About the Central Kansas Partnership
Central Kansas Partnership, the local prevention coalition serving Barton, Rice, Stafford, Rush and Pawnee counties, evolved through the merger of focus groups in 2010. The CKP works toward having “healthy caring communities” with a mission “to join in a common effort to build healthy and safe communities, reduce the risks of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs, and promote healthy attitudes and behaviors.” The Central Kansas Partnership meets at 11 a.m. on the third Tuesday of the month at the Barton County Health Department and the public is invited to participate.
The Kansas Health Foundation is a private philanthropy based in Wichita, but statewide in its focus. Its mission is to improve the health of all Kansans. To learn more about the foundation, visit www.kansashealth.org.
A collaboration between the Central Kansas Partnership and the Golden Belt Community Foundation has netted a $25,000 planning grant from the Kansas Health Foundation’s Healthy Community Design initiative. Barton County is one of only seven communities in the state to receive this funding.
According to Janel Rose with Barton County Health Department, the funds will help pay for a community health plan and a model of how to implement it. The grant will also foster relations with those interested in a healthy community and promote use of public facilities.
“This is a wonderful opportunity to make a significant difference in the health of Barton County families now and in the future,” Rose said. The goal is to have the community action plan and healthy community design model in place by December 2012.
Barton County leaders already have a number of ideas on what the plan could involve, Rose said. “This grant will also give us the opportunity to plan a safe walking and bicycling environment as part of our complete transportation network.”
The foundation will work with a newly formed local leadership team to administer the effort.
While regular physical activity improves health and fitness, and reduces risk of many health conditions, meeting the daily activity guidelines can be challenging, especially with limited opportunities, Rose said. “As such, the way we design and build our communities influences the extent to which a person can be physically active.”
Designing and building healthy communities can improve the quality of life, she said. The main goal of the initiative is to help Kansas communities become more engaged in policy, practice and environmental changes that support physical activity in public places.
“We want Kansans to enjoy the benefits of regular physical activity, such as lowering disease risk and increasing overall health,” said Steve Coen, president and CEO of the Kansas Health Foundation. “Through this initiative, we’re excited to partner with organizations and communities across Kansas to help develop sustainable plans to better create environments where physical activity is not only possible, but becomes part of a person’s routine lifestyle.”
The Central Kansas Partnership will be announcing more information early next year regarding public convening sessions as part of the work for the Healthy Community Design Initiative.
The Kansas Health Foundation’s Healthy Community Design initiative is part of a broader effort to improve nutrition and increase physical activity among Kansans.
In addition to the seven communities receiving funding for the Healthy Community Design initiative, five communities received $25,000 planning grants through the Access to Healthy Foods initiative, which centers around helping Kansas communities become more actively engaged in pursuing policies and practices that promote access to healthy foods, make it easier for Kansans to eat healthy foods and make it more likely that Kansans will eat healthy foods.
For more information about Central Kansas Partnership‘s efforts, contact Rose at 620-793-1902 or health@bartoncounty.org.
To contact the Golden Belt Community Foundation, call Kristy Rupe at 620-792-3000 or krupe@goldenbeltcf.org.
For details about this initiative at the Kansas Health Foundation, contact Chase Willhite at 316-262-7676 or cwillhite@khf.org.
