By Stacie Bratcher on March 9, 2016
Director of Development, Center for Developmentally Disabled
There is no doubt that communication plays a vital role in human life. It not only helps to facilitate the process of sharing information and knowledge, but also helps people to develop relationships with others. Its importance cannot be underestimated; every day, we communicate with a variety of people including our families, our friends, our […]
By Bridget McCandless, MD on March 2, 2016
President and CEO, Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City
Update: Please read why we only support a tobacco tax that has an actual effect on public health. HCF intends to pursue a substantial and impactful increase in the tobacco tax in the coming years. HCF and many others came together in 2012 to advocate for a ballot initiative to increase Missouri’s tobacco tax from $0.17 per […]
A few years ago, we started looking ahead to our 10-year anniversary and how we could mark the occasion. Thus was born an ambitious project of mapping the health care landscape to better understand the accomplishments and obstacles surrounding care to the uninsured and underserved in the Kansas City region. To accomplish this, we sought interviews […]
By Mark Flaherty on February 26, 2016
Inaugural Board Member, Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City
At this month’s HCF Board of Directors meeting, I gave a tribute to Landon Rowland, inaugural HCF board member, who died on December 29, 2015. Landon was a true visionary who contributed to every aspect of what the Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City now means to our community. Throughout his life Landon was […]
By Valorie Carson on February 24, 2016
Community Planning Director, United Community Services of Johnson County
The human services sector — like all professional fields — is one that must incorporate new research and understanding of the interconnectedness between the body, behavior, history and environment in order to stay relevant. Professional development around issues such as cultural competence, gender identity, impact of socio-economic status, and equity have strengthened organizations’ ability to […]
By Gary Harbison on February 19, 2016
Executive Director, Missouri Coalition for Oral Health
Missouri is experiencing a renaissance in attention to oral health policy. Champions in the state legislature are working to ensure oral health policy is a relevant topic through legislation and through the oral health caucus. The Coalition’s annual oral health policy conference brings fresh innovation to the dialog inside and outside of the statewide network […]
By Cynthia Teel, PhD, RN, FAAN on February 19, 2016
Co-Lead, Kansas Action Coalition, Associate Dean, Graduate Programs, University of Kansas School of Nursing
Jill Peltzer, PhD, APRN
Advocacy Team Leader, Kansas Action Coalition, Assistant Professor, University of Kansas School of Nursing
Just five years ago, a landmark report about nursing practice was released by the Institute of Medicine (IOM, 2011). The IOM’s report, Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health, offered eight recommendations for nursing education, leadership, and practice. The report advocates for nurses to work to the full scope of their education and training. All […]
By Bradford T. Hart on February 9, 2016
Program Officer, Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City
In early November, our former President/CEO Steve Roling penned a blog entry entitled, Keep the line moving, with a nod to the values of the game of baseball. The spirit of “keep the line moving” is deeply inspiring. It extolls the virtues of teamwork, resiliency, taking action, and momentum. All of these virtues are important aspects of […]
In addition to new general service clinics, the area also has benefited from an expansion in dental care access for special needs and elderly populations. Oral Health on Wheels, a 40-foot mobile dental clinic operated by Johnson County Community College, provides professional dental cleaning and other maintenance services to special needs populations. A dental services […]
By Shannon Cotsoradis on February 5, 2016
President and CEO, Kansas Action for Children
Since the Children’s Initiatives Fund (CIF) was established with tobacco settlement dollars in 1999, it has become the cornerstone of funding for our early care and education system in Kansas. In fact, pretty much every program that serves young children has received or is currently receiving funding from the CIF. That is why Governor Sam […]
HCF's Local Health Buzz Blog aims to discuss health and health policy issues that impact the uninsured and underserved in our service area. To submit a blog, please contact HCF Communications Officers, Jennifer Sykes, at .