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LiveWell Shawnee County outlines seven "impact teams" targeting social determinants of health
Summary
A LiveWell Shawnee County representative briefed the Topeka City CouncilPublic Health and Safety Committee on seven community-led "impact teams" that implement goals from the community health needs assessment, highlighting efforts on infant mortality, food access, mental health and substance misuse.
Sarah Vincent, a presenter for LiveWell Shawnee County, told the City of Topeka Public Health and Safety Committee on July 16 that the coalition organizes its work through seven "impact teams" that implement priorities from the county's community health needs assessment and improvement plan. "LiveWell Shawnee County...is Shawnee County's Health and Wellness Coalition," she said.
The impact teams cover active environment (transportation, trails and sidewalks), healthy babies (infant mortality reduction), healthy food access, mental health and behavioral health, substance misuse prevention and treatment, sexual health education and tobacco/aerosol prevention. Vincent said the healthy babies team has run a community baby shower for about 10 years and that the 66604 ZIP code has had a high infant mortality rate since at least 2017. "They're getting ready to do a community baby shower," she said.
The coalition described the teams as "the implementation arm of the community health improvement plan," gathering service providers, public health, hospitals and other partners to coordinate interventions rather than operating in isolation. Vincent said teams draw on data from the community health needs assessment and the expertise of partner organizations to set goals.
Committee members encouraged closer engagement between the coalition and the city. Councilmember Christine Valdivia Alpula and Chair Karen Hiller discussed options for deeper city involvement, including inviting elected officials to the coalition's December action summit and creating a subcommittee or summit to review social determinants issues in more depth. "We have an annual action summit every December," Vincent said, adding the coalition wants elected officials at the table.
Vincent and committee members also discussed specific needs the coalition is tracking: persistent high infant mortality in ZIP 66604, healthy food access and food deserts, and a community demand for clearer public information. The coalition noted ongoing work on a mental-health resource guide modeled on Riley County's approach and on tobacco/aerosol prevention aimed at parents and teens. Committee members asked for maps or official materials showing locations of food deserts and for a short, recurring briefing or mailing so council members can follow the teams' work.
The presentation concluded with an invitation for city staff and elected officials to join impact teams or attend coalition events. Vincent asked the council to consider broader partnership with city departments, noting existing collaborations with the public health department and multimodal transportation staff.
The committee did not take formal action on the presentation; the briefing was informational and intended to guide future engagement between the coalition and city staff.
