LiveWell Shawnee County provided an annual update to the Board of Health on Oct. 23, outlining grant funding, coalition projects and a December release date for the next Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP).

"It's been a really busy year for LiveWell. We have a lot of growing partnerships and then, in that, also some new investments in the community," said Sarah Kearns Vincent, LiveWell Shawnee County director. She said the coalition received $100,000 from the Blue Cross Blue Shield Pathways to a Healthy Kansas program to support behavioral health, healthy eating, active living and commercial tobacco cessation over two years.

Kearns Vincent described another grant through the Kansas Food Action Network's Food Secure Communities initiative focused on food insecurity and its root causes. She said the coalition has seven impact teams that align with priorities identified by the Community Health Needs Assessment, and highlighted several activities: a convening of higher‑capacity food pantries, development of a local therapist‑finder tool, community baby showers tied to infant health work, and pop‑up “traffic gardens” that teach pedestrian and bike safety to children.

"We have 7 impact teams... they focus on the areas of the CHIP that were informed by the Community Health Needs Assessment," she said. Kearns Vincent added that the next CHIP (2026–2028) will prioritize behavioral health, food access, neighborhood safety and housing (the first time housing is prioritized), and health equity encompassing maternal health, obesity and STIs.

Kearns Vincent invited commissioners to the coalition’s Annual Action Summit on Dec. 12, when the CHIP will be presented and coalition progress reviewed. She said epidemiology support from the county health department will help shape the plan and that coalition partners will use data to design interventions and pilot projects.

Commissioners asked about public engagement and said they would be sent registration information for the summit. Kearns Vincent said the coalition is working to normalize programs such as Baby Basics and spread awareness of available resources across Shawnee County.