General Updates
Thank you for the continued adherence to our safety protocols in the office, where masks are required when visitors are present and we’re following all public health guidance in our meeting rooms and in the community. There will be updated policies, including a community compact, shared in the coming days.
KDHE started publishing a County COVID Rankings report, which takes into account three key metrics: cases, vaccinations and testing. The data are updated three times a week, and here is the link reflecting the latest report.
After Labor Day, we have returned to our regular schedule with the office being open until 5 p.m. on Fridays. We are continuing with two days/week (Mondays and Wednesday) designated as in-office days, with three days available for working remotely. When Monday is a holiday, we will work in the office on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Open enrollment for the Flexible Spending Account 2022 begins on Sept. 1. Employees can enroll and make modifications from Sept. 1 to Dec. 30, 2021. Paychex will send an automated email to eligible users with an email address on file urging them to join.
Gianfranco announced his retirement is to take place at the end of the year. With 17 years at KHI and much of that time also working as the county health officer, he has made tremendous contributions to the public health system and to the health and wellness of Kansans. Stay tuned for information about this bittersweet occasion.
Hina announced that her family is moving to Virginia at the end of the year. She will be missed in Topeka, though we are very glad to know there is an opportunity to continue working with her for some time longer through remote channels.
September Communications Metrics
KHI in the News
This year, KHI has been collaborating with AARP of Kansas on Facebook Live events to discuss social isolation. KHI's Phillip Steiner and Wyatt Beckman recently participated in a session. Check out the chat on the AARP of Kansas Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/AARPKS/
Check out the Kansas Reflector's coverage of KDAD's Autism Task Team kickoff meeting facilitated by KHI: Ambitious Project to Improve Autism Services in Kansas Unites Parents, Advocates, Providers.
New Staff
JoDonna L. Perry, Office Administrator, is KHI’s newest employee. She assists the Director of Administration with a variety of activities, including project management, human resources, and vendor management.
JoDonna worked for Magellan Financial for two years before joining KHI. She has also worked with Alliance Bank and Advisors Excel. JoDonna earned a Finance and Management degree from Washburn University.
Kudos
As you may know, KHI is working on the Pathways to a Healthy Kansas project. The focus of the project is to assist 24 communities across Kansas with making policy, system and environmental changes. As part of this project, Wyatt developed a great Tableau Dashboard. The Dashboard was very well received by the TA team (BCBSKS, PHLC and CEI Wichita + other TA Providers) and communities. Great and innovative work, Wyatt! To check out the Dashboard, please click here: https://www.bcbsks.com/AboutUs/blue-health-initiatives/dashboard.shtml
Congratulations to Hina, Tatiana and Wyatt who have been accepted for oral presentations for the KPHA Conference Sept. 21-23. The 78th Annual Kansas Public Health Association Fall Conference theme is Strengthening Social Connectedness.
Meals on Wheels
KHI volunteers are still needed to deliver Meals on Wheels on the third and fourth Wednesdays of each month. Because you’re already in town for the day, take advantage of the opportunity to help out. Pickup begins at 11 A.M. in the parking lot on Macvicar Ave., just north of the Walmart Neighborhood Market. The number of recipients varies but the bulk of deliveries are made in under an hour.
Did You Know:
For each hour of personal time that an employee spends on performing community volunteer service, KHI will allocate, on an hour-for-hour basis, up to a maximum of eight hours of time per six-month period to community volunteer service. Use of volunteer time must be approved by the employee’s supervisor in advance in the same way that other leave requests are processed.
Celebrations
Happy Anniversary
Lyndsey Burkhart - 15 years
Phillip Steiner - 2 years
Happy Birthday
Hina Shah - Sept 6
Phillip Steiner - Sept 9
Wen-Chieh Lin - Sept. 26
Tech Tip
Healthcare is one of the most targeted industries in the cybersecurity space. According to a recent report from the Department of Health and Human Services, there have been 82 ransomware instances worldwide so far this year, with 60% of them affecting the US health sector. Healthcare is one of the most targeted industries in the cybersecurity space.
The KHI team has done an excellent job at keeping an eye out for hackers and other threats. Please continue to keep a vigilant eye out for them. More information about ransomware and the health industry can be found at https://bit.ly/3hdBBW7.
Job Openings
The following positions are now open. We are actively recruiting through a variety of channels. If you know someone who would qualify for one or more of our open positions, please share the details from our website: https://www.khi.org/careers
Quantitative Research Analyst
Research Assistant
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