Our Mission
To improve the learning outcomes and well-being of all children and youth by providing services and leadership in partnership with families, schools and communities.

Our Goals
• Increase learning growth for students
• Decrease the gap in achievement
• Increase annual graduation rates
• Increase gateways to post-secondary success 

Heartland AEA & United Way: Education is a Shared Goal

Heartland AEA and United Way both work to improve the learning outcomes and well-being of children and youth. See for yourself: 

Remember you can still make your pledge to United until Oct. 31, 2017. Just ask Courtney Croatt or Whitney Anderson for a pledge form. Thank you for Living United!

Iowa Department of Education Submits ESSA Plan to U.S. Department of Education

After more than a year of development, collection of feedback and revision, the Iowa Department of Education last Monday submitted to the U.S. Department of Education its plan for meeting requirements of the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).

ESSA, a reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, was signed in 2015 and requires each state to have a plan for implementing the law. ESSA maintains the former No Child Left Behind Act’s focus on school accountability and equity for all students while shifting decision-making back to states and local school districts.

Iowa’s plan builds on bold education improvement efforts underway that align with ESSA requirements, including clear and rigorous standards for what students should know and be able to do, a school accountability system that targets support where and when schools need it most, and a structure for professional learning that emphasizes teacher leadership and evidence-based practices.

Iowa Department of Education officials responded to ESSA by launching a broad effort in 2016 to collect input on development of the state’s plan. This outreach effort included 18 public meetings across the state in the fall of 2016 and winter of 2017, meetings of a state advisory committee and 11 education work teams, convening of focus groups, and collection of written comments through online feedback surveys, email and mail. The Department released three drafts of Iowa’s plan for public review in 2017. About 1,000 people gave input throughout the plan’s development.

“This effort to collect feedback from Iowans about what they think student success should look like has been critical in the development an ESSA plan that makes sense for our state,” Iowa Department of Education Director Ryan Wise said. “We will continue to listen to feedback and update our plan to reflect Iowa’s commitment to ensuring students are prepared for success in high school and beyond.”

Iowa’s ESSA plan, which was signed by Gov. Kim Reynolds, will be under U.S. Department of Education review for up to 120 days. The Iowa Department of Education will provide further guidance and support to school districts on ESSA plan implementation this fall.

Iowa’s complete ESSA plan, along with a snapshot and summary overview of the plan, are available on the Iowa Department of Education’s website.

Reminder: Full-Time Staff Have Credit Monitoring & Identity Theft Assistance Through Wellmark

As a full-time staff member with Wellmark health insurance, you have access to the following services as part of your health benefits through Wellmark:

• Credit monitoring: Monitors activity that may affect a member’s credit record.
• Cyber monitoring: Monitoring the web 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to make sure member information has not been stolen.
• Fraud detection: Alerts members when activity has been identified and protects them from all types of identity theft.
• Complete identity recovery: Concierge-style services to help members recover their identity if it has been compromised.
• Reimbursement insurance: $1 million of identity-theft recovery insurance.

See the Intranet > Benefits > Other > “Identity Theft Assistance” for more information. 

Heartland AEA health plan members can enroll in identity protection services through their myWellmark account or over the phone by calling 866-486-4812. Members will need their Wellmark ID card and the enrollment code: 4170999624 — also found on members’ myWellmark account — when they sign up for services.

If you have any questions, contact Juliette Houseman, Benefits Specialist.

Reminder About Doctor On Demand; Service is Now Available 24/7/365

Doctor On Demand physicians are now available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year! This allows members with this benefit to schedule their visits before or after their own working hours or on holidays if necessary.

What is Doctor on Demand?
Visit a doctor on your smartphone, tablet or computer from virtually anywhere! If tomorrow brings a sore throat or your child wakes up with pink eye, skip the trip to urgent care. Instead, see a doctor on your smartphone, tablet or computer in just minutes. With Doctor On Demand, you and your family members can speak with a board-certified doctor who can treat the most common medical conditions and prescribe medication if needed.

Using Doctor On Demand is easy, you’ll love the convenience and your Wellmark benefits apply automatically for you and your covered family members.

Get treatment for issues such as:
•    Cold and flu
•    Bronchitis and sinus infections
•    Urinary tract infections
•    Sore throats
•    Allergies
•    Fever
•    Headache
•    Pink eye
•    Skin conditions
•    Mental health issues (including anxiety, depression, relationship issues, grief, eating disorders, smoking cessation or alcohol dependence)

Getting started is easy
1. Download the Doctor on Demand app or visit DoctorOnDemand.com.
2. Have your Wellmark member ID card ready. You’ll be asked to enter your full Wellmark ID number, including the three character prefix.
3. Create an account or sign in.

So, the next time you have a sore throat or the little one’s running a fever, pick up your smartphone and connect virtually with Doctor on Demand.


Out-of-State Dependents

For employees with dependents out-of-state, if they use Doctor On Demand, it is still considered In-Network because they will be connected with doctors who are licensed to practice in Iowa and are considered an In-Network doctor under our plan.



Meet the Doctors

The doctors at Doctor On Demand are among the best in the country. They go through several screenings and ongoing quality assurance. You can even rate your experience and write a review.



Wondering what the experience is like? 

Check out the Doctor On Demand YouTube channel.



If you have any questions, contact Juliette Houseman, Benefits Specialist.

EMC OnCall Nurse Program Is New First Contact for Workplace Injuries

EMC’s OnCall Nurse is a free, 24 hour/7 days a week, work-injury nurse hotline that allows injured workers and their supervisors to immediately speak with a registered nurse and receive guidance on the appropriate level of medical care (self-treat, Occupational Medicine, Urgent Care, etc.). This frees you and your supervisors from making these types of medical decisions. Plus, a triage/incident report and the state-specific First Report of Injury, is completed by the OnCall Nurse and sent to you and the EMC claims staff immediately following the call. This takes some work off of your plate!

EMC has partnered with Medcor to provide this unique and beneficial service. Watch this video to learn more about the service.

If you have any questions, contact Juliette Houseman, Benefits Specialist.

Save the Date for Wellness Presentations!

Oct. 18, 2017
11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Dr. Aaron Rector and Dr. Gary Bowman - Sleep and Performance
Learn about personal smarts, energy, stamina and endurance while working on situational awareness, memory and stability to enhance your daily life with sleep.

Nov. 15, 2017
3 – 4 p.m.
Allison Peet - Mindfulness
A life fully embraced begins from within. Allison will be digging deeper into mindfulness and meditation to help with attention, compassion, regulate emotions and help reduce stress in your life.

Dec. 6, 2017
11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Wellness Champions "Stress Less"
Listen to local wellness experts provide information on how to “stress less.” Stress causes an onset of various signs and symptoms and can lead to serious health issues. Understand how to identify and find solutions to deal with the stressors in your life.

Reminder: Wellness Update: Sign Up For Your Biometric Screening!

It’s time to sign up for your biometric screening! You can go to the Wellness link on the Intranet, click on the Biometrics link then select Hy-Vee Biometric Dates. Once on the Hy-Vee site, scroll down the page and click on the down drop menu to find Heartland AEA. You can sign up for the time that works best for you at one of our regional offices. If you can’t find a time that works for you, remember you can always make an appointment at your local Hy-Vee or see your doctor.

If you have any questions about biometrics, contact Katie Streff, Human Resources Specialist. 

Reminder: Wellness Update: “Planning for Retirement & College” Financial Lunch & Learn Coming in October

Did you know that 80% of workers polled nationally indicate they want their employer to provide financial wellness education? Consider where we are as a society today:

• 63% of Americans do not regularly save for retirement– Scott Trade
• 30% of Americans have outstanding loans on their 401k’s – Business Record
• 52% of Americans have less than $10,000 saved for retirement – USA Today

Heartland AEA is excited to announce that Justin Bennett of Strong Tower Consulting is coming back to teach more financial wellness workshops. Whether you are looking to pick up a few nuggets of information, or you need a financial overhaul, this 90-minute Lunch and Learn workshop is just for you. You will leave knowing the basics of investing, what retirement options are available and how to pay for college.

Oct. 11, 2017 

11:30 a.m. – 1 pm.

Johnston REC or via Zoom 

RSVP by Oct. 9, 2017

Register Now

Door Prize Winners from All-Staff Meeting Benefits/Wellness Fair

Congratulations to these winners for the Benefits/Wellness Fair. Thanks to all who attended!

Delta Dental
Sonic Z toothbrush - Kris Robson
Selfie stick - Kendra Halferty
Travel coffee mug - Julie Hukee

NIS
Autumn Basket of Goodies - Barb Hoffman

Don’t Miss the 2017 Family & Educator Partnership Resource Fair

Family & Educator Partnership Resource Fair

Oct. 21, 2017

9 a.m. - noon

Science Center of Iowa, Des Moines

Families, educators, community and agency staff who support students with special needs are invited to attend the Heartland AEA Family & Educator Partnership Resource Fair.

This free event offers families of children with special needs and educators an opportunity to connect with valuable community and agency resources. Attendees are welcome to tour the Science Center as our guest after attending the fair. Breakout sessions will be held concurrently at 9 a.m., followed by table sessions with more than 40 local agencies from 10 a.m. - noon. Attendees will be able to choose from one of the following breakout sessions:

• Managing Your Child’s Challenging Behavior
• Post-secondary Education and Employment Options
• Services and Programs

To assist families in getting the most benefit, families are given complimentary admission to the entire Science Center for the remainder of the day. A stipend is also available for childcare, and you’re invited to bring your childcare provider along to assist while you attend a session. For more information, contact Terry Mendell, Lead Parent Coordinator, at ext. 17135.

To Do: Install Microsoft Office 2016 For Mac on Your Computer

Microsoft Office 2016 for Mac software is now available for installation from your Self Service application. While it is not mandatory to install Microsoft Office 2016 for Mac at this time, future computer replacements will have the new version of Office installed on them. Additionally, computers needing repair will have this new version of Office installed before being returned to you.

The installer for Microsoft Office 2016 for Mac is quite large (1.7 GB) and could take 30 minutes or more to download depending on the speed of your Internet connection. Please be patient as the software downloads and installs on your computer.

NOTE: As part of the installation of Microsoft Office 2016 for Mac, the older Microsoft Office 2011 version will be removed from your computer.

Instructions for Installing Microsoft Office 2016 for Mac:

1.    Quit all open applications.
2.    Open the Self Service application located in the Applications folder (you may have an icon on your dock).
3.    Click on the Productivity category on the right hand side of the Self Service screen.

4.    Locate the Microsoft Office 2016 for Mac option under the Productivity Section on the left and click the Install button.
5.    Read the information and click the Install button to proceed with the installation.

6.    Once the installation has finished, you should have icons on your Dock for Word, Excel and PowerPoint. If you do not, you can find the entire suite of software located in the Applications folder on your hard drive.

As you launch the new Office applications, you will notice that the look and feel is noticeably different than the old Microsoft Office 2011 version, but the core functionality of the applications is largely unchanged. Please utilize the support documents from Microsoft linked below for training support as your transition from Microsoft Office 2011 to Microsoft Office 2016 for Mac.

Word
Excel
PowerPoint

Contact Marquis Jones or Mike Permann in the Internal Technology Department if you have any problems with the installation or have questions using the new version of Microsoft Office 2016 for Mac.