Public Health Systems and Services

The structure, financing and staffing of the public health system each play a crucial role in improving the health status of Kansans. State and local health departments strive to organize and fund themselves in a manner that maximizes their positive impact on community health and well being. KHI researchers examine and evaluate the organization, financing and delivery of public health services across Kansas as a whole and within Kansas communities individually. KHI News Service journalists document developments that affect the public health system. For more information about the kinds of public health programs and issues that are relevant to Kansas, please see the Community Health topic.

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Multi-State Learning Collaborative II in Kansas

0 | Public Health Systems and Services

This project explores how public health departments, when working together as regions, can use Quality Improvement tools to address public health challenges.

Policy and Research

The Private Immunization Delivery System for Children in Kansas

0 | Dec. 23, 2009 | Immunizations

This update to a similar report from 2006 looks at the availability of private primary care clinics in Kansas that offer immunization services to children and identifies ways in which access to these services can be improved.

Federal Funding of Public Health Activities in Kansas

0 | Nov. 16, 2009 | Public Health Systems and Services

This report investigates how the levels of federal public health funding in Kansas compare with those in other states and identifies areas in which Kansas may have opportunities to expand funding.

The Road Toward Accreditation Through Regional Cooperation

0 | Nov. 10, 2009 | Presentations, Public Health Systems and Services

This presentation describes Kansas' work using the concept of regional cooperation to meet potential national accreditation standards for public health departments.

Promoting Changes to Improve Birth Outcomes: Kansas MLC-3 Experience

0 | Sep. 16, 2009 | Presentations, Public Health Systems and Services

This presentation describes Kansas' work in the Multi-state Learning Collaborative III. The MLC-3 project marks the second year Kansas has been involved with other states exploring potential impacts of efforts to construct national accreditation standards for public health departments.

Evaluation of the MOBI-KS Program

0 | May. 01, 2009 | Child Health, Health Care Delivery, Immunizations

KHI evaluated the Maximizing Office Based Immunizations in Kansas program, or MOBI-KS, to assess its effectiveness and to identify processes that can be improved.

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News

EMS background checks considered

0 | Mar. 08, 2010 | Emergency Preparedness, Legislature

The Kansas Board of Emergency Medical Services asks prospective applicants if they've been convicted of a felony. The number of people who answer "yes" has more than doubled in the last five years.

Senate committee approves EMS background checks

0 | Feb. 10, 2010 | Emergency Preparedness, Legislature

The Senate Federal and State Affairs Committee today approved a bill that would add Emergency Medical Service workers to the list of those who must undergo a criminal background check.

EMS background check bill back in committee

0 | Feb. 04, 2010 | Emergency Preparedness, Legislature

Officials say they need fingerprinting authority.

Compromise reached on EMS bill

0 | Feb. 03, 2010 | Emergency Preparedness, Legislature

Defining scope of practice for EMS workers.

EMS investigation bills heard

0 | Jan. 21, 2010 | Emergency Preparedness, Legislature

The House Judiciary Committee on Thursday heard testimony on bills that would expand the powers of the Kansas Board of Emergency Medical Services to investigate and discipline EMS workers.

Memo chills support for HCBS provider tax

0 | Mar. 08, 2010 | Legislature, Medicaid-CHIP

Bills designed to increase federal support for home and community based services were dealt a major setback Monday when legislators learned federal officials were unlikely to go along with the plan.

Law enforcement officials urged to train for dealing with the mentally ill

0 | Feb. 01, 2010 | SRS, Mental Health

With police often called upon to deal with the mentally ill, special training is called for to help defuse tense situations before they become violent.

Teens describe the foster care experience

0 | Mar. 09, 2010 | Children, SRS, Legislature

“My mother had a habit of leaving me – when I was 10 years old -- with my four brothers and sisters while my dad was in rehab for a week or two at a time,” Rachel Perkins, 19, said Monday during testimony before the House Federal and State Affairs Committee.

Ways and Means subcommittee finishes KHPA and SRS budgets

0 | Mar. 11, 2010 | KHPA, SRS, Legislature

Some of the Legislature's strongest supporters of early childhood development programs signed off on sharp cuts in children's programs, re-emphasizing the signal from Senate GOP leaders that tax increases will be necessary.

Resolution intended to preserve cap on damages

0 | Mar. 08, 2010 | Legislature, Health Care Delivery

The House Judiciary Committee introduced a resolution to amend the state constitution to give the Legislature authority to limit non-economic damages in personal injury cases.

Disabled want faster movement off waiting list

0 | Mar. 10, 2010 | Advocacy, Legislature, Medicaid-CHIP

Advocates for the disabled stuck 58 crosses in the ground outside the Statehouse in an effort to call attention to the 58 who have died while on the state's waiting list for Medicaid-funded in-home services.

Seniors' mental health needs often unmet

1 | Feb. 16, 2010 | Community Health, Legislature, Workforce

“We’re not reaching the people we need to be reaching with our existing programs,” said Steve Denny, who runs an outreach program for seniors at the Independence-based Four County Mental Health Center.

State mental hospitals packed

1 | Feb. 04, 2010 | Legislature, Hospitals, Mental Health

Jails getting the overflow.

Push for tighter day care licensing questioned

1 | Feb. 02, 2010 | Child Health, Legislature

Legislators this week are holdings hearings on a proposal that would mean stricter standards for some home day care centers.

Mental health system close to collapse, center directors say

1 | Jan. 25, 2010 | SRS, Legislature, Mental Health

Last year, nine of the state’s 27 community mental health centers spent more money than they took in.

Governor calls for sales and tobacco tax increases

1 | Jan. 11, 2010 | Legislature

Gov. Mark Parkinson, a Democrat, unveiled key details of a budget plan that calls for raising the state sales tax one cent and boosting tobacco taxes to forestall deeper cuts to schools and to roll back cuts in Medicaid provider rates. But Republican leaders said it would be a bad idea to raise taxes during a recession.

No CHIP bonus for Kansas

1 | Dec. 21, 2009 | Medicaid-CHIP

Nine states have been awarded almost $73 million in federal bonus payments for enrolling more children in their state-run health insurance programs. But Kansas wasn't among them despite expectations by some.

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