KHI Selected to Support Age-Friendly Public Health System

TOPEKA, KANSAS, October 2023 – Trust for America’s Health, in partnership with the National Network of Public Health Institutes, has selected the Kansas Health Institute as one of 10 public health institutes nationwide to participate in Phase III of the Age-Friendly Public Health System movement.  

TFAH and NNPHI will help KHI build capacity using the 6 C’s Framework, which provides guidance on the roles that public health can fulfill in partnership with aging services and health care sectors to improve the health and well-being of older adults. KHI will collaborate with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services, and other stakeholders to support development of healthy aging action plans based on the Age-Friendly Public Health System framework. The work will be completed by spring 2026. 

“We’re honored to be selected for this opportunity,” said Kari Bruffett, KHI President and CEO. “We look forward to working closely with KDHE, KDADS and other partners to elevate healthy aging as a core public health issue.” 

The Age-Friendly Public Health System Movement started in 2017, with the goal of making healthy aging a public health priority. It was piloted in Florida, from 2018-2020. The framework has driven healthy aging policy and systems change in Michigan, Mississippi and Washington.  

“KDHE welcomes the opportunity to partner with KHI and KDADS to implement a more systematic approach for promoting and optimizing the health of older adults,” said KDHE Secretary Janet Stanek. 

“KDADS recognizes that healthy aging is an essential public health issue among the fast-growing senior population and identifying service needs is critical to improving the lives of all aging Kansans,” KDADS Secretary Laura Howard said. “Along with our partners at KHI and KDHE, we are happy to be part of this collaborative movement designed to protect and educate Kansans by envisioning communities that empower older adults to make healthy choices about their own lives, especially as people live longer and strive to stay in their own homes longer.” 

Other institutes selected for this opportunity include Catherine Cutler Institute (University of Southern Maine), Georgia Health Policy Center, Hawaii Public Health Institute, Michigan Public Health Institute, Missouri Center for Public Health Excellence, Montana Public Health Institute, New Hampshire Community Health Institute, South Carolina Institute of Medicine and Public Health and West Virginia University Health Affairs Institute.  

Funding for this opportunity is provided by the Age-Friendly Public Health System Phase III grant, from The John A. Hartford Foundation. Learn more about Age-Friendly Public Health Systems. Watch videos about Age-Friendly Public Health Systems. 

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