KU School of Medicine-Wichita

Embark 2019-2020

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13 school counseling, would a psychologist be required to visit with students in person, or could it be done by somebody else or remotely via telemedicine? Those conversations will be transcribed and analyzed as part of the final report. When McGreer heard about the plan for focus groups, he hoped one of Colby's city council members could be at each meeting. "I can see this being very useful in terms of what the city is trying to do," he said, mentioning public exercise facilities and healthy eating initiatives. Greg Unruh, CEO and president of Citizens Health, was just as enthusiastic as McGreer. Unruh believes the survey will help the county develop a strategic plan that doesn't gather dust on a shelf someplace. "We have a chance to do something good," he said. Community collaboration is a key component of the use of this data for planning. The process is designed for use across sectors and organizations to plan for the whole community. That's something Judy Johnston hopes will happen. From the survey results, it's clear many employees would like exercise facilities to be available in their workplace, as well as incentives for healthy behavior. Parents want behavioral and psychological counseling available in schools, along with eorts to keep kids from smoking. Medical care for high-risk pregnancies is a concern. As in other areas of western Kansas, Thomas County residents want to make sure environmental monitoring of pesticide use and water quality takes place. There's an interest in healthy eating, as well as a desire for more information on health in general. The next phase of the community survey, which continues through the summer of 2019, is in the form of 10- to 12-person focus groups convened to discuss in-depth results in each sector. People who took the survey were asked if they want to participate in the groups, which focus on ways to address priorities identified in the survey. "We're trying to define 'What kind of things do you think should be available?'" she said. "Who would be the right person or organization to do that?" For instance, in the area of Judy Johnston, M.S., RD/LD, KU School of Medicine-Wichita I love bringing the data back to them because I think so often when people do a research project, the community never learns what happened. I love sharing data with the community and having them say, 'Oh, I didn't expect that.' A 10- to 12-person focus group, which could be comprised of survey participants will focus on ways to address priorities identified in the survey. Greg Unruh, CEO & President, Citizens Health Travis Rickford, Executive Director, LiveWell Northwest Kansas (center)

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