Wednesday, April 30, 2025
4/30/2025
Building Foundations of Community Health in Harvey County - Harvey County, Kansas, is a community of the Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) of Wichita, yet also considered a rural county with only one municipality in Harvey County having a population higher than 3,900. The county’s population is 33,817; 93.5% of the residents are white and 12.1% are Hispanic. 19.8% of the population is over 65 years of age and 24% are under 18 (US Census Quick Facts). Upon deeper review of the Social Vulnerability Index (SVI), the target population for this SDOH Accelerator Plan resides in Newton and North Newton, Kansas. The estimated population of Newton and North Newton is 20,262 or 60% of the county’s population (US Census City & Town Population). Limited affordable housing options, unmet behavioral health needs, and high rates of chronic disease reflect the Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) situation of the target population. Harvey County Health Department (HCHD) has a strong foundation ready to spring into the SDOH Accelerator Plan process. Employing the existing structure of the Healthy Harvey Coalition (HHC) and identified stakeholders to join the process, including residents from the target population, HCHD and HHC will create a Leadership Team to develop a SDOH Accelerator Plan. This Plan will address the CDC’s SDOH priority areas of “Community-Clinical Linkages” and “Social Connectedness”. The Plan will be driven by the ‘lived-experiences’ (qualitative data) of the target population, county-specific quantitative data, and best practices/evidence-based strategies. An additional outcome of the grant period will be increased collaboration and engagement across multisectoral partners.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).