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Coffee County Health Department OKs KHEL lab interface; warns of measles outbreak in southwest Kansas
Summary
County health officials approved a bidirectional lab interface with the Kansas Health and Environmental Laboratories and provided updates on immunization, grant funding, and a measles outbreak affecting several southwestern Kansas counties. Commissioners voted to authorize a $4,000 initial fee and $110/month interface subscription.
The county’s public-health administrator reported routine and grant updates and asked commissioners to authorize a sales agreement with Patagonia Health to establish a bidirectional electronic lab interface to receive results from the Kansas Health and Environmental Laboratories (KHEL).
The commission voted to authorize and direct the public-health administrator to sign the Patagonia Health sales agreement with a $4,000 one-time implementation fee and a monthly subscription fee of $110 once the interface is operational. Larson moved the motion; Peterson seconded and the motion carried by voice vote.
During the departmental update the administrator (recorded in the meeting as Emilie Marshall) noted completion of 340B recertification and pharmacy verification processes that permit the health department to maintain onsite medications for family-planning and STI treatment programs. She also reported the health department’s CMS revalidation (for Medicare immunization reimbursement) due July 31 and described a recent Facebook “community baby shower” event that distributed 17 Pack ’n Plays to families and connected 18 parents/caregivers to local resources.
The administrator warned of a measles outbreak in southwestern Kansas affecting several counties (listed in the update as: Grant, Gray, Haskell, Kiowa, Morton, Reno, Stevens, Sedgwick and others). County health staff said Coffey County is not affected but reminded commissioners that measles is highly contagious and that Health Department guidance for affected counties has included offering MMR vaccine as early as six months of age in outbreak areas.
The health department also reviewed grant funding cycles and reported a multi-year Public Health Infrastructure (formerly workforce development) grant with about $73,000 remaining and several other smaller grants; the new grant cycle begins July 1 and final award amounts were not yet confirmed. Staff noted recent state-level personnel changes that reduced regional immunization consultants and may affect response timelines.
Officials also discussed the Patagonia/KHEL lab interface implementation: the county currently receives lab reports by fax, the proposed interface would automate ordering and result delivery into the county’s EHR (Piedonia/Piondia), and the subscription includes an initial $4,000 setup fee and $110/month. Commissioners authorized the administrator to sign the agreement and directed that the administrative point of contact be listed on the agreement and that any significant financial terms be brought back to the commission.
The department update included a motion and vote authorizing the contract signature; the commission approved and the motion carried by voice vote.
