Saturday, May 10, 2025
5/10/2025
Rural Health Network Development Planning Grant Program - Abstract Heading Content Applicant Organization Information: Thrive Allen County; 9 S Jefferson Ave, Iola, KS 66749; 501c3 community organization; http://thriveallencounty.org/ Designated Project Director and other Key Personnel Information: Project Director: Jessica Thompson, Deputy Director (620) 365-8128, jessica@thriveallencounty.org Network Planning Grant Project: Southeast Kansas Social Isolation and Suicide Prevention (SEK-SISP) Network Legislative Aim: Aim #1- Achieve Efficiencies Focus Area: Social Isolation and Suicide Prevention Proposed Service Area: Allen County, KS; Crawford County, KS; Bourbon County, KS; and Anderson County, KS Abstract Body Content Target Population Thrive Allen County (TAC) is serving as the lead applicant for funding to support planning activities as a foundational component to form the Southeast Kansas Social Isolation and Suicide Prevention Network (SEK-SISP Network). SEK-SISP Network is a collaborative network serving four fully-rural Southeast Kansas counties: Allen County, Bourbon County, Anderson County, and Crawford County. All four counties suffer from complete rural isolation. Their history and geography combine rural isolation with a high degree of generational poverty and economic dislocation. These socioeconomic factors predictably result in healthcare inequity and high instances of behavioral risk factors like tobacco use, physical inactivity, poor nutrition and obesity. Those risk factors result in poor physical health, poor self-perception of health, avoidable hospital stays and avoidable premature death. Network/Consortium Partnerships SEK-SISP Network serves two Critical Access Hospitals in rural Kansas – Allen County Regional Hospital (Allen County) and Anderson County Hospital (Anderson County), and one rural hospital – Ascension Via Christi (Crawford County). In addition, the Network will be comprised of a variety of partners representing a wide-range of backgrounds and expertise, including: Southeast Kansas Mental Health Center, Thrive Allen County, and Hope Unlimited Domestic Violence Shelter. All the listed partners will sign MOUs. TAC, as the lead applicant organization and coalition backbone organization, will use its experience working with Kansas rural communities and with health initiatives aimed at other priorities to encourage cross-organizational collaboration, encourage leadership commitment, support network sustainability and viability, direct Network activities toward identified health needs in the community, and establish community buy-in for the work of the Network. Experience in Serving Rural Underserved Populations TAC is the pre-eminent rural health coalition in the state of Kansas. We are on the leading edge of public health in the state, designing models of engagement with communities. TAC has achieved policy and systems changes in public health work in the state by engaging with community leaders in long-term projects for health in a rural context. Recognition of this innovation has allowed us to travel to rural communities throughout Kansas and the United States to share these models and assist other leaders in replicating our programs and strategies. Since 2007, TAC has provided a new model for rural revitalization working to harness the strengths of local residents in building healthier communities. TAC’s vision of becoming the healthiest rural county in Kansas is accomplished through supporting and encouraging programs, policies, and resources promoting access to healthcare, healthy lifestyles, sustainable economic development, and positive community conversations. TAC has received funding for similar projects including HRSA Opioid Planning and Implementation grants, CMS Navigator grant, and multiple transportation grants. This progress was recognized by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation when it awarded Allen County the 2017 Culture of Health Prize.
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).