Overview

Every successful organization has to know its “why.” Our “why” is demonstrated through our three-part purpose statement. Everything we do comes back to these statements, which represent our greatest aspirations and highest goals.

The second component of this purpose is:

• Eliminate the inequities that lead to the greatest health disparities.

Hear us when we say this: We won’t lead the nation in health by making healthy people healthier. We must seek innovative ways to mitigate health disparities along the lines of race/ethnicity, geography, income and education level.

In Kansas, metrics shown in America’s Health Rankings indicate there are significant disparities that exist on outcomes such as life expectancy, economic hardship, reading proficiency and adverse childhood experiences. These disparities are often the result of one population or group not having the same opportunities or access to the support or preventive measures they need. Eliminating these inequities will even out the disparities, leading to a healthier state.

Going Deeper

Want to learn more about how we view this part of the purpose statement and how it impacts our work? Please view the video below as KHF President and CEO Ed O’Malley shares more about eliminating these inequities.