2023 Community Impact Report
Sunflower is proud to give back to the communities we call home. Over the past 10 years, we’ve partnered with 300+ organizations throughout Kansas, giving $2 million in sponsorships to address the needs of our members in areas such as food, transportation, employment, housing and access to needed care.
Kansans Serving Kansas
Meet Sunflower Care Manager Lea Ann who demonstrated exceptional dedication when she took proactive steps to support a deaf member.
There were communication challenges within the member's circle of support. But when someone shared an American Sign Language (ASL) class with the provider and copied Lea Ann as his care manager, she promptly enrolled in the eight-week ASL class.
Even though the provider opted to not participate, Lea Ann's commitment to learning basic sign language ensured effective communication with the member. This initiative reflects Lea Ann's consistent commitment to going above and beyond for the members she supports!
Sunflower and Centene Foundation Award $390,000 Grant to LADD Smart Living
Sunflower and Centene Foundation shared some great news on Feb. 1. We've given a $390,000 grant to Living Arrangements for the Developmentally Disabled (LADD) to bring the Smart Living Model to Kansans with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).
What's the Smart Living Model? Well, it's LADD's innovative approach that blends technology and training to facilitate independence and ensure top-notch care.
Investing in Kansas Communities
Giving back is part of our culture. With local staff, members and partners across the state, raising funds, volunteering and supporting our communities is crucial to how we strive to transform the health and well-being of Kansans.
We have three areas of focus for our community giving:
- Social determinants of health: food insecurity, education, transportation and housing needs
- Equity: healthcare disparities/inequities among BIPOC, LGBTQ+, foster care and other underrepresented populations.
- Capacity building: workforce shortages and barriers to care
Sunflower endeavors to go beyond traditional sponsorship with our community giving, viewing partner projects and efforts as opportunities to invest in our communities and ignite systemic change. We connect with innovative partners doing amazing work throughout Kansas, supporting their work and collaborating to maximize our combined expertise to truly drive improvement to the health of our communities.
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Just the Facts
A: Over 200,000 individuals and families from all across Kansas choose Sunflower Health Plan because we have staff with specialized knowledge and experience to drive improved health outcomes. Sunflower is committed to members and has been recognized with prestigious certifications including NCQA Health Equity Accreditation.
Sunflower members include expecting mothers, families, foster children, people with disabilities, and others who need extra support to stay in their homes. Each has different needs. That’s why Sunflower has experts trained to provide support for all members, to help them make positive decisions for their best health and well-being.
Learn more in our Community Impact Report (PDF).
A: In a word, yes! Sunflower Health Plan is proud that the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) has entrusted us to manage care for Kansans for more than 10 years through the KanCare Medicaid program.
In that time, we’ve developed reliable methods and continually learn more to address the evolving needs of our members. We’ve also forged strong relationships with our Member Advisory Committee, providers, community-based organizations and others seeking to improve the health of Kansans.
Learn more in our Community Impact Report (PDF).
A: Sunflower is proud to be a trusted partner and give back to the communities we call home. Over the past 10 years, we’ve partnered with 300+ organizations throughout Kansas, providing approximately $2 million in sponsorships to address the needs of our communities in areas such as food access, transportation, employment, housing, and access to needed care.
One example is the Sunflower Farmers Market Program. In 2022 alone, 1,500+ members received vouchers from Sunflower to buy fresh fruits and vegetables.
We live, work and volunteer in Kansas, so we’re invested in the well-being of our neighbors!
Learn more in our Community Impact Report (PDF).
A: Sunflower created Sunny’s Kids Club, a program that promotes healthy eating, exercise and education for children up to age 12. Each Kids Club member gets a club membership card and activity book.
To address teen suicide, Sunflower partnered with Olathe School District, KidsTLC and Big Brothers Big Sisters to host the “Strong Youth Strong Communities” (SYSC) Youth Summits, featuring pro football hall of famers.
Youth members ages 5 to 18, can also receive a $50 credit per year for programs, like YMCA, Boys and Girls Clubs, Girl Scouts or Scouts BSA. Sunflower families use this to help their kids access youth sports, swim and weight programs and develop academic, leadership and citizenship skills that could influence their adult lives.
Learn more in our Community Impact Report (PDF).
A: Whole-person care is the patient-centered use of diverse healthcare resources to deliver physical, behavioral, emotional and social services. At Sunflower, we believe that whole-person care leads to increased well-being and better health outcomes. That’s why we’ve developed many prevention initiatives and support services to meet our members’ social, physical and mental health needs.
Sunflower’s Quality Improvement Team continually monitors for our members’ missing care needs. Our focus is to improve the quality of care for members by closing gaps. These feed into measures, such as:
- Cervical Cancer Screening
- Chlamydia Screening
- Diabetic A1C
- Breast Cancer Screening
- Prenatal and Postpartum Care
- Well-child Visits and Immunizations
That translates to improved outcomes. Take Immunizations for adolescents - Combo 2, for example, which has increased each year from 2019-2021. Sunflower outperformed the other KanCare MCOs from 2019-2022 for this measure.
Learn more in our Community Impact Report (PDF).
A: Not only does Sunflower serve members in all 105 Kansas counties, but we also employ more than 300 Kansans across the state, supporting local economies. We understand Kansans because we are Kansans!