TOPEKA, Kan. (Jan. 21, 2025) — Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas (BCBSKS) announces it has selected the Reno County Community Wellness Coalition, along with 18 other communities as grantees for its third phase of the Pathways to a Healthy Kansas (Pathways) initiative. BCBSKS will be partnering with these community coalitions to improve healthy eating, active living, commercial tobacco prevention and mental health.
Since the Pathways initiative began in 2016, BCBSKS has facilitated 748 grants/projects in communities throughout Kansas, including Reno County. The Pathways program was created to inspire long lasting, community-wide health and well-being in communities across Kansas.
“We’ve seen the commitment from the Reno County Community Wellness Coalition and know they are ready to continue the work to improve the health and well-being of the communities they serve,” said Matt All, President/CEO of BCBSKS. “For more than 80 years, we have been dedicated to helping not only our members, but all Kansans live better, healthier lives. Through our Pathways initiative, we are helping remove barriers to accessing healthy foods, increasing physical activity, preventing commercial tobacco use and improving mental health. We are thrilled to continue this program with our new and returning Pathways grantees and can’t wait to see the difference they make in their communities.”
Each Pathways community will receive coordination assistance from BCBSKS to get started and, in addition, organizations within Reno County will have the opportunity to apply for non-competitive implementation grants to fund projects that will help reach the Reno County Community Wellness Coalition’s goals for the initiative.
Pathways to a Healthy Kansas funding has enabled significant progress in Reno County by fostering collaboration, creating new processes, educating the community, and promoting behavior change. Key achievements have included partnering with schools to create wellness policies and non-punitive approaches for tobacco use, enhancing access to healthier food options at restaurants, farmers’ markets, and food pantries, supporting nutrition integration in recovery programs at a local detox center, and fostering collaboration among stakeholders through the community health coalition.
“We have seen the positive impact that working together with community members and other organizations can have on our community,” said Candace Davidson, BCBSKS Pathways Coordinator. “With social determinants of health and health equity at the forefront of the Pathways initiative we are able to focus on specific populations, see the needs in our community and make measurable progress. The Reno County Community Wellness Coalition is excited to continue the great collaborations and hard work that Heal and Pathways started eight years ago.”
The Pathways initiative combines community-wide, evidence-based solutions and practices to help Kansas communities improve active living, healthy eating, behavioral health and commercial tobacco prevention and is structured around five pathways that require collaboration across a community. These pathways include economic stability, education access and quality, health care access and quality, neighborhoods and built environment, and social and community context. To learn more about Pathways, visit bcbsks.com/blue-health-initiatives/pathways.
About Reno County Community Wellness Coalition
The Reno County Community Wellness Coalition is dedicated to building a healthier future for all residents of Reno County. The coalition is a diverse group of passionate individuals and organizations committed to promoting wellness and improving the overall health of our community. At the heart of our mission is the belief that by working together, we can create lasting positive change. Through collaborative efforts, education, advocacy, and community engagement, we aim to address key health challenges and empower individuals to make healthy choices. Visit our website https://rccwc.org/ and our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/RCCWC24/ to view our initiatives.
About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas
For more than 80 years, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas has built a reputation of trust with its members and contracting providers by providing outstanding customer service while quickly and accurately processing claims; fairly administering benefit plans and contracts; offering programs, services and tools to help members improve or maintain their health; and operating under the highest ethical standards while being good stewards of premium dollars. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association and is the state’s largest insurer, serving all Kansas counties except Johnson and Wyandotte. For more information, visit bcbsks.com.
