About Public Health Informatics
Providing health statistics is one of several priorities for the bureau's Public Health Informatics group. We collect, maintain, and analyze a wide spectrum of information and data to provide reliable statistics to program managers, policy makers, health departments, and the public. These data represent the basis for agency programs to improve birth outcomes, decrease infant mortality, identify mortality trends, decrease the spread of infectious diseases, and support community health assessment. The group has three units.
Vital Statistics
The Office of Vital Statistics records births, deaths, fetal deaths, marriages, and divorces occurring in the state. It makes certified copies of those records available to legally entitled individuals.
The Vital and Health Statistics Data Analysis Section collects, analyzes, or reports on variety of health and vital statistics data for KDHE. These datasets include birth, death, marriage, marriage dissolution, abortion, stillbirth, Medicaid, hospital discharge, and syndromic surveillance. We also provide support and technical assistance to local health departments and hospitals needing assistance on data and statistics required for community health needs assessment. Health Statistics and Resources for Kansas (DOCX) is a compilation of information on sources of statistics, many at a Kansas county level, and resources communities might use for community health assessment and community health improvement planning
Among its publications are:
- Annual Summary of Vital Statistics
- Kansas Health Statistics Report
- Selected Statistics on Infant Mortality and Stillbirth
- Teen and Adolescent Pregnancy
- Natality Report
- Prenatal Care Report
Data query portals include:
Infectious Disease Surveillance
The Infectious Disease Surveillance Section, administers the state reportable disease system and maintains a secure, web-based electronic disease surveillance system (EpiTrax). This system is utilized by all local health departments and KDHE. Case information is entered in EpiTrax and by both local health departments and KDHE. Epidemiology staff can access and manage the case records. The system includes an outbreak management module, which facilitates information-sharing between KDHE and local health departments working jointly on outbreak investigations.
EpiTrax is also utilized for blood lead surveillance, the STI / HIV and Tuberculosis Program for surveillance, and case management. This system is used to transmit Kansas reportable disease data to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on a weekly basis. The Infectious Disease Surveillance Section also oversees the Electronic Case Reporting and Notifiable Conditions Registries.
Contact Us
| Name & Email | Title | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Kay Haug | Bureau Director and State Registrar | 785-296-8795 |
| Jason Mathewson | Deputy State Registrar and Director, Office of Vital Statistics | 785-296-1423 |
| Diana Baldry | Chief, Registration and Amendments | 785-296-1426 |
| Joe O'Kelly | Chief, Certification | 785-296-1415 |
| Michael Lopez | Director, Surveillance Systems | 785-296-7127 |
| Christy Smith | Director, Vital and Health Statistics Data Analysis | 785-296-4186 |