s innovation and research capacity in health care," Harkin said in the release. "The University of Iowa is pursuing innovative approaches to health-care delivery — particularly in rural areas. With this award, it will have additional resources to continue its work, while increasing access to quality care and creating jobs."

— by Kristen East