Author: Lindsey Fields

Organizations Urge Kansas Senate Delegation to Support Health Provisions in Build Back Better Act

Posted on by Lindsey Fields

As many Kansans struggle with the high costs of everyday bills like health care, child care and food, the United States Senate is debating the Build Back Better Act, which could help make health care and child care more affordable for Kansas families.

In Kansas, nearly 1 in 10 adults (9.1%) is uninsured and more than 1 in 20 (5.8%) children lacks health coverage. As a result of a high uninsured rate, too many Kansas women and children are not getting the healthiest start to life, Kansans are not accessing health care needed to support their return to the workforce, and the cost of health care is too high for too many Kansans.
 
The Build Back Better Act makes critical investments in making health care more affordable for all Kansans, which will support the health of all Kansans, especially mothers and children.

The United Methodist Health Ministry Fund and its partners have sent a letter urging the Kansas delegation in the U.S. Senate to support key provisions in the Build Back Better Act that will address health inequities in our state. A PDF of the letter is available and the full text is below.

To learn how the Build Back Better Act benefits Kansans, check out the podcast episode from the Kansas Reflector that focused on how the transformative policy proposal would impact health, child care, persistent poverty and address longstanding racial and gender inequities.

December 16, 2021

Dear Senators Moran and Marshall,

As organizations that represent thousands of Kansans, we are writing to you to urge you to support the Build Back Better Act. Our organizations are dedicated to improving the health of Kansans and working to ensure mothers and children have the best start in life.

In Kansas, nearly 1 in 10 adults (9.1%) is uninsured and more than 1 in 20 (5.8%) children lacks health coverage.[1] As a result of a high uninsured rate, too many Kansas women and children are not getting the healthiest start to life, Kansans are not accessing health care needed to support their return to the workforce, and the cost of health care is too high for too many Kansans.

The Build Back Better Act makes critical investments in making health care more affordable for all Kansans, which will support the health of all Kansans, especially mothers and children. Additionally, these provisions will address longstanding health inequities within the state. We ask that you support the plan because it:

  • Closes the coverage gap. The provision to permanently close the coverage gap in the states that have not expanded Medicaid will benefit more than 100,000 Kansans who earn too much to qualify for Medicaid but too little to qualify for subsidies for coverage through the marketplace. Kansas is one of only 12 states that has not expanded Medicaid. A Kansas family of three with an annual income of $8,345 makes too much to be covered by Medicaid, and too little to receive marketplace subsidies.[2] According to the Alliance for a Healthy Kansas, more than two-thirds of adults eligible for insurance through Medicaid expansion work or are in working families, and most are employed in industries less likely to offer affordable health insurance, such as service, construction, and retail.[3]
  • Extends postpartum coverage. The provision to permanently extend postpartum coverage to 12 months will ensure mothers maintain health coverage at a crucial time. Without the extension, each year approximately 9,000 Kansas mothers will lose coverage a mere 60 days postpartum once the public health emergency expires. Nearly 40% of Kansas births are covered by Medicaid.[4] Nearly one-quarter of Kansas pregnancy-related deaths occur between 43 days and one year after pregnancy.[5] Children will benefit as well—parental enrollment in Medicaid is associated with a 29% higher probability that a child will receive an annual well-child visit.[6] Extending postpartum coverage will save lives and lead to healthier starts for mothers and children.
  • Advances birth equity. The Build Back Better Act contains all 12 bills originally included in the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act. The Momnibus addresses maternal health equity through growing and diversifying the perinatal workforce, by investing in organizations focused on promoting maternal health equity, and by addressing social determinants of maternal health, among others.[7] The maternal health crisis highlights longstanding racial disparities. In Kansas, non-white minority women are nearly twice as likely to die within a year of pregnancy as non-Hispanic white women.[8]
  • Makes the Children’s Health Improvement Program (CHIP) permanent. The provision to make federal CHIP funding permanent would increase stability in children’s health coverage by ensuring that states have the federal funding needed to maintain and expand their programs. Currently, the program is funded through September 30, 2027. The bill would also permanently extend the Medicaid and CHIP stability provision for children, meaning that states cannot make it more difficult for eligible children to enroll.[9]
  • Makes health coverage more affordable. The provision to extend Marketplace subsidies through the end of 2025 will help the nearly 90,000 Kansans who received additional federal dollars this year to reduce their health insurance premiums and deductibles. This will leave more of their monthly budget to spend on housing, food, and other necessities.[10]
  • Streamlines access to Medicaid and CHIP through 12 months continuous coverage and use of express lane eligibility. The plan reduces burdens on families by using available information from other benefit programs to establish eligibility for Medicaid and CHIP. The plan also ensures all children and youth enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP can stay enrolled for 12 continuous months,which will reduce the risk that children experience gaps in coverage or lose it altogether. Nationally, 1 in 10 kids experiences a period without coverage during the year, and that number rises to more than 1 in 8 kids in families below 250% of the federal poverty level.[11]

These provisions in the Build Back Better Act will create more affordable coverage for Kansans. When all Kansans can afford health coverage, we all benefit. Hospitals will be on stronger financial ground—especially those in rural areas where proximity to care can save lives. More insured Kansans will lead to less uncompensated care and reduced Medicaid costs for our state. Kansans will be healthier and able to return to work. Most importantly, mothers and children will have the health care needed to have the strongest start to life, which in the long run will improve health and reduce costs.

We urge you to support these provisions in the Build Back Better Act that will lead to healthier kids, healthier mothers, and healthier Kansans. Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Child Advocacy and Parenting Services

CKF Addiction Treatment

Community Care Network of Kansas

Community Health Council of Wyandotte County

Cradle Kansas City

D&R Tender Loving Care Home Health Services

Ellsworth County Medical Center

Faith Voices for Medicaid Expansion

Flint Hills Wellness Coalition

International Pain Foundation

KanCare Advocates Network

Kansas Academy of Family Physicians

Kansas Action for Children

Kansas Appleseed

Kansas Birth Equity Network

Kansas Breastfeeding Coalition

Kansas Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics

Kansas Head Start Association

Kansas Health Foundation

Kansas Interfaith Action

Kansas Public Health Association

KL Connections

League of Women Voters of Kansas

Mainstream Coalition

Martin Luther King, Jr. Child Development Center

MORE2

NEK-CAP, Inc

New Hope and Love Community Church

Nurture KC

Oral Health Kansas, Inc.

Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth Office of Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation

The Neighboring Movement

Therapy Services LLC

United Methodist Health Ministry Fund

Wichita Medical Research and Education Foundation

Women for Kansas

[1] Kansas Health Institute, Health Insurance in Kansas: Annual Insurance Update 2021, accessed December 3, 2021, https://www.khi.org/assets/uploads/news/15012/annual_insurance_update_2021_(december_2021)_2.pdf.

[2] “Medicaid Income Eligibility Limits for Adults as a Percent of the Federal Poverty Level,” Kaiser Family Foundation, accessed December 3, 2021, https://www.kff.org/health-reform/state-indicator/medicaid-income-eligibility-limits-for-adults-as-a-percent-of-the-federal-poverty-level.

[3] Alliance for a Healthy Kansas, KanCare Expansion: Just the Facts (February 2020), accessed December 3, 2021,https://expandkancare.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Working-Families-Feb-2020.pdf.

[4] “Births Financed by Medicaid,” Kaiser Family Foundation, October 2019, accessed December 3, 2021, https://www.kff.org/medicaid/state-indicator/births-financed-by-medicaid/.

[5] Kansas Maternal Mortality Review Committee, Kansas Maternal Mortality Report 2016-2018: Including Severe Maternal Morbidity, 2016-2019 Topeka, 2020).

[6] Maya Venkataramani, Craig Evan Pollack, and Eric T. Roberts, “Spillover Effects of Adult Medicaid Expansions on Children’s Use of Preventive Services,” Abstract, PubMed.gov. November 13, 2017, doi: 10.1542/peds.2017-0953.

[7] Office of Representative Lauren Underwood, “Underwood’s ‘Momnibus’ Passes House in Build Back Better Act; Makes Largest Investment to Advance Birth Equity in American History,” news release, November 19, 2021, https://underwood.house.gov/media/press-releases/underwood-s-momnibus-passes-house-build-back-better-act-makes-largest.

[8] Kansas Maternal Mortality Review Committee, Kansas Maternal Mortality Report 2016-2018: Including Severe Maternal Morbidity, 2016-2019 Topeka, 2020).

[9] Edwin Park, “Build Back Better Reconciliation Bill Would Take Big Strides in Expanding Health Coverage and Access for Children and Families,” Say Ahhh! (blog), Georgetown University Health Policy Institute, October 29, 2021, https://ccf.georgetown.edu/2021/10/29/build-back-better-reconciliation-bill-would-make-big-strides-in-expanding-coverage-and-access-for-children-and-families.

[10] Suzanne Wikle, “Kansans Will Benefit from Health Provisions In Build Back Better Legislation,” Opinion, Kansas Reflector, November 30, 2021, https://kansasreflector.com/2021/11/30/kansans-will-benefit-from-health-provisions-in-build-back-better-legislation.

[11] Joan Alker and Aubrianna Osorio, “Why is Medicaid/CHIP Continuous Eligibility So Important for Kids?” Say Ahhh! (blog), Georgetown University Health Policy Institute, October 8, 2021,https://ccf.georgetown.edu/2021/10/08/why-is-medicaid-chip-continuous-eligibility-so-important-for-kids.

High 5 Welcome to Cara and Thank You to Gwen

Posted on by Lindsey Fields

After 10 years of dedicated service as the High 5 for Mom & Baby Program Coordinator, Gwen Whittit will retire December 31. Through Gwen’s leadership and support from the Kansas Breastfeeding Workgroup, High 5 for Mom & Baby has flourished into a robust program for maternity care facilities to improve infant and maternal health outcomes by supporting mothers and families in reaching their breastfeeding goals. The program has achieved tremendous success in working with facilities across Kansas. The Health Fund is grateful for Gwen’s passion and commitment to the success of High 5 for Mom & Baby and is excited for Gwen to enjoy the next phase of her life.

The Health Fund is excited to announce that Cara Gerhardt will serve as the new High 5 for Mom & Baby Program Coordinator. Gerhardt is a registered nurse (RN) with more than ten years of experience, primarily in a hospital setting. She is an international board certified lactation consultant (IBCLC) who is active in the Kansas Breastfeeding Coalition and the Wichita Area Breastfeeding Coalition, where she previously served as community outreach chair and is now serving as chair-elect.

Groups Urge Committee to Support Postpartum Coverage

Posted on by Lindsey Fields

29 Organizations Signed a Letter Urging the KanCare Oversight Committee to Support Extending Postpartum Coverage to 12 Months

Today, the Health Fund and its partners sent a letter to the Robert G. Bethell Joint Committee on Home and Community Based Services and KanCare Oversight urging the committee to support extending postpartum KanCare coverage to 12 months.

A PDF of the letter is available and the full text is below.

Senator Richard Hilderbrand
Senate Majority Whip
Kansas State Senate
300 SW 10th St
Topeka, KS 66612

Representative Brenda Landwehr
Chair, House Health Care Committee
Kansas House of Representatives
300 SW 10th St
Topeka, KS 66612

December 6, 2021

Dear Chair Hilderbrand, Vice Chair Landwehr, and members of the Robert G. (Bob) Bethell Joint Committee on Home and Community Based Services and KanCare Oversight,

As organizations that represent thousands of Kansans, we are writing to you to support the extension of postpartum KanCare coverage to 12 months.

As a result of the ongoing public health emergency, Kansas cannot currently discontinue coverage for new mothers after 60 days. Kansas has seen the benefits of this temporary policy change. Extending Medicaid coverage postpartum from 60 days to 12 months has enabled mothers to access critical health care and mental health services, ensuring mothers and their babies have the healthiest start to life. This coverage will end when the public health emergency expires, meaning someone who gets pregnant today may have worse postpartum care than people who recently gave birth.

Extending postpartum coverage for new mothers enrolled in KanCare would have a significant impact in Kansas, where nearly 40% of births are covered by KanCare.[1] Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, each year most mothers covered by KanCare—9,000 women—lost coverage 60 days after giving birth.[2] The Kansas Maternal Mortality Review Committee found that between 2016 and 2018 nearly one-quarter of all Kansas pregnancy-related deaths occurred between 43 days and one year postpartum. Nearly half of all pregnancy-associated deaths (while pregnant or within one year of pregnancy regardless of cause) occurred in the same period. Non-White minority women were nearly twice as likely to die within a year of pregnancy as non-Hispanic White women.[3]

In Kansas, between 2016 and 2018 casesrevealed that women covered by Medicaid during pregnancy and delivery were more than three times as likely to die within one year of pregnancy when compared to women covered by private insurance, in part this is because of women who died after losing their coverage. Extending postpartum Medicaid coverage to 12 months creates opportunities to improve access to quality health care for high-risk populations, before, during, after and between pregnancies, potentially reducing pregnancy-associated deaths and closing the disparity gap.[4]

As highlighted by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment’s impact paper, with many of the pregnancy-associated deaths involving health care and occurring months after delivery, the data suggest that a Medicaid postpartum coverage extension will help more women access care necessary to address critical, potentially fatal health concerns. National data published in February 2019 by the American Journal of Managed Care (AJMC) reveals that extending Medicaid coverage to 12 months postpartum is associated with 1.6 fewer maternal deaths per 100,000 women compared to rates for states that only provide coverage for the required 60-day time period.[5]

Recent federal policy change creates the opportunity for Kansas to extend coverage. Already, other states like Indiana and Tennessee are taking advantage of this opportunity. Extended postpartum coverage is predicted to lead to a decrease in long-term Medicaid costs through the provision of early medical interventions and coordinated care, preventing postpartum complications and worsening chronic conditions due to a delay in early identification and intervention.[6]

Before the pandemic, pregnant Kansans were eligible for Medicaid coverage through the duration of their pregnancy and 60 days postpartum if their household income was at 171% or less of the federal poverty level. Although their newborn remained covered by Medicaid through their first year of life, the postpartum mother lost coverage on day 61 unless her household income was at 38% or less of the federal poverty level (FPL).[7] A married woman with a single child would lose coverage on day 61 if her combined annual household income was above $8,345.

Extending KanCare coverage to a continuous 12 months postpartum can improve health outcomes for mothers, children, and families across the state. It is important to note that a child’s health is tied closely to their parent’s health and access to health care. Parental enrollment in Medicaid is associated with a 29% higher probability that a child will receive an annual well-child visit.[8] Therefore, it is important for the health of the mother and child during the critical 12-month postpartum period that both mother and child can access health care.

Nearly 20% of Kansas women below 200% of the federal poverty level experienced postpartum depression in the year after giving birth. In addition, according to KDHE, between state fiscal years 2012 and 2017, parental substance use was the primary reason that 70% of children under the age of one entered foster care.[9] Extending postpartum coverage would enable mothers to get substance use services that could prevent interaction with the child welfare system. For these reasons, it is vital that mothers have access to mental health and substance use services beyond 60 days.

We urge you to support expansion of postpartum KanCare coverage to 12 months in order to save lives, improve health outcomes for mothers and babies, increase health coverage for kids, prevent interaction with the child welfare system, reduce disparities and save the state money. We welcome the opportunity to work with you to strengthen the health of our state.

Sincerely,

United Methodist Health Ministry Fund

Alliance for a Healthy Kansas

American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists

American Heart Association

Behavioral Health Association of Kansas

Build Your Village

Child Advocacy and Parenting Services

Community Care Network of Kansas

Community Health Center in Cowley County, Inc.

Community Health Council of Wyandotte County

KanCare Advocates Network

Kansas Action for Children

Kansas Birth Equity Network

Kansas Breastfeeding Coalition

Kansas Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics

Kansas Head Start Association

Kansas Infant Death and SIDS Network, Inc.

Kansas State Nurses Association

Metro Organization for Racial and Economic Equity

Motherhood Redefined (TJZ Therapy, LLC)

Nurture KC

Oral Health Kansas

Postpartum Support International Kansas Chapter

REACH Healthcare Foundation

Russell Child Development Center

Success By 6 Coalition of Douglas County

The Holding Space KC

Thrive Allen County

Wichita Birth Justice Society

[1] Kaiser Family Foundation. 2019. Births Financed by Medicaid. October. https://www.kff.org/medicaid/state-indicator/births-financed-by-medicaid/.

[2] Governor’s Commission on Racial Equity & Justice. 2021. Social Determinants of Health – First Report. Topeka: State of Kansas.

[3] Kansas Maternal Mortality Review Committee. 2020. “Kansas Maternal Mortality Report 2016-2018: Including Severe Maternal Morbidity, 2016-2019.”

[4] Kansas Maternal Mortality Review Committee. 2020. “Kansas Maternal Mortality Report 2016-2018: Including Severe Maternal Morbidity, 2016-2019.”

[5] Rosenberg, Jaime. 2019. Medicaid Expansion Linked to Lower Maternal Mortality Rates. February 6. https://www.ajmc.com/view/medicaid-expansion-linked-to-lower-maternal-mortality-rates.

[6] Members of the Equitable Maternal Health Coalition. 2020. “Making the Case for Extending Medicaid Coverage Beyond 60 Days Postpartum: A Toolkit for State Advocates.” The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Web site. June. https://www.acog.org/-/media/project/acog/acogorg/files/advocacy/state-white-paper-making-the-case-for-extending-medicaid-coverage-beyond-60-days-postpartum-a-toolkit-for-state-advocates.pdf.

[7] Ranji, Usha, Ivette Gomez, and Alina Salganicoff. 2021. Expanding Postpartum Medicaid Coverage. March 9. https://www.kff.org/womens-health-policy/issue-brief/expanding-postpartum-medicaid-coverage/.

[8] Venkataramani, Maya, Craig Evan Pollack, and Eric T. Roberts. 2017. “Spillover Effects of Adult Medicaid Expansions on Children’s Use of Preventive Services .” PubMed.gov. November 13. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29133576/.

[9] Kansas Department of Health and Environment. 2021. “Extending Kansas Medicaid Postpartum Coverage to 12 Months.” Topeka.

Faith In Vaccines Lay Toolkit

Posted on by Lindsey Fields

Empathetic conversations are key for COVID-19 vaccination.

The holidays are approaching again and COVID-19 cases are trending upward. Unlike last year, the COVID-19 vaccine is now widely available for ages 5 and up, as well as booster shots for all adults. Vaccination can be a difficult topic; empathy is critical for successful conversations about COVID-19 vaccines.

In a recent KCUR interview, Kansas City expert Alex Francisco shared that the best strategy for vaccine hesitancy is to first listen.

“Really understand why a friend or family member may be worried about the vaccine, Francisco said. Then: be empathetic.”

We developed this toolkit to help you facilitate open conversations about the importance of the vaccine.

We also developed the Faith in Vaccines sermon guide and toolkit to help faith leaders create an open and empathetic space to start a discussion and answer questions about the effectiveness and importance of the vaccine.

We hope these tools are useful to you as we all work to end the pandemic.

ROI in Rural America: Increasing Kansans’ Access to Care

Posted on by Lindsey Fields

Through technical assistance, Kansas organizations received nearly $15 million in federal grants

Nearly one in three Kansans live in rural and frontier communities. These communities face unique healthcare challenges, such as accessibility, lack of providers, and an aging population.

The United Methodist Health Ministry Fund (Health Fund) supports innovative, collaborative initiatives for the health and wholeness of all Kansans. Access to care plays a critical role in supporting Kansans’ health and strong communities. Particularly in rural areas where the population is growing older and sparser, providers are looking for ways to stay financially viable and provide quality integrated care for the people they serve.

The Health Fund works to ensure program sustainability beyond its initial investment, which can include supporting efforts to bring in outside grant dollars. In 2021, the Health Fund provided technical assistance to bring millions of federal grant dollars back to Kansas to support health initiatives. Kansas ranks 46 in drawing down federal funds, in part due to missed grant opportunities.

“We’re a small health foundation that invests in projects across Kansas to sustainably increase access to care,” said David Jordan, president and CEO of the Health Fund. “Each year we give out $2 million in grants. Those dollars only go so far. By leveraging some of our dollars, we can invest thousands in order to bring back millions to our state. This year we provided technical assistance to organizations who were applying for federal grants, which helped bring $15 million to Kansas.”

Thanks in part to technical assistance, four organizations received millions in federal grant dollars that will increase Kansans’ access to health insurance and mental health services:

  • Thrive Allen County, $2.9 million grant from Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
  • SAMHSA Community Mental Health Center grant awards to:
    • Spring River Mental Health & Wellness, Inc. in Riverton, $1.9 million
    • Pawnee Mental Health Services in Manhattan, $4.75 million
    • Southeast Kansas Mental Health Center in Humboldt, $4.99 million

For the next three years, Thrive Allen County will use its award from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to help underserved populations find affordable health insurance. Thrive utilizes Navigators, individuals who are federally trained and certified to help consumers find and apply for Marketplace coverage. The grant will support the recruitment, training and activities of 18 Navigators who will serve 42 counties and ten agencies across the state. Thrive’s past work in enrollment assistance helped lower Allen County’s uninsured rate from 21% in 2013 to less than 9% in 2018.

“This is a grant after my own heart,” said Lisse Regehr, Thrive Allen County president and CEO. “I joined Thrive in 2014 as a Navigator and saw firsthand the life changing effects it has on individuals, families and communities. The impact Navigators have on healthcare access cannot be understated, and we are honored to help community organizations implement what we have learned across the state.”

Three mental health centers across Kansas received Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Community Mental Health Center (CMHC) grant awards. CMHCs provide prevention, treatment and rehabilitation mental health services. The grant dollars are intended to increase access to mental health and behavioral support.

As simple as ABC: Evidence-based program improves children’s heath, parental confidence

Posted on by Lindsey Fields

This opinion piece by Health Fund President and CEO David Jordan and Katie Schoenhoff, director of programs, originally appeared in the Kansas Reflector on Tuesday, November 9.

A child’s earliest years have a lifelong impact. Nearly 80% of brain development occurs by age 3. Having a healthy start affects health, educational attainment and earnings throughout a person’s life.

Toxic stress and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) also have a major influence on a child’s overall development, affecting school readiness, student success, physical and mental health, and other factors, including the ability to exercise self-control. ACEs include abuse, neglect, witnessing violence, mental health or substance use problems in the household, and instability in the household such as separated parents, among other  experiences.

ACEs are incredibly common. According to the CDC approximately 61% of adults surveyed across 25 states reported they had experienced at least one ACE, while 1 in 6 had experienced at least four. In Kansas, 39% of children have experienced an ACE and 20% have experienced two or more ACEs.

Caring and responsive relationships are critical to mitigating the effects of toxic stress. Research shows that infants and toddlers who have experienced adversity can benefit from early intervention that focuses on building supportive adult relationships.

One strategy to counteract early adversity is the evidence-based Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-up program, better known as ABC. Over the course of the 10-week program, parents increase their knowledge and skills in order to create secure attachments and help their children have better outcomes.

Prior research has found the ABC program is effective in improving attachment between children and caregivers and in helping regulate behavior and biology in at-risk children. Although the program is short, research has shown measurable effects lasting at least into middle childhood.

The United Methodist Health Ministry Fund, Hutchinson Community Foundation, Kansas Health Foundation, REACH Healthcare Foundation and Wyandotte Healthcare Foundation launched an innovative statewide ABC demonstration project to address toxic stress in young Kansas children by building attachment between them and their caregivers.

In the three-year study of the Kansas project released last week, more than 400 families and 900 children were affected by the ABC program. The intervention resulted in healthier children and more confident parents.

After completion of the program, children’s cortisol levels — an indicator of stress — were more normalized, parents were more confident in their caregiving abilities, and parent coaches rated children’s overall wellbeing as more positive. Families reported statistically significant improvements in their children’s social emotional functioning, which can lead to improved school readiness.

In the Kansas study, 22% of the families served primarily spoke Spanish in the home. The evaluation found similar promising results when the ABC program was delivered in Spanish as when it was delivered in English.

The use of ABC in other states is equally promising. In New York City, use of ABC resulted in decreased caseloads and savings of $90 million over five years.

As policymakers explore strategies to keep kids in their own homes, improve health and build parenting skills, ABC and other evidence-based programs show great potential.

Kansas has already moved in this direction by providing Family First funding, which is designed to prevent family interaction with the child welfare system, to support ABC projects as part of child welfare prevention strategies. Likewise, the Kansas State Department of Education has recognized ABC as an approved program for equity funds, and Medicaid is reimbursing mental health providers using ABC for eligible children.

Through state support or the Medicaid program, greater investment from policymakers is critical to sustain evidence-based home visiting and early childhood programs promoting secure, stable caregiver-child relationships. These investments will improve school readiness, student success, decrease interaction with the child welfare system and promote long-term health and economic well-being.

Beyond promising health, education, and child welfare outcomes, investing early creates the best health outcomes and the greatest return on investment. According to the Heckman Equation, high quality birth-to-5 programs for disadvantaged children deliver a 13% return on investment per year.

Continued investment from foundations, businesses, and early childhood stakeholders in ABC and other evidence-based programs offers important opportunities to test, pilot, and evaluate programs to inform and maximize the return on future investments affecting generations to come.

Through support for evidence‐based early childhood development programs, we can ensure the youngest Kansans enjoy nurturing family environments, so they are primed for a healthy life and for academic success. Investing in proven early childhood interventions, like ABC, will result in future benefits for the state, including a more capable workforce, reduced healthcare and mortality costs, and reduced demand for public services.

Investing early in our parents and children ensures a brighter future for all Kansans.

Journey Toward Mental Wellness

Posted on by Lindsey Fields

A Guide for Talking to Your Congregation: Supporting Meaningful Congregational Conversations on the Importance of Mental Wellness

Mental health is a concern across the country. However, access to mental health services is not equitable.

Access is often determined by income, where you live, awareness of local services, education about mental health and illness, and the stigma surrounding mental health.

Congregations and community partnerships are vital to improving the use of mental health services and reducing its stigma. We regularly hear that congregations need tools to help address these needs.

For use during Advent or Ordinary Time, the Journey Toward Mental Wellness sermon guide and toolkit was designed to help faith leaders begin meaningful conversations on the importance of mental health. In this sermon guide, we define mental health as something we all have. It’s a person’s psychological and emotional well-being. Having great physical, spiritual, and mental health is key to ensuring that communities thrive.

In this toolkit, you will find resources on connecting others to behavioral health services. You will also find sermons on mental health and exercises to start thoughtful discussion with your congregation.

Ultimately, we hope this guide will help your congregation create a stigma-free, supportive environment that will encourage those affected to seek help.

Downloads:
Sermon Guide and Toolkit
Bulletin Insert 1
Bulletin Insert 2
Bulletin Insert 3

We’d love to hear from you! Did you use the sermon guide and/or toolkit? Would you be willing to share your feedback and experiences? Would you consider recording a brief video to share? Questions or suggestions? Please send us an email at hcnews@healthfund.org.

If you need help right now, you can reach the Kansas Suicide Prevention center 24/7 every day at 785-841-2345 or the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 800-273-8255 (TALK). Calls are free and confidential.

National and Kansas Resources

Journey Toward Mental Wellness Social Media Tiles

Below are social media tiles to help you promote the series. We would love to know if you use the guide—please tag us on Twitter or Facebook (@umhealthfund).

Facebook

Twitter

Statewide ABC Project Shows Promise Across Kansas and Cultures

Posted on by Lindsey Fields

The 10-week early childhood home visiting program results are promising in Kansas: healthier children, more confident caregivers, and stronger families

Can a 10-week home visiting program for caregivers of infants and toddlers result in healthier Kansas children? The results from a three-year-long initiative say yes.

From May 2017 through April 2020, the Kansas ABC Early Childhood Initiative brought the evidence-based Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-up (ABC) intervention to five sites in Kansas to evaluate the effectiveness of integrating the program into the existing array of early childhood programs across the state.

Kansas Overall Evaluation Findings

“Our evaluation team was excited to find that the Kansas ABC Early Childhood Initiative had positive outcomes in Kansas including healthier children, more confident parents and caregivers, stronger families, and more comprehensive services and systems,” said Amy Mendenhall, director of the Center for Community Engagement & Collaboration at the University of Kansas.

Over the course of three years, 536 families were screened for toxic stress across 36 counties. In that time, 402 families were enrolled in the ABC intervention, and 682 caregivers and 907 children were impacted.

After completing ABC:

  • Caregiver concerns regarding child social-emotional functioning decreased.
  • Children’s cortisol levels, an indicator of stress, became more normalized. However, the change was not statistically significant for the entire sample.
  • Parent coaches rated children’s overall wellbeing as more positive.
  • Caregivers’ knowledge, and beliefs in their caregiving abilities, increased.
  • In interactions with their children, caregiver intrusiveness went down, while sensitivity and delight went up.
  • Caregiver capabilities significantly improved.

Evaluation Findings for ABC Delivery in Spanish

The initiative included four parent coaches who delivered the program in Spanish. Approximately 41% of families served were Hispanic or Latinx, and 22% primarily spoke Spanish in the home. Overall, the findings were similar for families who received ABC in Spanish as those who received it in English.

Coaches experienced some challenges in translating the program and its core concepts. Overall, they shared positive experiences regarding the cultural relevance of the program and having a coach who spoke Spanish and was Latinx.

“It was important to have the initiative reflect the changing demographics in our state,” said David Jordan, United Methodist Health Ministry Fund president and CEO. “We were excited to see positive results for our Spanish-speaking families. We shared those findings—and the challenges in translating materials and some concepts—with the program developers at the University of Delaware.”

Lessons Learned for Policymakers and Funders

As policymakers explore evidence-based strategies to
– prevent utilization of the child welfare system,
– keep children with their parents in their homes,
– improve health,
– build parenting skills, and
– address equitable attainment of education,
the report detailing the Kansas experience with ABC highlights its potential as a worthy, evidence-based investment.

Kansas has already moved in this direction by providing Family First dollars to support ABC projects as part of child welfare prevention strategies deployed under Family First. Likewise, the Kansas Department of Education has recognized ABC as an approved program for equity funds at the state level, and Medicaid is reimbursing mental health providers using ABC for eligible children.

Given the success of ABC in normalizing cortisol levels and lessons learned from other states – like New York, which utilized ABC to sustainably reduce child welfare caseloads and aid reunification efforts – there is great potential for policymakers to further support evidence-based programs like ABC to advance child health and child welfare goals as well as improve educational attainment.

Continue investment from foundations and early childhood stakeholders in ABC and other evidence-based programs will offer important opportunities to test, pilot, and evaluate programs to inform and maximize the return on future investments affecting generations to come.

Kansas ABC Findings

Five philanthropic organizations brought the ABC program to Kansas: United Methodist Health Ministry Fund, Hutchinson Community Foundation, Kansas Health Foundation, REACH Healthcare Foundation and Wyandotte Health Foundation.

Jordan Named Rural Health Fellow

Posted on by Lindsey Fields

NRHA announces 2022 Rural Health Fellows. This press release was originally issued by the National Rural Health Association on October 29, 2021.

The National Rural Health Association (NRHA) is pleased to announce the final selections for the 2022 class of Rural Health Fellows.

After a competitive review process, 17 fellows were selected to participate in this yearlong, intensive program aimed at developing leaders who can articulate a clear and compelling vision for rural America.

“Rural health care delivery – both inside and outside of rural hospitals and clinics – continues to confront a variety of issues that are unique to rural areas,” says NRHA CEO Alan Morgan. “Fortunately, NRHA’s Rural Health Fellows program and its graduates are prepared to effectively address these issues and strengthen rural hospitals and health care delivery across the nation by improving the quality and depth of executive leadership.”

The 2022 NRHA Rural Health Fellows are:

  • Leah Bouchard, Virginia Commonwealth University PhD candidate, Richmond, Va.
  • Jeremy Cannon, Kalkaska Memorial Health Center chief nursing officer, Kalkaska, Mich.
  • Nicole Carritt, University of Nebraska Medical Center director of rural health initiatives, Omaha, Neb.
  • Jeanne Edevold Larson, Northern Dental Access Center executive director, Bemidji, Minn.
  • Isela Garcia, New Mexico State University cancer outreach program manager, Las Cruces, N.M.
  • Elizabeth Hall-Lipsy, University of Arizona College of Pharmacy assistant professor of practice, Tucson, Ariz.
  • David Jordan, United Methodist Health Ministry Fund chief executive officer, Hutchinson, Kan.
  • Alyssa Meller, National Rural Health Resource Center chief operating officer, Duluth, Minn.
  • Andrea Mitchell, South Carolina Center for Rural and Primary Healthcare program manager, Columbia, S.C.
  • Quinyatta Mumford, Arkansas Department of Health section chief III, Little Rock, Ark.
  • Hunter Nostrant, Helen Newberry Joy Hospital chief executive officer, Newberry, Mich.
  • Victoria Reid, Ellenville Regional Hospital rural health network executive director, Ellenville, N.Y.
  • Joseph Robare, Slippery Rock University associate professor and MPH program director, Slippery Rock, Pa.
  • Michael Seward, Docs Who Care director of provider services, Olathe, Kan.
  • Thad Shunkwiler, Minnesota State University Mankato College of Allied Health and Nursing assistant professor Mankato, Minn.
  • Sarah Thach, University of North Carolina Gillings School MPH program assistant professor, Asheville, N.C.
  • Jacy Warrell, Rural Health Association of Tennessee chief executive officer, Decaturville, Tenn.

About NRHA

NRHA is a nonprofit organization working to improve the health and wellbeing of rural Americans and provide leadership on rural health issues through advocacy, communications, education, and research. NRHA’s membership is made up of diverse individuals and organizations from across the country, all of whom share the common bond of an interest in rural health.

Kansas child care needs more than a Band-Aid

Posted on by Lindsey Fields

This opinion piece by Health Fund President and CEO David Jordan and Kelly Davydov, president and CEO of Child Care Aware of Kansas, originally appeared in the Wichita Eagle on Sunday, October 24.

Every Kansas child deserves quality early learning experiences to improve school readiness and ensure student success.

Unfortunately, access to high-quality child care and early learning was already a challenge pre-pandemic for many Kansans, especially for children of families with low incomes, children of color and dual-language learners.

The child care shortage is statewide. In 2020, Child Care Aware of Kansas reported that 97% of counties did not meet desired capacity.

A recent Child Care Aware of Kansas and United Methodist Health Ministry Fund survey shows that the pandemic is pushing Kansas child care providers to the brink.

More than one-fourth of Kansas providers responded to the survey, representing 97% of counties. Most respondents reported the pandemic has been an extremely stressful time and has caused many to consider closing their programs. Providers are employing varied COVID-19 mitigation measures while enduring financial hardship, staffing shortages and stress.

Mitigation Needs Updated

The best ways to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 are vaccination, masking, and social distancing.

According to the survey, most providers increased cleaning and handwashing while less than half had been vaccinating staff (47%), social distancing (36%) or masking staff or children (26% and 12%).

Clean environments and clean hands are important, but they are not the best mitigation tools for COVID-19.

Staffing Shortage Intensifies

Staffing shortages have plagued the Kansas child care industry; for most providers the pandemic has amplified the problem. Child care is essential for our workforce to thrive. Temporary closures and enrollment fluctuation have increased providers’ financial hardship and shortages.

The median wage for Kansas child care workers in 2019 was $10.20 per hour. Nationally, Kansas ranks 43rd in spending on preschool and 47th in drawing down federal funds, which is a missed opportunity to bring dollars to Kansas to improve early childhood education.

Stress Can Impact Kids

Pandemic-related staff shortages make it difficult to maintain low child-to-adult ratios. Low ratios help ensure children receive enough individual attention from adults, which is important for social emotional development, learning, and physical well-being.

Children build relationships with their caregivers that play a significant role in their social and emotional development — an important indicator for school readiness.

The surveyed providers shared they have been under increased emotional strain. That’s bad for their health and can be harmful to children. According to Child Care Aware of America, children can show the same emotions as their caregivers or have trouble adjusting to change.

Moving Forward

To recover from the pandemic, providers shared that they needed financial support, clear information, community support and higher pay for child care workers.

We can take immediate steps to help providers as they deal with impacts of the pandemic. Policymakers and officials should provide financial incentives tied to requirements for implementation of proven precautions. Child care providers need uniform guidelines and up-to-date information to facilitate their policies and conversations with families.

Beyond the pandemic, Kansas needs to invest in programs to ensure school readiness. Short-term and long-term approaches must focus on preventing inequities in access to safe, high-quality child care among people of color, low-income communities and rural counties.

Kansas child care providers and children deserve our support.

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© United Methodist Health Ministry Fund