Kansas City fared better with COVID-19 deaths than its Midwestern peers. Here’s why

In nature, there are different types of symbiotic relationships. The finest, though, is that of mutualism: where both species benefit from their interaction with the other. Bees and flowers are nature’s classic example, but the pandemic also illustrates the importance of similarly interdependent relationships within our civic landscape — none more than between public health and business.

While COVID-19 health challenges persist, Kansas City has benefited enormously from a strong alliance between our business and public health sectors during this crisis. As the threat of a pandemic grew, public health experts — led at that time by the city’s then-health director, Dr. Rex Archer — relayed critical and timely information to business leaders. When personal protective equipment was scarce, local business leaders located, secured and even produced vital supplies.

When our community struggled to fund pandemic testing, the private sector stepped up to augment the budget. A public-private effort in our region provided $2.5 million to supplement testing, equipment and communications. The business community supported these efforts and amplified messages to protect public health. When cases increased, public health professionals performed contact tracing within the private sector that ensured continuity for critical business operations.

As the focus of the pandemic has shifted to vaccinations, the power of this partnership has endured. Public health experts have worked with business partners to implement inoculations, while private industry also developed incredibly effective COVID-19 treatments. As our public health community leads efforts to increase vaccination rates, private industry is helping by offering incentives for vaccination, such as paid time off so people can get their shots. As a result of all this coordination, Kansas City has had a lower death rate from the pandemic than many other Midwestern communities of similar size and demographics.

As we continue to navigate and ultimately defeat the pandemic, the alliance between public health and business will only become more important. The framework for maintaining the health and safety of our community has been drastically altered. Our population, like much of the country, is facing increases in drug addiction, alcoholism and mental health issues and, within the ranks of our health care and other front-line professionals, considerable employee burnout — in addition to economic struggles. These conditions, exacerbated by the pandemic, will share our focus with chronic public health conditions that challenged us before COVID-19, including diabetes and heart disease.

Simultaneously, in considering our post-pandemic future, it is imperative that industry partner with public health to address underlying inequities in our community that make populations of color especially vulnerable. In Kansas City and across the nation, certain populations have been at higher risk for disease and shortened life expectancy. These health inequity challenges have been exacerbated by a suboptimal public health infrastructure that does not allow good communications across the state line running through our city.

In addition, Missouri public health departments, including vaccination systems, are not mandated to collect information on race and ethnicity, causing huge data gaps. The private sector can further its partnership with public health by demanding investment in the public health data process.

The only clear path forward is one in which business and public health accelerate their work together to improve the quality of life in our community. Regardless of one’s opinion on vaccination requirements in the workplace, collaborations between the private sector and public health remain essential in facing the new normal in the months and years ahead. Businesses already involved must continue to participate, and those not yet actively engaged should step up to support public health for the greater good.

Ultimately, a healthy community means a healthy workforce — the flowers and the bees.

Scott Hall is the senior vice president of civic and community initiatives at the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce. This essay was written in consultation with Dr. Rex Archer, professor and director of population and public health for Kansas City University and the former director of health for Kansas City.

This story was originally published October 6, 2021 at 5:00 AM.