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Geary County Health Department says KDHE staff cuts will slow services; clinic staffing limited
Summary
Health director Charles Martinez reported that cuts at the Kansas Department of Health and Environment have reduced lab and technical support and that the county clinic is short-staffed, limiting vaccine availability; local disease surveillance remains generally stable with no measles cases in the county.
Charles Martinez, director of the Geary County Health Department, told commissioners and the board that the Kansas Department of Health and Environment has lost federal funding and reduced staff, affecting lab testing and technical assistance for local health departments.
Martinez said the county's clinic has constrained nursing capacity: the WIC coordinator (an RN) is covering limited clinic hours (Tuesdays or Thursdays for one hour) so that urgent vaccine needs can be served, but the department lacks a nurse available for routine patient flow. He said vaccinations that cannot be handled locally are being referred to regional partners.
On disease surveillance, Martinez reported that measles has not reached Geary County and that Kansas had 56 cases statewide. He said local vaccination rates are increasing and that the county may reach higher coverage before any local measles cases appear. He reported no RSV or COVID cases seen in the ER since March and only isolated influenza positives.
On sexually transmitted infections, Martinez said monthly case counts are down from last year: the department recorded four cases of gonorrhea and chlamydia in the recent month compared with about 15 cases in the comparable period last year. Administrative updates included hiring a new front-desk clerk and promoting another clerk to billing; vacancies remain for a dietitian and an RN.
Martinez also described administrative friction with a statewide electronic signature/workflow change and said staff would work with county IT to resolve it. The board moved into the formal Board of Health session earlier in the meeting for this presentation.
