This is the second part of a two-part series.
Late last year, we traveled to rural communities across Kansas to discuss the future of rural health care. The lively conversation covered a lot of ground, but his five topics were Medicaid expansion, economic vulnerability of rural health care providers, child care, health care workers, and mental health. was the top topic in mind at each meeting.
Last month, we addressed concerns related to the financial vulnerability of health care providers and how Medicaid expansion will ensure hard-working residents have access to care and improve population health and local hospital revenues. We have highlighted how it can help.
It was clear that child care, mental health, and workforce issues were very important in these conversations.
Access to mental health care
Our discussions confirmed that Kansans across the state face challenges addressing mental health issues and that unmet mental health needs are a top concern. In fact, Kansas ranks last in the nation, according to Mental Health America's 2023 report, “The State of America's Mental Health.” This is influenced by the prevalence of youth with substance use disorders, adults with some form of mental illness, and adults with mental illness in the past year. Serious thoughts about suicide.
Data from the Kansas Community the Care Survey shows that in recent years, students and youth have experienced hopelessness and sadness that have led to them discontinuing participation in activities, a key indicator of mental health concerns. It has been shown that the proportion of
Mental health issues are widespread across the state, but national studies highlight how difficult it is to access care in rural areas.
There was hope at the meeting that recent actions by the Governor and Legislature to establish accredited community behavioral health centers will help ensure increased capacity to provide and sustain behavioral health services in rural areas of the state. .
Others emphasized that Medicaid expansion would improve access to mental health. She found that one-third of uninsured Kansans in the coverage gap have experienced a mental health or substance use problem in the past year. Expanding Medicaid would give them coverage and increase access to treatment.
There is a lot of interest in addressing the mental health needs of youth by expanding existing school-based pilots and enhancing services in schools.
childcare
Attendees at each meeting sounded the alarm about the state's child care crisis. Child care is unaffordable and unavailable to parents across the state.
Child support is out of reach for too many families in Kansas. According to the Economic Policy Institute, the average annual cost of infant child care in Kansas is $11,222 per child, which is equivalent to 18.1% of Kansas median household income.
In many Kansas communities, childcare services are not only unaffordable but also unavailable. According to Child Care Aware of Kansas, only 49% of rural areas have the child care slots needed to meet demand.
For Kansas' children and economy to grow, they need access to quality child care. That's why I was excited to see Gov. Laura Kelly propose record investments in our early childhood education system. For working parents of young children, being able to find quality, affordable child care is critical because it supports the healthy development of their children and enables them to return to the workforce.
It's clear that rural Kansans know that the ability of Kansas' children and rural communities to thrive depends on investing in safe, high-quality child care. We will continue to work with partners across the state to achieve this goal.
Labor force
The ability of hospitals and clinics to attract and retain workers was a major concern. We know that the pandemic has forced workers out of the health sector, and that workforce challenges are driving up the cost of care and delaying it. Even in the short term, we need to think innovatively about how to build a sustainable workforce, taking into account future demographic and healthcare delivery changes.
Recently, the Health Foundation and the Kansas Institute for Health Research released a study on how expanding care teams can improve health care in Kansas. Utilizing teams that include health care providers such as community health workers, doulas, peer supporters, and community first responders can improve access to care and increase team capacity.
An innovative approach that combines years of investment in loan repayment programs with a residency program that trains Kansas providers and keeps them in-state is also a good start.
While other issues and solutions were discussed, such as transportation, food insecurity, and language access, it was clear that rural Kansan people were deeply committed to working together to build and sustain communities. We look forward to partnering with them in the future.
Lisse Regehr is President and CEO of Thrive Kansas. David Jordan is president of the Hutchinson-based United Methodist Health Ministry Foundation. Through our opinion section, Kansas Reflector works to amplify the voices of those affected by public policy or excluded from public discussion. Click here for information, including how to submit a comment.
