Rural health organizations receive over $1 million in grants to increase access to care

Rural health organizations receive over $1 million in grants to increase access to care

TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) - The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) awarded over $1 million in grants to seven healthcare organizations Thursday afternoon.

“Really being able to invest and supporting individuals is gonna make a difference in health outcomes for sure,” said Cathy Pimple, Chief Executive Officer of Newman Regional Health.

Hosted by Newman Regional Health in Emporia, the Community Health Worker and Accountable Food Is Medicine Grant Program is part of Kansas’ Rural Health Transformation Program.

“There’s so much health that’s impacted in our everyday life, and those are the fundamental elements when we talk about basic needs,” said Pimple.

Much of the program focuses on reinforcing the idea that healthy food can play an important role in overall health, a factor KDHE Secretary Janet Stanek says is often overlooked.

“It addresses an aspect of healthcare that people typically don’t think about, one of the social determinants,” said Stanek.

Kansas Governor Laura Kelly, who was also present at the event, says the program is a statewide initiative to increase access to health services.

“The way that Kansas is approaching this is, taking this money and really using it not just to provide services, but to actually transform our entire approach to rural healthcare,” Governor Kelly said.

Cathy Pimple agrees, and says she feels the program is a way for Newman Regional Health to stay in touch with the community it serves.

“We’re gonna be able to again connect stronger and reach more through this for certain,” said Pimple.

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