Topic: Toxic Stress
Interview of Gianfranco Pezzino, January 23, 2026
Interviewed by Robert St. Peter
This interview with Dr. Gianfranco Pezzino is the second in the Healthy Kansans series and sets the stage for understanding the concern that Kansas has slipped considerably in the nationwide rankings of health in the states over the last 30 years. His explanation of how the rankings work and why they are important is clear and understandable. Pezzino stated, "In the end, I became more and more convinced that the important thing was not the numbers. It was the communication that we could build around those numbers." His discussion of the social determinants of health Show Moreis important to understanding the rankings. He recalls a controversy covered by the local newspaper that quoted the county commissioner saying, "What does education have to do with health?" He used that as a opportunity to begin a community conversation about those linkages. As an epidemiologist, Dr. Pezzino has played many roles in health policy in Kansas - from the local health officer to state policy maker. He recounts the stresses of being the county health officer during COVID and comments that the "social contract has been broken." He comments that there is still value in providing accurate data as a public health person but now a lot of the authority has been moved from public health officers to local elected officials. That change has created a tension between individual rights and the social good. Show Less
Interview of Ed O'Malley and David Jordan, June 1, 2026
Interviewed by Robert St. Peter
This joint interview of two foundation leaders should be of great interest to those interested in improving the Health of Kansans. Both their respective foundations believe strongly in "working upstream", a concept that is focused on preventing health problems before they occur. They state, "to improve Health, we need to change policies and systems" through advocacy, research, collaboration. That means changing the way we think about Health as well as "convening Kansans to build a shared vision for how we'd get there." They discussed "Health vs. healthcare" and Medicaid Expansion and why it hasn't happened in Show MoreKansas. One opinion (O'Malley) was changes in social structural supports and policies are changing the system dynamics. Jordan pointed out that his foundation (UMHMF) was focusing on thriving children, by putting food on the table, providing childcare. Kansas's fall in the national state-by-state health rankings prompted a lively discussion of Why? One possible solution was to reinstate the county health rankings to encourage more participation by local governments. Another deficit--the declining numbers of behavioral healthcare professionals--was attributed in part to the loss of Menninger with no state effort to counterbalance it. The interview concluded with a stimulating discussion of ideas and strategies that might help reverse the decline in Kansas' health ranking. Show Less