Kansas Association of Local Health Departments

09/18/2023

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Kansas Association of Local Health Departments Announces the Appointment of Randall Bowman to Executive Director
The board of directors for the Kansas Association of Local Health Departments (KALHD) is pleased to announce the recent appointment of Randall (Randy) Bowman to Executive Director of the organization, effective September 18, 2023.

Bowman joins KALHD from the Kansas Department of Corrections, where he most recently served as the Executive Director of Public Affairs. He has a combined 20-plus years in management, budget development, and legislative leadership. Bowman has a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice from Washburn University in Topeka.

Bowman is expected to begin his new position on November 1, 2023. In the interim, Shelby Ostrom, KALHD Assistant Director will continue to serve as the Interim Executive Director.

“It was a difficult process to find a replacement after the advances in local public health made by Dennis Kriesel over the last four years.” Shared Jason Tiller, Board Chairman and Administrator of Saline County Health Department. “We are excited about the experience and insights Randy will be able to bring to KALHD and to local public health.”

Additional questions can be directed to Jason Tiller, Board Chairman at [email protected].

08/14/2023

Kansas is higher than national average on mothers smoking during pregnancy. Maternal smoking can result in miscarriages, premature delivery, and sudden infant death syndrome. Is your county one of the high percentage ones of maternal smokers? https://www.kansashealthmatters.org/indicators/index/view?indicatorId=1369&localeTypeId=2&periodId=6197

08/08/2023

Teen birth can be harmful to teenagers' health, as well as social and educational development. Babies born to teen mothers are more likely to be born preterm and/or low birth weight. Kansas has experienced a downward trend in teen births since 2009 and now stands at 5 percent. Is your community higher or lower than the statewide average? https://www.kansashealthmatters.org/?module=indicators&controller=index&action=view&comparisonId=&indicatorId=1367&localeTypeId=1&localeId=19

08/01/2023

Care in the first trimester of a pregnancy allows women and their health care providers to identify and, when possible, treat or correct health problems and health-compromising behaviors that can be particularly damaging during the initial stages of fetal development. Kansas had a slight uptick in mothers seeking early prenatal care. See where your community stands on this important metric. https://www.kansashealthmatters.org/indicators/index/view?indicatorId=1370&localeId=19

02/16/2023

A free webinar, The Power of Storytelling in Immunization Work, is 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Feb. 21. Serese Marotta, advocacy and education director, Vaccinate Your Family, will take participants on a journey as she identifies barriers to vaccination and how health care professionals can use storytelling best practices to help address patient apathy and hesitation toward vaccinations. https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_GexnC9gHQ2S--L2I76uHiQ

01/30/2023

Our thanks to the Native Sons and Daughters of Kansas and their work to have local public health recognized, via KALHD, through this proclamation by the governor.

09/29/2022

Congratulations to Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health Director Dan Partridge on being the recipient of the 2022 Samuel J. Crumbine Award.

Congratulations Dan!
For more information on the 2022 KPHA Annual Conference-> https://kpha.us/2022-virtual-conference/

07/12/2022

As Prime Day has started, here is a reminder that KALHD can be your designated charity through Amazon Smile, providing a percentage of purchase totals back to the organization.

When you shop at AmazonSmile, Amazon will donate to Kansas Association of Local Health Departments. Support us every time you shop.

04/04/2022

Happy National Public Health Week!

01/25/2022

A mammogram is an x-ray of the breast that can be used to detect changes in the breast such as tumors and calcifications. Although mammograms do not detect all cases of breast cancer, they have been shown to increase early detection, thus reducing mortality. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides low-income, uninsured, and underserved women access to free or low-cost mammograms through the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program. https://bit.ly/3ztxdKzMammogramsByCounty

01/11/2022

On Kansas Health Matters you can see the percentage of cancer care for Medicare recipients in your county. There are over 100 different types of cancer. According to the National Cancer Institute, lung, colon and re**al, breast, pancreatic, and prostate cancer lead to the greatest number of annual deaths. https://bit.ly/34k9tx5CancerCareMedicare

01/03/2022

A Pap test checks for changes in the cells of the cervix that can be early signs of cervical cancer. Rates of Pap test screening increased in four metro areas of Kansas. It's recommended all women aged 21-29 have a Pap test every 3 years while women aged 30-65 should have a Pap test and an HPV test every 5 years or a Pap test alone every 3 years. https://bit.ly/3sVAZLwPapTestingInKansas