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Local Health Equity Action Teams

The four women who serve as COPE's regional LHEAT leads stand together in front of a quilt
COPE aims to advance health equity by mobilizing partners and collaborators across Kansas. Our Local Health Equity Action Teams (LHEATs) are made up of members who represent and serve the Kansans being prioritized and community health workers and other members of public health organizations engaging in health equity work.


LHEAT Leadership

Project Director
Christina Pacheco, JD, MPH

LHEAT Advisor
Vicki Collie-Akers, Ph.D., MPH, associate professor in the Department of Population Health

LHEAT Advisor
Mary Ricketts

Regional Community Lead: Central
Nadine Long

Regional Community Lead: West
Clarissa Martinez

Regional Community Lead: Northeast
Tatiana Darby

Regional Community Lead: Southeast
Jody Hoener

Local Health Equity Action Teams (LHEAT) by region

Map of COPE counties and regions in Kansas. WEST: Finney, Ford, Grant, Seward, Sherman, Thomas. CENTRAL: Barton, Cowley, Harvey, Mitchell, Sedgwick. NORTHEAST: Brown, Geary, Jackson, Johnson, Shawnee, Wyandotte. SOUTHEAST: Bourbon, Cherokee, Crawford, Labette, Montgomery.

Region County LHEAT Lead Regional Community Lead

West

Finney Birgit Lemke
Clarissa Martinez
Ford Phil Handsaker
Grant Timothy Bertrand
Seward Sarah Foreman
Sherman Donna Swager
Thomas Donna Swager

Region County LHEAT Lead Regional Community Lead

Central

Barton Callie Miller
Nadine Long
Cowley Kim Mercer
Harvey Rebecca Barrett-Fox
Mitchell Stephanie Simmons
Sedgwick Kameelah Alexander

Region County LHEAT Lead Regional Community Lead

Northeast

Brown McKayla Cluck
Tatiana Darby
Geary Felicia Green and Courtney Angelou
Jackson McKayla Cluck
Johnson Jocelyn Hernandez
Shawnee Nikki Ramirez-Jennings
Wyandotte Kimberly Weaver

Region County LHEAT Lead Regional Community Lead

Southeast

Bourbon Rachel Carpenter
Jody Hoener
Cherokee Jake Letner
Crawford Brad Stroud
Labette Lauren Coover
Montgomery Linda Follett

Connect with Our Community Partners

We have listed the Facebook pages/groups for our partners across Kansas. This list will be updated as more organizations create social media spaces.

Communities Organizing to Promote Equity COPE Communities Organizing to Promote Equity COPE - Sedgwick County

Barton County LHEAT - COPE Barton County LHEAT - COPE

Brown/Jackson Community Health Workers and Local Health Equity Action Team Brown/Jackson Community Health Workers and Local Health Equity Action Team

Parsons Kansas Community Garden Parsons Kansas Community Garden

Ton Miras Niera stands with one of several tables of donated food awaiting distribution in Garden City, KS
During a site visit in Barton County, members of the COPE team and their visiting guests stand beside a large colorful sign in Great Bend, Kansas
One of the women who prepare meals at Crawford County's Wesley House explains to COPE leaders and visitors how she cooks for the people who come to the center to eat.
COPE leaders and a local LHEAT attend a meeting at a community center in Hiawatha, Kansas
COPE team members and visitors meet with the people who run the Wyandotte County Laundry Love event in Kansas City, KS
A volunteer with Crawford County's Laundry Love initiative unloads a dryer at a laundromat in Alma, KS
During a visit to a regional wellness hub in the Wichita, Kansas, area, a woman shows off a community hygiene closet
Ton Miras Neira and Christina Pacheco accept awards for their service to Wyandotte County at the CHC headquarters
KU School of Medicine

University of Kansas Medical Center
Family Medicine & Community Health
3901 Rainbow Boulevard
Mailstop 4010
Kansas City, KS 66160