(July 3, 2025) – Health and safety are important priorities for the Kansas Hospital Association and the members we serve. As the federal administration rolls out the Make America Healthy Again agenda, the KHA team has been highlighting the great work of our member hospitals.
Striving for a Healthier Kansas
The KHA team wishes you and all your hospital team members a happy Independence Day holiday. I hope you all take time to enjoy patriotic festivities with family and friends. I appreciate our Kansas hospitals emphasizing safety leading up to this holiday, reminding their communities to stay safe and avoid the most common reasons people travel to the hospital during holiday celebrations.
Health and safety are important priorities for KHA and the members we serve. As the federal administration rolls out the Make America Healthy Again agenda, the KHA team has been highlighting the great work our member hospitals have been doing for years through the Healthy Kansas Hospitals initiative. This work continues to align with our strategic aim of improving Kansas' health rankings, with a focus on preventive screenings. Critical to the work in support of KHA's strategic aim is leadership from the Optimal Health Committee.
The committee met on June 27 and welcomed Rebecca Swender, Senator Roger Marshall's office, who traveled from Garden City and spent several hours at KHA with the Optimal Health Committee discussing MAHA and asking KHA members for their feedback on how our members are addressing diabetes prevention and nutrition counseling in their communities; and ideas our members have for addressing policy barriers to delivering this care. The Optimal Health Committee, led by Chair Tina Davis, Ellsworth County Hospital and Vice Chair Jade Spellmeier, APRN, Goodland Regional Medical Center, provided insightful perspectives and recommendations, highlighting how hospitals are addressing chronic disease and nutrition while also identifying barriers related to public and commercial payer policies and reimbursement rates. We are grateful for Rebecca's time and the focus of Senator Marshall's office on improving the health of Kansas, which aligns with KHA's vision for Optimal Health for Kansans and Kansas Hospitals.
The Optimal Health Committee also discussed community health improvement projects that KHA members completed as part of the Healthy Kansas Hospitals mini-grant program, which was implemented last year. The program, sponsored by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas Blue Health Initiatives, provided mini-grants of $2,500 to 20 hospitals on a first-come, first-served basis. The grants supported health improvement efforts in the areas of active lifestyles, healthy eating and tobacco prevention. Additionally, physicians and practitioners on the committee shared their efforts and expertise to incorporate lifestyle medicine into their practices. Lastly, the committee engaged in a discussion on ways to improve employee health and wellness, sharing ideas for education and resources that can be incorporated into the Healthy Kansas Hospitals program.
KHA appreciates the expertise, dedication and passion of the Optimal Health Committee to improve the health of Kansans. Our team looks forward to continuing this work with the committee's guidance and identifying areas of alignment with federal and state efforts that will support KHA member hospitals.
All of us at the KHA wish you a safe and happy Independence Day!
--Chad Austin