Approved: January 30, 2006
The meeting was called to order by Chairman Jim Morrison at 1:30 P.M. on January 26, 2006, in Room 526-S of the Capitol.
All members were present except Representatives Kelley, Watkins, Otto, Colloton, Landwehr and Storm, all of whom were excused.
Committee staff present:
Melissa Calderwood, Kansas Legislative Research Department
Mary Galligan, Kansas Legislative Research Department
Renae Jefferies, Revisor of Statutes’ Office
Gary Deeter, Committee Secretary
Conferees appearing before the committee:
Rod Bremby, Secretary, Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE)
Dr. Howard Rodenberg, Director of Health, Division of Health, KDHE
Others attending:
See attached sheet
The
Minutes for 1-25-2006 were approved.
Rod Bremby, Secretary, Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE),
provided an overview of the agency
(Attachment 1). He stated that the mission of the agency is to promote and
protect health and to prevent disease and injury among the people of Kansas. He
outlined three areas by which the mission is accomplished: assessment, the
systematic gathering, analyzing, and publishing of information; policy
development, which uses the gathered data to develop policies to address the
needs of Kansans; and assurance, implementing services that touch the life of
nearly every Kansan.
Mr. Bremby reviewed the divisions, offices, and bureaus of the agency relating
to health and their areas of service to Kansans, providing details for various
programs to illustrate the comprehensive nature of the agency’s outreach to the
state. To cite an example, the Bureau for Children, Youth, and Families
partnered with 41 local agencies to provide nutrition, education and counseling
through the WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) Supplemental Nutritional
Program. As another example, Mr. Bremby described a newly developed
service--the statewide immunization registry.
Mr. Bremby commented on four agency initiatives making their way through the
legislative process: HB 2396, assuring vaccination for college
students living on-campus; HB 2497, establishing further
regulations for those residing, working, or volunteering at child-care or family
day-care facilities; a bill regarding phenylketonuria (PKU); and a bill
regarding a statewide trauma registry.
Mr. Bremby responded to questions from members. He said
KDHE advises school districts regarding school lunches and encourages districts
to use local produce in school lunch programs. He stated that vending machines
should not be in elementary schools, should have limited use in middle schools,
and should offer healthy choices in high schools. To a member’s question about
disposal of medical waste, he said he would investigate and provide the
requested information. A member encouraged Mr. Bremby to expedite the
implementation of the statewide immunization registry. Regarding onerous
regulations imposed on foster parents, he replied that instead of enforcing
blanket regulations about home conditions, the agency is dealing with problems
on a case-by-case basis. He said SRS (Social and Rehabilitation Services) and
KDHE regularly collaborate to obviate the unintended consequences that
regulations of one agency might have on another. He replied regarding the
prescription drug assistance program that the Governor’s original budget did not
have funds allocated, but an enhancement of $750,000 is being requested, noting
that the agency attempts to fund all requests, but rarely at the level
requested.
Mr. Bremby introduced Dr. Howard Rodenberg, Director of Health, Division of
Health, Kansas Department of Health and Environment, who testified about the
state of health in Kansas
(Attachment 2), including a PowerPoint presentation (Attachment
3). Dr. Rodenberg stated that he represented 146,000 health-care
professionals within the state who are committed to promoting health for
Kansans. He commented on various Kansas health statistics, noting that the
2,735,502 Kansans reflect extremes in age, with highs in the 18-24-year age
group and those over 85, presenting the opposite of a bell curve. Dealing with
the cause of death under the category Years of Productive Life Lost, he said
three causes top the list: cancer, heart disease, and unintentional injury. He
further observed that 11% of Kansans have no public or private health insurance
coverage, compared with 15% nationally.
Dr. Rodenberg commented on three areas of preventable death: tobacco use,
obesity, and accidental death, stating that KDHE is developing comprehensive new
programs to mitigate these statistics. He listed the most effective health
measures as immunization and clean and fluoridated water, and he commented on
two pressing issues facing the state: the disparities in health care caused by
race, ethnicity, geography, and socio-economic status; and the lack of
preparedness for a public health emergency. He offered three avenues for
action: education, evaluation of present policies, and setting high goals, the
last illustrated by the Healthy Kansans 2010 project. He concluded by comparing
Kansas health statistics with national averages and identifying strategic
initiatives of the department.
Answering a question, Dr. Rodenberg said obesity in Kansas has increased 70%
since 1992.
Dr. Rodenberg continued his testimony by outlining the agency’s emergency plans
for addressing the occurrence of a pandemic flu epidemic
(Attachment 4 ). He explained that the various strains of flu virus affect
the respiratory system, that most individuals have developed immunity to
existing strains, but that pandemic flu is a virus to which no one is immune,
creating a cascading effect worldwide, an effect which could overwhelm society’s
infrastructure functions; thus, preparedness must involve all levels of
society—local, state, and national. He stated that the planning process is
important even if plans may later be discovered to be incomplete.
The meeting was adjourned at 3:21 p.m. The next meeting is scheduled for Monday,
January 30, 2006, at 1:30 p.m. in Room 526-S.