The Future of Health in Sedgwick County. Why the Latino Voice is the Missing Piece of the Puzzle

Sedgwick County | February 4th, 2026

By Claudia Amaro

Sedgwick County Health Department - Photo by Claudia Amaro

This article is part of a series that aims to bridge resources, institutions, and the Latino community in Kansas. Thanks to this survey and your participation, we will be sharing local solutions that are already working. This spring, we will also publish a guide that compiles these resources in an accessible, easy-to-share format.

Right now, in Sedgwick County, Kansas, a critical process is underway to determine how public health resources will be allocated over the coming years. The Sedgwick County Health Department, the government agency responsible for preventing disease and promoting well-being for all residents, is in the final design phase of its next Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP), set to take effect in 2026. Based on surveys, listening sessions, and data collected throughout 2025, officials and organizations are determining which priorities, from mental health to food access, will receive attention and funding. However, a latent concern remains: although Latinos represent a vital and growing share of the population, their participation in these decisions remains low, which risks undermining the effectiveness of the proposed solutions for this community.

CHIP is not simply a bureaucratic document filed away in a government office; it is the roadmap that will guide the actions of hospitals, non-profits, and local government to address the deep-rooted causes of illness affecting our families. If the Latino community is not present at the design table, their specific needs—such as language barriers, fear of seeking services due to immigration status, or lack of health insurance—risk being ignored. This piece seeks to explain what CHIP is, reveal alarming statistics on Latino health in Kansas, highlight the current efforts of Health Director Adrienne Byrne, and, finally, offer practical solutions from the perspective of local expert Monique Garcia to close the gap between available resources and our people.

What is the CHIP and Why Should We Care?

To understand what is at stake, we must first define the Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP). Imagine a master construction plan, but focused on human well-being. According to documents presented at the 2025 Community Health Summit, the CHIP is a community-led process that occurs every three years (though the upcoming cycle may extend to six years, through 2031, to achieve deeper results). Its goal is to identify the most urgent health problems, develop strategies to address them, and establish accountability to ensure change.

The process operates as a cycle: first, a Community Health Assessment (CHA) is conducted, serving as a "snapshot" of the county's current health status, using data and surveys. Then, based on that photo, problems are prioritized, and an action plan (CHIP) is created.

Currently, the county has identified tentative themes that affect everyone but disproportionately impact minorities. Among the preliminary priorities for the 2026 cycle are mental health, healthcare access, housing, and the food environment.

The Reality of the Data: Health and Poverty in Kansas

For the Latino community in Kansas, participating is not a luxury; it is an urgent necessity backed by worrying statistics. The health department has adopted an "upstream" approach, meaning it does not just want to treat the illness ("downstream") but also address the social and economic causes that drive it, known as the Social Determinants of Health.

County data show that 80 percent of a person's health outcomes are determined by their physical environment, social factors, and behavior, not by whether they see a doctor. This is where inequality becomes visible:

• Poverty and Health Insurance: In Sedgwick County, 1 in 5 households with incomes under $25,000 a year reported having no health insurance. Poverty acts as a barrier, forcing families to delay or skip medical care, leading to worse health outcomes in the long run.

• Food: Food insecurity—not knowing if there will be enough food for the week—has been increasing for Black and Hispanic populations since 2021. In fact, these populations have much higher percentages of food insecurity compared to white individuals.

• Mental Health: There is a direct correlation between income and emotional well-being. Data shows that 1 in 3 low-income Kansans experiences poor mental health during approximately half or more of their days in a month.

These numbers demonstrate that health is not just a matter of medicine, but of living wages, safe housing, and access to healthy food.

Health Department Efforts: Adrienne Byrne’s Vision

Adrienne Byrne, Director of the Sedgwick County Health Department. Picture from Sedgwick County website

Adrienne Byrne is the Director of the Sedgwick County Health Department. Her role is to oversee all county public health initiatives and ensure services reach residents. In a recent interview, Byrne frankly acknowledged the challenges her department faces in connecting with diverse communities.

Byrne emphasizes that the key to success is not flyers, but human relationships. "We can't know, looking on the outside in, what people need. We need to hear from people what works for them and hear their story," Byrne explained. She admits that without community participation, the department is lost: "If we don't have community members engaged in what we're doing... I'll say we're screwed. But we're at a big loss".

The department has tried to innovate. Byrne mentioned they are trying to change the narrative around poverty, focusing on "upward mobility" to view poverty not as a fixed state, but as a situation that can change with the right interventions.

However, Byrne was also transparent about internal limitations. Although they wish to hire more bilingual staff, they face administrative barriers. "Part of the concern and the barrier is that there's no differential pay," Byrne explained, referring to the fact that the current HR system does not offer extra pay for the skill of speaking a second language, making it difficult to retain talent that can serve the Latino community.

Regarding communication, Byrne acknowledged that automatic translation is not sufficient. She recalled an incident in which website information was inaccessible until community partners suggested visual changes. "We can't just communicate with the dominant culture. We can't. And that's who we end up communicating to [if we don't make an extra effort]," Byrne admitted.

The Communication Gap: When Translation is Not Connection

Despite the good intentions of leaders like Byrne, a palpable disconnection exists. A recent document titled "Strengthening Latino Participation in CHIP Surveys" revealed an alarming fact: although the 2025 CHIP survey was translated into Spanish, no surveys were returned in Spanish.

This does not mean that Latinos lack opinions; it means the method failed.

Monique García, Community Relations, Policy & Advocacy Consultant. Picture provided by Monique García

Monique Garcia is a Wichita resident with a long career in public health. She has worked from the White House in the Office of National Drug Control Policy to neighborhood initiatives in Wichita’s "North End," a historically Latino area. Currently, Garcia uses her public affairs experience to advocate for culturally competent communication.

For Garcia, the problem lies in confusing translation with communication. "Many organizations are well intentioned... but simply translating a flyer into Spanish is not enough," Garcia notes. She explains that cultural nuances are vital. A clear example was the use of the phrase "roll up your sleeve" during vaccination campaigns. In English, it is a clear call to action, but when directly translated into Spanish, it doesn't carry the same emotional weight and can sound like merely preparing for manual labor.

Garcia also highlights the digital divide as a factor of exclusion. "Technology and social media can be helpful tools, but they are not a solution on their own," she warns. Although many Latinos have smartphones, that does not guarantee they have reliable data plans or home internet access to complete long surveys or search for complex resources. Garcia recounts the story of a Latina, first-generation college student in Wichita and her former mentee, who, during the pandemic, had to use McDonald's parking lots for public Wi-Fi because her home lacked a connection. If organizations rely solely on digital surveys or QR codes, they are leaving out the most vulnerable families.

Systemic Barriers: Fear and Mistrust

Beyond language and technology, a trust barrier exists. The document on Latino participation notes that in Sedgwick County, there are undocumented or mixed-status households. This creates natural hesitation to respond to surveys from government entities, even when they are promised anonymity.

Furthermore, health practices in the Latino community are often influenced by generational knowledge and home remedies. If the health system does not recognize and respect these traditions, the disconnection deepens. Monique Garcia emphasizes that "when information doesn’t reach Latino communities, it’s rarely because people don’t care. More often, it’s about how the message is delivered, who delivers it, and whether it feels relevant".

A Path Forward

Monique Garcia, drawing on three decades of experience, offers a clear roadmap to improve Latino health in Sedgwick County and replicated in other areas of the state.

1. Trusted Messengers and "Promotoras" The most effective solution is to include people the community already knows and trusts. Garcia highlights the role of "promotoras" or community health workers. "Their role goes beyond health— they help people navigate school, work, housing, and everyday things," she explains. The Wyandotte County model, cited at the summit, uses "Lead Agencies" (trusted local organizations) to implement strategies rather than relying solely on government. Sedgwick could adopt this model to empower local Latino leaders.

2. Go Where the People Are (The "Toolbox" Model) Garcia mentions the success of "The Toolbox" in Kansas City, a program for small businesses that worked because its leaders went door-to-door to listen first, before offering solutions. The Health Department cannot wait for Latinos to come to clinics; it must go to Latino grocery stores, churches, and community events with printed, accessible information—not just digital.

3. Partnerships with Culturally Competent Media Garcia underscores the importance of media outlets like Planeta Venus. "Information isn’t just translated, it’s interpreted and shared by people who know the community," she says. Using platforms that already command public trust is more effective than launching government campaigns from scratch.

4. Active Participation in CHIP Meetings. For the Latino community, the immediate solution is to show up. The CHIP 2026-2028 process is still open. Although entering government spaces can be intimidating, Adrienne Byrne has made it clear that the doors are open and that external participation is possible and necessary.

The health of Sedgwick County depends on all its residents having a voice. As Monique Garcia concludes: "The goal shouldn’t be to check a box by saying, 'We have a Spanish version.' The goal should be to communicate in ways that reflect cultural context, lived experience, and trust". The invitation has been made; now it is up to the Latino community to take its seat at the table.

If you are interested in learning more or participating in the CHIP process, send an email to: HealthCHIP@sedgwick.gov.

This article has been produced as part of the 2025-2026 Fellowship of AltaVoz Lab, a nonprofit organization that mentors, trains, and empowers local journalists to produce impactful, collaborative, accountability-oriented, and public service journalism projects in media outlets serving historically disadvantaged communities across the United States.