HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Hutchinson Regional Medical Center has been awarded $150,000 through a state-administered program aimed at expanding health and nutrition services in rural Kansas.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment announced the award Thursday as part of the Community Health Worker + Accountable Food is Medicine Grant Program. Seven rural health care organizations across Kansas received a combined $1.007 million.
The funding will support programs that integrate community health workers into clinical settings and help connect patients with health, social and nutrition services.
Accountable Food is Medicine programs can include services such as medically tailored meal programs and produce prescriptions designed to improve outcomes for patients with chronic health conditions. Federal restrictions prevent the grant money from being used to directly purchase food.
“By integrating CHWs and AFIM into rural communities, we’re providing critical supports at a time when many rural Kansans need access to reliable health care services more than ever,” Gov. Laura Kelly said in a statement.
Hutchinson Regional was one of four organizations receiving the program’s top award of $150,000. Other recipients included health care organizations in Harper, Smith and Dickinson counties, along with CommonSpirit Kansas, Citizens Foundation and Newman Memorial County Hospital.
KDHE said 18 organizations applied for the grants. Applications were evaluated based on community need, financial sustainability, innovation and alignment with state and federal rural health priorities.
The grants are part of the five-year Rural Health Transformation Program, which is designed to strengthen rural health systems, expand access to care and build a sustainable rural health care workforce.