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 …
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Learn more about things happening at the Health Fund, and in our areas of focus
High 5 Welcome to Cara and Thank You to Gwen
Groups Urge Committee to Support Postpartum Coverage
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 …
Faith In Vaccines Lay Toolkit
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 …
ROI in Rural America: Increasing Kansans’ Access to Care
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 …
As simple as ABC: Evidence-based program improves children’s heath, parental confidence
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 …
Journey Toward Mental Wellness
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 …
Statewide ABC Project Shows Promise Across Kansas and Cultures
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 …
Jordan Named Rural Health Fellow
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 …
Kansas child care needs more than a Band-Aid
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 …
Women & Children First
Addressing maternal and child health disparities in Kansas This opinion piece by Health Fund President David Jordan originally appeared in the Fall 2021 issue of Kansas Child magazine. All Kansans should get to live in communities where good schools, healthy environments, safe homes, quality jobs, and access to health care and high-quality goods and services …