By Elana Gordon
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Jackson County is getting a big funding boost to fight chronic diseases. As KCUR's Elana Gordon reports, the area's three health departments have been awarded a multi-year federal grant to take on the root causes of such health problems.
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The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, or HHS, has issued about $100 million in preventative health grants to 61 communities across the country.
Jackson County was the only place in Missouri or Kansas to get funding - about $700,000 a year over the next five years.
"It basically, though, is approximately a dollar per person in Jackson county per year," said Dr. Rex Archer, director or Kansas City's health department, which is one of three departments in Jackson County included in the grant.
Dr. Archer said he's excited about the new funds, which will, for the first time, allow him to have staff solely focused on bringing healthy foods, exercise options, and smoke-free air to all parts of the region. But he said there's still too much emphasis on disease treatment.
"Compare that [dollar-per-person prevention funding] to $7,500 we're spending per person per year on illness care in Jackson county," said Archer.
HHS estimates that chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and cancer make up 70 percent of all deaths and 75 percent of all medical costs in the U.S.
Dr. Howard Koh, Assistant Secretary of HHS, said he hopes this will change as more money and energy goes into preventing illnesses.
"We know that when people improve behaviors, they are more productive at work and health costs decline," Dr. Koh said during a news conference announcing the grant awards.
Larry Jones, director of the Independence Health department, said about one in four Jackson county residents report not exercising, one in three smokes, and four out of five don't eat enough fruits and vegetables. He's hopeful that related chronic health problems will start to decline through efforts supported by this grant.
"You hear a lot about access to care, about the fact that diabetics need to be sure they have access to insulin or blood tests," said Jones. "But what we're trying to do is help our community not to become diabetic, not to have as many heart attacks."
Jones said the new grant will build on already existing prevention programs, such as one which brings healthy foods to convenience stores in so-called food deserts.
The new prevention funding was created under the federal health law.
Despite interest among health officials in Johnson County, Kansas, county leaders there opted not to apply for the money. The Missouri health department and the St. Louis County health department did apply but did not receive any funds.
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