Healthy Communities Wyandotte's (HCW) mission is to mobilize the community to improve health and well-being in Wyandotte County through increased communication, coordination, and culture change. The annual report uses whimsical colors with traditional design element to portray serious business in a friendly way.

1. W YA N D O T T E
Building a
Healthier
Future
JUNE 2013 UPDATE
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2. A Message from the Mayor/CEO
Introduction to HCW and this report
I
AM EXCITED TO SHARE WITH YOU THE PROGRESS AND
achievements that Healthy Communities Wyandotte has made
over the last couple years. I have been involved with our county
health coalition since its inception in 2009, midway through my
first term as a Unified Government Commissioner.
Concerned that our residents were dying earlier than others
in the state, I chaired the team tasked with creating better
environmental infrastructure. Thanks to the hard work of
residents and other community leaders, we created solid
plans for improving sidewalks and parks, developing more
active living programs, heightening safety, and increasing
connectivity within and between neighborhoods.
After two years of work and the input of nearly 100 community
members, HCW published a community health improvement plan called
Recommendations for a Better Future in late 2011. The document, meant
to guide the county’s health response for decades, outlines actions
that the community can take to improve health in the areas of Nutrition,
Infrastructure, Education, Health Services, and Communications.
Last year, a $100,000 grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
enabled us to act on those plans and the coalition has made impressive
headway. As you’ll read, we are pairing government staff and resources
with empowered citizen groups to collectively design on- and off-street bike
routes, improve water access for community gardens, and fund healthy
eating and exercise programs throughout the county.
I am excited that as Mayor, I have the opportunity to champion the
entire coalition and make Healthy Communities Wyandotte one of the
cornerstones of my administration. Our hopes for a more prosperous future
are dependent upon the health of our citizens and the well-being and
readiness of our local workforce.
Much remains to be done. I challenge residents and leaders alike to be
catalysts for healthy change within their circles of influence. Let’s strive to
make Wyandotte County a healthy place to live, work, learn and play.
Mayor/CEO Mark Holland
MARCH 2010
The Mayor’s
Health Task Force
met for the
first time.
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JUNE 2010
The Task Force
conducted three
community meetings to learn areas
of concern and
priorities.
NOVEMBER 2010
Healthy Communities Wyandotte
was established
through the first
Steering Committee meeting.
JANUARY 2011
Action Team
chairpersons were
named, and their
objectives were
defined.
H
EALTHY COMMUNITIES WYANDOTTE (HCW) BEGAN AS A
response to the 2009 Kansas County Health Rankings report,
which listed Wyandotte County as having the worst health in
the state. Concerned that residents were dying too young and
suffering from too many chronic diseases, civic leaders convened residents
and representatives from over 50 organizations to brainstorm solutions.
FEB. – SEPT. 2011
Action Teams met
to review potential
policies and build
recommendations.
HCW is led by a Steering Committee comprised of community leaders
from education, health, housing, business, governmnt and community
organizations. Its work is planned and executed by five action teams that
correspond to each recommendation area. Each team consists of dedicated
residents and professionals and is chaired by an expert in the field. The
action teams use the recommendations to select strategies that
are timely and impact the entire county. HCW staff assists
the coalition by providing expertise on health improvement
strategies, supporting partner organizations’ alignment,
mobilizing funding, advancing policy, and building public
will for health improvement.
In this report, readers will find a welcome letter from
Mayor Holland, a timeline of HCW’s history, the
organization’s recent accomplishments, and ways to get
involved to encourage longer, healthier, happier lives for
everyone in Wyandotte County.
OCTOBER 2011
Recommendations
for a Better Future
was released.
JUNE 2012
The Robert Wood
Johnson Foundation funded HCW
as a “learning
lab.” Implementation began.
AUGUST 2012
HCW recommendations were
incorporated into
the strategic plan
of the Unified
Government.
JUNE 2013
New chairpersons
were selected.
Four of five Action
Teams began
implementing
recommendatons.
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3. Existing Sidewalk Conditions
5 (Excellent)
4 (Fair)
Notable Accomplishments
In
3 (Beginning to Deteriorate) June 2013, the UG’s
2011
2 (Heavily Deteriorated)
APRIL: The Unified Government passed a Complete Streets resolution.
Now, every time a street is built or redesigned, the needs of all users, not
just motorists, are considered.
1 (Almost Non Existent)
MI
2012
SSOU
RI RIV
No Sidewalk
ER
0
0
MAY: The Mayor, acting on an Education Action Team recommendation,
hosted a Wyandotte County Scholars Day to honor high-achieving students.
JUNE: HCW received $100,000 from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
to create a community health improvement “learning laboratory.”
AUGUST: The Unified Government adopted an updated Sidewalk and Trails
Master Plan to increase connectivity and walkability in the county.
AUGUST: Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools removed flavored milk
Monday–Thursday, eliminating more than 380 sugar-based calories per
LEAVENWORTH school
week from the diets of elementary and middle ROAD students.
AUGUST: The Unified Government Board of Commissioners adopted HCW
and its recommendations into their strategic goals and plans. In the shortterm they aim to: “Collaborate with Healthy Communities Wyandotte to
improve the health of the people in our community.”
Cultivate KC
0.5
1
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Public Works Department
collaborated with a
community group called
H2O to Grow to create a
$50,000 grant program
to improve water access
for growing fruits and
vegetables in Wyandotte
2 Miles
County.
2 Miles
(
g
&
%
In August 2012, the Unified Government adopted an updated Sidewalk
and Trails Master Plan. Pictured here, the document helps to
highlight sidewalks in need of repair throughout the city
and create priorities for their reconstruction. The
plan was made possible by a $190,000
grant from the Health Care Foundation
of Greater Kansas City in 2011.
A
À
?
QUIN
DAR
O
2013
PARALLEL PARKWAY
JANUARY: The Unified Government and the Hollywood Casino established
a $500,000 annual grant fund (see next page).
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!
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n
&
%
DIA
GO
NA
L
KANSAS AVENUE
FICWAY
TU
RN
ER
59
TH
4
JUNE: The UG’s Public Works Department
created a $50,000 grant program to
improve water access for healthy food
growth in Wyandotte County.
TH STREET
82ND
65TH STREET
67TH
57TH STREET
JUNE: In line with new community health
priorities, Public Works aggressively
pursued and received KDOT funding to
improve connectivity to Kaw Point Park,
and extend the multi-purpose trial on 5th
Street further north from Jersey Creek to
John Garland Park.
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4. Annual UG Hollywood Casino Grant Fund
Get Involved
T
HE UG BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ESTABLISHED A
$500,000 annual grant fund in partnership with the Hollywood
Casino in January 2013. HCW’s Steering Committee helped
set the fund’s priorities to promote healthy eating and active
living programs in Wyandotte County.
Funded programs include:
Associated Youth
Services
Expands the Healthy, Fit and Informed Dottes
$50,000 program, which involves youth in personal goal
setting to improve health.
Bethel Neighborhood
Center
$50,000
Caritas Clinics
$50,000
JOIN AN ACTION TEAM (communication, education, health services, infrastructure or nutrition) at one of their monthly meetings. Email Wesley
at wmckain@wycokck.org or call 913-573-8833 for more information.
Our Action Teams are currently working on:
Supports qualified, culturally competent, bilingual dia$47,600
betes education in the clinic three half-days per week.
Catholic Charities of
Northeast Kansas
D
Funds the Youth Fit 4 Life project to help youth
avoid diabetes and obesity.
Helps fund New Roots for Refugees, a program increasing food production and access among refugees.
Funds Be Healthy, Live Better Wyandotte, an educaCross-Lines
$26,950 tional project promoting healthy lifestyles in four
Cooperative Council, Inc.
KCK housing towers.
El Centro, Inc.
Expands Promotores de Salud to include teens as
$13,737
Latino health education volunteers.
Episcopal Community
Services, Inc.
$49,949
Kansas City
Community Gardens
Helps residents, schools, and community groups
$50,000 establish fruit and vegetable gardens throughout
the county.
Kansas University
Endowment Association
$50,000
Diversifies and expands services offered at one of the
largest food pantries in the county.
Expands KCK Organic Teaching Gardens, providing
130 raised-bed gardens at seven urban schools.
Oak Ridge Youth
Funds integration of an Integrated Health Curriculum
$50,000
Development Corporation
into a youth summer enrichment program.
Resurrection Catholic
School at the Cathedral
$17,000
Creates Fit For Our Future, a program to track student
health and wellness through “FitBits” and laptops.
Rosedale Development
Association, Inc.
$19,846
O YOU LIVE OR WORK IN WYANDOTTE COUNTY?
Are you interested in improving the health of your community?
If so, get involved in HCW! Here’s how:
•
Crafting recommendations for on- and off-street bike routes throughout
the county.
•
Building political will for healthy food access so that every resident can
live within 1/2 mile of a healthy food source like a grocery store, farmers
market or community garden.
•
A website to help people access information about HCW and our work,
health services in the county, and how to lead a healthier life.
•
Increasing access to health services by expanding insurance enrollment.
•
Crafting joint-use agreements to open up school playgrounds for
neighborhood use after school hours.
LIKE US on Facebook:
www.facebook.com/HCWyco
FOLLOW US on Twitter:
@HCWyco
READ Recommendations for a
Better Future, our community
health improvement plan.
Available at www.wycokck.org/
health.
Supports bicycle and pedestrian programming
through the Rosedale Healthy Kids Initiative.
The Family Conservancy $18,000
Supports parental education programs at Juniper
Gardens and St. Margaret’s Park.
Heidi Holliday
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5. UG Public Health Department
619 Ann Avenue, Rm 319
Kansas City, KS 66101
913-573-6757
www.wycokck.org/HCW
Cover Photo: Heidi Holliday
Rosedale Development Association
Design: Lizzardbrand Inc.
lizzardbrand.com
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