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Cottonwood Extension District outlines programs, Medicare counseling results
Summary
Jay Harris, Cottonwood Extension district director, summarized Cooperative Extension history and local programs, reported statewide SHICK/Part D comparisons (6,815) and estimated $7.3 million saved in 2024, and listed local staff, 4‑H events and upcoming community programs.
Jay Harris, district director for the Cottonwood Extension District (Ellis and Barton counties), told commissioners that Cooperative Extension translates university research into local programming from agriculture to public‑health initiatives. "We translate research into solutions," Harris said, and described the program's legal roots in the Morrill, Hatch and Smith‑Lever acts.
Harris presented SHICK (Senior Hub Insurance Counseling in Kansas) results: in 2024 the state had 6,815 plan comparisons, with 4,351 people changing plans and an estimated $7.3 million saved statewide (about $1,674 per person on average). He said Cottonwood District had 91 appointments in Ellis County and 66 in Barton County in 2025, saving roughly $200,000 locally (about $1,380 per person). Harris also listed local staff and programs (horticulture, community health worker pilot, family wellness, babysitting clinics, 4‑H and fair support) and noted upcoming local events such as Ellis County 4‑H Club Day (March 1) and the Ellis County Fair (July 12–18).
