February 3, 2026
Extension Community Health Workers in Kansas Rural Health Transformation Program
You’re worried about Jan, a long-time member of the county’s FCE unit. After her husband died last fall, Jan comes to town less often and frequently misses her favorite Stay Strong Stay Healthy class.
After last week’s class you overheard a conversation about Jan skipping meals and stretching her hypertension medicine due to money problems. You also learned that Jan’s neighbor comes over to her farm once a week to take care of chores.
Today, while at the Pump Quick convenience store, Jan’s neighbor saw you and shared his concern about Jan. He’s noticed that Jan seems to be forgetful, and when he picked up her mail last week from the post office, he noticed that there were several Walmart Pharmacy boxes along with some past-due bills.
“Somebody should check on her,” he said. “Her kids are on the coast and they probably don’t know she’s having troubles. Folks try to keep up appearances as best they can, but I know Jan’s not well.”
You plan to contact the Extension CHW (community health worker) serving your district later in the day and ask them to drive out to Jan’s place for a visit. Your Extension CHW knows Jan. The Extension CHW can check Jan’s blood pressure while there, run through a simple health screening, and then connect with the rural health clinic’s CHW for next steps.
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Across rural Kansas, there are people, just like Jan, who are struggling with poor health, financial worries, limited access to health care and loneliness. Beginning this year, Kansas’ Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) will deploy Extension CHWs throughout the state to help address these complex health and social situations.
Community Health Workers are frontline health workers who are trusted members of the communities they serve. CHWs help clients improve and maintain their health and well-being in the following ways:
• Client Support: Providing health coaching, encouragement, social support.
• Care Coordination: Linking people to services.
• Healthcare Liaison: Being an ally through complex health situations.
• Health Education: With agents, building health literacy through individual and group education.
• Advocacy: Identifying service gaps and helping communities address them.
K-State Extension is an important partner in the federal RHTP, and during the next five years will:
• Employ 20 Extension CHWs each of five years for Kansas.
• Support food systems and markets that improve access to healthy food.
• Help health care clinics and hospitals implement Food-Is-Medicine medically tailored meals and groceries that improve overall health.
Overall, the goal is to prevent chronic disease (such as heart disease, diabetes, kidney disease, cancer, dementia), reduce conditions that contribute to disease risk (including obesity, stress, poor nutrition, substance misuse, unsafe housing, social isolation, injury), and increase access to local health and social care services which can reduce the need for expensive medical treatments.
Information about the role and availability of Extension CHWs is coming this spring. Until that time, please let me know if you have questions: Elaine Johannes, ejohanne@ksu.edu.