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Three Burning Questions with Colleen Bornmueller, Iowa
Meet Colleen Bornmueller, Community-Based Screening Services (CBSS) Coordinator for Iowa's STD Program and their resident "Chlamydia Queen."
Colleen Bornmueller, Iowa STD Program
What do you love most about working in STD
prevention?
Although I donât provide direct STD prevention services, I coordinate our state safety-net testing program, known as Community-Based Screening Services. I love that through our program we can make a difference in peopleâs lives every day by providing testing and treatment for individuals and their partners. We can make sure individuals stay healthy and understand the impact that having an STD might have on their long-term reproductive and sexual health and life planning. I also love working with a team of dedicated professionals out there in the field that do provide direct services. Everyone at our clinics and the DIS are committed to this work â I am truly amazed at their passion and capacity to go the extra mile for their clients.
What do you think are the biggest challenges facing our field?
I could go on and on about our challenges. One of the biggest challenges we face in a rural state like Iowa is access. We have lost over 20% of our providers in the last 10 years due to shrinking resources and clinic closures within our family planning network. Family Planning continues to be under attack and that may make it even harder for us to provide accessible, confidential care. Teens are especially impacted by these closures in rural areas where the nearest testing site may be two hours away. This also impacts the ability of our DIS to refer partners for treatment. This, along with many other social determinants our clients face, does not always make seeking testing and treatment for STDs their number one priority. I think stigma continues to be one of the biggest challenges we face in our field. We do not have an STD âposter childâ and getting past the stigma of having an STD often prevents a person from getting tested or notifying their partners.
When youâre not working, whatâs your favorite thing to do with your free time?
My favorite thing to do in my free time is read â I love a good mystery or suspense novel to take me away to another world. I never seem to have enough time to read and always have a stack of books I want to dive into. I also like gardening, even though I do not have the greenest of thumbs. My three year old granddaughter is the light of my life and I love spending time with her as she grows and changes every time I see her. There is nothing like her laugh to make my day!
Colleen's Bio
Colleen Bornmueller has worked at the Family Planning Council of Iowa for 23 years. She is a contract employee for the Iowa Department of Public Healthâs STD Program and serves as the Community-Based Screening Services (CBSS) Coordinator (formerly the Infertility Prevention Project when she was known as the âChlamydia Queenâ). She is responsible for all aspects of administration of the project at 58 public health sites throughout Iowa.
In addition to duties related to the CBSS, Colleen works on other aspects of the STD Program, including data analysis and evaluation. She has been a member of the statewide HIV/Hepatitis Community Planning Group for 20 years, and currently serves as the Community Co-Chair. She participates in various other state and county coalitions and committees related to reproductive and sexual health. Â She lives in Des Moines with her husband Gary and cat named Tipper.
