Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee Meets

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Pneumococcal Vaccine Update for Physicians and Clinicians – April 30

Please join us for a pneumococcal vaccine update webinar on Tuesday, April 30, noon - 1:00 p.m. and hear from Lynn Fisher, MD, family physician and Gretchen Homan, MD, pediatrician, who will provide updates impacting adult pneumococcal vaccine recommendations for adult and pediatric patients, respectively and Monica Pando, RN, VFC coordinator, who will discuss navigating these updates from a clinic perspective.

careLearning Informational Webinar - May 1

In this webinar you will gain practical knowledge of how the careLearning system will help you organize and manage your education. careLearning is non-profit member service of The Kansas Hospital Association and over 40 other state hospital associations.

KARQM Education Program - May 2

The Kansas Association of Risk and Quality Management was created to promote the delivery of quality health care and the practice of risk management in Kansas health care facilities. Membership includes risk and quality management professionals in health care facilities or health-related organizations.

Educational Webinar: How Do Your Hospital Finances Measure Up? – May 2

Join Healthworks and KHA for an educational session at 2:00 p.m. on May 2 to learn how to utilize QHis financial benchmarking tool effectively. Shannan Flach, vice president health care finance and reimbursement and Sally Othmer, vice president data and strategic analytics will be joined by Wes Garrison, founder, Databasically to walk through the tool including the easy-upload process, reviewing the QHi financial measures available and to demonstrating how to run and schedule reports.

Opioid Educational Webinar: Partnering to Increase Access to SUD Treatment – May 3

Please join us on May 3 to hear how hospitals and communities are partnering to increase access to substance use disorder treatment and harm reduction. The program has been approved for 1.0 contact hours of continuing nursing education and pending approval for 1.0 contact hours of continuing pharmacy education. There is no charge to attend as this program is funded through a grant from our partners at DCCCA.

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Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee Meets

Kansas Senate Chamber (March 20, 2023) – Today, the Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee, chaired by Senator Beverly Gossage (R-Eudora), worked House Bill 2390 and held a Hearing on Senate Bill 287.

House Bill 2390 deletes the review board and legalizations of fentanyl testing strips. The language is replaced by language asking the Secretary of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment to study fentanyl overdoses. The committee saw an amendment from Senate Bill 6 into House Bill 2390. Senate Bill 6 restricts the authority of the secretary of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment and local health officers to prevent the introduction and spread of infectious or contagious diseases; repeals the authority of the secretary to quarantine individuals and impose associated penalties. The bill as amended passed out of the committee. Senate Bill 6 previously passed the Senate on a vote of 22-19.

Next, the committee held a hearing on Senate Bill 287. The legislation expands the Kansas Silver Alert plan to include persons 18 years of age or older who have dementia, a developmental disability or cognitive impairment.

Proponents:

Sara Hart-Weir, Kansas Council on Developmental Disabilities
Sam Silvey, President Autism Society –The Heartland
Nick Wood, InterHab

Opponents:

Stephanie Sanford, private citizen, emphasized a need to protect women in abusive situations.

The committee then held a hearing on House Bill 2340. The legislation requires the Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board to process applications within a certain time, decreases the years of practice required for reciprocity licensure of certain behavioral sciences professions, extends the license period for temporary licenses, establishes new license categories and decreases continuing education requirements related to diagnosis and treatment. The legislation previously passed the House on a vote of 118-3.

The committee heard from the following proponents:

David Fye, executive director, Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board
Cynthia Schendel, licensed specialist clinical social worker, member of KBSRB
Rep. Susan Ruiz (D-Shawnee)
Becky Fast, National Association of Social Workers
Kyle Kessler, Association of Community Mental Health Centers
Mitchell Skidmore, Licensed Social Worker in Geriatric Care
Monica Kurz, Kansas Suicide Prevention HQ
Eric Thomason, Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas
Jennifer McCabe, licensed social worker
Stuart Little, Kansas Behavioral Health Association of Kansas

Finally, the committee held a hearing on Senate Bill 297, which revises the definition of "abortion" to clarify procedures that are excluded from such definition. Brittany Jones, Kansas Family Voice, testified doctors are misinterpreting the definition of abortion in statutes.

The committee will meet again Tuesday, March 21.

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