{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Leading Health | Building a Healthier Kansas","title":"Mindset #6: Policy Over Politics","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":2772,"description":"In this episode, hosts Ed O’Malley and Susan Kang are joined by Kansas Health Foundation’s Associate Vice President, Drew Wilburne to dive into Mindset #6, Policy Over Politics. \n\nThrough lived experiences, the team breaks down the difference between policy and politics and what it looks like to bring together advocates, activists and bridgers to work on a health challenge. \n\nIn the conversation, Drew discusses his work on Pennsylvania's Council on Reform under Governor Tom Wolf, the Wichita groundwater contamination crisis and how the Medicaid expansion debate in Kansas has become a proxy for political factions rather than a genuine policy conversation. The takeaway is clear: putting policy over politics is harder, not easier, than the alternative, and it's really the only path that lasts.\n\nHIGHLIGHTS\n\nUnderstanding the difference between policy advocacy and political advocacy.\nWhy \"policy over politics\" is harder than the default approach, not easier: it requires leaning into disagreement rather than papering over it.\nThe three roles needed for transformative policy change: advocates (who speak up), activists (who mobilize advocates) and bridgers (who find common ground across factions).\nHow working upstream on health naturally leads to policy work — because individual motivation isn't enough when systemic conditions prevent people from being healthy.\nDrew’s experience leading Pennsylvania's Council on Reform under Governor Tom Wolf, and how the governor used his authority to design a process that forced collaboration across agencies, parties, and sectors.\nThe Wichita groundwater contamination crisis: a decades-old chemical spill that went undiscovered for nearly 40 years and how a coalition of state senators, county commissioners, city council members, foundations and community organizations came together to secure $2.5 million for resident testing.\nHow the Medicaid expansion debate in Kansas became a proxy political fight rather than a policy conversation,...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/0hQBt6xYK5BoKvJpJLVCG8i_hk6fL1i15b_orl1BAYg/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS81ZjM5/YzE4OTE0N2UyMmUx/YzRjNjBiYzVkZGVh/ZjZhZi5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}