Safety-net providers organize and deliver health care and health-related services to the uninsured, to Medicaid beneficiaries, and to other vulnerable populations.

The state’s network of primary care and behavioral health safety-net centers include community health clinics, Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), rural health centers, community mental health centers, and health departments.

These safety-net centers care for thousands of Kansans who need help accessing preventive health care, managing medical conditions, providing for their mental well being, and taking care of their dental needs, among other things. Sunflower Foundation funding has helped many safety-net practices expand access to essential health services to patients who might otherwise receive care. 

Access to health care has been transformed significantly since the Institute of Medicine’s brief on the Safety Net in 2000, but two clear distinctions remain:

1. “Mirroring the geographic variation of safety net programs, multiple safety net models and collaboration among providers should be encouraged.”
2. “Safety nets continue to be the primary source of care for uninsured, Medicaid, and other populations that have difficulty accessing health care.”
    

The Sunflower Foundation continues to support the Kansas safety net through avenues such as the Integrated Care Initiative, the Advocacy Fellowship Program, capacity building and other funding opportunities.