In 2016, the HBCAT began as a joint effort between the City of Fort Scott Economic Development and Mercy Health System's Community Benefit. The action team applied for grant funding through the BCBS KS Pathways to Healthy Kansas Grant and was subsequently awarded. The committee was comprised of community leaders who were in positions of authority or influence to execute policy change. Mercy Health Systems served as the fiscal agent and the action plan mirrored the community health ... Read More
In 2016, the HBCAT began as a joint effort between the City of Fort Scott Economic Development and Mercy Health System's Community Benefit. The action team applied for grant funding through the BCBS KS Pathways to Healthy Kansas Grant and was subsequently awarded. The committee was comprised of community leaders who were in positions of authority or influence to execute policy change. Mercy Health Systems served as the fiscal agent and the action plan mirrored the community health improvement plan.
Since 2016, our work has been broadly recognized and modeled through the state of Kansas. Jody Hoener, leader of the HBCAT since its inception, was awarded the Governor's Council on Fitness Kansas Health Champion honoree in 2019. Our work was also recognized with the prestigious Kansas State of Wellness Community Champion Award in May 2018. The Healthy Bourbon County Action Team initiative has been identified by the Kansas Hospital Association and Kansas Health Institute as a leader in the field and used in a toolbox for Kansas hospitals as an example of best practice approaches to address community health.
The HBCAT has gained momentum and continuous support since 2016, growing from a subcommittee of the Fort Scott Visioning Committee to our own Non-Profit 501 C 3 Corporation with two full-time employees in just five years.
The Healthy Bourbon County Action Team Board consist of a cross-sector of community organizations, business, and governmental entities:
Jody Hoener, President and CEO, Ex Officio
Rachel Carpenter, Director of the Center for Economic Growth
Josh Jones (Chair), Business Owner and Entrepreneur
Lindsay Madison (Treasurer), President and CEO of Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce
Kayla Stewart (Secretary), RN Coordinator Via Christi
Alex Barner, Business Owner and Entrepreneur
Kelly Perry, Business Owner and Entrepreneur and City of Bronson Council Member
Dalaina Smith, USD 234 Assistant Superintendent
Melissa Guns, City of Fort Scott Commission
Our programs/coalitions
The Center for Economic Growth:
This program focuses on economic stability for households. HBCAT contracts with KANSASWORKS to be in the office 5 days a week and Pittsburg State University Small Business Development (PSU SBDC) to be in the office 3 days a week. These programs help individuals take control of their future and build wealth.
Southeast KANSASWorks administers the regional Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) program. WIOA contributes to economic growth and business expansion by ensuring the workforce system is job-driven, matching employers with skilled individuals. State and local WIOA boards promote the use of industry and sector partnerships to address the workforce needs of multiple employers within an industry. They are responsible for activities to meet the workforce needs of local and regional employers.
• Employer Benefits and services within the Center's location included from Southeast KANSASWorks partnership:
• Free Online Job Listing - Post job openings on KANSASWORKS.com, share on social media platforms, and search the database for resumes that match business job descriptions.
• Labor Market Information - Provide information on unemployment rates, wages, education, economic and demographic data by county.
• Pre-Employment Testing - Southeast KANSASWORKS administers the Kansas WORKReady testing free of charge. Testing must be scheduled ahead of time with the local workforce center.
• Work Opportunities Tax Credits - This program allows businesses to receive tax credits for hiring persons within a certain target group of job seekers who face employment barriers.
• Pre-Screen Applicants - Workforce Center staff can help prescreen applicants to assist employers in narrowing down the field of applicants.
• Job Fairs & Recruiting Services - Staff will help facilitate and market hiring events for businesses and will host job fairs periodically.
• Federal Bonding - The Federal Bonding Program provides individual fidelity bonds to employers for job applicants who are (or may be) denied coverage by commercial carriers, at no cost.
• Interview Space - Workforce Centers provide space to use for interviewing.
• Veterans – Preference is given to Veterans, Reservist, and National Guard members
Pittsburg State Small Business Development Center (PSU SBDC) serves as the regional consulting resource for the small business owner. Whether it's an existing business looking to boost sales or a start-up trying to get off the ground, they provide clients with quality professional and personal care. These free Services provided by PSU SBDC, working with the Center's staff, will include:
• Starting a New Business or New Product
• New idea assessment and opportunity sizing
• Business plans and financial projections (Revenue and expense model forecasting)
• Finding loans and grants in Southeast Kansas
• Tech Commercialization (including federal government agency SBIR/STTR grants)
• Understanding patents to protect intellectual property
• Registering an LLC
• Creating an EIN
• Creating Kansas Resale Tax ID
• Growing Sales
• Marketing and sales plans
• Social Media and Website Development
• Exporting and Other Growth Tactics
• Creating a business logo
• Running a Business
• Understanding financial statements and cashflow
• QuickBooks and other accounting software
• Industry Market Research
• Benchmarking and setting KPIs
• Staffing roles and responsibilities
• Protecting Business
• Cybersecurity
• Disaster Recovery/Business Continuity Planning
• Buying/Selling or Transferring Leadership within a Business
• Buying/selling a business
• Succession Planning/Exit Planning (private, confidential sessions)
Local Health Equity Action Team (LHEAT): The LHEAT is a coalition formed through KU Medical Center's grant program Communities Organizing to Promote Equity (COPE). The LHEAT is comprised of Community Health Workers (CHWs), community members with lived experience, and community organizations. (LHEAT) serves the community, and coordinates efforts with the regional collaborative, to build relationships with populations of focus, develop community partnerships, obtain critical resources to ensure programming continues, recruit clientele, and serve as a liaison to connect Center clients with area resources, government agencies, and more. The purpose of the LHEAT is to develop action plans that address health inequities in the county. Using COPE funds some of the projects/initiatives at the LHEAT have implemented are:
• County Wide FREE Transportation Program (BBGO Transportation)
• A weekly FREE laundry program
• Life Skills Workshops
• K-State Eating Smart and Saving Money
• New Growth Women's Business Center Credit Building/Repair
• Relaxation and Breathing Techniques
• Southeast KANSASWORKS Boost Local Business
LHEAT recently received the KDADS Capacity Building Grant of $30,000 which focuses on drug prevention in youth.
Bourbon County Childcare Coalition (BC3): The BC3 was created with the mission to bring affordable safe childcare to Bourbon County. The first initiative that BC3 took was to survey the community to grasp the need for childcare. There were over 250 respondents to the survey, and BC3 used this data to apply for the Childcare Aware Community Partnership Grant. BC3 was awarded $48,500 that will go toward childcare capacity-building initiatives.
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