Cindy Samuelson
KHA, Senior Vice President Member and Public Relations

The Kansas Hospital Association has launched a statewide public awareness campaign to urge Kansans to catch up on the care they missed in 2020. As many suspected, the pandemic caused fewer Kansans to seek necessary health care services in 2020 than in 2019 – even after hospitals and clinics safely reopened in the second half of the year.

Statewide inpatient and emergency department data from Kansas hospitals showed a decline in patient volume in 2020, from annual wellness exams and regular health screenings to specialized surgery, cardiac care, behavioral health and more.

The objective of the public awareness campaign is to share information on the care missed in 2020 and encourage Kansans to revisit their doctor and reclaim their health. We all want to reverse the trend and minimize its negative effects on individual and population health in Kansas.

As part of this public awareness campaign, KHA has created a toolkit with customizable resources that hospitals and providers can use locally. It includes:

• One pager highlighting Kansas data on missed care
• Template media release and newsletter article for hospitals
• 30 second PSA – video, radio and announcer-read script
• Social media messages and images for Facebook and Twitter
• Digital assets in various sizes

We encourage hospitals and providers to join this campaign and educate your community on the care they missed and to encourage them to Catch Up on Care.