The Kansas Health Institute supports effective policymaking through nonpartisan research, education and engagement. KHI believes evidence-based information, objective analysis and civil dialogue enable policy leaders to be champions for a healthier Kansas. Established in 1995 with a multiyear grant from the Kansas Health Foundation, KHI is a nonprofit, nonpartisan educational organization based in Topeka.
The Kansas Health Foundation made its commitment to fund KHI’s educational mission to deliver in-depth, nonpartisan information, research and insights based on the conclusion that health policy decisions often were based on fragmented, anecdotal and sometimes biased information. At the time of its founding, KHI was unique in its status as a health policy-focused educational organization that was independent, non-university based, and supported primarily through philanthropy. Since then, other states such as Colorado and Ohio have established institutes with a similar model.
KHI faculty and staff are drawn from diverse disciplines including medicine, public and community health, health policy and management, law, anthropology, political science, sociology, health administration, communications, journalism, and business.
KHI continues to be supported by a core-operating grant from the Kansas Health Foundation, and also obtains funding from other regional and national foundations and state and federal agencies.
KHI's mission is to improve the health of all Kansans by supporting effective policymaking, engaging at the state and community levels, and providing nonpartisan, actionable and evidence-based information. To achieve our vision and mission, KHI believes that a broad approach is needed; policymakers must understand how our health is influenced by a range of factors as they make decisions that improve the health of Kansans.
KHI's vision: Healthier Kansans through effective policy.