By Ross Jensby on December 22, 2020
Communications Coordinator
Health Forward Foundation
Welcome, listeners, to our newest adventure, the Forward Focus podcast. Before we get to the episode, a brief explainer: We’re starting this podcast to add to the ways we engage with our partners and the communities we serve. We have used our blog to amplify your work in the communities, but text cannot always match […]
By Health Forward Blog Team on December 21, 2020
We are rapidly approaching the end of what has seemed like a 600-day year. We are ready to turn the page on 2020 and approach the coming year with hope. But before we bid farewell to 2020, we are pausing to thank the many grantees, partners, and community organizations that displayed ingenuity, creative problem solving, […]
By Health Forward Policy Team on December 14, 2020
Health Forward Foundation
During the December board meeting, Health Forward Foundation adopted policy priorities for 2021 and 2022. We regard our policy and advocacy work as a necessary complement to our grantmaking. Absent systems change through policies that support thriving communities, we will be unable to maximize the impacts of our grantmaking. Our advocacy work and that of […]
By Bradford T. Hart on December 9, 2020
Senior Program Officer
Health Forward Foundation
Shannon Morris
Senior Program Officer, Health Forward Foundation
Editor’s note: Senior program officers Bradford Hart and Shannon Morris celebrated their five-year anniversaries with Health Forward on the same day in late November. To commemorate their anniversary, they discussed their time at Health Forward. Their conversation has been lightly edited for clarity and length. Bradford Hart: Can you believe it has already been five […]
By Nancy Osborn, Ph.D. on December 3, 2020
Psychologist/Trainer
KC Healthy Kids
The pandemic has brought greater focus on the inequities that exist in our communities. It appears that the inequities are only getting worse. Many have lost their jobs and are facing mounting bills and crucial concerns about housing, food, and basic necessities. The more fortunate and privileged are now working from home but may still […]
By Nancy Osborn, Ph.D. on December 2, 2020
Psychologist/Trainer
KC Healthy Kids
Early childhood education centers are among the hardest hit services during this current pandemic. Some have closed temporarily, and some have closed permanently. All of the centers have had to make major changes in their operations as they follow recommended guidelines for child care programs. There have also been major decreases in the number of […]
By Joseph Lightner on November 19, 2020
Assistant Professor/Program Director
University of Missouri, Kansas City
Most new diagnoses of HIV are among people who struggle with low employment opportunities and housing insecurity. For those living with HIV, finding employment and housing can be a challenge. Employers may discriminate against people who are HIV positive. People living with HIV may also feel stigmatized and not want to work in an environment […]
By Anne F. Rauth, MBA on November 11, 2020
Marketing and Development Director
Mercy and Truth Medical Missions
Mercy and Truth Medical Missions, along with the help from numerous community partners, hosted their third Annual Warm Up Wyandotte/Warm Up Shawnee community events. This year’s event was called: BOO to the Flu because, you guessed it, the event was held on Halloween. Mercy and Truth, along with Advent Health Systems, United Healthcare and Blue Cross/Blue […]
By Michael Kelley on November 10, 2020
Policy Coordinator
BikeWalkKC
Like towns and cities all over the world, Kansas City is experiencing a “bike boom” as the novel coronavirus rages on. With people working from home, kids attending school online, and families fighting cabin fever, many are turning to bikes as a way to get outside, exercise, and experience their neighborhoods. Local bike retailers report […]
By McClain Bryant Macklin on November 2, 2020
Director of Policy and Strategic Initiatives
Health Forward Foundation
The digital divide is considered a “super determinant of health” because of its impact on a person’s ability to access critical resources like education, economic mobility, workforce opportunities, and health care. Despite all the hardships that COVID-19 has brought us, the pandemic has a silver lining – the digital divide is now getting the long […]
