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Welcome to the
Office Of Rural Prosperity

The Office of Rural Prosperity (ORP) advocates for and promotes rural Kansas and focuses on efforts designed to aid rural improvements. Through ongoing conversations with rural stakeholders, ORP identifies key policy priorities and blends administrative action with legislative work to remove barriers to prosperity. As a division in the Kansas Department of Commerce, we are part of the economic development team that is solely focused on the growth and prosperity of rural Kansas. 

Since being one of the first key priority departments established by Governor Kelly in 2019, we have worked to ensure rural communities were elevated and programs and services that rural stakeholders outlined as priorities are developed.  After two state-wide listening sessions, one thing was clear: rural Kansans consistently felt the State was not listening. They felt as if they did not have a seat at the table. These discussions established the foundation and priorities of ORP.

The following are the priorities that hundreds of Kansans helped to establish with the Office of Rural Prosperity.  These are always changing, adapting, and growing as rural Kansans continue tackle the hard issues facing their community. 

Office of Rural Prosperity

We are here to assist you and your community. If we can help provide you information, discuss challenges or identify resources, we encourage you to reach out and contact us.

You can also make sure to keep up to date with ORP programs and activities by signing up for our monthly newsletter.

Rural Champions

A network of devoted rural champions working to strengthen Kansas communities

The Rural by Choice Champions program is designed to create a network of grassroots individuals who possess the necessary tools to resolve critical community needs in a quick and effective manner. These Rural Champions will receive strategic training, compensation, and paired with resources to assist them.

Developed by the Kansas Department of Commerce’s Office of Rural Prosperity (ORP), in partnership with the Kansas Sampler Foundation (KSF) and the Patterson Family Foundation, this program will address critical public needs in rural communities and build capacity moving forward.

Rural Opportunity Zones

Kansas is filled with the natural beauty, simplicity and communal bonds of rural life. We want you to experience the peace and joy of rural Kansas so much that we’ll even throw in some added bonuses. 

The state of Kansas has designated 95 counties as “Rural Opportunity Zones,” which means moving there comes with significant added benefits. Designated counties offer one or both of the following financial incentives for new full-time residents.

Kansas Statewide Housing Needs Assessment 2021

In 2021, KHRC and the Office of Rural Prosperity launched the state’s first comprehensive housing needs assessment in nearly 30 years, aiming to address a decades-long shortage of data on existing housing resources and current and projected needs. A lack of quality, affordable housing is widely recognized as one of the state’s biggest barriers to growth and development, particularly in rural and underserved communities.

Power Up and Go – Rural Action Report

The mission of this project was to to gain a greater understanding of current challenges and opportunities in rural Kansas for young people — helping to figure out why they choose to live in rural communities, and why it’s difficult to make that choice. This report provides context and meaning to potential actions for state government, local government, businesses, non-profit and philanthropic organizations, and community members who want to invest in the future of their communities. The rich diversity of challenges and opportunities in rural communities lends itself well to support of locally identified challenges AND locally identified solutions.

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Office of Rural Prosperity

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Commerce Grants Available for Rural Mural and Public Art Projects
February 23, 2024

TOPEKA – The Kansas Department of Commerce today announced a total of $75,000 is available for a new round of Rural Mural and Public Art program funding. The program helps rural communities design engaging new …

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Emergency HEAL Grants Available to Stabilize Rural Downtown Buildings
February 1, 2024

TOPEKA – Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland announced today $500,000 will be available under the Emergency Response Historic Economic Asset Lifeline (Emergency HEAL) program to bring rural downtown buildings back from likely …

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Governor Kelly Announces Nearly $1.4M for Rural Economic Development
January 24, 2024

TOPEKA – Governor Laura Kelly today announced the most recent round of award recipients for the Historic Economic Asset Lifeline (HEAL) grant program, which was created to help rural communities revitalize downtown buildings and create safer downtowns …

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Governor Kelly Announces Rural Champions Receive $300K for Community Projects
October 17, 2023

TOPEKA – Governor Laura Kelly announced today that $300,000 has been awarded to the 12 Rural by Choice Champions (Rural Champions) announced last year in collaboration with the Office of Rural Prosperity and the Patterson Family …

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Transforming Halstead: SEED and HEAL Grants Fuel Prosperity and Community Growth
October 3, 2023

Ribbon cutting for Kansas Learning Center for health Outdoor Fitness Equipment project in Halstead For this month’s Spotlighting Prosperity, we are excited to showcase the City of Halstead and the great work they have been …

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Morton County’s Hope Centers: Bridging the Mental Health Gap and Nurturing Community Well-being
September 29, 2023

For this month’s Spotlighting Prosperity, we are excited to showcase Morton County and the great work they have been doing to help the mental health crisis in their communities. Mental health is a pervasive issue …

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“Rural by Choice Champion: Empowering Her Community through Big Initiatives and Transformative Parks and Trails”
July 27, 2023

Pictured: Joslyn Kusiak, Lacey Lies, Mike Goodwin (Kansas Trails Council), Brittney Holum, Tabatha Snodgrass Brittney Holum, one of the twelve grant recipients of the Rural by Choice Champions Program, has been hard at work on …

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From HEAL Award to Rural Champion Playbook: Lincoln County is one to Follow!
July 13, 2023

Post Rock Fitness Center located in downtown Lincoln, KS The June ORP spotlight highlighted Lincoln Kansas and its many great accomplishments we have been seeing recently!With the recent announcement of the Spring 2023 HEAL awardees, …

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The Mighty Mildred Store: How a SEED Grant and a Passionate Owner are Making a Difference
June 2, 2023

The ORP spotlight of the month is the small rural community of Mildred. Located in Allen County, Mildred is home to around only 20 people. This community might be small, but it has a mighty …

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La Crosse Celebrates the Grand Re-Opening of its Grocery Store with State and Local Support
June 2, 2023

When the La Crosse grocery store closed in August of 2022, Rush County Economic Development jumped to action to restore this critical service in their county. Brad Penka let us know that, with its closing, …

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SEED Grant and Collaboration Make the Village Green Project Possible in Clyde
June 2, 2023

The ORP spotlight of the month is the City of Clyde’s SEED project called “The Village Green”! Located in Cloud County, Clyde is a small town of 800 people. Their project focused on beautifying their …

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From Murals to Housing Incentives: The Impact of the Rural Champion Project in Wallace County
June 2, 2023

In October, Lissa Sexson was hired by the County of Wallace to serve as the Rural Champion, or point-person, to move forward efforts of Community Development within the county. Prior to being awarded the Rural …

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Governor Kelly Announces 37 Rural Mural Projects Completed in 2022
February 3, 2023

TOPEKA – Governor Laura Kelly announced today that 37 murals were completed in 14 Kansas communities in 2022 through the Office of Rural Prosperity’s (ORP) Rural Mural and Public Art Grant Programming. These grants helped …

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Commerce Announces SEED Grant Recipients Supporting Economic Development
December 16, 2022

Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland today announced the award recipients for the new Strategic Economic Expansion and Development (SEED) grant program. In total, 61 recipients will receive nearly $2.7 million to invest …

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Governor Laura Kelly Announces 12 “Rural Champions” Leading Local Community Efforts
October 18, 2022

TOPEKA – Governor Laura Kelly today announced the 12 grant recipients of the Rural by Choice Champions Program (Rural Champions) that launched earlier this year in collaboration with the Patterson Family Foundation. The selected Rural Champions …

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Commerce Department Launches Rural by Choice Champions Program
August 10, 2022

TOPEKA – Lieutenant Governor and Commerce Secretary David Toland today announced a unique opportunity for rural communities throughout the state – the Rural by Choice Champions Program (Rural Champions). This one-year pilot program will create …

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Governor Laura Kelly Promotes Rural Economic Development with Stops in Independence and Cherryvale
June 20, 2022

~Governor Kelly Breaks Ground on Soybean Processing Facility, Tours Small Business and Celebrates the Grand Opening of Office of Rural Prosperity Facility~ MONTGOMERY COUNTY – Today, Governor Laura Kelly celebrated new beginnings for rural economic development …

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Governor Kelly Encourages Participation in Statewide Virtual Job Fair
September 28, 2021

TOPEKA – Governor Laura Kelly today encouraged Kansans looking for employment to participate in this week’s KANSASWORKS Statewide Virtual Job Fair. The virtual job fair that begins at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 29, and …

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Governor Laura Kelly Announces New Grant Program to Support Non-Profit Arts Organizations
August 30, 2021

TOPEKA – Today, Governor Laura Kelly announced new grant program designed to help non-profit arts organizations in Kansas recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. “These grants will provide immediate help for non-profit arts organizations across Kansas,” …

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56 Kansas Cities and Counties to Receive Community Development Block Grants to Support Coronavirus Response
June 23, 2020
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A Kansas Farmer Says These 4 Things Will Help Ease Rural Pain
December 10, 2019

Whether it’s corn, wheat or soybean, Kansas grows it. And given the importance of those crops to the United States economy, people who live in cities might be forgiven for thinking the Sunflower State’s farmers have it made. Paul Johnson, an organic farmer in Jefferson County, just northeast of Topeka, and a policy analyst for […]

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Rural Kansas Loves Its Hospitals, But Keeping Them Open Only Gets Harder
November 9, 2019

ANTHONY, Kansas — Few things signal a rural community’s decline more powerfully than the closure of its hospital. Like shuttered schools and empty Main Streets, an abandoned hospital serves as a tangible reminder of the erosive power of decades of population loss and unrelenting economic trends. “Our rural communities are challenged and, because of that, […]

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Water Conference: Sustainable Water Future and Flood Response
November 7, 2019

Governor’s Water Conference Focuses on a Sustainable Water Future and Flood Response “Messages of Partnership and Collaboration with a Focus on Water Resources Delivered, Water Legacy Award” presented Wichita, Kan. – Nearly 600 attendees with diverse water interests were encouraged at the Governor’s Conference on the Future of Water in Kansas to keep pushing forward […]

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Lieutenant Governor stops at Newman Regional Health for meeting, tour
November 5, 2019

Lt. Governor Lynn Rogers (left) answers questions from Newman Regional Health’s administrative team as NRH Facilities Director Harold Blits observes Friday.Chuck Samples/KVOE News Newman Regional Health administrators welcomed Lt. Governor Lynn Rogers for a short visit Friday. Rogers leads the Office of Rural Prosperity, which is tasked with developing policies to bolster rural economic development in […]

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Lt. Governor learns about sediment reduction efforts near John Redmond Reservoir
October 31, 2019

Lieutenant Governor Lynn Rogers got to see sediment reduction efforts in action during a tour of southeastern Lyon County on Friday.The lieutenant governor stopped at three locations near the John Redmond Reservoir to learn about different approaches to cover crops and overall sediment reduction. He says the tour highlights the state’s two biggest needs when […]

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What Rural Kansas Child Care And Cafes Say About Shrinking Smart, Rather Than Withering
October 18, 2019

PHILLIPSBURG, Kansas — The opening of a child care center attracts little notice in a city or suburb. In rural Kansas, it’s cause for celebration. The focus on young families, and the hope that represents, is remarkably rare in small towns fighting for survival against forces largely beyond their control. No matter how scarce, said […]

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People In The Emptying Parts Of Rural Kansas Insist ‘We’re Not Going To Let Them Die’
October 18, 2019

Listen Listening… 24:36 The first episode of this season of the “My Fellow Kansans” podcast. Go here to subscribe to My Fellow Kansans. This season, we look at the prospects of rural places. COURTLAND, Kansas — Rural Kansas has a storied past, but decades of population decline stand poised to turn many once-vibrant places into ghost towns. […]

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Kansas City Company Makes Bid To Acquire Rural Kansas Hospital Out Of Bankruptcy
October 8, 2019

A Kansas City-based company that specializes in turning around financially distressed hospitals is proposing to purchase Hillsboro Community Hospital in rural Kansas for $6.9 million. The company, Rural Hospital Group, was formed in 2017 and has acquired three other rural hospitals: one in Wellington, Kansas; another  in Boonville, Missouri; and a third in Marion, Kentucky. […]

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Flu vaccine shortage in rural western Kansas
October 2, 2019

WICHITA, Kan. (KAKE) – Flu season has officially started and people are lining up to receive their vaccines in Wichita. some towns in rural Kansas are seeing a shortage of the vaccines right now. The Edwards County Medical Center and health department in Kinsley is the only vaccination center for miles. “We have seen quite […]

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An innovative approach provides healthcare solutions to rural towns in Kansas
October 1, 2019

By McCownGordon Construction Oct 1, 2019 The Patterson Health Center opened July 2019 and is unlike any other health facility. The visionaries behind it turned their focus from healing the sick, to creating a healthy environment with accessible healthcare to the surrounding rural communities. Growing up and keeping ties to the area, Cerner founder Neal […]

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How A Rural Hospital In Kansas Survived Multiple Owners And Bankruptcy
September 30, 2019

Listen Listening… Sitting at the edge of the gently undulating landscape of the Flint Hills in east-central Kansas, the town of Hillsboro boasts a small hospital that has survived a remarkable roller coaster ride even as other rural hospitals stagger and fail. Nine months ago, everything seemed to be coming apart at the 15-bed facility, […]

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FCC chairman wants to bring high-speed internet to rural Kansas
September 19, 2019

EMPORIA, Kan. (WIBW) – Ajit Pai, the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission wants to make sure rural Kansas isn’t left in the dark ages of internet. “Having grown up in Kansas I’m keenly aware that there are many communities like Parsons, my hometown, that might be on the wrong side of the digital divide […]

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Historic neighborhood house coming down
September 17, 2019

The house at 522 E. 1st Ave. is missing glass windows and some siding, but it is listed on the state and national historic registers and sits in the Houston Whiteside Historic District. It will be demolished, based on a 4-0 vote Tuesday morning by the Hutchinson City Council. Bringing the home “to a liveable […]

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Kansans gather to grow the state’s agricultural prospects
September 4, 2019

Agriculture drives the Kansas economy. The 66 ag and food sectors plus food retail and ethanol production contributed $77 billion to the state’s economic success and account for nearly 51% of the state’s total economy and more than a fifth of the state’s workforce. Agriculture really is the state’s bread and butter. It’s so critical […]

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Kansans gather to grow the state’s agricultural prospects
September 4, 2019

Agriculture drives the Kansas economy. The 66 ag and food sectors plus food retail and ethanol production contributed $77 billion to the state’s economic success and account for nearly 51% of the state’s total economy and more than a fifth of the state’s workforce. Agriculture really is the state’s bread and butter. It’s so critical […]

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Kansans define rural prosperity
August 26, 2019

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly’s new Office of Rural Prosperity Listening Tour recently made its 12th and final stop for the summer in Dodge City. Lt. Gov. Lynn Rogers kicked off the Aug. 7 public listening tour session at Boot Hill Casino and Resort Conference Center, where community residents from Dodge City and surrounding towns shared […]

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Lt. Gov. Rogers looking for answers through rural Kansas tour
August 5, 2019

SABETHA, Kan. (KSNT) – Lieutenant Governor Lynn Rogers is traveling across the state to try and make sure rural voices are heard in Topeka. The lieutenant governor has made 11 of the 12 stops on the Rural Prosperity Listening Tour. On Monday he toured the town of Sabetha. Rogers toured the local hospital and talked […]

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Push to expand KanCare crucial for rural hospitals
August 1, 2019

GREG LOWER [email protected] Rural health officials are pushing to expand KanCare, the state’s Medicaid program, to cover nearly 150,000 additional people. Dennis Franks, Neosho Memorial Regional Medical Center Chief Executive Officer, said rural health care in Kansas is facing a crisis, and expanding the program would not only help hospitals but also mental health, substance […]

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Kansas leader talks rural growth
July 20, 2019

WATHENA, Kansas — A Kansas leader is on a tour to assure constituents and businesses that he won’t approach their needs with a “Let them eat cake” attitude. Visiting Marie Antoinette’s Gluten Free Bake Shoppe and the Dairy Barn family restaurant on Thursday afternoon in Wathena, Lt. Gov. Lynn Rogers emphasized how the Democratic-led administration […]

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Lt. gov. visits area and holds summit on rural prosperity
July 10, 2019

About 70 area residents gathered at the Winfield Community Center at Baden Square in Winfield Monday night to define prosperity, what is being done right to encourage prosperity and what is standing in the way of that prosperity in their communities. Among those present, there was a confluence of opinion in each of those categories. […]

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11 Kansas rural communities receive grants for quality life projects
July 7, 2019

TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNW/RELEASE) – Secretary of Commerce David Toland has announced the award of a special series of Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) to support 11 rural communities across Kansas. These grants are specifically designed to aid communities in constructing or reconstructing community swimming pools. Improvements to recreational assets will enhance the quality of life […]

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Study: Kansas rural roads among America’s most deadly
July 4, 2019

TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNW) – A new study of nationwide deadly car accidents says Kansas has some of the worst in the nation. Country roads in Kansas rank in the top ten of the most deadly streets. The report shows our rural roads are three times as fatal as our interstate highways. For every 100 million miles cars travel on […]

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Nickerson turnout impresses Kansas Lt. Gov. Lynn Rogers
June 18, 2019

NICKERSON — About 120 people came to the Monday night kickoff of Kansas Lt. Gov. Lynn Rogers’ 12-city Rural Prosperity Tour listening stops, exceeding organizers’ expectations. The event coincided with meetings of the Nickerson City Council and the Nickerson-South Hutchinson USD 309 Board of Education, but in addition to local residents, the listening tour attracted people from […]

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Listening tour will look at ways to help rural communities in Kansas
June 15, 2019

The newly created Office of Rural Prosperity will conduct a listening tour across the state, looking at ways to assist and revitalize rural communities in Kansas.  The office is the creation of Governor Laura Kelly, Lt. Governor Lynn Rogers, and Commerce Secretary David Toland. The 2020 fiscal budget allocated $2 million to create the office. […]

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Medicaid expansion would not resolve all rural healthcare woes, supporters acknowledge
April 29, 2019

Jonathan [email protected] Monday Apr 29, 2019 at 4:36 PM PITTSBURG — Earlier this month, Gov. Laura Kelly doubled down on her previous calls to expand KanCare, the state’s Medicaid program, citing rural hospital closures. In interviews last week when they visited Pittsburg, however, supporters of Kelly’s plan to expand Medicaid in the state acknowledged that […]

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Patrick R. Miller: Rural Kansans voters key to passing Medicaid expansion
April 4, 2019

The key to passing Medicaid expansion may not necessarily be our polarized Legislature, but voters themselves, especially in small town and rural Kansas. But how much do average Kansans honestly care about expansion, and how much do they prioritize what their communities might gain from it? Maybe less than you think, which might help explain […]

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Broadband issues angering rural Kansas residents
April 3, 2019

CONWAY SPRINGS, Kan. (KAKE) – Rural Kansas residents are angered by bad cellphone connection in Conway Springs due to only one service provider working in the area. “It’s kind of a monopoly as far as the cellphone service goes,” said Clay Murphy, superintendent of Conway Springs schools. A map released by Gov. Laura Kelly showed […]

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Kansas Senate advances Rural Opportunity Zone bills
March 19, 2019

The Kansas Senate gave initial approval Tuesday to a pair of bills relating to expansion of the state’s Rural Opportunity Zone program. The program provides student loan forgiveness and income tax waivers to those who relocate to rural areas. About 80 counties already fall under the program. Proposed legislation would add eight counties to the […]

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Michael Smith: Revitalizing rural Kansas takes tolerance, not tax breaks
March 14, 2019

The Kansas Legislature has appointed a new, bipartisan Rural Revitalization Committee, with Rep. Don Hineman as its chairman and Lt. Gov. Lynn Rogers a strong supporter. Here is a hint for them: There is only one way to bring economic growth to rural Kansas. Bring in the workers that businesses want to hire. That means […]

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Lt. Governor discusses rural health care at Newman Regional Health
February 23, 2019

“What would Emporia look like without a hospital?” That’s the question Lieutenant Governor Lynn Rogers asked administrators and health care providers at Newman Regional Health during a stop on his statewide rural health care tour Friday afternoon. Three Kansas hospitals have closed in the last eight years, including the Central Kansas Medical Center in Great […]

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Dodge City manager offers blueprint for dealing with rural Kansas housing shortage
February 21, 2019

Tim Carpenter TimVCarpenter Thursday Feb 21, 2019 at 4:47 PM Feb 21, 2019 at 7:55 PM City manager Cherise Tieben’s firm belief that housing construction was a market-driven segment of the economy didn’t survive a 2007 meeting with exasperated Dodge City bankers, developers, Realtors and employers. She learned from the group that the southwest Kansas community’s housing stock was profoundly […]

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Capitol Insider podcast: Lt. Gov. Lynn Rogers leads rural prosperity efforts
February 17, 2019

Tim Carpenter Sunday Feb 17, 2019 at 5:00 PM Feb 18, 2019 at 10:41 AM The heart of Lt. Gov. Lynn Rogers’ rural development initiative is the search for a basket of remedies to quality of life challenges eroding communities outside the state’s urban centers. The administration’s new Office of Rural Prosperity intends to grapple with housing shortages, financially struggling […]

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A Rural Kansas Hospital Owned By A Kansas City-Based Company Closes Abruptly
February 14, 2019

This story was updated to add the comments of Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly. Oswego Community Hospital, a 12-bed critical access hospital in southeast Kansas, abruptly closed down on Thursday, citing insufficient revenue to cover its operating expenses. The hospital’s board released a statement saying the hospital had “weathered low patient volumes; high number of uninsured […]

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Rural Kansas health care providers look to Medicaid reform for deeper response to mental illness
February 11, 2019

By T.J. RoweSpecial to The Capital-Journal Monday Feb 11, 2019 at 5:25 PM Feb 11, 2019 at 5:25 PM Rural Kansas physicians and health officials outlined Monday for a House committee devoted to rural issues the suffering of families struggling with mental illness and growing interest in Medicaid expansion to improve access to treatment. Nathan Fawson, executive director of Southeast […]

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Rural Revitalization Gets To Work
January 19, 2019

Mary Clarkin Saturday Jan 19, 2019 at 1:01 AM Only one committee in the Kansas House of Representatives has a leadership team comprised of three lawmakers living west of U.S. 81. It’s the new Rural Revitalization Committee. The problems of rural Kansas are varied and challenging, “but perhaps we can bend the curve,” said Committee […]

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Housing Resources in Kansas

Affordable, quality and accessible housing is a critical component to growing the Kansas economy and improving the quality of life in our state.

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