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Growing Momentum in the Kansas Public Health Workforce  Public health is powered by people—and investing in those people strengthens workplace culture and builds healthier communities. Through support from valued system partners, the Wichita State University Community Engagement Institute offers a range of programs and resources designed to grow and sustain a strong public health workforce […]

Kansas Public Health Leaders Complete 12th Annual Local Public Health Leadership Series The 12th year of the Local Public Health Leadership Series (LPHLS) marked another strong step forward in building leadership capacity across Kansas’ public health workforce. Designed to strengthen the ability of local and state professionals to lead effectively in delivering Medicaid services, the

Halstead Teens Help Shape a Healthier Future with Tobacco-Free Parks Policy by Aline Albrecht, Harvey County Health Department The Halstead City Council approved a Tobacco-Free Parks policy for its community at its Sept. 22 meeting following presentations from Mirror’s STAND Halstead youth group members with support from the Harvey County Health Department.The non-punitive policy supports

Local Public Health Leadership Series – Alumni Event Alumni of the Local Public Health Leadership Series gathered for a Fall 2025 event tailored to their needs as public health leaders in Kansas communities. Held in Topeka on August 26–27, 2025, the program brought together 11 participants for an engaging two-day experience designed to build skills,

Highlights from the 2025 KALHD Mid-Year Meeting: Connection, Leadership, and Collaboration Local Health Department staff and leaders from across Kansas came together for the 2025 Kansas Association of Local Health Departments (KALHD) Public Health Data Day and Mid-Year Meeting on June 23–25 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Manhattan. Public Health Data Day (June 23) brought local

Making Every Dollar Count: The 2025 LHD Billing Symposium Showcases Public Health Heroes On April 22 and 23, 2025, over a hundred professionals from across Kansas gathered at the WSU Hughes Metroplex for the 2025 Local Health Department (LHD) Billing Symposium—a two-day event that did more than just talk numbers. It highlighted the unsung champions

Striving for Public Health Excellence: The Success of Kansas Foundations of Public Health Cohort 1 The inaugural cohort of the Kansas Foundations of Public Health program has set a powerful precedent for public health transformation across the state. This year-long training brought together a diverse group of 25 public health professionals, each committed to deepening

Data Walk: Strategizing to Advance Kansans’ Health Key stakeholders from across Kansas gathered in Salina for an in-depth conversation on hunger and food insecurity as part of the Kansas Health Foundation’s FuseKS event, which took place from Feb. 24–26, 2025. A Data Walk held during the event featured eight posters that provided in-depth information on

Kansas Local Health Department Clinical Services Coding Resource Guide – 11th Edition Released The 11th Version of the Kansas Local Health Department Clinical Services Coding Resource Guide (Resource Guide) is now available on the Kansas Association of Local Health Departments (KALHD) website (2024 KS LHD Clinical Services Coding Resource Guide). The guide is funded by

Why and How Kansas Public Health Could Be Key in Shaping a Statewide AI Roadmap Artificial Intelligence (AI) has existed for many years, but it rapidly became a familiar term when OpenAI launched ChatGPT in 2022. This development sparked widespread interest in exploring the capabilities of generative AI (GenAI) and other forms of AI technologies. However, many