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Health as a North Star

What if the secret to Kansas’s economic future isn’t just about business growth—but about the health of every single person in the state? In this conversation, we explore why America’s Health Rankings matter far beyond the healthcare sector, and how 30,000 influential Kansans hold the key to reversing our state’s decades-long health decline.

Highlights

• No state has fallen further in America’s Health Rankings; at our peak, in 1991, we were ranked 8th.
• The ranking measures over 50 factors including economic opportunity, food security, education, civic engagement, and workplace safety—not just traditional healthcare.
• Research shows the relationship between health and economics works both ways: healthier workforces strengthen companies, and healthier populations boost the GDP.
• The “30,000” influential Kansans—leaders across sectors who don’t necessarily work in healthcare—play an outsized role in creating conditions for health.
• America’s Health Rankings is produced by UnitedHealth in partnership with the American Public Health Association, combining private sector rigor with public health expertise.

Chapters

• 00:00 – Welcome and Introduction to Chapter 3
• 01:30 – Recap and Personal Reflections
• 02:15 – Introducing America’s Health Rankings
• 05:45 – The Importance of Health Rankings for Kansas
• 11:20 – Kansas Health Foundation’s Strategic Focus
• 15:30 – The Role of the 30,000 in Improving Health
• 18:45 – Economic Implications of Health Rankings
• 20:30 – Call to Action and Conclusion

Resources

• Explore the Kansas State Summary of America’s Health Rankings
• Economic Case for Health: The Kansas Health Foundation (KHF) has released its Economic Case for Health report, revealing that this decline is not just a medical crisis—it is a direct threat to the state’s workforce productivity and fiscal stability.

Leading Health is an invitation to move the needle on Health in Kansas, and we invite you to join us in leading the way. Don’t have a copy of Leading Health? Claim your copy and learn more about the movement at kansashealth.org/leadinghealth.