KDHE Awards Over $1M in Rural Health Transformation Program Grants

Press Release from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment

Photo courtesy of the KDHE

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) today announced at an event hosted by Newman Regional Health in Emporia the recipients of the Community Health Worker + Accountable Food is Medicine Grant Program (CHW+AFIM), an initiative within the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP). In total, $1,007,152 was awarded to seven rural healthcare organizations across the state to implement or expand CHW and AFIM programs, increasing community access to health and social services and clinical nutrition.

The recipients of CHW+AFIM funds will foster collaborative arrangements between a Kansas-based organization and at least one eligible provider to implement or expand CHW+AFIM projects. These transformative projects will improve health outcomes among rural Kansans by integrating CHWs, who serve as frontline public health workers with a deep understanding of their communities, into clinical settings and connecting individuals to health and social services. Projects will also deliver AFIM programs, a model which clinically integrates outcomes-based nutrition interventions, such as medically tailored meals and produce prescriptions, to improve chronic disease outcomes. Though the program is not allowed, under federal funding restrictions, to directly purchase food, it supports services and structures that reinforce the role healthy food can play in overall health.

“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,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “I look forward to the positive impact these initiatives will have in some of our most vulnerable communities.”

“Investing in CHWs and AFIM will help strengthen the health of rural Kansas by connecting communities with resources that support better nutrition, preventive care and long-term wellness,” KDHE Secretary Janet Stanek said. “By expanding access to community health workers and Accountable Food is Medicine initiatives, we are ensuring more rural Kansans have access to the services and support they need close to home.”

Awardees were selected through a competitive application process that evaluated proposals based on community need, long-term financial sustainability, innovation, and alignment with federal and state rural health priorities. KDHE received 18 applications for CHW + AFIM, reflecting strong interest and urgency among rural providers seeking solutions to ongoing workforce, financial, and access challenges.

“Access to nutritious food and community support can make a meaningful difference, especially for older adults and disabled individuals with complex health needs,” Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services Secretary Laura Howard said.

The 2026 CHW + AFIM Awardees are below. For project descriptions, please visit www.kdhe.ks.gov/rhtp.

• Hutchinson Regional Medical Center, Inc: $150,000

• Hospital District No. 6 of Harper County, Kansas: $150,000

• Great Plains of Smith County, Inc: $150,000

• Hospital District No. 1 of Dickinson County, Kansas, DBA Memorial Health System: $150,000

• CommonSpirit Kansas, Inc: $149,960

• Citizens Foundation: $146,476

• Newman Memorial County Hospital: $110,716

The RHTP is a five-year opportunity created to infuse $50 billion nationwide into state health care systems and bolster rural communities by improving the access to and quality of care available to them. Kansas received the sixth-highest award and has since been implementing its Year 1 RHTP initiatives to direct targeted resources to high-need areas throughout the state, with a focus on sustaining critical, high-quality healthcare access and services for rural Kansas.

To learn more about KDHE’s commitment to protecting and improving the health and environment of all Kansans through the RHTP, visit: Rural Health Transformation Program.