Latest news with #UniversityofKansasHealthSystem
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Measles cases jump to 46 in eight southwest counties as new Kansas law restricts health officials
Gregory Poland, director of the Mayo Vaccine Research Group, spoke recently at a University of Kansas Health System panel, addressing concerns about the measles outbreak. (Kansas Reflector screen capture from KU Health video) TOPEKA — New legislation may make it more difficult for public health officials to manage a measles outbreak, which has increased by nine cases. Measles cases in Kansas jumped from 37 to 46 over the past week, with all cases located in southwest counties, according to Kansas Department of Health and Environment data released Wednesday morning. KDHE spokeswoman Jill Bronaugh said the state agency is working with local health departments to communicate about measles and to educate the public. But the Legislature's passage of Senate Bill 29 may complicate the ability of local health officials to react to the increasing number of measles cases. This bill removed the ability of local health officials to ban public gatherings during infectious disease outbreaks and added the expectation that health officials show probable cause if they quarantine or isolate individuals during an outbreak. The bill says those who are quarantined can file a civil lawsuit that must be heard within 72 hours if they believe the decision was unjust. Gov. Laura Kelly vetoed the bill, but the Republican-led Legislature overturned her veto. 'Taking away the authority of public health officials to prohibit public gatherings and issue quarantines, when necessary, contradicts effective, evidence-based health intervention advice, but we will do all we can to protect the health of the communities we are entrusted to serve,' Bronaugh said. Sen. Bill Clifford, a Republican ophthalmologist from Garden City, expressed concern during hearings that not all cases of measles are being reported. 'This weekend I spoke to several pediatricians. In an affected family, one member is going in,' he said, speaking at a time when there were 31 reported measles cases. 'In fact, they won't allow them in the pediatric clinic. We have well babies there and we don't want to infect them. That one family member is the signal case of what's going on in the family, and the families are not coming in.' KDHE updated its measles dashboard Wednesday morning to highlight the number of cases and the affected counties: Finney, Ford, Grant, Gray, Haskell, Kiowa, Morton and Stevens. In addition, it shows vaccination data, which indicates that 39 people with measles were unvaccinated, one did not have age-appropriate vaccinations, three did not have verified vaccination status and three were age-appropriately vaccinated. One person has been hospitalized. Dana Hawkinson, medical director of infection prevention and control at the University of Kansas Health System, said fully vaccinated people can get the disease, but typically have fewer complications and overall less severity of illness. With one dose of the vaccine, people have 93% protection from measles, and after two doses, 97% protection, he said. Measles was considered eliminated in 2000 but has since popped up throughout the United States, typically in unvaccinated communities. Gregory Poland, director of the Mayo Vaccine Research Group, joined a panel of University of Kansas Health System experts to talk about how we got to where we are today and to address vaccine skepticism. Poland explained what it means to eliminate a disease. 'You need a robust surveillance system. You need to know are you seeing cases, and are they measles,' he said. 'Then what you have to have is documentation of interruption of indigenous transmission for at least 12 months. We are very likely going to lose that, and that is a real shame because achieving that in 2000 was a monumental public health achievement.' Indigenous transmission refers to the spread of a disease within a population and is not coming from contact that began with someone outside the community, such as during a trip abroad. Poland said the vaccine that has been available since 1968 is 'well documented to be protective and to have minimal side effects.' 'It always bothers me when people say, 'Well, isn't natural immunity better.' Before there was a measles vaccine in the U.S., essentially every child got it, so three to four million people a year. Forty-eight thousand of those kids ended up sick enough that they were hospitalized, 1,000 of them developed encephalitis, and 500 of them on average each year died. That's what natural immunity gets you,' Poland said. Side effects of the vaccine are a few cases of low platelets, transient fever and possibly a rash, he said. No known deaths related to the MMR vaccine given to healthy people have been reported, according to the Infectious Diseases Society of America. Rare cases of deaths from vaccine side effects among children are connected to those who are immune compromised, and it is recommended they not get the vaccine. Unfortunately, Hawkinson said, times have changed in terms of how much people listen to medical professionals and how they assess scientific research. Right now is different than in 2019, when the most recent measles outbreak occurred. 'There are major points and reasons why this is much different,' he said. 'I think it is in the context of extreme disinformation and misinformation and mistrust of medicine and public health. Mistrust of science. We have to get back to knowing and understanding what is true, but it is just so difficult out there.' Hawkinson pointed to an overall decreased willingness to listen to and adhere to medical guidance and recommendations. 'We don't do that when we listen to our plumbers, our mechanics, our lawyers,' he said. And, he said, overall vaccination rates have declined. 'Many areas locally here in Kansas and Missouri are down to 90% (of people vaccinated),' he said. 'You will only see more patients developing this disease and, unfortunately, the complications that come along with it.'
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Kansas City Health Director on how to help prevent measles outbreak
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Public health managers across Kansas are watching the number of measles cases grow. So far, 37 confirmed measles cases are known in Kansas as the virus spreads from the southwest. That has Kansas City's health department making plans in case measles concerns grow locally. Dr. Marvia Jones, Kansas City's Health Director, emphasizes that for now, there are no confirmed measles cases in the city. However, the virus has spread from New Mexico and Texas in a short amount of time, and now, it's spread north into eight counties in southwestern Kansas, Kansas City Health Department intends to be ready in case the measles outbreak comes to the metro. Public health managers detail contingency plans at a Thursday afternoon city council business session. Jackson County residential property assessment to rise to 15% in 2025 Dr. Jones believes the city's supply of MMR vaccine is sufficient for the time being. That vaccine is meant for patients to receive twice before their sixth birthday, but some may not have been vaccinated as kids. 'For folks who are like, hey, I don't think my folks ever got me vaccinated. I'm not sure. I want to catch up. I do think that's something temporary where we could waive the fees, and eat that cost,' Dr. Jones said. Local pediatricians are already receiving calls about measles. Dr. Shawn Soon, a pediatric specialist with the University of Kansas Health System, believes it's a matter of time before the virus shows up locally. Dr. Soon said patients who've received the vaccine should be fine, but he expressed worry for those who haven't.'I'd be concerned. If you have a child who is unvaccinated and has a high level of exposure to measles, you really need to talk to your pediatrician about what you can do proactively,' Dr. Soon said. Dr. Soon recommends that parents of young patients who are immunocompromised, or those who are on chemotherapy, should also talk with their doctors, since those children can't receive most vaccines. Dr. Jones said she's concerned that federal funding cuts could affect the replenishing of the city's vaccine supply if needed. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
KC Current president announces cancer diagnosis
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City Current President, Raven Jemison, announced she will be preparing for a 'new normal' after being diagnosed with breast cancer. Jemison issued a statement Monday morning recapping the magic of matchdays at CPKC Stadium with fans and players and saying she'll miss it as she focuses on treatment. Grand opening for Murmuration Eatery & Cocktail Bar in River Market 'Shortly before Opening Day this season, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Thanks to the amazing team at the University of Kansas Health System, we caught it early. The care I have already received is world-class and I know I am in good hands. It is important to me that I remain transparent and open throughout this experience. I hope to encourage others to prioritize their health and reinforce the importance of scheduling regular mammograms. During my treatment, I will be taking time to focus on my health and am grateful for the support of our ownership group.' – Raven Jemison Former LSU receiver, NFL hopeful Kyren Lacy died in an apparent suicide during a police chase: authorities FOX4 spoke with Jemison March 31, about her own athletic career and what it takes to break ceilings in a male dominated field. Jemison encourages fans and supporters to keep the magic going as she undergoes treatment. Crossroads business owners call for changes to parking policies 'In the meantime, keep the magic going and I'll see you soon! #KCBABY,' Jemison signed off in her statement, Monday. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
08-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
GB hospital director describes economic impact
Mar. 7—John Worden, administrator of the University of Kansas Health System — Great Bend Campus, joined this week's Great Bend City Council meeting to talk about the hospital's economic impact. Health care can be a business driver and part of a strong economic base for a community, he said. UKHS used a consulting group that looked at: —direct impacts, such as salaries paid and construction spending; —indirect impacts, which include services and goods that the hospital buys locally; and —induced impacts, or all of the dollars spent by employees and construction companies. Together, they create a ripple effect, he said. "Specifically for Barton County, we had a $150 million economic impact ... looking at calendar year 2023." UKHS employs 439 people who work in Barton County and 357 of them live in the county. The hospital spent $26 million for labor and a little over $1.1 million in direct construction spending. Worden said one of the things he is proud of is the hospital's partnership with Barton Community College, which brings the total value to Barton County to almost $180 million. Putting it into perspective, he said, "Great Bend has almost as much value for the state as the NFL Draft was last year, so that's pretty cool." The KC Chiefs' economic impact is about $1 billion a year, he continued, "and then our Health System as a whole is a little over $7 billion with (approximately) 20,000 employees that are specifically for the Health System in Kansas right now." Vehicle purchases approved Meeting at a glance Here's a quick look at action taken Monday by the Great Bend City Council. —Norm Patel was appointed to the Convention & Visitors Bureau Board of Directors by Mayor Cody Schmidt. —The council approved the payroll register covering payroll ending Feb. 15 for $542,261.73. —It also approved closing Main Street from 19th St. to Lakin Ave. from 11 a.m. to noon on May 3 for the Cinco de Mayo Parade. —Property at 3118 18th St., owned by Ramirez Construction LLC, was abated. Junk and refuse will be removed and the cost assessed to the property owner. —Public Lands Director Scott Keeler's recommendation for a new park truck was approved. The council accepted the low bid of $43,795 for a Ford F-250 4x4 from Marmie Ford. The City will be trading in a 2008 F-150 with 122,836 miles and ongoing mechanical issues for $2,500. The larger truck is needed because it can pull a dump trailer, saving the cost of buying a dump truck. —Airport Manager Martin Miller's request to seek alternative funding for the crosswind runway reconstruction at the airport was approved. This project has been on the airport's five-year plan for some time. Federal Aviation Administration funding was previously approved. "What we're lacking is a promise we're going to get funded very soon," Miller said. "What they're giving us is a, 'Hey, hang in there.'" The council approved his recommendation to authorize the mayor to sign an appropriation request through the Kansas Congressional delegation through Fiscal Year 26. —Police Chief Steve Haulmark's request to purchase four patrol vehicles was added to the agenda. Marmie Ford was selected as they had the lower quote of $48,000 per vehicle. Superior Emergency Response Vehicles (SERV) will be used for the updating at a cost of $5,787 per vehicle. "The Police Department intends to either trade or sell the vehicles that are being replaced based on the current mileage," Haulmark said. —The council moved into an executive session for 15 minutes to privately discuss a personnel matter. When the public meeting resumed, City Attorney Allen Glendenning was asked to explain what they had discussed. An employee that the city provided to assist him as city attorney has retired. "Under the city's current contract with Watkins Calcara (Law Firm), you would be required to provide a person to assist me in that." The city's options were to hire another person in-house or to add that service into the Watkins Calcara contract and the firm would provide the legal assistant, which is what he proposed. The current contract is set to expire in November and the council approved then starting a three-year amended contract. The attorney services fee will increase from $14,000 a month to $15,000 a month. Anything "over and above the ordinary services" would be at a rate of $250 per hour. The city can still use its current bond council if desired. The new contract also includes appeals to the District Court on Municipal Court prosecutions as extra work, also for $250 per hour. "That's common for those to be paid for extra because that can be much more involved than the prosecution in Municipal Court," he said. The contract is for another three years and will be reevaluated after one year. Councilman Gary Parr commented, "Just so the taxpayers know, your rates are considerably less than what we could go anywhere else, from what you showed us. Is that correct?" "I would say they're in line with what you could get elsewhere. What I showed you specifically was Hays, and they're at $300 an hour for the additional services, $200 an hour for the appeals, and I've just put $250 for both." The council approved the new contract.
The Independent
28-01-2025
- Health
- The Independent
The tuberculosis outbreak in Kansas is alarming. It's not the biggest in US history though, CDC says
A yearlong outbreak of tuberculosis in the Kansas City, Kansas area has taken local experts aback, even if it does not appear to be the largest outbreak of the disease in U.S. history as a state health official claimed last week. 'We would expect to see a handful of cases every year,' said Dr. Dana Hawkinson, an infectious disease doctor at the University of Kansas Health System. But the high case counts in this outbreak were a 'stark warning," he said. The outbreak has killed two people since it started in January 2024, Kansas state health department spokeswoman Jill Bronaugh said. Health officials in Kansas say there is no threat to the general public. What is tuberculosis? TB is caused by bacteria that lives in the people's lungs and spreads through the air when they talk, cough or sing. It is very infectious, but only spreads when a person has symptoms. Once it infects a person, TB can take two forms. In 'active' TB, the person has a long-standing cough and sometimes bloody phlegm, night sweats, fever, weight loss and swollen glands. In 'latent' TB, the bacteria hibernates in the person's lungs or elsewhere in the body. It does not cause symptoms and does not spread to others. Roughly a quarter of the global population is estimated to have TB, but only about 5% to 10% of those develop symptoms. How big is the tuberculosis outbreak in Kansas? As of Jan. 24, 67 people are being treated for active TB, most of them in Wyandotte County, Bronaugh said. Another 79 have latent TB. The state's provisional 2024 count shows 79 active TB cases and 213 latent cases in the two counties where the outbreak is happening, Wyandotte and Johnson. Not all of those are linked to the outbreak and Bronaugh did not respond to requests for clarification. The situation is improving, though: 'We are trending in the right direction right now,' Ashley Goss, deputy secretary at the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, told the state Senate's Committee on Public Health and Welfare Jan. 21. Is the Kansas tuberculosis outbreak the largest in U.S. history? Kansas health officials called the outbreak 'the largest documented outbreak in U.S. history' since the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention began counting cases in the 1950s. But a spokesperson for the CDC on Tuesday refuted that claim, noting at least two larger TB outbreaks in recent history. In one, the disease spread through Georgia homeless shelters. Public health workers identified more than 170 active TB cases and more than 400 latent cases from 2015 to 2017. And in 2021, a nationwide outbreak linked to contaminated tissue used in bone transplants sickened 113 patients. How is tuberculosis treated? TB is treated with antibiotics over the course of several months. A vaccine is available, but generally not recommended in the U.S. because the risk of infection is low and getting the vaccine can interfere with the test doctors use to diagnose the disease. TB is a much bigger problem outside of the U.S. TB is a leading cause of infectious disease death worldwide, and has been on the rise. In 2023, the bacteria killed 1.25 million people globally and infected 8 million, the highest count since the World Health Organization started keeping track. While tuberculosis was a much bigger danger in the U.S. in earlier generations, it has been trending back up in recent years. In 2023 there were more than 9,600 cases nationwide, the highest in a decade, according to the CDC. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
