JJ
ENTERPRISES
DUBUQUE RACING ASSOCIATION FUNDS NEW READING PROGRAM
United Way of Dubuque Area Tri-States is pleased to announce the start of a new early childhood literacy program – Sprout into Reading – in Dubuque , Delaware , Clayton , Allamakee , and Fayette counties , thanks to generous support from the Dubuque Racing Association .
Sprout into Reading is outcome-based and targets low-income youth ages birth to five years of age . A key focus of the program is to provide direct distribution of books to qualifying children through strategic partnerships with Parents as Teachers of Four Oaks , Helping Services for Youth & Families in Northeast Iowa , Parent Share & Support , Inc ., Regional Medical Center - Manchester , Crescent Community Health Center , Dubuque County Visiting Nurses Association , and Guttenberg Municipal Hospital .
Funded by United Way of Dubuque Area Tri-States , the new program is administered by Women UNITED , a group of philanthropic women who are actively engaged in addressing unmet needs in our community . Women UNITED members and the United Way Volunteer Center will also sponsor a series of literacy-based activities to complement Sprout into Reading in 2017 .
UNITYPOINT HEALTH RECEIVES NATIONAL RECOGNITION
UnityPoint Health has achieved recognition as an Adopter of the Healthcare Financial Management Association ’ s Patient Financial Communications Best Practices . As a Best Practices Adopter , UnityPoint Health has demonstrated it follows 100 best practices covering all aspects of financial interactions that take place in hospital inpatient and outpatient care settings . UnityPoint Health joins a select group of fewer than 200 hospitals , health systems , and physician practices nationwide thaat have received this first-of-its-kind recognition .
To achieve Adopter recognition , organizations attest they have well-established processes in place to help patients understand their health insurance coverage and their out-of-pocket responsibility for the services they receive , and that compassion , patient advocacy , and education are part of all their financial discussions .
Starting work in 2013 , the blue-ribbon task force included representatives from major industry groups , including the American Hospital Association , America ’ s Health Insurance Plans , the American Academy of Family Physicians , and the National Patient Advocate Foundation , among others . The best practices are part of HFMA ’ s Healthcare Dollars & Sense initiative .
UNIVERSITY OF DUBUQUE ’ S MOOT COURT TEAM ADVANCES TO NATIONALS
The University of Dubuque Moot Court learned that they received a bid to compete at the American Moot Court Association ( AMCA ) National Tournament in January .
UD secured the bid when Amanda Downing ( C ’ 19 ), a psychology and criminal justice major from Freeport , IL , and Marissa Joers ( C ’ 19 ), a business major from Racine , WI , were declared semifinalists at the AMCA Upper Midwest Regional Moot Court Tournament held November 18-19 at the University of Iowa College of Law in Iowa City .
Moot court allows undergraduates to engage in simulated legal argument before a hypothetical appellate court reviewing a fictitious case . This year ’ s case questioned , among other items , whether the Voter-Identification and Anti-Voter Fraud Act violates the political speech and voting rights protected by the First Amendment of the United States , according to AMCA .
More than 300 teams from across the United States competed in national qualifying tournaments around the country to earn a bid to the national championships on January 6-7 at Stetson University College of Law in Gulfport , FL . UD sent seven students to the regional tournament .
The purpose of AMCA is to educate undergraduate students about the American legal system , American jurisprudence , and the work of American attorneys by creating a system of top-quality undergraduate moot court competitions in America .
DUBUQUE ARTS COUNCIL RECEIVES GRANT
The Dubuque Arts Council received a $ 1,900 grant from the Arts Midwest Touring Fund for Acoustic Eidolon . The Touring Fund is a program of Arts Midwest that is funded by the National Endowment for the Arts , with additional contributions from The Iowa Arts Council and the Crane Group .
This grant allows The Dubuque Arts Council to reach an underserved audience of people whose access to the performing arts is limited due to age ( youths 18 or under ) by partnering with the tri-state area schools .
Beginning February 6 through February 17 , 2017 , the Dubuque Arts Council ’ s Artists-in- Residence program will feature Acoustic Eidelon in local elementary and middle schools . On February 14 , 2017 , Acousitc Eidelon will perform a free concert at Clarke University Jansen Auditorium at 7:30 p . m .
Acoustic Eidolon will introduce students to the one-of- a-kind double-necked guitar (“ guitjo ”), a 14 string , harp-like sounding instrument , designed by member Joe Scott , and performed in a signature “ new acoustic ” sound with Hannah Alkire on cello .
MAIN STREET IOWA CHALLENGE GRANTS ANNOUNCED
The Iowa Economic Development Authority today announced that Dubuque Main Street was awarded a Main Street Iowa Challenge Grant in the amount of $ 50,000 for a Central Ave . multi-property façade improvement project . Dubuque ’ s Challenge Grant award will kickstart the ambitious multi-property improvements for Key City Creative Center . Dubuque Main Street intends to use the momentum of this catalytic rehabilitation to spur additional improvements in the district .
The Main Street Iowa Challenge Grants total $ 965,500 and were awarded to 14 of the 52 eligible Iowa communities through a fund administered by the Iowa Downtown Resource Center and Main Street Iowa . The estimated total project cost of the fourteen projects is more than $ 3.7 million .
Representatives from the Iowa Economic Development Authority and Main Street Iowa made the announcement during a special check presentation ceremony held at the Des Moines Botanical Center . The grants will benefit local improvement projects such as façade improvement and restoration , upper floor rehabilitation , and expanding a vacant building ’ s capacities .
52 ❖ Julien ’ s Journal