Kansas Occupational Health Forum: Safety in Our Workplaces

How can we strengthen occupational health across Kansas industries and communities? 

In 2024, Kansas ranked among the 20 states with the highest occupational fatality rates across major industries. This is an improvement from 2023, when it ranked in the top 10. Over the past 13 years, Kansas workers have faced higher rates of fatalities and workplace injuries than the national average.  

Join the Kansas Health Institute on Nov. 13 for a hybrid forum, Kansas Occupational Health Forum: Safety in Our Workplaces, in which participants will explore the current landscape of occupational health, review key data from KHI’s recent brief, Understanding Occupational Fatalities and Injuries in Kansas: Data and Insights, and hear on-the-ground experiences that reveal issues and pathways to improve. 

Through presentations and interactive discussions, participants will examine what’s working, identify opportunities for improvement and explore strategies to strengthen workplace safety.  These efforts aim to directly support public health outcomes, recognizing that healthier workplaces contribute to healthier communities across Kansas. 

🗓️ Date: Thursday, Nov. 13, 2025
🕘 Time: 10-11:30 a.m. CST
📍 Location: Hybrid event at the Kansas Health Institute, 212 SW 8th Ave., Topeka (virtual and in-person options available)

Register Today

What to Expect 

• Data-Driven Insights: Examine occupational health trends, disparities and priority areas for action in Kansas. 
• Expert Perspectives: Hear from employers, industry experts, public health officials and policy leaders about solutions, constraints and lessons learned. 
• Practical Takeaways: Discover resources, tools and promising practices, while networking with peers to foster collaboration across sectors. 

Speakers 

• Serita Blankenship, Member Services Manager – Health & Safety Programs, Kansas Farm Bureau
• Tawnie Larson, Program Manager, Kansas Agriculture and Safety Program, Kansas State University
• Allen Vinyard, C.S.P., Director of Industrial Safety and Health, Kansas Department of Labor

Continuing Education Credit  

All participants are required to sign in at registration and verify attendance online through ‘eeds’ along with completing an evaluation online.  

In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by the University of Kansas Medical Center and Kansas Health Institute. The University of Kansas Medical Center is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the health care team.  

Physician: AMA PRA Category 1 Credit  

The University of Kansas Medical Center designates this live activity for a maximum of 1.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™.  Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.  

Nursing: ANCC Contact Hours (APRN/RN)  

The University of Kansas Medical Center designates this activity for a maximum of 1.25 ANCC contact hours.  Nurses should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Social Worker

The University of Kansas Medical Center Area Health Education Center East, as an approved provider of continuing education by the Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board presents this offering for a maximum of 1.25 hour(s) credit applicable for relicensure of LASWSs, LBSWs, LMSWs, and LSCSWs.  Kansas Provider Number 12-002.  Karen Aufdemberge, RN, BSN, Coordinator.

Social Work Attendance Requirement: If a participant misses more than 10% of an offering, a certificate of continuing education will not be issued. Partial credit is NOT given.