Health Forward Foundation

12/22/2025

We are filled with gratitude for our community partners who share our path toward health equity. We wish you much joy and comfort this holiday season.

Health Forward's office will be closed starting Monday, Dec. 22, and will reopen on Friday, Jan. 2, so our team can recharge and spend the holidays with their families and friends.

We hope your holidays bring you joy, comfort, and cherished moments.

12/19/2025

Celebrating 20 Years of Stronger Tomorrows! 🎉 We're amplifying the power of community leaders who are advancing health equity with us.

Since the beginning days of Health Forward, our Board has centered us on a mission to eliminate barriers to health for people and communities. Our board member and Executive Director of Revolucion Educativa - RevEd, Edgar Palacios, said: “I think something that I hear talked a lot about in board meetings is this idea of collective impact. My experience with Health Forward has been that they're always looking for ways to deeply connect organizations to other organizations. So the work is happening on a collective level, and that impact is collective. That we all, as organizations, understand our role, but that overall, we are part of a larger group of people and community and organizations that are doing the work to really improve the health in our community. It's just really cool to be a part of those conversations to see an organization take such bold and courageous steps and stances that allow for their work to move forward.”

We're so proud of the work we've accomplished together to improve lives in our community!

12/12/2025

We’re still feeling the excitement from our 20th Anniversary & Holiday Celebration! A packed house, powerful moments celebrating two decades of partnership, and so many moments that reminded us why health equity is essential to building Stronger Tomorrows.

We were inspired by the insightful remarks from our President/CEO, Qiana Thomason, and thrilled to unveil our anniversary video 👉🏾 youtu.be/0zugItrjpHw, which not only celebrates our journey over the last 20 years but also looks ahead to the bold future we’re building together. From these inspiring moments to the recognition of our outgoing Board Chair, Lynette Wheeler, and CAC Chair, Carey Spain, to the lively energy on the dance floor, you all helped turn this year's celebration at The Cascade Hotel into something truly special.

We were thrilled to celebrate the collective impact we've made over the past two decades and look ahead to a stronger, more equitable future. A huge thank you to everyone who made the night unforgettable:

⭐ Pure Sweetness Entertainment for the amazing music that got everyone dancing!

⭐ Up, Up & Away! for the beautiful decor.

⭐ Live Line Entertainment for capturing all the fun with the photobooth and printed photos.

⭐ Our event and administration associate, Marylou, planned this event!

Check out the event photo album, and thank you all for bringing your energy, your leadership, and your commitment to a healthier community to this milestone celebration!

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1403779618422241&type=3

12/12/2025

Celebrating 20 Years of Stronger Tomorrows! 🎉 We're highlighting our amazing partners who have been with us on our mission to advance health equity. Here's how our partnership with Black Health Care Coalition () has created stronger tomorrows.

As their executive director, Melissa Robinson, said, “We have, for the past 20 years, been in a relationship with Health Forward. It's just more than a check. It is really that champion, that partner, that organization that's going to be there with you through thick and thin, and you can innovate together.”

We're so proud of the work we've accomplished together to improve lives in our community!

12/12/2025

12/09/2025

Health Forward puts people power at the center of everything we do. When communities have access, opportunity, and accurate information, they vote and advocate for policies that support health and well-being. A fair and representative government is essential to the self-determination promised in our democracy – and that principle is threatened when congressional district lines are redrawn without putting people first.

We proudly stand with the people of Missouri and People Not Politicians MO in defending individual rights. Despite misinformation, intimidation, and attempts to undermine the signature-gathering process, more than 300,000 signatures make it clear what Missourians want: a free, fair, and healthy democracy.

We urge the Secretary of State and Attorney General to honor the will of the people and place fair redistricting on the ballot for voters to decide - as they should.

12/02/2025

Join the Health Forward team! We're looking for a Policy - Impact Strategist to join our team and contribute to our mission of achieving health equity and securing a fair and just region. This position engages with the community, policymakers, and funded partners to advance the systems change needed to build inclusive, powerful, and healthy communities. Learn more and apply today ⏩ healthforward.org/careers

11/27/2025

Health Forward Foundation will be closed in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday. 🍂

We are giving thanks for our many community partners who commit each day to building and supporting inclusive, powerful, and healthy communities. Your work is what makes our communities so unique. Happy Thanksgiving, all!

11/26/2025

Celebrating 20 Years of Stronger Tomorrows! 🎉 We're highlighting the incredible people — from our partners to our staff — who have been with us on our mission to advance health equity.

Here's how our very own Adriana Pecina - Impact Strategist, Place, is working to build stronger tomorrows. As Adriana said, "We have always been committed to health equity, and we've always said that we're eliminating barriers to quality care. I understood that from the get-go when I joined the foundation. It's exciting to see how we are implementing much of what we've learned. And it's very evident that there are populations that have been disinvested for many years. And when we talk about equity, we really are talking about how do we ensure that the communities that have been left out are now getting everything that they need to ensure that they have just the same level of advantage as anyone else. "

We're so proud of the work we've accomplished together to improve lives in our community!

11/21/2025

Celebrating 20 Years of Stronger Tomorrows! 🎉 We're highlighting our amazing partners who have been with us on our mission to advance health equity. Here's how Southeast Kansas Mental Health Center is helping build Stronger Tomorrows!

Thanks to integrated care initiatives and Health Forward funding, they are removing barriers to care across their community. They now provide onsite therapy in 15 school districts, preventing kids from missing class and ensuring they receive whole-person care — from mental health to housing needs.

But the innovation doesn't stop there! They've also equipped providers with telemedicine backpacks. This allows their team to go directly to where the need lives, delivering both teletherapy and physical telemedicine support right to individuals in their homes.

This work is overcoming negative stigma and promoting a better, more accessible future for their communities. We're so proud of the work we've accomplished together to improve lives in our community!

11/20/2025

Happy !

One of the things people love about the Kansas City region is that it's a place where people show up for their communities and each other. This is especially true in the many rural communities surrounding Kansas City.

We are lucky to work with nonprofits across our region who demonstrate that when people have connection, care, and access to what they need, our whole community is healthier, and no one gets left behind. That’s the power of Kansas City. And it’s the .

Today, we say thank you to our partners who are fiercely committed to improving health equity in rural areas, especially for people who feel like they've been left to figure things out on their own. They know that healthy communities don’t just happen. They are made by people who care.

Earlier this year, we shared a crucial Rural Communities report that lays out the realities of health and economic systems in rural Kansas. Focused investment is — and will remain — essential.

This , take a moment to better understand who lives in rural areas and how we can support them.

Read the full report and brief here:https://healthforward.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Rural-Data-Brief.pdf

11/14/2025

We are incredibly proud to have recently reconvened our Health Equity Learning and Action Network (LAN) partners and our People Partners for the "Centering Data for Better Care" event!

The progress our partners are making to advance health equity through data is truly inspiring.

We look forward to continuing this vital work and supporting your mutual commitments to Shared Purpose, Collaboration, and Courage and Care in the new year. Thank you for your continued partnership!