Breastfeeding plays a crucial role in the overall health of babies and mothers and demonstrates hospitals’ and birthing centers’ commitment to improving infant and maternal health. However, one of the biggest obstacles hospitals face in working to improve maternity care and lactation support practices is staff education. Research shows that the level of lactation education …
News
Learn more about things happening at the Health Fund, and in our areas of focus
New online education series improves access to breastfeeding and maternity care best practices
Faith in Vaccines
A Guide for Talking to Your Congregation: Supporting Empathetic Congregational Conversations on COVID-19 Vaccination Widespread vaccination is the key to ending the COVID-19 pandemic and enabling a return to normal life. The Health Fund supports vaccination as a safe and highly effective way to prevent diseases including COVID-19 but also recognizes that the decision to …
Vote, for Healthy Communities
Many factors drive or determine health – how safe you feel in your community, access to parks, healthy food, high quality early learning and education, and, availability of health care providers and good paying jobs. These social factors will impact how healthy your community is and how healthy you are. Now, more than ever, health …
Health Foundations invest $1.83 million in equity, education, and health
Four Kansas nonprofit organizations have been selected as grant recipients of a new initiative to increase equity in school readiness and educational outcomes created by the Kansas Health Foundation (KHF) and the United Methodist Health Ministry Fund (Health Fund). Recipients include Kansas Breastfeeding Coalition, Metro Organization for Racial and Economic Equity, Storytime Village and Thrive …
New Poll Finds Kansas Voters Want Telehealth to Stay
New research finds that 86% of Kansans support expanding or maintaining telehealth services to access health care after the COVID-19 pandemic ends, according to a statewide poll of voters conducted in February. In 2020, the federal government, states, and private payers lifted previous restrictions on the use of telehealth to enable safe access to health …
Kansas Advocates for Equity, Education and Health
All Kansas families should live in communities of opportunity, where good schools, healthy environments, safe homes, quality jobs, and access to health care, high-quality goods and services are the norm. We believe education, health care, and children being ready to learn are critical pieces for creating and supporting communities of opportunity. We also recognize that …
Community Conversations
Virtual Discussions on the Future of Rural Health in Kansas Please join the United Methodist Health Ministry Fund, Kansas Health Foundation and Kansas Hospital Association for one of our six regional meetings on the future of rural health in Kansas. Details are here: https://www.communityconversationsks.com/scheduled-events A strong health system is critical to thriving rural communities and …
Community Health Workers in Kansas
Strengths, Challenges and Opportunities A new research report released by the United Methodist Health Ministry Fund finds that integrating Community Health Workers (CHWs) into care teams results in better and more appropriate access to health care services, improves health outcomes, addresses gaps and equity issues in the health care system, and delivers strong return on …
Telehealth in Kansas During COVID-19
Survey of health providers: August-September 2020 A crisis shows telehealth works; now we need to explore how to sustain services Earlier this year, in an effort to help providers and patients maintain access to health services during the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government and the State of Kansas issued emergency telehealth policy changes to improve …
Thriving Congregations
Health Fund receives five-year Lilly Endowment grant to strengthen partnerships and expand programs supporting community health ministry At the United Methodist Health Ministry Fund we work hard each day to improve the health of Kansans through strategic philanthropy guided by Christian values, which is why we’re excited to announce that we received a five-year Thriving …