Through its new budget, Kansas is taking an important step in improving maternal and infant health outcomes. Today, Governor Laura Kelly signed the new budget bill which contains funding for extending postpartum KanCare (Medicaid) coverage from 60 days to 12 months.
More than 30% of Kansas births are covered by KanCare. Extending postpartum coverage will allow mothers to access early interventions and coordinated care, preventing postpartum complications that arise more than 60 days after delivery. Now more mothers will have health insurance and access to care in the first full year postpartum when the mother is still at risk for complications, including pregnancy-related death.
In response to the COVID-19 public health emergency, a temporary federal expansion of postpartum benefits to 12 months has allowed mothers to access or continue accessing health care and mental health services that provide both mother and child with a healthier start to life. A significant aspect of these improved health outcomes results from mothers being able to access early interventions and coordinated care, preventing postpartum complications that arise more than 60 days after delivery and keeping chronic conditions from worsening due to early identification and intervention.
“We commend Governor Kelly and the Kansas Legislature for extending postpartum KanCare coverage to 12 months,” said David Jordan, president and CEO of the Health Fund. “This will positively impact 9,000 Kansas mothers each year—reducing maternal mortality, improving health outcomes, and reducing disparities.”
Extended postpartum KanCare is an important step toward improved health for mothers. We need to remain attentive to and advocate for mothers’ access to quality physical and mental health care in all Kansas communities.
Breastfeeding plays a crucial role in the overall health of babies and mothers and demonstrates hospitals’ commitment to improving infant and maternal health.
The United Methodist Health Ministry Fund, through its High 5 for Mom & Baby program, is committed to promoting breastfeeding best practices and to supporting hospitals’ efforts to ensure their staff are prepared to support parents’ breastfeeding needs and goals.
Twenty-two Kansas hospitals’ commitment to improving infant and maternal health has earned them recognition through High 5 for Mom & Baby Premier. These facilities follow all ten of the evidence-based High 5 for Mom & Baby practices. This is the largest number of hospitals to earn the highest level of High 5 for Mom & Baby recognition since the program was introduced.
High 5 for Mom & Baby Premier provides training, resources, and a framework to help Kansas hospitals and birth facilities implement ten evidence-based practices proven to support successful breastfeeding, improving maternal and infant health outcomes while also reducing racial and ethnic health disparities.
To obtain High 5 for Mom & Baby Premier recognition, each facility must complete a voluntary, self-reported evaluation and follow all ten of the evidence-based High 5 for Mom & Baby practices:
Facility will have a written maternity care and infant feeding policy that addresses all ten High 5 for Mom & Baby practices supporting breastfeeding
Facility will maintain staff competency in lactation support
All pregnant women will receive information and instruction on breastfeeding
Assure immediate and sustained skin-to-skin contact between mother and baby after birth
All families will receive individualized infant feeding counseling
Give newborn infants no food or drink other than breastmilk unless medically indicated
Practice “rooming in” – allow mothers and infants to remain together 24 hours a day
Families will be encouraged to feed their babies when the baby exhibits feeding cues, regardless of feeding methods
Give no pacifiers or artificial nipples to breastfeeding infants
Provide mothers options for breastfeeding support in the community (such as a telephone number, walk-in clinic information, support groups, etc.) upon discharge
For a list of the 18 additional Kansas hospitals that maintain at least five of the evidence-based practices above and are recognized as High 5 for Mom and Baby facilities, visit https://www.high5kansas.org/. For more information on High 5 for Mom & Baby, contact Cara Gerhardt, Program Coordinator: coordinator@high5kansas.org.
Breastfeeding plays a crucial role in the overall health of babies and mothers and demonstrates hospitals’ commitment to improving infant and maternal health.
The United Methodist Health Ministry Fund, through its High 5 for Mom & Baby program, is committed to promoting breastfeeding best practices and to supporting hospitals’ efforts to ensure their staff are prepared to support parents’ breastfeeding needs and goals.
Eighteen Kansas hospitals’ commitment to improving infant and maternal health has earned them recognition through High 5 for Mom & Baby.
High 5 for Mom & Baby provides training, resources, and a framework to help Kansas hospitals and birth facilities implement five or more evidence-based practices proven to support successful breastfeeding, improving maternal and infant health outcomes while also reducing racial and ethnic health disparities.
To obtain High 5 for Mom & Baby recognition, each facility must complete a voluntary, self-reported evaluation and follow five or more of the evidence-based High 5 for Mom & Baby practices:
Facility will have a written maternity care and infant feeding policy that addresses all ten High 5 for Mom & Baby practices supporting breastfeeding
Facility will maintain staff competency in lactation support
All pregnant women will receive information and instruction on breastfeeding
Assure immediate and sustained skin-to-skin contact between mother and baby after birth
All families will receive individualized infant feeding counseling
Give newborn infants no food or drink other than breastmilk unless medically indicated
Practice “rooming in” – allow mothers and infants to remain together 24 hours a day
Families will be encouraged to feed their babies when the baby exhibits feeding cues, regardless of feeding methods
Give no pacifiers or artificial nipples to breastfeeding infants
Provide mothers options for breastfeeding support in the community (such as a telephone number, walk-in clinic information, support groups, etc.) upon discharge
For a list of the 22 additional Kansas hospitals that maintain all ten of the evidence-based practices above and are recognized as High 5 for Mom and Baby Premier facilities, visit https://www.high5kansas.org/. For more information on High 5 for Mom & Baby, contact Cara Gerhardt, Program Coordinator: coordinator@high5kansas.org.
A Three-Part Series Examining the Commission on Racial Equity and Justice’s Final Recommendations
Following months of discussions with community members and stakeholders, the Governor’s Commission on Racial Equity and Justice developed recommendations to address racial equity in Kansas by focusing on social determinants of health, particularly looking at factors that influence the economic, educational, and health outcomes of our citizens.
The Commission’s recommendations address items that may take place on the state/agency, legislative, and/or local level. Each webinar in this series explores recommendations applicable at a specific level of government.
Examining CREJ Legislative Recommendations
This webinar details the Governor’s Commission on Racial Equity and Justice’s final recommendations for legislative changes that would influence the economic, educational, and health outcomes of our citizens.
This webinar details the Governor’s Commission on Racial Equity and Justice’s final recommendations for local government changes that would influence the economic, educational, and health outcomes of our citizens.
View the slides from the local level webinar. This webinar was co-sponsored by the Kansas Association of Counties, League of Kansas Municipalities, and the KU School of Public Affairs and Administration.
Examining CREJ State and Agency Recommendations
This webinar details the Governor’s Commission on Racial Equity and Justice’s final recommendations for state and agency changes that would influence the economic, educational, and health outcomes of our citizens.
We support and invest in early childhood initiatives because research shows investing early creates the best health outcomes and the greatest return on investment. To ensure the healthiest start for Kansas kids, we also support policies that lead to healthier parents and healthier families.
Health Fund President David Jordan recently submitted testimony to both the Kansas House and Kansas Senate in support of extending postpartum KanCare coverage to 12 months, universal home visiting, and adding adult dental coverage to Medicaid benefits.
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.
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.
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.
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.
