August 15, 2023
The Community Health Corner
The National Extension Framework for Health Equity and Well-being recommends using community development strategies with health literacy programs to ensure that everyone has a fair and just opportunity to be as healthy as possible. The following resources help us improve well-being for all and achieve Healthy Kansas 2030 and Healthy People 2030 objectives.
988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline Impacts: On September 7 (Thursday), 1 - 2:30 p.m. (CDT) join KHI (Kansas Health Institute) for a hybrid format panel discussion of the lifeline’s implementation in Kansas. The 988 lifeline has now been in operation for a full year and has seen successes with response to those in crisis. The panel will share data from the first year of operation and discuss next steps for this vital resource to Kansas individuals and families. Register here to attend online. Use this link at attend in-person.
National Community Health Worker Awareness Week (NCHWAW): Join the first-ever National CHW Awareness Week, August 28 - September 1, to celebrate the work of Community Health Workers across the nation. CHWs are frontline public health workers who are trusted members of and/or have an unusually close understanding of the community they serve. The NCHWAW toolkit has resources, infographics and letters that can be tailored to local media. The Kansas CHW Coalition also provides resources, training and certification of CHWs in Kansas and Missouri. Subscribe to the KCHWC monthly newsletter here.
Maternal Deaths Increasing: In July, the University of Washington released results of a study which show that maternal mortality rate more than doubled in many states between 1999 and 2019. Kansas was among five states where hemorrhages and mental health conditions contributed to more than 150% increase in pregnancy-related deaths among Indigenous people. Though maternal mortality is still relatively rare for women during or following pregnancy, rates are increasing in states where there is poor access to health care especially for women of color, and for women with cardiovascular conditions like hypertension. Read the report in the Journal for the American Medical Association. Multi-media, including video information about maternal death rates, is available at the JAMA site.
For more information, contact Elaine Johannes, ejohanne@ksu.edu; and Stephanie Gutierrez, smgutier@k-state.edu.