By Dr. Ferrell Miller
JC Breakfast Optimist Club
Shannon Rosauer, Marketing Communications Coordinator; Lindey Martinez and Jasmine Hammond, Community Health Workers; and Tonette Hammond, Supervisor from the Konza Prairie Community Health Center shared information with JC Breakfast Optimist Club members at the club’s Celebration of Optimism. The meeting was held November 29 at the Hampton Inn on South Washington Street in Junction City.
Shannon Rosauer stated that “There are currently 100 staff employed at Konza Prairie Community Health Center located at 361 Grant Avenue. In 2022 12,400 patients were served. 60% of those patients had Medicare, Medicaid, or no insurance.”
Jasmine Hammond shared that the role of the Community Health Workers is to “guide patients through a complicated health care system. We help them find the resources they need and sit next to them (if needed) to take them step by step through the process of getting the help needed.”
Shannon added that “Community Health Workers are professional problem solvers.”
Tonette Hammond added that “bridges are built over the smallest obstacles like finding a doctor, finding transportation to appointments, help with applying for social service and/or social security disability benefits, applying for housing and food resources, getting healthcare appointments at Konza, getting updated vaccines, getting a bus pass, providing interpreters in multiple languages and be an advocate to help patients improve their health needs.”
Other services provided at Konza Prairie Community Health Center include medical, dental, behavioral health, pharmacy, WIC grocery and nutrition assistance, tobacco cessation, and nutrition counseling.
For more information contact Community Health Workers at 785-238-4711 or online at kpchc.org.