Kansas, a 208 mile by 411 mile rectangle, is located in the heart of the nation. Kansas is named after the Kansas Native American tribe, which means "People of the South Wind." It is commonly referred to as Wheat State and Breadbasket of the Nation. Kansas covers 82,227 square miles, with a 2010 estimated population of 2,853,118 people – 1,031,070 living in rural Kansas (USDA-ERS). Topeka, the capital, is located in the north-eastern region of the state. The state’s largest cities are Wichita, Overland Park and Kansas City. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 83.8% of the state’s population is white, 5.9% is Black/African-American, 1.0% is American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.4% is Asian, and 10.5% is of Hispanic/Latino origin (2010).
There are 127 community hospitals in Kansas. Of those hospitals, 96 are small hospitals with less than 50 beds and are located in rural areas (Kansas Hospital Association, 2011 Annual STAT Report). The state has 83 hospitals identified by the Flex Monitoring Team as Critical Access Hospitals (Sept. 2010). There are 179 Rural Health Clinics in Kansas (Kaiser, 2012), and 13 Federally Qualified Health Centers provide services at 49 sites in the state (Kaiser, 2010). Most Kansans have some form of health insurance coverage, although 13.0% of its residents lack health insurance (Kaiser, 2008-2009).
According to the USDA Economic Research Service, the average per-capita income for Kansans in 2009 was $39,173 although rural per-capita income lagged at $35,220. 2010 estimates indicate a poverty rate of 14.9% exists in rural Kansas, compared to a 12.7% level in urban areas of the state. 2010 ACS data reports that 13.3% of the rural population has not completed high school, compared to 9.4% of urban populations. The unemployment rate in rural Kansas is at 5.9%, while in urban Kansas it is at 7.7% (USDA-ERS, 2010).
For a national comparison, please see an overview of the United States.
Data Sources
U.S. Census Bureau: State & County QuickFacts; USDA Economic Research Service: State Fact Sheets; Kansas Hospital Association; Kaiser Family Foundation State Health Facts; Flex Monitoring Team: Critical Access Hospital List; The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE): Office of Local and Rural Health (OLRH)
Organizations
HUD Community Development Block Grants: Kansas (CDBG)
Federal government
Contact information for the State CDBG program. Provides funding for community development projects.
Kansas Area Health Education Centers (KUMC AHEC)
State/regional organization
Consists of three centers including East, Northwest, and Southwest. Provides training experiences to expose students to medical careers, encourages people to practice in rural areas, offers continuing education programs, and collaborates with health care providers.
Kansas Association of Community Action Programs (KACAP)
State government
Provides statewide poverty-focused conferences, policy advocacy, poverty-focused reports, and coordination of an outcomes-based model for Kansas' community action agencies.
Kansas Association of Rural Health Clinics (KARHC)
State/regional organization
Offers networking and educational opportunities for Rural Health Clinics both Independent and Provider Based in Kansas. Offers a listserv for members. Website forthcoming.
Kansas Center for Community Economic Development (KCCED)
Academic/Research
Located at the University of Kansas. Conducts research relating to rural community economic development, provides programs and training, and offers technical assistance to communities on economic development matters.
Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE)
State government
Oversees the divisions of Public Health, Rural Health, Environment, Primary Care, Preparedness, Trauma, and Special Population Health.
Kansas Department of Labor (KDOL)
State government
Administers the unemployment insurance program and processes claims for unemployment benefits. Posts jobs for employers and employees, operates the state's workers compensation system, and enforces Kansas employment standards including wage, hour laws, and child labor laws.
Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services
State government
Protects children, promotes adult self-sufficiency, and provides supports and services to improve lives. Oversees social services and state institutions.
Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services: Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention
State government
Supports Regional Prevention Centers located throughout the state, provides technical assistance, as well as training and resources, addresses identified prevention needs, and provides evidence-based strategies and evaluation of past efforts to community-based groups.
Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services: Child Support Enforcement (CSE)
State government
Enforces child support orders, locates absent parents and their property, obtains paternity,
and watches to make sure support payments come in regularly.
Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services: Mental Health Services
State government
Supports persons with mental illness in their recovery. Services are provided at a community-based level and include medication management, out-patient therapy, case management, mental health rehabilitation, personal support, and crisis services.
Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services: Vocational Rehabilitation Services
State government
Helps people with disabilities achieve employment and self-sufficiency. Services may include physical and mental restoration services such as artificial limbs, psychotherapy and physical therapy, training, aids and other adaptive devices, job placement services, student services, supported employment, and referral to other services.
Kansas Foundation for Medical Care (KFMC)
Nonprofit/Foundation
Focuses on improving healthcare quality. Ensures that Medicare and Medicaid patients receive appropriate and quality healthcare.
Kansas Health Consumer Coalition (KHCC)
State/regional organization
Advocates for affordable, accessible, and quality health care in Kansas.
Kansas Health Information Technology Regional Extension Center
State/regional organization
Kansas State Health Information Technology Regional Extension Center (REC) that helps health care providers become meaningful users of electronic health records by providing information and technical assistance.
Kansas Health Institute (KHI)
State/regional organization
Conducts research, provides policy analysis, sponsors educational forums, and provides a news service. KHI researchers and journalists track the challenges facing rural residents, highlight solutions, and provide that information to policymakers and the public.
Kansas Hospital Association (KHA)
Nonprofit/Foundation
Provides leadership and services to member hospitals. Is the lead organization in a group of companies and affiliates that provides a wide array of services to the hospitals of Kansas and the Midwest region.
Kansas Housing Resources Corporation (KHRC)
State/regional organization
Serves as the Housing Finance Agency for the State of Kansas. Offers numerous housing opportunities to first-time homebuyers, renters, senior citizens, and those with special needs. Provides homeowner rehabilitation grants, weatherization assistance, emergency shelter grants, and rental assistance.
Kansas Office of Local and Rural Health (OLRH)
State government
Assists communities to provide public health, primary and medical care, and prevention services for all Kansans. Provides assistance to Kansas communities in developing or improving patient-centered, collaborative health care delivery systems. A division of Kansas Department of Health and Environment.
Kansas Primary Care Association - Kansas Association for the Medically Underserved (KAMU)
State/regional organization
Assures access to comprehensive health care for underserved populations, including State funded primary care clinics, Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), local health departments, and other non profit clinics who may be supported in part by public funds, faith based organizations, and private foundations or local contributions.
Kansas Public Health Association (KPHA)
State government
Brings together researchers, health service providers, safety net clinics, and health advocates who believe in promoting public health in Kansas.
Kansas Rural Center (KRC)
Nonprofit/Foundation
Promotes long-term health through research, education, and advocacy. Works to help farmers and rural communities find information and develop ideas for economical, environmental and socially sustainable agriculture.
Kansas State Department of Education: Special Education Services
State government
Provides links to additional special education resources for exceptional children. Provides leadership and support for special education services to schools throughout Kansas.
Kansas State Nurses Association (KSNA )
State/regional organization
Provides scholarships to students of nursing in Kansas. Promotes high standards of professional nursing. Works to improve health standards and the availability of health care services.
Midwest Assistance Program (MAP)
State/regional organization
Helps communities and tribal nations find solutions to their infrastructure and development needs through information, resource management, expertise, and technical assistance. Helps rural communities in Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming.
National Network of Libraries of Medicine, MidContinental Region (NN/LM-MCR)
State/regional organization
Works to improve access to health information for health professionals, librarians, and members of the public in Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, Kansas, Nebraska, and Missouri. Also provides free training on using National Library of Medicine online resources.
North Central Regional Center for Rural Development (NCRCRD)
State/regional organization
One of four regional rural development centers in the nation. Works with extension professionals, researchers, and partners to enhance rural development outcomes. Serves a 12 state area in the North Central region which includes ND, SD, NE, KS, MN, IA, MO, WI, IL, IN, MI, and OH.
Proyecto/Project IDEAS
State/regional organization
Strives to improve HIV prevention services for Latino/Hispanic populations living in Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, North Dakota, South Dakota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Utah and Wyoming. Focuses on adapting and tailoring CDC-approved interventions that are culturally, linguistically and educationally appropriate. This is a capacity building assistance program for community-based organizations and state and local health departments.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development: Kansas (HUD)
Federal government
Works to increase homeownership, support community development and increase access to affordable housing. The HUD state office provides information about HUD housing programs and local contacts for the state.
United Way of the Plains
State/regional organization
Addresses critical issues in Sedgwick, Butler, Sumner and surrounding counties of Cowley, Harper, Harvey, Kingman, and Reno.
Kansans can dial 2-1-1 from any land line to reach the United Way 2-1-1 of Kansas call center. Call center is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
USDA Rural Development Kansas State Office
Federal government
Committed to helping improve the economy and quality of life in all of rural America. Provides information about Rural Development programs and applications for financial assistance.
Tools
ERS State Fact Sheet: Kansas
Web site
Lists statistics on population, educational attainment, employment, income, farm characteristics, and farm financial indicators for the state.
Kansas AgrAbility Project
Web site
Assists people with disabilities who are employed in agriculture. Informs, educates, and assists farmers, farm families, and farm workers who have disabilities, so they can continue to work and thrive in their agricultural career.
Kansas Health Centers Data
Web site
Provides access to information on Federally Qualified Health Centers for the state. Includes a map of FQHC locations, as well as information on the populations served by health centers, services provided, staff, patient visits, costs of care, and use of electronic health information.
Kansas Health Matters
Web site
Presents data and information about community health in Kansas. It is intended to help hospitals, health departments, policy makers, and community planners conduct a Community Health Needs Assessment. Includes interactive county map.
Kansas KIDS COUNT Data Center
Web site
Provides data on child well-being for the state. Includes profiles for many Kansas locations; rankings, maps, or trend graphs by topic; and raw data. Includes over 100 measures of child well-being, community-level data.
Kansas QuickFacts
Web site
Provides demographic and economic statistics for the state, with links to county-level data.
Kansas Rural Health Information Service (KRHIS)
Web site
Serves as an information clearinghouse on rural health care issues ranging from grant funding to training opportunities to reimbursement issues to bioterrorism preparedness.
Kansas Rural Health Works (KRHW)
Web site
Helps rural communities build affordable and sustainable local health care systems. Offers resources and technical support useful in evaluating local health systems. Provides access to rural county economic impact reports and various community reports.
Kansas Rural Interdisciplinary Training Program
Web site
Introduces health professional students to rural practice and options. Sensitizes health professional faculty and students to rural health needs, promotes interdisciplinary collaboration, fosters cultural sensitivity, and
provides health education and health services to rural and underserved populations to reduce health care disparities.
Kansas State Data Center
Web site
Provides access to census data through a network of coordinating and affiliate data centers.
Kansas State Health Facts
Database
Provides state-level data on demographics, health, and health policy, including health coverage, access, financing, and state legislation. Includes individual state profiles and 50-state comparisons.
National Healthcare Quality Report State Snapshot: Kansas
Web site
Health care quality report for the state, based on the National Healthcare Quality Report.
NN/LM MidContinental Region: Kansas Resources
Web site
Overview of the state, with links to agencies, health associations, and other resources for Kansas.
Rural Grocery Initiative
Web site
Part of the Kansas State University. Identifies and develops models to sustain retail sources of food for rural Kansas citizens. Seeks information from rural grocery store customers and potential customers about grocery shopping expectations, how well local stores meet customers' needs, locally grown food preferences, and grocery shopping habits.
See also: Resources for All States: Tools Funding
2012 Midwest Garden Grant
Grants to schools and community organizations with child-centered garden programs.
Cargill Community Scholarship Program
Scholarship to high-school seniors living in communities near Cargill operations in the U.S.
First Children's Finance Loan Fund
Loans and technical assistance to child care and early education businesses, especially those serving lower-income communities.
First Time Home Buyers Program
Provides down payment assistance to qualified Kansas buyers for the purchase of their first home.
Kansas Bridging Plan
A loan forgiveness program offered to residents in family medicine, general internal medicine, general pediatrics, or medicine/pediatrics residency programs in Kansas to practice in rural areas.
Kansas Community Dental Health Grants
Funding is provided for new initiatives, new components of existing programs, start-up funding or one-time events.
Kansas Community Gardens Project
Grants to establish new community gardens in Kansas.
Kansas Ethnic Minority Scholarship
Assists financially needy, academically competitive students who are identified as members of any of the following ethnic/racial groups: African American, American Indian or Alaskan Native; Asian or Pacific Islander; or Hispanic.
Kansas Guaranteed Home Loan Construction Finance Program
A program which will support more affordable single-family home construction in Kansas.
Kansas Health Foundation Recognition Grants
Funding for unsolicited requests specifically targeted for grassroots groups doing innovative and meaningful work that fits within the foundation's mission to improve the health of all Kansans.
Kansas Hospital Employee Scholarship Program
Assists deserving individuals interested in improving their abilities to provide quality care in Kansas.
Kansas Hospital Preparedness and Response Grant
Funds from this Hospital Preparedness Program (HPP) guidance will be used to build medical surge capability through associated planning, personnel, equipment, training and exercise capabilities at the State and local levels.
Kansas Initiative for New Dentists
A program to assist dental school graduates with paying off student loans and providing other startup grants, while helping fulfill the need for dentists in rural Kansas communities.
Kansas Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP)
LIEAP provides an annual benefit to help qualifying households pay winter heating bills.
Kansas Nursing Service Scholarship
Scholarship program designed to encourage enrollment in nursing programs by Kansans committed to practicing in Kansas.
Kansas Rural Housing Programs
Grants for a variety of housing programs to help meet the housing needs of moderate, low and very low income rural Kansans.
Kansas Weatherization Assistance Program
Grants to non-profits to provide housing improvements that increase energy efficiency in income-eligible, single or multi-family dwellings, including manufactured homes.
William T. Kemper Foundation Grants
Provides grants for education, health and human services, civic improvements, and the arts
Inactive Funding
Inactive Funding Opportunities -
Lists additional funding programs for this state that are not currently accepting applications. Programs that are inactive may be offered again in the future.
Documents, Reports and Other Publications
Building Medical Homes: Lessons from Eight States with Emerging Programs
Author(s): Neva Kaye, Jason Buxbaum, Mary Takach
Sponsoring organization: Commonwealth Fund
Profiles eight states that are at different stages in the development and implementation of a medical home program. Includes Alabama, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Montana, Nebraska, Texas, and Virginia.
Date: 12 / 2011
Demographic and Economic Profile: Kansas
Author(s): Kathleen K. Miller
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute
Presents demographic, economic information and statistics on Kansas. Includes charts, maps, and graphs.
Date: 01 / 2009
Growing Rural Innovation-Based Economies: Kansas Opportunity Innovation Network
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Development Organizations
Two reports - a case study overview and a detailed description - that highlight the efforts of work being done through the Kansas Opportunity Innovation Network (KOIN) (a joint initiative by Kansas State University’s Advanced Manufacturing Institute), the state’s Economic Development Districts, and other partners to increase the number of globally competitive products and services produced in Kansas rural communities.
Date: 09 / 2011
Kansas Health Center Fact Sheet
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Community Health Centers
Provides a description of what health centers are, and the most recent state-level data available for health center patients, services provided, staff, patient visits, and costs of care.
Date: 12 / 2010
Kansas Hospital Association 2011 Annual Stat Report
Sponsoring organization: Kansas Hospital Association
Includes hospital and health care statistics, and analytical explanations. Includes the KHA Annual Report and sections on hospital characteristics, utilization, workforce, and finances.
Date: 2011
Kansas Quick Health Facts 2010
Author(s): Leigh Purvis
Sponsoring organization: AARP Public Policy Institute
Presents health facts on Kansas, including demographics, health expenditures and financing, health status, utilization and quality of services, Medicaid and Medicare, and access to care.
Date: 07 / 2010
Past Silos and Smokestacks: Transforming the Rural Economy in the Midwest
Author(s): Mark Drabenstott
Sponsoring organization: Chicago Council on Global Affairs
Discusses a development strategy that includes regional cooperation, innovation, and a leveraging of all strengths for the rural Midwest to transform its economy.
Date: 2010
Playing by the Rules but Losing: How Medical Debt Threatens Kansans' Healthcare Access and Financial Security
Author(s): Carol Pryor, Jeffrey Prottas
Sponsoring organization: Access Project
Discusses the extent and the consequences of medical debt among low-income Kansans, based on a 2005 survey of patients at four community health centers in Kansas.
Date: 01 / 2006
Primary Care Health Professional Underserved Areas Report: Kansas 2011
Sponsoring organization: Kansas Department of Health and Environment
Reports, in charts and maps, counties that are considered Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) and Medically Underserved Areas (MUAs) for mental health, dental, and primary care services. Also included is information on Rural Health Clinics (RHCs), the J-1 Visa program, and the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) program in the state.
Date: 04 / 2011
Registered Nurse Shortages Predicted in the US and Kansas for 2010 and 2020
Author(s): Rachel Lindbloom,
Sponsoring organization: Kansas Department of Health and Environment
Reviews the estimated Full-Time Equivalency (FTE) of RNs in Kansas. Includes discussion on older, retiring nurses in rural Kansas, as well as age and limitations.
Date: 08 / 2010
Rural America's Fiscal Challenge
Author(s): Alison Felix, Jason Henderson
Sponsoring organization: Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City
Discusses the fiscal challenges that state and local governments are facing and the potential threat to the economic recovery in rural America.
Journal citation: Main Street Economist Issue 3 Pages: 1-7
Date: 2010
Small Business Profile: Kansas
Sponsoring organization: Small Business Administration
Profiles state's economy, covering the number of firms, industry composition, small business income, banking, women and minority business ownership, and employment.
Date: 02 / 2011
Study on the Need for a Centralized Dental Recruitment Program, Dental Temporary Coverage Program, and Dental Loan Forgiveness in Kansas
Sponsoring organization: University of Kansas Medical Center
Accessed the need among rural communities, safety net clinics, and rural health networks in Kansas regarding dental recruitment and dental loan forgiveness programs.
Date: 09 / 2007
Workforce Development for Rural Mental Health
Sponsoring organization: National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health
A summary of key findings from a NOSORH project in partnership with the Nevada Office of Rural Health and the National Center for Frontier Communities (NCFC) that focused on workforce development for rural mental health in Kansas, Nevada, and Virginia.
Date: 09 / 2009
See also: Resources for All States: Documents Journals
Community Connections
Published quarterly, Community Connections reports on research, programs, and emerging issues affecting low and moderate-income and small business communities. As a regional headquarters of the central bank, the Kansas City Fed seeks to link the communities of the seven-state region to the work of the Federal Reserve, including Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Wyoming, and portions of western Missouri and northern New Mexico.
Kansas - Public Health Connections
Published monthly. Provides public health and rural health news from across the state. Distributed to all county health departments, school nurses, state health, and community public health workforce.
Source Newsletter
Published three times a year. Provides news on infrastructure and development needs for rural communities in Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming.
Success Stories
EMS Co-op Helps Rural Providers
Using the power of group purchasing within a cooperative structure, the North Central EMS Cooperative (NCEMSC) is an Emergency Medical Services (EMS) cooperative developed to serve Minnesota and surrounding states.
Salina Area Health Network
This outreach grant allowed this community to enjoy longer hospital hours, more services and more qualified staff.
Agrasafe
While it may be impossible to alter the distances between farmers and first response services, AgraSafe recognized the value of offering quality training to first responders, family members, and coworkers.
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