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 2012 estimated population of 2,885,905 people – 1,037,629 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, 87.4% of the state’s population is white, 6.1% is Black/African-American, 1.2% is American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.5% is Asian, and 10.8% is of Hispanic/Latino origin (2011).
There are 130 community hospitals in Kansas (Kaiser, 2010). 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 (March 2013). There are 179 Rural Health Clinics in Kansas (Kaiser, 2012), and 13 Federally Qualified Health Centers provide services at 42 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, 2011).
According to the USDA Economic Research Service, the average per-capita income for Kansans in 2011 was $40,883 although rural per-capita income lagged at $38,048. Estimates from 2011 indicate a poverty rate of 15.3% exists in rural Kansas, compared to a 12.9% level in urban areas of the state. 2011 ACS data reports that 12.8% of the rural population has not completed high school, compared to 9.2% of urban populations. The unemployment rate in rural Kansas is at 5.7%, while in urban Kansas it is at 7.3% (USDA-ERS, 2011).
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
Heartland Telehealth Resource Center
State/regional organization
One of the telehealth resource centers funded by the federal Office for the Advancement of Telehealth. Assists health care organizations, health care networks, and health care providers in the implementation of cost-effective telehealth programs to serve rural and medically underserved areas and populations. Includes Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma.
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 for the Medically Underserved: The Primary Care Association of Kansas (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 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 Bureau of Community Health Systems
State government
Assists communities in providing 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. The State Office of Rural Health resides in the Bureau. The Bureau is part of the Division of Public health within the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.
Kansas Department of Children and Family Services (DCF)
State government
Focuses on protecting children, promoting healthy families, and encouraging personal responsibility.
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 Foundation for Medical Care (KFMC)
Nonprofit/Foundation
Focuses on improving healthcare quality. Ensures that Medicare and Medicaid patients receive appropriate and quality healthcare.
Kansas Head Start Association (KHSA)
State/regional organization
Supports Kansas Head Start programs through advocacy, education, and leadership in special projects to build school-ready children and self-sufficient families. Offers numerous oral health programs.
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. Contains a rural health section.
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. Covers rural issues, advocacy, education, economic impact, HIT, and hospitals.
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 Institute for Policy & Social Research (IPSR)
Academic/Research
Located at the University of Kansas. Conducts research relating to economics, environmental studies, and education. Produces the Kansas County Profiles series.
Kansas Medical Group Management Association (KMGMA)
State/regional organization
Oversees the Kansas Association of Rural Health Clinics, which is a member association and is part of the KMGMA. Offers a listserv for members.
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 leadership and support for learners receiving special education services throughout Kansas schools and communities. Provides links to documents, resources, and guidelines regarding special education services.
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. As of October 2012 is a partner with the Rural Community Assistance Corporation (RCAC) to provide technical assistance to communities in Montana, 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.
VA Midwest Health Care Network (VISN 23)
Federal government
Also known as Veterans Integrated Service Network 23. Serves more than 400,000 enrolled Veterans residing in Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and portions of Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
Tools
ERS State Fact Sheet: Kansas
Website
Lists statistics on population, educational attainment, employment, income, farm characteristics, and farm financial indicators for the state.
Improving Health Access in Frontier and Rural Counties
Website
Discusses a project which focuses on defining frontier and rural in Kansas. Also mentions other frontier and rural specific projects in Kansas.
Kansas AgrAbility Project
Website
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 County Profile Reports
Website
Contains population, socio-economic, and employment data for each Kansas county. Formerly known as KCCED County Profiles.
Kansas Health Centers Research & Data
Website
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
Website
Presents data and information about community health in Kansas. Intended to help hospitals, health departments, policy makers, and community planners conduct a Community Health Needs Assessment. Includes interactive county map.
Kansas Hospitals
Website
Includes listings of Kansas community hospitals, critical access hospitals, hospital CEOs, hospitals by city, and Kansas hospital district maps.
Kansas KIDS COUNT Data Center
Website
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
Website
Provides demographic and economic statistics for the state, with links to county-level data.
Kansas Rural Health Information Service (KRHIS)
Website
Serves as an information clearinghouse on rural health care issues including grant funding, training opportunities, reimbursement issues, and bioterrorism preparedness.
Kansas Rural Health Works (KRHW)
Website
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 State Data Center
Website
Provides Kansas demographic and economic data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Part of the State Library of Kansas.
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
Website
Health care quality report for the state, based on the National Healthcare Quality Report.
NN/LM MidContinental Region: Kansas Resources
Website
Overview of the state, with links to agencies, health associations, and other resources for Kansas.
Rural Grocery Initiative
Website
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: State-by-State Resources: Tools Funding
Community Resource Group (CRG) Loan Fund
Loans to help small, rural communities and tribal nations with water and wastewater projects.
First Children's Finance Loan Fund
Loans and technical assistance to child care and early education businesses, especially those serving lower-income communities.
Kansas Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG)
Provides funding for essential services, operations, and homeless prevention activities to emergency shelter and transitional housing providers.
Kansas First Time Home Buyers Program
Provides down payment assistance to qualified Kansas buyers for the purchase of their first home.
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 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.
Kerr Foundation Grants
Provides grants in the areas of education, health, cultural development, and community service.
Mission and Ministry Fund Planning and Project Grants
Grants to build community capacity and work in collaboration with others to implement action plans that address specific, documented community needs.
Mission and Ministry Fund Violence Prevention Grant
Funds may be requested to cover the costs of community-based planning, conducting community meetings, assessing community violence-related assets and needs, continuing specific community-based violence prevention efforts and related activities.
Wells Fargo Corporate Giving Programs
Funding for nonprofit organizations in the areas of community development, education, human services, arts and culture, civic responsibility, and environmental consciousness.
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
2012 Annual Report
Sponsoring organization: Kansas Department of Health and Environment
Highlights public health program accomplishments in Kansas during 2012. Mentions rural health throughout including the Rural Health Program and the Small Hospital Improvement Program (SHIP).
Date: 02 / 2013
2012 Kansas Hunger Atlas
Sponsoring organization: Kansas Association of Community Action Programs
Documents county-level information on food insecurity and hunger as well as related community characteristics and tools to help community partners develop and implement interventions.
Date: 2012
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
Celebrating Ten Years of the Rural Monitor: Despite Challenges, Rural Housing Organizations Meet Big Needs in Small Towns
Author(s): Candi Helseth
Sponsoring organization: Rural Assistance Center
Provides an update on Kansas and Illinois housing organizations previously featured in the Rural Monitor. These programs address housing needs for special populations including veterans, the elderly, and the homeless.
Journal citation: Rural Monitor Volume 2013 Issue Winter
Date: 02 / 2013
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
Importance of the Health Care Sector to the Kansas Economy
Author(s): John Leatherman
Sponsoring organization: Kansas Hospital Association
Estimates the economic contribution associated with health care sector to the State of Kansas. Discusses employment in health-related fields in rural areas.
Date: 01 / 2013
Kansas Hospital Association 2012 Annual Stat Report
Sponsoring organization: Kansas Hospital Association
Highlights many of the recent initiatives of the Kansas Hospital Association, as well as statistics about hospitals and the health care industry of Kansas. Provides demographics, hospital trends, and analytical explanations.
Date: 12 / 2012
Mapping the Rural Kansas Dental Workforce
Author(s): Kim Kimminau, Anthony Wellever
Sponsoring organization: University of Kansas Medical Center
Expands on the traditional health professional shortage area (HPSA) designations to identify more gaps in dental provider coverage while looking at where people live and how they travel.
Date: 09 / 2011
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
Primary Care Health Professional Underserved Areas Report: Kansas 2012
Sponsoring organization: Kansas Department of Health and Environment
Provides data on the status of the state in regard to various types of health care provider shortage designations. Defines the various federal and state underserved designations, explains the qualifying criteria for each, summarizes the benefits to counties or individuals available with each designation, identifies counties qualified for each designation as of January 2012, and provides contact information for each program.
Date: 12 / 2012
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: 2 / 2013
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: State-by-State Resources: Documents Journals
Community Connections
Published quarterly. 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 - Primary Connection
Published quarterly. This newsletter presents association news, information on conferences, and updates on clinics throughout Kansas.
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.
Kansas Health Statistics Report
Published quarterly. Presents health data and research for urban and rural areas of Kansas.
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
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.
Kansas Trauma Program
The Kansas Trauma Program is a partnership between public and private organizations to address the treatment and survival of critical injuries throughout the state.
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