The Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City reserves money each year for special initiatives. This funding helps to extend our grantmaking impact and advance our mission in a way that complements our three, core-funding areas. Over the past decade, HCF has funded more than 200 initiatives totaling more than $34 million. Grants ranged in […]
By Christy May
Executive Director, Miles of Smiles
Miles of Smiles started bringing comprehensive dental care to the uninsured and underinsured children of Clay and Platte Counties in 2002. By the end of 2003, we had treated 1,227 patients. This year, Miles of Smiles will provide free dental care to more than 2,500 children. Miles of Smiles has more than 11,000 active patients […]
The food and beverage industry spends $2 billion each year marketing specifically to our kids. The fast food industry spends more than $5 million every day marketing unhealthy foods to children.* Researchers found that even five years after adolescents had been exposed to promotions of unhealthy foods, they purchased fewer fruits and vegetables, but increased […]
By Joe Blankenship
Safe Routes to School Planner, BikeWalkKC
In order for any community planning process to succeed regular updates on progress, knowledge gained and connections made must be provided. The Safe Routes to School Project currently underway in KCMO’s Kansas City Public School District (KCPS) has been underway since late last fall (November 2014) and has made great strides since that time. This […]
We know how important early years are for getting children off to a healthy start. These years set the stage for healthy habits to last throughout one’s life. Raising healthy children sounds pretty simple: brushing teeth, developing healthy relationships, practicing good nutrition and encouraging 60 minutes of physical activity a day. Instilling these life-long habits […]
Second Chance: How Re-Entry Services Change Lives and Keep Kansas City Safe
May 7, 2015
By Natalie Hamingson
Office Manager, Kansas City Metropolitan Crime Commission
Since 2010, Second Chance, a Kansas City-based re-entry program, has played an important role in transforming the lives of ex-offenders, and contributing to the overall safety of Kansas City. When it comes to crime prevention, assistance for ex-offenders is an unexpected, but powerful and necessary tool to enhance public safety. At any given time, there […]
Drug Courts Save: Lives, Families, Costs and Communities
May 6, 2015
By Stephanie Boyer
Assistant to the Director of Administrative Services, Manager of the Probation Office, Kansas City, Missouri Municipal Court
This May, the Kansas City, Missouri Municipal Court Drug Court will join more than 2,900 drug courts nationwide in celebrating National Drug Court Month. Veterans treatment courts will be celebrated at this time, too. This year’s theme is “Drug Courts Save.” Whether it is saving lives, saving families, saving communities, saving veterans, or saving resources, […]
On May 7, young people here and around the U.S. will gather friends around a cell phone for Text, Talk, Act, a guided, face-to-face discussion about mental health. Using this innovative approach, thousands of young people in all 50 states have met in dorm rooms, kitchens, cafes and classrooms to discuss why mental health is […]
By Tami Gurley-Calvez
Assistant Professor in Health Policy and Management, University of Kansas Medical Center
Are you enrolled in a high deductible health insurance plan? You’re not alone if so. Millions of individuals and families enrolling in health insurance through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) are doing just that. Although these plans can work well, they must be appropriate for a household’s financial and health characteristics. In other words, it’s […]
By Ryan R. Dowis
Chief Operating Officer/Vice President, Cornerstones of Care
Have you ever played the game, What would you do if you won a million dollars? No, I don’t really need a nicer car, a fancier house or even more vacations. I would like a safer and healthier community for children to grow up in though. As we wind down April and Child Abuse Prevention […]
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 .
