KU News Release

Kansas Public Radio health series renewed through 2009

LAWRENCE — Kansas Public Radio’s weekly health segment, “Kansas Health: A Prescription for Change,” has received funding to continue for another 2 1/2 years.

Two statewide foundations, the Sunflower Foundation in Topeka and the Kansas Health Foundation in Wichita, gave KPR a new grant worth more than $200,000 so the series can continue through October 2009. The award-winning series, which began as a children’s health series in 2000, is heard on more than 25 stations across Kansas. The program also is available at KPR’s Web site, kpr.ku.edu.

KPR health reporter Bryan Thompson, who produces the series, travels the state to report on various health issues affecting Kansans. Since the beginning of the series, Thompson has traveled tens of thousands of miles, covering health issues such as the lack of dental care in southwest Kansas and housing for the mentally ill and homeless in Leavenworth.

“KPR’s health series has been making a difference in the lives of Kansans for seven years,” Thompson said. “It’s a great honor and a great responsibility to continue that work. The Sunflower Foundation and the Kansas Health Foundation make that possible.”

The series is edited by KPR news director J. Schafer and news producers Laura Lorson and Joseph DiNitto.

“We’re very grateful to the Sunflower Foundation and the Kansas Health Foundation for their continued support of this project,” Schafer said. “Their financial commitment has allowed us to examine a number of health issues that we’d otherwise be unable to explore, including poverty and lifestyle choices.”

During the past seven years, the series has earned nearly two dozen state and national awards, including many from the Kansas Association of Broadcasters, the Associated Press and Public Radio News Directors Inc. In 2001, Thompson was presented with the Tony Jewell Award from the broadcasters association, which recognizes contributions in the field of alcohol and drug abuse prevention. He also was named a 2005 Champion for LIFE by the LIFE Project, was chosen for the National Institute of Health’s Medicine in the Media training and was a Midwest Health Journalism Fellow by the Association of Health Care Journalists.

KPR, licensed to the University of Kansas, broadcasts on KANU 91.5 FM in Lawrence, KANH 89.7 FM in Emporia, KANV 91.3 FM in Olsburg-Junction City and K210CR 89.9 FM in Atchison. KPR can be heard on the Internet at kpr.ku.edu. KPR also operates KPR-2, a news-talk channel on HD Radio. Those broadcasts can be heard on a high definition receiver or on KPR’s Web site.

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