health

Which Kansas Counties Are Healthiest?

Chandra Stauffer and Bryan Thompson — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 10:00:05 +0000

The latest Kansas County Health Rankings have been released and Johnson and Riley counties have the healthiest residents in Kansas again this year.

Wyandotte County and a cluster of counties in southeast Kansas remain among the least healthy.

Sedgwick County came in at 72 out of 102 counties ranked.

Kansas Health Department Cuts Most Free HIV Testing

Associated Press — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 19:08:55 +0000

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment has stopped providing free HIV/AIDS testing for most Kansas counties.

KS Lieutenant Governor: Health Care Law Too Complicated

Bryan Thompson — Wed, 11 Jul 2012 13:23:39 +0000

Kansas Lieutenant Governor Jeff Colyer told a US House panel Tuesday that the federal health care law threatens patients, taxpayers, states, and the fiscal health of the country.

Kansas Health Information Exchange Launches July 1

Briana O’Higgins — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 11:00:00 +0000

A statewide digital network to exchange health records goes live Sunday and Wichita providers will be among the first in the state to start sharing information.

The Kansas Health Information Exchange has been years in the making.

Stakeholders began preliminary work on the infrastructure in 2005, and then governor Kathleen Sebilius accelerated efforts in 2007 with the establishment of the Kansas Health Information Exchange Commission.

Health Law Brings $1.7 Million In Grants To KS Clinics

Briana O’Higgins — Fri, 22 Jun 2012 14:19:59 +0000

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius Wednesday announced 1.7 million dollars in grants to three safety-net clinics in Kansas.

The grants were awarded to centers all over the US and were made possible through the Affordable Care Act, which expands community health centers.

Grant recipients in Kansas were Heartland Medical Clinic in Lawrence, Health Partnership Clinic in Overland Park and Health Ministries in Newton.

KDHE Says Whooping Cough Cases On The Rise In Kansas

Stephen Koranda — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 21:26:13 +0000

Kansas has had more cases of whooping cough, or pertussis, in the first half of this year than in all of last year. Health officials have confirmed 56 cases. Charlie Hunt is with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.

It’s not something that’s in the environment, so it’s person-to-person transmission,” Hunt says. “It’s trying to survive, just like the rest of us, I suppose.”

Hunt says the highly contagious disease comes in cycles.

Insurers, Employers Playing Larger Role In Combating Obesity

Briana O’Higgins — Thu, 24 May 2012 15:56:00 +0000

Recent reports and actions by state and national government indicate doctors, insurers and employers will play a large role in combating the nation’s obesity epidemic.

At a routine doctor visit you usually know what to expect. The doctor or nurse will take your height, your blood pressure, listen to your heart, weigh you - and increasingly calculate your BMI.