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Health foundations join forces to donate to Kansas foodbanks

Posted on by Nancy McCready

Health philanthropies join forces to support local, state food efforts

NOVEMBER 14, 2025 – Four Kansas health philanthropies joined forces to support local and statewide efforts to help fight hunger. The United Methodist Health Ministry Fund, Kansas Health Foundation, Sunflower Foundation and REACH Healthcare Foundation are together contributing more than $381,000 to support Kansas food banks and community pantries before year-end.

Food banks and pantries were struggling to meet an increase in demand even before the recent government shutdown and disruption in funding to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). These events further strained their operations, as more people needed help feeding their families.

“Kansans are struggling to put food on their tables right now, and it’s important we help where we can in the short term,” said David Jordan, Health Fund president and CEO. “While philanthropy can play a role in the current crisis, it can’t fulfill the role of government. The need is far too great.”

For every one meal provided by a food bank, SNAP provides nine, according to Feeding America.

“We know these contributions alone cannot solve the ongoing issue of food insecurity in Kansas,” said Ed O’Malley, president and CEO of the Kansas Health Foundation. “They can, however, help shine a light on the ongoing needs of so many of our Kansas friends and neighbors. KHF joins with other funding partners, as well as statewide and community-based partners like Hunger Free Kansas, to work toward a future where no Kansans go hungry.”

The growing demand comes as food banks and pantries head into the holiday season, which is typically their busiest time of year. The foundation leaders said they encourage everyone to donate to their local food pantries and banks.

“Food banks and their dedicated network of partners do remarkable work every day to keep Kansans fed,” said Brandon Skidmore, president and CEO of Sunflower Foundation. “Our support is meant to reinforce that network as it responds to extraordinary demand during this challenging time.”

They also urged Kansans to reach out to state and federal policymakers to stress how vital programs like SNAP are key to fighting food insecurity.

“SNAP remains one of the most effective tools we have to prevent hunger and support healthy families. It is critical that policymakers continue to support efforts to protect SNAP,” said Brenda Sharpe, president and CEO at REACH Healthcare Foundation. “We encourage everyone to contact their elected leaders and voice the importance of safeguarding this important program.”

To learn more about Kansas’ statewide food banks, please visit:

To locate and make a donation to your local food pantry, please visit: https://kansasfoodsource.org/

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ABOUT THE HEALTH FUND

The United Methodist Health Ministry Fund (Health Fund) is a statewide health foundation working to improve the health of all Kansans since 1986 by funding innovative ideas, sparking conversations and convening those who can make a difference. Learn more at www.HealthFund.org.

ABOUT THE KANSAS HEALTH FOUNDATION

The Kansas Health Foundation (KHF) is a nonprofit organization based in Wichita but statewide in its focus. At KHF, all our work centers on our mission: to improve the health of all Kansans. As part of our strategic framework, developed by our staff and board of directors, KHF also strives to accomplish three primary purposes: empower Kansas to lead the nation in health; eliminate the inequities that create health disparities; and, for KHF to become THE model for philanthropic impact. To learn more, visit https://kansashealth.org/.

ABOUT SUNFLOWER FOUNDATION

Sunflower Foundation was established in 2000 as a statewide health philanthropy with a mission to serve as a catalyst for improving the health of all Kansans. The foundation believes that a thriving, sustainable nonprofit sector contributes to healthy communities and is committed to investing in mission-aligned nonprofits through grants, education, advocacy, collaborative learning, and capacity building. To learn more, visit www.SunflowerFoundation.org.

ABOUT REACH HEALTHCARE FOUNDATION

REACH Healthcare Foundation is a charitable foundation dedicated to improving health coverage and access to quality, affordable healthcare for uninsured and medically underserved people. The foundation focuses its support in a six-county service area that encompasses Allen, Johnson, and Wyandotte counties in Kansas and Cass, Jackson and Lafayette counties in Missouri, as well as the City of Kansas City, Missouri. To learn more, visit www.reachhealth.org.

Podcast episode 36: Dr. Scurlock

Posted on by Nancy McCready

Welcome to the Pioneers in Health podcast. In this podcast, we share inspiring stories of pioneering leaders from our nation and from your backyard who are working to improve health.

In episode 36, we interview Corey Scurlock, MD, MBA, founder and CEO of the leading telehealth company Equum Medical. Equum Medical helps health systems in rural and urban areas fill critical gaps in clinical care through telehealth services.

Dr. Scurlock is an anesthesiologist and critical care physician who completed his residency in anesthesiology through the Baylor College of Medicine and his fellowship in surgical critical care through Harvard Medical School at Massachusetts General Hospital. He also obtained a master’s in business administration from Cornell University.

Dr. Scurlock shares how he grew up in a rural town in Texas and was the first in his family to attend college. After college, he pursued medical school. Upon completing his extensive medical training, he went to work as the medical director for the Cardiothoracic Intensive Care Unit at Mount Sinai Health System in New York City.

He said he worked hard to move up in his career with the aspiration that he’d have an impact on the health care system.

“It had taken a whole lot of sacrifice and work to get from point A to point B, and when you’re doing that, when your head’s down in sort of the battle of moving up and moving toward your career, you have a vision that your career is going to have a big impact — and you want to have a big impact. I really wanted to have an impact on the U.S. health care system.

“In those first couple of years being an attending, I realized it wasn’t what I thought it would be,” he said. “I wasn’t having as much impact as I wanted.”

That’s when he decided to pursue his master’s in business administration, pursuing his education at nights and on weekends. He became focused on leadership and change management. And, in 2011, he saw a new form of care that changed the trajectory of his career.

“I saw a telemedicine center, and I said, ‘Look, this really is a great equalizer. This is a way to take care of patients at scale,” he said.

He decided that was how he could make a bigger impact through his career and help more patients, especially those in rural areas where there aren’t as many medical providers available. So, he founded Equum Medical, based on the mission of creating equality in health care — providing the same level of care regardless of geography.

He shares his passion for telehealth and the benefits it can provide.

He also discusses the growing workforce challenges in health care across America, including shortages in providers and provider burnout.

He said half of U.S. counties don’t have a psychiatrist and that half of psychiatrists are 60 or older and nearing retirement age. There’s also a lack of cardiologists, neurologists, critical care physicians and hospitalists. And, he said, now the country is facing a nursing shortage.

He shared examples where telehealth has reduced the workload on rural doctors, thereby reducing burnout and turnover.

“What used to be just a rural issue is now an urban issue, too, in terms of staffing,” he said.

He also discusses:

  • His passion for equalizing heath care in rural communities
  • How telehealth can help bridge the gap in rural health care delivery
  • The next phase of telehealth
  • The three pillars of telehealth
  • The regulatory environment and challenges in implementing telehealth
  • The use of artificial intelligence
  • What gives him hope

And much more! Listen now, and learn more about how Dr. Scurlock is an innovative leader in health care.

Listen now

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Please see the Pioneers in Health page on our website for more information on our podcast series and links to other episodes.  

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Podcast episode 35: Ryan Lester

Posted on by Nancy McCready

Welcome to the Pioneers in Health podcast. In this podcast, we share inspiring stories of pioneering leaders from our nation and from your backyard who are working to improve health.

In episode 35, we interview Ryan Lester, MPH, who serves as Vice President, Education, Health of the Public and Science at the American Academy of Family Physicians. He previously served as a leadership coach, adjunct professor, and bureau chief of health promotion at the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) during the COVID-19 pandemic.

He shares how he was passionate about the environment and began his career in environmental health. That later led to a career path in public health.

“I’ve always had kind of a draw to making the world a better place,” he said. “Anything that I’ve done in life has felt like it had to be mission driven.”

After graduating with a degree in environmental studies, he accepted a position with the Johnson County Department of Health and Environment. There, he worked as an environmental health specialist, where he did food inspections, swimming pool inspections, on-site wastewater and more.

“It wasn’t that I sought out public health. I really kind of fell into public health and then fell in love with the mission,” Ryan said.

He discusses the role of public health departments and how they serve as the nucleus of a community. In Kansas, they provide a wide range of services to keep communities healthy. Their services vary between departments, but their services include everything from disaster preparedness to animal control to inspections to make sure your food and water is safe to administering vaccines to even housing municipal code enforcement and much more.

There’s a lot of unseen work in public health departments, he said, providing services that keep people safe and healthy.

“I’ve always thought of public health as being part of critical infrastructure in our country,” Ryan said. “It’s not just roads, it’s not just power lines. It’s the setting up an environment for folks to make the healthy choices that they need to live healthy lives and live up to their full health potential.”

He discusses vaccines and emphasized the rigorous scientific research and processes required before they can ever be used.

“Make no mistake. Vaccines are safe, and they are effective,” Ryan said. “It is incredibly important that we follow the science.”

He said policies that restrict access to vaccines have a broader impact.

“You put people at risk if you’re putting policies in place that restrict access to vaccines that we know work. You’re also adding a lot of cost into the system with increased hospitalizations,” he said. “The policies really need to align with the science.”

He also discusses:

  • The role of health departments in keeping people healthy
  • The importance of leadership and listening in public health roles
  • His transition from environmental health into public health working for the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE), including working there during the COVID-19 pandemic and silver linings that arose
  • Public health programs at KDHE
  • Public health funding
  • Community health workers and the value they provide
  • The importance of keeping science at the center of public health intervention decisions
  • The use of artificial intelligence in health care
  • What gives him hope

And much more! Listen now, and learn more about how Ryan is an innovative leader in health care.

Listen now

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Please see the Pioneers in Health page on our website for more information on our podcast series and links to other episodes.  

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Health Fund to serve on statewide alliance to help rural hospitals and providers

Posted on by Nancy McCready

HUTCHINSON, KS — The passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, or HR1, instituted significant funding and coverage cuts to Medicaid, which will further threaten the viability of rural hospitals.

Governor Kelly recently announced an alliance of organizations to help navigate how to best support Kansas rural health care and how to allocate funds from the new Rural Health Transformation Fund.

Health Fund President and CEO David Jordan will serve on the Kansas Rural Health Innovation Alliance (KRHIA) as a representative of Kansas Grantmakers in Health.

“The Kansas Rural Health Innovation Alliance will play an instrumental role in ensuring that Kansas communities receive the maximum support and funding for their rural hospitals and health care facilities that stand to lose so much from federal funding cuts,” Governor Kelly said. “The organizations selected for the alliance have demonstrated an understanding of the challenges rural communities face in accessing health care, and a commitment to solving those challenges. I look forward to working with them as we navigate this important process.”  

KRHIA will work with Kansas’ RHTP application development team as it advances through the application process and distribution of RHTP funding. The RHTP application must be submitted by Nov. 5 and then the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will announce the funding awards by Dec. 31. 

KRHIA appointees include: 

  • Kansas Hospital Association
  • Community Care Network of Kansas
  • Association of Community Mental Health Centers of Kansas
  • Kansas Association of Local Health Departments
  • Kansas Rural Health Association
  • Kansas Medical Society
  • Kansas Academy of Family Physicians
  • Kansas Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics
  • Kansas Health Institute
  • Kansas Department of Health and Environment
  • Kansas Department of Aging and Disability Services
  • LeadingAge Kansas
  • Kansas Health Care Association
  • Kansas Grantmakers in Health, including the United Methodist Health Ministry Fund  

KRHIA members will provide feedback on Kansas’ application and help develop key elements of the RHTP plan that will support the continued delivery of rural healthcare in Kansas.  

The goal for Kansas’ application is to support our rural health systems, communities, and patients in a holistic manner by improving access and outcomes through workforce development, education, systems change, and technology.  

To learn more about the Rural Health Transformation Program, please click here. To read the full news release from Governor Kelly’s office, click here.

Podcast episode 34: John McDonough

Posted on by Nancy McCready

Welcome to the Pioneers in Health podcast. In this podcast, we share inspiring stories of pioneering leaders from our nation and from your backyard who are working to improve health.

In episode 34, we interview John McDonough, professor of public health practice at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. He served as a legislator for the Massachusetts House of Representatives from 1985 to 1997.

He discusses how the skills he learned being a community organizer helped him win his first race for the Massachusetts House of Representatives, in which he ran against an incumbent of 30 years.

“I looked at the challenge of running as an organizing challenge — a community organizing, a labor organizing, a political organizing — and so the challenge was to figure out how many votes I needed and then to build an organization that could deliver that number of votes,” John said.

Relevant resource: How OBBBA will impact Kansas’ Marketplace insurance

“Accidentally, I got appointed to the Joint Committee on Healthcare in the legislature and fell head over heels in love with health policy — state, local and national,” John said.

He went on to serve in leadership positions for various health committees and played a role in helping shape significant health policy for the state, including reinventing its Medicaid program, which put the state on the pathway to what ultimately became universal coverage law in 2006.

He shares lessons he learned during his time as a legislator, as well as how his career took him in a variety of roles that continued to impact health policy.

When asked what gives him hope today, he said he is always hopeful — even during challenging times for health policy like today. He discussed the years that each party has dominated the U.S. House, Senate and presidency.

Relevant resource: What Kansas families have to say about government programs

“There are waves, and there are ups and downs,” he said. “And one of the things that I noticed is that whatever period you’re in, whether things are going really well or things are going really poorly, you get this feeling — this sense like, ‘Oh my God, this is going to go on forever. It’s never going to end.’ And you’re always wrong. It’s always going to turn around, and so this, too, where we are right now, shall pass, and there will be important opportunities that emerge from it.”

He also discusses:

  • Creating the model for what nationally became the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) program
  • Efforts to achieve near-universal health coverage in Massachusetts
  • Working with Sen. Edward Kennedy to essentially use Massachusetts’ landmark health care reform legislation as the foundation for the Affordable Care Act
  • Important aspects of the Affordable Care Act, including the Health Insurance Marketplace
  • How the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, or HR1, will negatively impact state Medicaid programs and how voting to expand Medicaid in Kansas would help offset some of those funding losses; Kansas is one of only 10 states that has not expanded its Medicaid program as part of the ACA
  • Waste, fraud and abuse
  • Private equity and monopolization and how that can impact rural hospitals

And much more! Listen now, and learn more about how John is an innovative leader in health care and health care policy.

Listen now

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Please see the Pioneers in Health page on our website for more information on our podcast series and links to other episodes.  

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Podcast episode 33: Eva Marie Stahl

Posted on by Nancy McCready

Welcome to the Pioneers in Health podcast. In this podcast, we share inspiring stories of pioneering leaders from our nation and from your backyard who are working to improve health.

In episode 33, we interview Eva Stahl, vice president of public policy and program management at Undue Medical Debt. Undue Medical Debt is a nonprofit organization that buys large portfolios of medical debt from hospitals and other organizations to eliminate debt for people who’ve been unable to pay their medical bills.

Eva shared her journey of how she landed working in health policy. She said she grew up in the Midwest with a mother who was a teacher and father who was a scientist, both of whom were heavily committed to giving back and actively involved in their community.

“You carry those experiences with you, and I really wanted to dedicate my life to service in some way,” she said.

When she was in her mid 20s, she traveled to Africa for a year with Henry Louis Gates, Jr., a famous author and leader.

Want to learn more about coverage cuts discussed in this episode? Click here to learn more.

“It was really life changing,” she said. “To be in communities that really were struggling with access to basic health care needs really impacted me and influenced me and led me to pursue both a public policy degree and then later a PhD in health policy.”

She shared about her early career working in health policy in Massachusetts and how she found her way to Undue Medical Debt.

At Undue, they work to eliminate medical debt for people while also focusing on how they can impact the issue at a systems level.

“It’s not just abolishing medical debt for individuals and communities, but also thinking about what are the policies upstream that can help mitigate those harms,” she said.

She also discusses:

  • Her journey to working at Undue Medical Debt
  • The background and mission of Undue Medical Debt
  • How medical debt impacts people in a variety of ways and how sharing their stories can make a difference
  • The importance of health care advocacy and the Affordable Care Act (ACA)
  • How recent cuts to Medicaid and the ACA Marketplace from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, or HR1, will impact families and create increased medical debt
  • The struggles families face with insurance and the high cost of health care
  • The Rural Health Transformation Fund
  • What gives her hope

And much more! Listen now, and learn more about how Eva is an innovative leader in health care.

Listen now

Listen below or on any of your favorite podcast services. Like and subscribe to stay up-to-date with each new episode!

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Please see the Pioneers in Health page on our website for more information on our podcast series and links to other episodes.  

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2024 Year in Review released

Posted on by Nancy McCready

2024 Year in Review

“Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.” — John Wesley

As we navigate new waters, we remain committed and focused on doing as much good as we can — to continue improving access to care, nurturing health and helping children thrive, and building leadership in our church congregations and their communities.

Though we are already hard at work on our 2025 goals and projects, it’s important to reflect on the past year and celebrate all that we have achieved — the ways we’ve been able to do good and help improve the health of all Kansans. After all, that’s at the center of everything we do.

In 2024, the United Methodist Health Ministry Fund awarded 115 grants, secured $14.4 million in federal grant money for Kansas, launched and released 14 podcast episodes and participated and/or organized 19 educational webinars, trainings, regional and national presentations. We also surpassed $80 million in grants awarded since our inception in 1986.

Learn more about these efforts in our 2024 Year in Review.

View Full Year in Review

2024 Highlights

ACCESS TO CARE

THRIVING CHILDREN

ENGAGED CONGREGATIONS AND COMMUNITIES

Our impact in 2024 was significant, and our efforts continue. We look forward to furthering our mission in 2025 to help create a healthier Kansas.

View Full Year in Review



New brief: How recent federal changes will impact Marketplace insurance in Kansas

Posted on by Nancy McCready

Congress recently passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), which was signed into law July 4 by President Trump. This bill will cut an estimated $300 billion from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and $1 trillion from Medicaid, as well as make it harder and less affordable to enroll in health plans through the Affordable Care Act’s Health Insurance Marketplace.

Currently, more than 24 million Americans receive their health coverage through Marketplace plans. In Kansas, more than 200,000 people receive their health insurance through this program. In 45 Kansas counties, at least 7% of Kansans are enrolled in Marketplace coverage. And, many counties with the highest Marketplace enrollment are in rural areas.

View research brief

To help people afford plans in the Marketplace, the federal government provides low- and middle-income individuals with premium tax credits. In 2021, Congress enhanced the tax credits to make them available to even more people. Authorized originally by the American Rescue Plan Act, the enhanced premium tax credits were later extended by the Inflation Reduction Act through 2025. These changes made Marketplace plans more affordable and led to double the enrollment from 2021 to 2025.

However, provisions in OBBBA will make it harder for individuals to enroll or re-enroll in subsidized coverage through the Marketplace. Most provisions begin in the 2026 plan year. And, unless Congress acts, the enhanced premium tax credits will expire at the end of 2025. That will lead to higher costs for Marketplace enrollees and an increase in uninsured Kansans.

This comes as the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a final rule in June 2025 that restricts eligibility, reduces benefits and adds new paperwork requirements — all of which take effect in 2025 and 2026. According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), Marketplace enrollment is expected to decline significantly due to OBBBA and other federal policy decisions. At the same time, steep cuts to a critical federal program that helps people navigate and enroll in Marketplace coverage will make it even harder for people to get insured.

We recently released a research brief that highlights how these changes will impact access to Marketplace health insurance in Kansas.

View Research Brief

Podcast episode 32: Mark McCormick

Posted on by Nancy McCready

Welcome to the Pioneers in Health podcast. In this podcast, we share inspiring stories of pioneering leaders from our nation and from your backyard who are working to improve health.

In episode 32, we interview Mark McCormick, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning journalist, advocate and consultant.

Mark, a Wichita native, most recently served as the first-ever executive director of the Kansas Black Leadership Council (KBLC) in 2024-25. The statewide organization was established in 2015 to advance meaningful change for Black or African Americans living in Kansas. KBLC works to empower Black communities through civic engagement, leadership development and community advocacy.

Prior to KBLC, Mark spent two years at the ACLU of Kansas as deputy director of strategic affairs and as communications director and nine years as the CEO of The Kansas African American Museum. He also served as director of communications for the Kansas Leadership Center and worked as a writer for The Wichita Eagle and the Louisville Courier-Journal.

In this episode, he discusses his journey into storytelling. He also talks about how much journalism has changed since he began his career. He discusses how society used to operate from a shared truth, but how over time, different news outlets created different truths and society became segmented.

“We really need a shared reality that we’ve all bought into,” he said. “And it’s one of the things that I would like to see happen in journalism, and it’s one of the things that from now until I’m no longer writing, I’ll be advocating for some kind of shared experience, because it’ll be hard to manage our democracy without that shared experience and those shared ideas.”

He also discusses:

  • How a lack of health care access impacts communities
  • What led him back to Wichita after moving away earlier in his career
  • Friendship and how that led to breaking the news of Barry Sanders’ retirement
  • His experience at the Kansas African-American Museum
  • His current book project
  • The need for storytelling to open people’s hearts
  • What gives him hope

And much more! Listen now, and learn more about how Mark is an innovative leader in Kansas.

Listen now

Listen below or on any of your favorite podcast services. Like and subscribe to stay up-to-date with each new episode!

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Please see the Pioneers in Health page on our website for more information on our podcast series and links to other episodes.  

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New survey: Kansans across party lines voice strong support for programs that help children, families

Posted on by Nancy McCready

New survey: Kansans across party lines voice strong support for programs that help children, families

Hutchinson, KS – A new study found that Kansans feel the current economy is unfriendly to families raising young children, and they support programs that help them thrive. In fact, most families surveyed as part of the study said government was doing too little to help families with young children.

The study was conducted by PerryUndem, a nonpartisan research firm, to better understand Kansans’ feelings and experiences around raising young children today, including opinions on programs designed to help children and families.

The research was commissioned by the United Methodist Health Ministry Fund and four other independent foundations that focus on improving the lives of children and families. The Health Fund wanted to gain deeper insights into families’ current pain points and beliefs.

PerryUndem conducted its research in June and July 2025, which included focus groups and a survey. The survey was conducted across Kansas and nationally, as well.

The study found many Kansas families feel intense economic stress right now and that young families are under even more pressure. There was bipartisan support for government programs like Head Start, Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and WIC that help families meet basic needs.

“While Kansans are independent and do not like to turn to government for help, and many have concerns about waste and abuse in programs, they simultaneously see a need for investing in government programs right now,” said Mike Perry, partner at PerryUndem. “They know firsthand these are challenging economic times and that many families with young children need help through no fault of their own.”

These findings come at a time when Kansas and other states must begin addressing the impacts of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which was passed in July and will reduce federal funding for Medicaid and SNAP by more than $1 trillion. In Kansas, the survey found only 7% of families support decreasing funding for Medicaid, and 16% or fewer support cuts to any of these support programs. The majority of those surveyed said they wanted to instead increase spending on all of these programs that help families raising young children.

The Kansas data was derived as part of an over sample of a national poll. Additional key findings from the study for both Kansas and nationally include:

“Both nationally and in Kansas, there is strong agreement that we should be doing more to help families in this economy, not make life harder or put barriers in their way,” said David Jordan, president and CEO at the United Methodist Health Ministry Fund.

View Survey Report

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