In 2017, the Kansas Health Foundation was privileged to provide more than $23,000,000 in qualifying distributions and approved more than $36,000,000 in new grants to strategic partners and initiatives throughout Kansas. We invest in ideas for healthier people and stronger communities. To maximize impact with limited resources, we focus our efforts in areas with critical health needs: reaching out to low-income and racially-diverse communities, both rural and urban, and helping individuals reach higher education levels. When we improve the health of individuals, we also make our communities stronger. Every day, we work to improve the health of all Kansans.
Michael Lennen
Board Chair
STEVE COEN
President & CEO
Every Kansan deserves to be healthy. This simple phrase describes why we gather data, leverage partnerships, raise awareness of health needs, invest in programs to improve health and encourage community leadership to build stronger places where Kansans call home.
It requires us to be curious and inquisitive, thoroughly researching data to understand the complex needs of our communities. We have to be intentional and deliberate, considering appropriate and timely opportunities for change. By engaging partners, we create better, innovative solutions. We expand our community networks by offering leadership development and leveraging resources, helping us be more responsive to health problems in our state. Through strategic discipline, we can be more thoughtful, open and transparent about how our work contributes to change.
Simple and clear. It’s what we do, who we serve, and what outcomes we hope to achieve. We know by working with others, we can address critical health needs today and make positive change for generations to come.
But the Kansas we have known is changing. Our health problems today are much different and more complex than in the past. Data shows us that race, income, zip code and education level can all influence health outcomes. We link this information with our impact areas:
We try to be most effective in reaching the greatest needs by making strategic choices, establishing priorities and allocating resources to achieve a desired result – to improve the health of all Kansans. In 2017, we invested in healthier people and stronger communities. But, our work continues so EVERY Kansan can make healthy choices where they live, work and play.
Kansas Health Foundation was honored to provide more than 150 grants throughout our state to make positive change in our program and impact areas, as well as build capacity for many organizations. We initiated new programs to expand grocery/food distribution, encourage voter engagement, and create awareness of health challenges in communities across the state. We continued work with Active Schools, policies to improve access to care, and core support for Kansas Leadership Center (KLC) and Kansas Health Institute (KHI).
Please view the PDF for a complete list of grants approved in 2017.
It is important for all Kansans to have access to health care, for help when they are sick, and to prevent or reduce the severity of disease and illness. In Kansas today, however, one in six adults age 18 to 64 lack health care coverage. And, one in three do not have dental coverage. For others, the challenge is not having enough health and dental providers close to where they live.
Whether talking about medical, oral or behavioral health, Kansas must improve access to care.
Tobacco use and obesity remain the leading causes of preventable death and illness in Kansas. One in three Kansans are obese (31%), and just over 17% of Kansans smoke. KHF invests in programs and supports policy efforts that promote health eating, physical activity and tobacco use prevention. This work is focused on encouraging healthier individual behaviors, shaping the environment and changing policies to affect larger populations.
Kansans continue to engage in behaviors like smoking and eating unhealthy foods.
KHF recognizes individuals’ health and well-being are also influenced by where and how they live. And stronger communities also help improve the health of Kansans. Active, engaged community members help to shape policies, express needs and expectations, determine how resources are allocated, and elect their representatives. KHF invests in programs that help to build stronger communities and provides the support for leadership, information and data.
With statewide elections in 2018, Kansans will soon have another opportunity to improve the voter turnout rate.
Research shows that individuals with more education live longer, healthier lives than those with less education. And, Kansas data indicates that lower levels of education are often linked to lack of health care coverage, limited ability to pay for medical or dental treatment, higher use of tobacco products, increased obesity rates and poor health outcomes.
Graduation rates and reading literacy rates are at the heart of KHF’s planning efforts in this impact area.
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