(Junction City, KS) – The Konza Prairie Community Health Center is one of ten organizations in the state of Kansas to have received more than $1.7 million in Expand Reach grant funds for projects aimed at to address health equity and confidence in vaccines.
The Increase Reach initiative is a partnership between the Institute for Community Engagement at Wichita State University and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE). Increasing Reach offers community organizations that have been successful in reaching vulnerable populations the opportunity to receive funding to continue their work promoting health equity through immunization. The program specifically aims to reach populations experiencing low immunization rates, including racial and ethnic minority populations as well as rural communities.
Konza’s share of funding for Increase Reach is $250,000. Konza plans to use those funds to hire community health workers in Geary and Riley counties. These health outreach workers will work with key community partners to increase COVID-19 vaccination capacity in Geary and Riley counties, including among high-risk and underserved populations. Community health workers in Konza will work closely with local health and public health organizations to organize immunization activities, develop strategic immunization plans, amplify COVID-19 vaccine messaging, and address immunization disparities .
“The healthcare system can be difficult to navigate, the COVID-19 pandemic has made it even more difficult. Our goal is to make it easier,” said Konza CEO Lee Wolf. “We will work closely with community partners to hire community champions and give them the resources they need to connect people to COVID-19 vaccine, testing and primary care services in Geary and Riley counties. .
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