A shared, data-driven look at the health of Harvey County — and a three-year plan for 2026 through 2029 to improve it together.
Health is shaped by far more than medical care. The Community Health Needs Assessment identifies the most pressing health needs of Harvey County residents through a systematic, evidence-based process — and looks closely at how social drivers of health shape outcomes.
Built on collaboration, transparency, and evidence-based practice, the 2026 assessment examines both the current and future health needs of the community. It highlights Harvey County’s assets alongside its priority health issues, giving residents, providers, and partners a common picture to work from.
The findings don’t sit on a shelf. They drove the creation of a Community Health Improvement Plan covering July 2026 through June 2029 — a shared roadmap with specific goals, action steps, timeframes, and lead agencies for each priority. Stakeholders used the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Healthy People 2030 framework to set measurable targets.
A diverse core team of lead agencies guided the assessment, combining first-hand community voices with trusted regional and national data.
A countywide health survey in English and Spanish, plus 15 focus groups intentionally designed to reach voices often left out — including residents in recovery, Spanish-speaking residents, and those with limited formal education.
Statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau, the CDC, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, and dashboards such as Kansas Health Matters and County Health Rankings.
This year the team used a data walk to share early results with the core team and the community and gather feedback across age, ethnicity, race, and income.
A diverse team then weighed the evidence to select the county’s health priorities, which became the foundation for the three-year improvement plan.
These four priorities focus Harvey County’s health initiatives over the next three years and drove the goals in the improvement plan.
Increase treatment for adults with mental illness by connecting residents to resources through employers, chambers of commerce, and a countywide resource directory.
Build a collaborative communication plan to raise awareness of services for diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.
Reduce the number of people who cannot afford or access needed medications by understanding barriers and training navigators to connect residents to assistance.
Improve transportation, expand childcare availability and affordability, and increase access to affordable housing.
United Way of Harvey and Marion Counties is a core partner in the improvement plan — and we facilitate three of the coalitions carrying the work forward. Here’s exactly which action items our team leads, by priority area, with target timeframes drawn from the improvement plan.
Alongside Prairie View and the Harvey County Health Department, United Way and the Healthy Harvey Coalition help spread the Harvey County Resource Directory and connect residents to mental health support through employers and chambers of commerce.
| Action item we help lead | Target |
|---|---|
| Develop a story using the resource directory with an employee focus United Way, Healthy Harvey Coalition, Prairie View | Oct 2026 |
| Meet with the Newton Area Chamber of Commerce to partner on a directory awareness campaign United Way, Healthy Harvey Coalition, Prairie View | Jan 2027 |
| Meet with other Harvey County chambers and entities to expand the awareness campaign United Way, Healthy Harvey Coalition, Prairie View | Jun–Oct 2027 |
| Investigate a Resource Navigator / Community Health Worker cohort to enhance connectedness United Way, Prairie View, Health Dept. | Jul 2026 |
| Engage the Resource Network to evaluate the directory’s format and ease of use (online and booklet) United Way, Prairie View, Health Dept. | Nov 2026 |
| Redesign the directory if needed and build a plan to promote mental health resources specifically United Way, Prairie View, Health Dept. | Apr 2027 |
| Host chamber meetings in Newton and Hesston on the plan and directory benefits for employers United Way, Healthy Harvey Coalition, Prairie View | Jul 2028 |
| Support suicide-prevention outreach, secure funding, and share messaging countywide United Way, Prairie View, Health Dept. | 2027–2029 |
With the Harvey County Health Department leading the overall priority, United Way convenes the front-line workers who connect residents to prescription assistance.
| Action item we help lead | Target |
|---|---|
| Convene key front-line workers so they can be informed, share, and collaborate on resource awareness United Way, Prairie View | Mar 2027 |
United Way leads the effort to build a public transportation system for the county. For the active-transportation goals, we’re partnering with Walk & Roll Harvey — those items belong to their team, working alongside the Healthy Harvey Coalition.
| Action item | Lead | Target |
|---|---|---|
| Form a public transportation coalition | United Way | Aug 2026 |
| Seek private or grant funding for a feasibility study | United Way | Feb 2027 |
| Complete the feasibility study and decide next steps | United Way | Jan 2028 |
| If appropriate, create a Transportation Action Plan | United Way | Jan 2028 |
| Investigate an interurban expansion service | United Way | Jun 2028 |
| Host four bike clinics a year for repairs at libraries and community events | Walk & Roll, HHC | 2026–2029 |
| Create a campaign to educate the community on non-vehicle options | Walk & Roll, HHC | 2026–2027 |
| Advocate for a Bike Bus and other student options; pilot a Bike Bus in one school | Walk & Roll, HHC | 2026–2028 |
| Develop and coordinate a bike donation program | Walk & Roll, HHC | 2027–2028 |
United Way and the Childcare Task Force lead the county’s push to expand childcare availability and affordability.
| Action item we lead | Target |
|---|---|
| Educate the community on childcare needs and gaps United Way, Childcare Task Force | 2026–2027 |
| Seek funding for family scholarships and facility stipends United Way, Childcare Task Force | 2026–2028 |
| Recruit childcare staff United Way, Childcare Task Force | 2028–2029 |
| Recruit additional childcare facilities United Way, Childcare Task Force | 2028–2029 |
The Housing Alliance leads the work to increase access to affordable and low-maintenance housing, organized into focused teams.
| Team focus — led by the Housing Alliance | Target |
|---|---|
| Legislative action and tenant rights Housing Alliance | 2026–2029 |
| Urgent home repair Housing Alliance | 2026–2028 |
| Homeownership and maintenance education Housing Alliance | 2026–2028 |
| Planning, zoning, and building Housing Alliance | 2026–2028 |
| Transitional housing support Housing Alliance | 2026–2029 |
A note on chronic disease. The Chronic Disease Prevention priority is led by NMC Health and community health providers. United Way and our coalitions support the collaborative effort but do not lead those specific action items.
The complete report includes county demographics, data analysis, survey and focus group results, and the full improvement plan for all four priorities.
