The Kansas Center for the Advancement of Healthcare (KCAH), a statewide collaborative managed through KUMC and WSU and dedicated to transforming healthcare through data science, convened a pivotal retreat recently in Kansas City bringing together leaders from across the healthcare ecosystem. The event marked a significant step toward achieving KCAH’s vision: to improve the health of all Kansans through data science.
The retreat gathered representatives from hospitals, higher education institutions, health-focused foundations, insurance and biotech industry leaders, government agencies, and national consultants. This cross-sector collaboration is at the heart of KCAH’s mission to advance healthcare by aligning expertise, sharing data and driving systemic change through evidence-based approaches.
Discussions at the retreat focused on pressing healthcare challenges as well as innovative approaches to the use of health data analytics. Participants worked together to identify key priorities for the coming year, including expanding data-sharing initiatives, supporting workforce development in health analytics and launching pilot projects to improve health in Kansas.
KCAH’s statewide approach ensures that the voices of Kansans — urban and rural alike — are represented in shaping the future of healthcare in the state. The retreat concluded with a renewed commitment from all participants to work collaboratively toward a strong collaborative and a healthier Kansas.
KCAH is a groundbreaking collaborative designed to meet the need for a systematic, statewide approach to health data management and analytics across Kansas. By leveraging advanced data science techniques, KCAH will support a wide range of healthcare activities — from generating new ideas and evaluating clinical practices, to disseminating information that leads to improved patient care and enhanced disease prevention at both individual and population levels. This transformative initiative has been in development since 2022, and the recent leadership retreat marks a pivotal step toward building a healthier Kansas.
The Wichita presence of KCAH will be in the Wichita Biomedical Campus building, with other locations across the state.
