Infant MortalityKansas lacks the data that policymakers need to make informed decisions about the infant mortality problem facing our state. By collecting comprehensive data on infant deaths, neighboring states like Iowa, Nebraska and Colorado have been able to leverage federal dollars and implement solutions that have significantly reduced their infant mortality rates. Kansas should take the first step by collecting the necessary data that will allow policymakers to determine what factors are contributing to the state’s high infant mortality rate. This can be achieved by providing statutory authority to the Kansas Department of Health & Environment to collect and analyze information about infant deaths in Kansas. Download the brief

HealthWave
For more than a decade, HealthWave has been an effective and fiscally responsible way to protect the health of our next generation. And, last year, lawmakers provided the leadership to leverage new federal dollars that will provide more Kansas children with the health care they need at a price their parents can afford. By maintaining our investment in HealthWave, we can protect what matters most — both now and for the long haul. In the short-term, Kansas kids can find the preventive care they need to stay healthy and see a doctor when they get sick. In the long-term, we can reduce some of the burden of uncompensated care and costly emergency room visits that are impacting community hospitals and clinics throughout the state. Download the brief