The state’s top health official, Dr. Howard Rodenberg, was fired Thursday by Kansas Department of Health and Environment Secretary Roderick Bremby.

“I was relieved of duty this morning,” Rodenberg said.

He said Bremby cited a reason for the dismissal, but Rodenberg declined to say what Bremby said.

“You’ll have to ask the secretary about that,” he said.

Bremby’s spokesman, Joe Blubaugh, refused to say why Rodenberg was fired. “It’s a personnel issue,” he said. KDHE named Richard Morrissey interim director of health.

Rodenberg served as the State Health Officer and director of health for KDHE. He was hired by KDHE in March 2005. Before, he had been director of Volusia County Health Department in Florida. He received his medical degree from the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine.