CHNA test

Provider shortage: Harper County has just 37 mental health providers per 100,000 residents, compared to the Kansas state average of 266 per 100,000 — a 7-fold gap. The provider ratio of 1:2,718 residents is nearly 7 times worse than the state average of 1:395. (Source: 2025 KDHE / 2024 County Health Rankings)

Worsening trend: Depression diagnoses have increased from 15.3% of the Medicare population (2021 CHNA) to 21.7% of all adults (2023 KDHE). Mentally unhealthy days per month have increased from 4.6 (2024 CHNA) to 5.5 (2025 CHR). (Source: KDHE / BRFSS)

Mental distress: 20.2% of Harper County adults report frequent mental distress, compared to the Kansas state average of 16.6%. (Source: 2022 BRFSS)

Community identified need: Mental health services ranked as the #1 or #2 unmet community need in both the online survey (N=272) and Town Hall (N=27) in the 2024 CHNA — the third consecutive cycle it has ranked in the top two. Only 35.2% of respondents rated mental health services as Good or Very Good. (Source: 2024 CHNA)

Service area: Patterson Health Center serves Harper County, Kansas — a 100% rural county with 5,435 residents designated as a Mental Health Professional Shortage Area.

Persistent #1 priority: Substance abuse / drugs and alcohol ranked #1 in both the 2024 online survey (13.9%, N=272) and Town Hall (19.4%, N=27). This is the third consecutive CHNA cycle — 2018, 2021, and 2024 — in which substance abuse has ranked as the top community concern. (Source: 2024 CHNA)

Substances of concern: Stakeholders specifically identified street opioids, fentanyl, methamphetamine, alcohol, marijuana, and vaping as substances actively impacting residents. (Source: 2024 CHNA Town Hall)

Mental health connection: 20.2% of adults report frequent mental distress with only 37 mental health providers per 100,000 residents — 7 times below the state average of 266. Limited behavioral health infrastructure directly compounds substance abuse outcomes. (Source: 2022 BRFSS / 2025 KDHE)

Economic context: 19.5% of Harper County children live in poverty (vs. KS 13.1%) and median household income of $54,423 is $15,893 below the state median — conditions strongly associated with elevated substance abuse risk. (Source: 2023 SAIPE)

Service area: Patterson Health Center serves Harper County, Kansas — a 100% rural county of 5,435 residents with no inpatient substance abuse treatment facility within the county.

Worsening trend: Food insecurity was 13.7% in the 2021 CHNA, improved to 12.5% in the 2024 CHNA, and has since risen to 15.7% (2023) — now above the Kansas state rate of 14.0%. (Source: KDHE / Feeding America)

Child food insecurity: 22.5% of Harper County children experience food insecurity, compared to the U.S. average of 18.4%. (Source: 2023 KDHE)

Free and reduced lunch: 50.5% of Harper County students are eligible for free or reduced lunch (2024–2025 school year), compared to the Kansas state average of 41.4%. (Source: 2024–2025 KDHE)

Economic drivers: Median household income of $54,423 is $15,893 below the state median. 19.5% of children live in poverty vs. the state average of 13.1%. (Source: 2023 SAIPE)

Community priority: Access to affordable healthy foods ranked #4 in the 2024 Town Hall and has appeared in every CHNA cycle. (Source: 2024 CHNA)

Obesity trend: Adult obesity has increased from 32.8% (2021 CHNA) to 36.9% (2024 CHNA) to 42.3% (2025) — a 9.5 percentage point increase over two CHNA cycles, now 5.8 points above the Kansas average of 36.5%. (Source: BRFSS)

Diabetes: 12.4% of adults have been diagnosed with diabetes, up from 8.7% in the 2024 CHNA — a 42% increase — and now 2.3 points above the Kansas average of 10.1%. (Source: 2022 BRFSS)

Physical inactivity: 31.3% of adults are physically inactive, compared to the state average of 22.6%. Park access is critically low at 1.1% vs. the state average of 36.6%. (Source: 2022 BRFSS / 2024 CHR)

Smoking: 23.2% of adults smoke, compared to the Kansas state rate of 15.1% — 8 points above average. (Source: 2022 BRFSS)

Mortality impact: Age-adjusted death rate is 516.3 per 100,000 vs. Kansas 423.6 — 22% above state. Life expectancy of 74.8 is 1.6 years below state average. (Source: 2020–2022 CHR)

Community priority: EMS ranked #3 in the 2024 Town Hall (13.0%, N=27) and #4 in the online survey (9.5%, N=272). EMS has ranked in the top 4 in every CHNA cycle. (Source: 2024 CHNA)

Community dissatisfaction: Only 34.6% of respondents rated ambulance services Good or Very Good. (Source: 2024 CHNA Survey)

Motor vehicle mortality: Harper County's motor vehicle crash mortality rate is 36.6 per 100,000, compared to the Kansas state rate of 14.3 — more than 2.5 times the state average. (Source: 2016–2022 CHR)

Rural context: Harper County is 100% rural with 5,435 residents across 1,041 square miles. The nearest Level II trauma center is approximately 90 miles from the county's western edge. (Source: 2023 Census)

Age vulnerability: 22.4% of residents are age 65+ — well above the state average of 17.5%. (Source: 2023 Census)

Cancer mortality trend: Age-adjusted cancer mortality was 229.5/100k (2021 CHNA) and remains at 208.7/100k (2021–2023 KDHE) — 41.7% above the Kansas state rate of 147.4. (Source: KDHE)

Cancer prevalence: 9.9% of Harper County adults have been diagnosed with cancer (non-skin/melanoma), compared to the U.S. average of 7.9%. (Source: 2023 KDHE)

Mammography screening: Mammography screening has fluctuated — 33% (2021 CHNA), 29% (2024 CHNA), 42% (2025 CMS) — but remains 7 points below the Kansas state rate of 49%. (Source: CMS)

Colon cancer screening: 60.3% of eligible residents have received colon cancer screening, below the U.S. average of 66.3%. (Source: 2022 KDHE)

Risk factors: Elevated smoking (23.2% vs. KS 15.1%), obesity (42.3% vs. KS 36.5%), and physical inactivity (31.3% vs. KS 22.6%) create compounding cancer risk. (Source: 2022 BRFSS)