Regional Health Department Directors and their Boards of Health, consisted of County Commissioners will be convening next Wednesday, September 9th, in Manhattan along with leadership from Fort Riley.  .

The purpose of the meeting will be to discuss current and future plans for public health emergency preparedness in the Wildcat Region, which is composed of Geary, Pottawatomie and Riley Counties, as well as, Fort Riley Irwin Army Community Hospital and Department of Public Health.

Regional and State Partners planning to attend include Col. Andrew Cole, Jr., Garrison Commander, Fort Riley; Col. Risa Ware, APRN, Commander, Irwin Army Community Hospital, Fort Riley; Fort Riley Col. Paul Beene, Department of Public Health; and Todd Pickering, Irwin Army Community Hospital, Chief of Operations; and Jamie Hemler, Director of Grant Administration, Bureau of Community Health Systems-Preparedness Program, Kansas Department of Health and Environment.

Local Health Departments receive grant funding for work as independent counties as well as grant funds to support regional work.

The meeting will be held from 1 pm to 2:30 pm, preceding the Kansas Association of Counties, Kansas Association of Local Health Departments, and Kansas Department of Health and Environment Regional Meeting “Why Public Health Matters: Disease Surveillance” at the Hilton Garden Inn.