By Kelley Weiss
Kansas City, MO – State and national health officials met yesterday in Topeka to discuss how to prepare for Pandemic Flu in Kansas. KCUR's Kelley Weiss reports.
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Kansas health officials are focusing on collaborating local and national efforts to best prepare for Pandemic Flu. Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt stopped in Topeka yesterday as part of a national tour to prepare states for a pandemic. Leavitt along with the governor and state Senators talked about how Kansas could make sure counties around the state have proper resources, hospitals are prepared to treat patients and families have their own action plans. Sharon Watson, Kansas Health Department spokesperson, says the summit focused on getting all levels of government to plan ahead and work together.
Sharon Watson: "It basically just outlines who will be doing what in a pandemic crisis and how the state and federal government will respond in that circumstance and what the community can expect."
Kansas has already secured more than a million federal dollars for flu preparedness. Health department representatives will continue to meet with communities across Kansas to develop plans in case of a pandemic.
Funding for health care coverage on KCUR has been provided by the Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City.