Iowa State Representative Brooke Boden of Indianola received a health care champion award from the Iowa Physician Assistant (PA) Society on Friday.

The award was given to Boden for her leadership in passing House File 424, which increases access to medical care in Iowa. The legislation, which was passed earlier this year, requires PAs to collaborate with other medical care providers but no longer restricts them to providing medical care only when physician oversight is available. Legislative Committee member with the Iowa PA Society Ed Friedmann, says that prior to this legislation, many small community clinics were struggling to stay open.

“We’re finding that in towns of around 1,000, big medical organizations like Mercy One are closing clinics saying the money is wrong. In other words, they can’t make enough money out of small towns. Well, this means several towns have lost their only source of hometown medical care.”

Friedmann added that the legislation will help towns in rural areas keep their clinics open for their communities.