Welcome to our online chat with Rod Bremby, secretary of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.

The chat took place on Thursday, November 3, at 2:00 PM and is now closed, but you can read the full transcript on this page.

Moderator: Welcome to our chat today with Rod Bremby, secretary of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.

I’m Dave Toplikar, World Online editor, and I’ll serve as the moderator today.

We have several questions that have been already submitted and we’ll get started with those.

But I’d like to encourage our readers to submit questions during the chat.

Rod Bremby: Thanks Dave. Glad to have this opportunity.

Sam, Lawrence, KS: Do you really think that the bird flu will be a problem in the United States? How about in Lawrence?

Rod Bremby: We are working to prepare for the possibility of avian flu in the State. It is uncertain how much of a problem the bird flu will present, but we are taking no chance. World Health Organization officials believe that the avian flu could produce the next pandemic and because of that we are doing everything we can to minimize its impact on Kansans.

Margaret, Lawrence: How will the KDHE and local health departments plan to address the issue of “rumor control” and the dissemination of accurate information about risk levels and precautionary action during the next several months?

Rod Bremby, secretary of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, responds to questions from readers online.

Rod Bremby: We are able to communicate with public health officials in every county of the state through a network. It is through this system that we hope to address rumors and provide information about risk levels. Additionally, our Communications Office does a great job of getting emerging information out to the public.

Rick, Lawrence: Regardless of the type of flu season, how does KDHE support local units of government and health departments keep their populations healthy? What will KDHE do differently if a pandemic hits Kansas?

Rod Bremby: One of our objectives at KDHE is to provide prevention messages. Many of the prevention messages for “normal” flu virus will be applicable for avian flu. We are advising people to wash their hands frequently, cover their coughs and to practice healthy behaviors, i.e., get plenty of rest, eat healthy foods, avoid tobacco products and stay physically active.

Nina: How do you think citizens can protect themselves from getting the H5N1flu if there is no vaccine readily available? Do you think we should really be concerned that this particular strain of flu could mutate and spread rapidly?

Rod Bremby: Excellent question. H5N1 has not shown itself to be capable of easy transmission between humans, however, should that happen, we will need to ramp up our surveillance and prevention efforts. An experimental vaccine has been produced by the NIH, but its effect is unknown at this time. We need to practice basic flu prevention messages until a vaccine is available. Anti-virals, while not able to prevent the flu can lessen the impact of the flu.

Bryce -Topeka: Aren’t vaccinations, for such things as the regular and the possible avian flu, a public health issue? And if so, then what can be done to insure that all geographic areas of the state have equal access to vaccine. Not like has occurred for the past several years where the For-Profit drug companies have completely messed up production and this year, distribution. Can KDHE impose regulations for those doing business in this state, or is this a matter for state legislatures and/or the Federal gov’t. Both of which apparently won’t, or can’t act with the public’s health in mind, unless an election is forthcoming.

Rod Bremby: Last year when we knew there would be a flu vaccine shortage, the federal government effectively took over the distribution of vaccine and attempted to insure an equitable distribution. We are unsure how the federal government intends to provide oversight for the distribution of a vaccine when one becomes available and the anti-virals. Your assessment of the problem is a good one. We may see public policy develop at the national level around the control and distribution of this precious resource.

Davy, Lawrence: It seems that the approach of the restaurant inspectors has changed. By this I mean the attitude and method of announcing their presence in the restaurant has gone from one of cordial and cooperation to one of abruptness with a ‘seek and destroy’ approach. A majority of the restaurant managers in Lawrence are very conscience of the health code requirements but that this new mentality of the inspectors leaves the impression of an attempt to impose hefty fines or to close the restaurants on minor infractions. Do you realize the type of impact this has on the industry and consequently, the economy of the local area and the state in the way of lost employment and sales tax?

Have the number of inspections increased due to an attempt to offset the budget cut in the department? Has the department received an increase of complaints against restaurants to justify the increase number of inspections and the resulting fines? How many new inspectors have been hired and what kind of training is given before they are allowed out in the field?

Is there an attempt to educate the food industry on ways to avoid low scores on inspections?

Rod Bremby: We work closely with the Restaurant Association in the compliance aspect of the food code. They provide Safe Serve training to members. Our agency is responsible for inspecting over 12,000 restaurants annually.

Steve: Is it true that your inspectors for restaurants are geared toward food service institutions such as hospitals, nursing homes, and schools who do not have the complexity of a restaurant?

Is is also true that your inspectors intentionally seek out violations or infractions in Lawrence restaurants in order to meet a quota or fund finances for your department?

Rod Bremby: No to both questions. We have no quotas to meet nor does our agency benefit directly from fines assessed.

Tim, Lawrence: The anti-smoking public service advertisements from the KDHE seem to be a bit misleading. The “facts” don’t appear to be correct. Also, there is no indication in the ads that they were also paid for by two private groups, making it appear that it is coming solely from KDHE. Isn’t KDHE required to place a notification in the ads indicating who funded them, especially if it is a private organization? Also, please provide the sources of the “facts” contained in the ads.

Rod Bremby: We have quite a few public service advertisements in circulation. I can say that all of the “facts” are correct, but since most of the products we use are provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, I can’t say which company produced them. We are not required to identify the funding source, however we do identify KDHE as the sponsor of these announcements. Tobacco use continues to account for more deaths in the U.S., some 440,000 annually, than any other cause. It remains the number one public health issue we face. Avian flu is emerging, however this problem is preventable.

Craig from Lawrence: You are one of the few cabinet members that I can remember who has come from a career in professional city management to become a cabinet level official working for a governor. Has that provided you with any insight as to the proper roles of the state vs local governments in addressing public health issues?

Rod Bremby: My experience in local government has afforded me a level of sensitivity in working with other levels of government. We work very hard at KDHE to develop partnerships at the local level to affect change. We know that all service is ultimately provided at the local level and facilitating change is a positive role for us to play.

Brian, Lawrence: What is the State of Kansas doing about providing adequate, accessible mental health services and in particular, suicide prevention?

Rod Bremby: I am not sure whether our agency, KDHE, is doing enough to address suicide prevention. We have been actively participating with statewide organizations to plan and coordinate efforts, but there is much more to do at many levels. We are also working at the state level to coordinate our efforts with those of local mental health agencies to increase all levels of effectiveness. Good question, Brian. I hope that we can do more.

Karen, Lawrence: Recently, in a March 2005 article in the Lawrence Journal World, the KDHE reported that in 2003, 40 births were reported for girls ages 10-14. Although your agency does not really make policy, what do you feel needs to be done to deal with this problem?

Rod Bremby: As this is a very difficult issue with many facets, I believe that prevention through education is one of the ways we can address this issue. After the children are born, we need to insure that they receive the services necessary to support their healthy development. We have a program in place to work with at-risk mothers post partum to help them delay future births.

Tom, Lawrence: Sam Brownback has been contacted about participating in the “Get Caught Recycling” campaign. Do you know if Dennis Moore was contacted?

Rod Bremby: The “Get Caught Recycling” campaign is scheduled to launch later this month. A number of Kansas celebrities have been contacted and have agreed to participate. I don’t know whether we have scheduled Dennis Moore just yet. I can tell you that you should be on the look out for a prominent Jayhawk basketball player and a Wild cat basketball player in the promos.

Ernest, Topeka: What is Gov. Sebelius’ position on embryonic stem cell research? Do you think she would be likely to veto any restrictions the Kansas Legislature might pass — like the bill introduced by Mary Pilcher Cook last year — that would restrict stem cell research and therapies in Kansas?

Rod Bremby: I don’t know know the Governor’s position on embryonic stem cell research. I do know that we are supportive of developing life sciences industry in this state and will continue to explore ways to build this emerging industry to benefit all Kansans.

Moderator: That will be our last question of the day.

Rod, thanks for coming in today and taking so many questions from our readers.

I have one final question for you — Have you gotten your flu shot yet?

Rod Bremby: This has been my pleasure. I have not gotten my flu shot yet, because I am not a member of a high risk group. When vaccine becomes available I will get my shot this year and I encourage everyone to do the same. We expect most vaccine to arrive later this month and into December. It will not be too late to get your flu shot in December. The flu season in Kansas peaks in January and the vaccine can still provide adequate protection when obtain late in the month of December.

Moderator: Rod, again, thanks for coming in.

And I’d like to thank our readers for participating.

Our next chat will be at 3 p.m. next Thursday and will feature Paul Morrison, Johnson County’s district attorney, a former Republican who recently announced he would run as a Democrat for attorney general.