The Live Well Saline County Coalition has been selected as one of 24 grantees for the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas (BCBSKS)&nbsp;second phase of Pathways to a Healthy Kansas initiative. This includes 12 returning communities that were selected in the initiative's first phase of grants.Pathways to a Healthy Kansas is the largest community grant program ever funded by BCBSKS. Since the initiative began in 2016, BCBSKS has donated more than $11.7 million in grants and assistance to communities throughout Kansas. The Pathways program was created to inspire long-lasting, community-wide health and wellness in communities across Kansas.“We are excited to recognize our second cohort of Pathways grantees,” said Matt All, president and CEO of BCBSKS. “We have been rooted in Kansas for over 75 years and have a commitment to our neighbors to strengthen the health of all Kansans. Through our Pathways initiative, we are making strides toward this goal by helping remove barriers to accessing healthy foods, increasing physical activity and preventing commercial tobacco use. We are thrilled to continue this program with our new Pathways grantees.”The grant funding includes a coordination grant of $200,000 for each community. In addition, Saline County will have the opportunity to apply for non-competitive implementation grants amounting to $300,000, for a total of up to $500,000. Live Well Saline County has designated the Tammy Walker Cancer Center as the fiduciary agent and Daniel Craig, cancer outreach coordinator at Tammy Walker Cancer Center, will serve as the grant manager.“The Pathways to a Healthy Kansas grant will enable us to bring everyone together so rather than doing a lot of great individual programs and efforts we can work more collaboratively as a community,” Craig said. “Being part of the Pathways to a Healthy Kansas cohort will provide opportunities for us to learn from other communities and share things that have helped us be successful.”The Pathways grant addresses the three behaviors of focus – physical activity, commercial tobacco prevention, and healthy eating – that reduce risk for serious health conditions though six areas of work, or pathways. The pathways include Community &amp; Social Context, Neighborhood &amp; Physical Environment, Food, Healthcare, Education, and Economic Stability, and strive to improve conditions that are the drivers of health in a community.About Live Well Saline CountyLive Well Saline County began in 2009 when a group of community members came together to identify ways to partner to address chronic disease prevention in Saline County. Live Well Saline County has active participants from a variety of organizations with a common interest in healthy living. The coalition is comprised of representatives from the following organizations: Tammy Walker Cancer Center, City of Salina, Salina Regional Health Center, Salina Family YMCA, Kansas Wesleyan University, Salina Area United Way, Saline County Health Department, CKF Addiction Treatment, K-State Research &amp; Extension Central District, and Prairieland Market. Live Well Saline County partners with many additional organizations in the community to implement programs to improve the health and well-being of the community.

BCBS selects Live Well Saline County Coalition for Pathways program