By Health Forward Blog Team on March 2, 2016
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 Jennifer Sykes on January 1, 2016
Communications Director
Health Forward Foundation
Everyone loves a good story. The best part of my job as as the Communications Officer at the Health Forward Foundation is being able to share the stories of our community partners as they work to create healthier communities. This isn’t always easy. While there have never been more ways to reach audiences in today’s digital […]
By Krista Postai on December 18, 2015
CEO & President
Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas
Just over 100 miles southwest of Kansas City, there is a county of just over 13,000 residents that has created a model for community health improvement. A county that admitted collectively that it needed to improve health outcomes. A county that was willing to ask for help. A county that rolled up its sleeves (and […]
By Catherine Couch on December 11, 2015
Public Affairs Coordinator
Mid-America Regional Council
Dawn Lindsey is one of nearly 65,000 Missouri residents that have signed up this year for health insurance through the federal Marketplace. Lindsey, who is self-employed, knows firsthand how important having insurance is. Lindsey signed up for Marketplace coverage in 2013 during the first open enrollment period with assistance from the Cover KC coalition, a […]
By Health Forward Blog Team on December 7, 2015
While many people in this region are uninsured and underserved, over the past decade, legislation like the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) and other health care transformations has made health care more accessible to many in our communities. Local free clinics, community health centers, safety net hospitals and community organizations are seeing increased […]
By Valorie Carson on December 4, 2015
Community Planning Director
United Community Services of Johnson County
As the Health ForwardGKC’s Blog has been exploring this past month, childhood trauma is known to be directly tied to increased risk for poor health and health-related outcomes in adulthood. Since early 2012, a dozen and a half organizations have been meeting and working together to build a trauma-informed community in Johnson County, Kansas. […]
By Kristin Brumm on December 2, 2015
Executive Vice President
SAFEHOME
For the past 36 years, SAFEHOME has been working with some of Johnson County’s most vulnerable citizens – women, children and men who have experienced violence and abuse. Oftentimes, the abuse has been going on for years and the victims come to us with significant physical and emotional wounds. Our advocates learned over the years […]
By Bridget McCandless, MD on November 24, 2015
President and CEO
Health Forward Foundation
People have been hearing a great deal about trauma lately. The concept is anything but new to social workers, of course. They could have told us 30 years ago that the more adverse situations a child experiences, the higher the chance of real consequences in school, health and life. As a concept though, trauma, unfortunately, didn’t make […]
By Julia Westhoff on November 20, 2015
Executive Director
Secondary Trauma Resource Center
Here at the Secondary Trauma Resource Center, we train and consult with Kansas City’s hardest workers on how taking care of themselves and each other is not only important – it’s an ethical imperative. Working with cops, nurses, social workers, therapists, teachers, fire fighters, shelter workers and others has taught us that our community has […]
By Health Forward Blog Team on November 9, 2015
Over the past decade we’ve seen new approaches in the understanding and treatment of mental illness. Among the most effective of these is trauma-informed care. We’re proud to say that the Kansas City area has emerged as a national leader in this approach. Trauma-informed care is grounded in the knowledge that traumatic events or situations […]
