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K-State, KU Health System Partnership to Support Healthcare in Rural Kansas

The K-State 105 initiative and The University of Kansas Health System announce a partnership to bolster healthcare in more Kansas rural communities. Photo courtesy of Kansas State University

Posted April 8, 2024

Kansas State University and The University of Kansas Health System have announced a partnership to bring more healthcare to rural communities in Kansas.

The K-State 105, an initiative supporting economic growth in all 105 counties in Kansas, and teh KU Heath System first announced the organizations’ partnership at a joint press conference Thursday.

“As a next-generation land-grant university, Kansas State University has identified community health and well-being as a focus area for engagement and transforming lives in Kansas,” K-State senior vice president and chief of staff, Marshall Stewart said in a release. “We are thrilled to collaborate with our colleagues at The University of Kansas Health System and build a K-State 105 partnership that improves healthcare access for Kansans across the state.”

The two organizations will work closely with K-State Research and Extension and identify healthcare-related challenges in rural communities. The program will start with pilot projects in areas already in communication with the K-State Research and Extension offices.

Initial project-focused areas include:

  • Strategies to keep care local.
  • Caregiver support for patients with dementia.
  • Increasing access to digital and telehealth resources.
  • Programming focused on behavioral health needs in rural communities.
  • Addressing OB-GYN/high-risk pregnancy provider shortages.
  • Grant writing and facilitation resources.

“Access to quality health care is critical for patients, and for their communities,” president and CEO of The University of Kansas Health System, Bob Page said in the release. “Our focus starts always with what is best for patients, and providing access to the expertise and resources of the state’s only academic health system is one of many ways we are working to provide support across our state.”

The project will also work closely with the Care Collaborative, a health system program researching better stroke, heart attack and sepsis care outcomes in 73 rural Kansas counties.