Blue Health Initiatives 2016-2017 Impact Report

Nov.14, 2016
Initial training for Healthify
with partner organizations in
Shawnee and Douglas Counties
Feb. 23, 2017
One-year Trailblazers
Innovation Grant awarded
to Thrive Allen County
Trailblazers Initiatives Impact
What is Trailblazers?
The Trailblazers Initiatives are designed to drive health care
innovation that addresses the unique needs of Kansas.
In a rural state like Kansas, there are often unique
barriers to health and access to health care that are
not seen in more urban states. Where existing national
solutions may not fit Kansas communities, customized,
research-based solutions are necessary.
Grantees are selected in promising areas where proven
strategies for success do not yet exist. Our partners are
blazing a trail into a healthier future by exploring how to
improve the social determinants of health, increase access
to care, and streamline the coordination of services.
Education
Health and
Health Care
Social
Determinants
of Health
Trailblazers in Allen County
Neighborhood
and Built
Environment
Economic Stability
Social and
Community
Context
Writing the next chapter for a rural turnaround in health
care requires policies and systems to encourage healthy
choices. In Allen County, efforts are focused around
reaching low-income residents and ensuring that healthy
policies are diffused throughout the community.
By reorienting existing work and testing new strategies
to address the ongoing barriers facing the low-income
community, these trailblazers are helping residents to
believe that a healthy lifestyle is possible. Below is a list of
innovative practices being implemented in Allen County:
• Facilitating peer-led support for smoking cessation
among the residents of Iola Housing Authority’s three
complexes. Additionally, new non-smoking policies
were developed to encourage residents to access
cessation resources.
• Analyzing the nutritional value of weekly “Sunday
Soups” hosted by the local Presbyterian church to
identify and propogate healthier practices.
• Increasing housing stability by providing resources
and education to both tenants and landlords by
partnering with the Iola Public Library to offer
community-wide trainings.
Healthify Northeast Kansas Network
The mission of Healthify is to build a world where no
one’s health is hindered by their need.
By sponsoring the Healthify software and sharing
it with partners, BCBSKS is increasing community
organizations’ access to valuable service data. The
project positions BCBSKS as a leader in improving the
social determinants of health and helps communities
paint a clearer picture of their health needs.
The initial focus region for the initiative is Shawnee County
and the surrounding areas. In addition to the cloud-based
data tools referenced above, the partnership also provides
communities with specialized consultants to assist in
understanding the data. From provider behavior to care
coordination trends, the initiative is currently informing
strategies within 34 organizations – many of the essential
providers in Shawnee and Douglas County.
The graph below is a one-year snapshot of the top
service needs of the region, captured by analyzing user
resource searches:
23%
Health
28%
Housing
23%
Food
13%
Transportation
13%
Financial
Support
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