Kendra Baldridge, KSFHP Regional Case Manager
Bureau of Local & Rural Health 
1000 SW Jackson, Suite 340 
Topeka, KS 66612-1365 
Phone: (785)296-2671
Fax: (785)296-1231 
E-mail: KBaldridge@kdheks.gov

Kendra is the Regional Case Manager for Eastern Kansas in the Kansas Statewide Farmworker Health Program. In this position, she will help low income, uninsured farmworkers and their families access primary care services. Kendra graduated from the University of Kansas with a Bachelors of Arts in Sociology. She spent two years in the Peace Corps in El Salvador working on various community projects including health promotion, housing, and other issues. She is bilingual in Spanish and English.

Pat Behnke, Administrative Specialist
Bureau of Local & Rural Health 
1000 SW Jackson, Suite 340 
Topeka, KS 66612-1365 
Phone: (785)296-1232
Fax: (785)296-1231 
E-mail: pbehnke@kdheks.gov

Teresa Corrigan, Senior Administrative Assistant
Bureau of Local & Rural Health 
1000 SW Jackson, Suite 340 
Topeka, KS 66612-1365 
Phone: (785)296-1200
Fax: (785)296-1231 
E-mail: tcorrigan@kdheks.gov

Director Office of Rural Health
1000 SW Jackson, Suite 340
Topeka, KS 66612-1365
Phone: (785)291-3796
Fax: (785)296-1231
E-mail: blrh@kdheks.gov

Kansas State Office of Rural Health (SORH) program. Oversees a number of U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Office of Rural Health Policy programs administered at KDHE including the Rural Hospital Flexibility Grant program, and the Small Hospital Improvement Program.

Patricia Fernandez, KSFHP Regional Case Manager
Bureau of Local & Rural Health 
1000 SW Jackson, Suite 340 
Topeka, KS 66612-1365 
Phone: (785)296-8983
Fax: (785)296-1231
Cell: (620)617-7428
E-mail:  pfernandez@kdheks.gov

Patricia Fernandez is a Regional Case Manager for the Kansas Statewide Farmworker Health Program   She is responsible for the central region of Kansas helping low income, uninsured farmworkers and their families access primary care services.  She is bilingual in Spanish and English.

Linda Frazee, RN, BSN, Public Health Workforce Development Specialist
KDHE Bureau of Local and Rural Health
1000 SW Jackson, Suite 340
Topeka, KS 66612-1365
Office Phone: 785-296-1200
Fax: (785)296-1231
E-mail: lFrazee@kdheks.gov

Linda participates in many public health workforce initiatives including development of a Kansas public health nursing "Learning with Lilly" online curriculum, development of the Kansas Public Health Orientation Manual, and creation and maintenance of the Essential Services Tool. She participates in several public health workforce related advisory committees. Linda serves as the co-coordinator of the Kansas CPH program. She is available as a consultant for local health departments across the state.

Tina Guenther, Caseworker Farmworker Health Program
Bureau of Local & Rural Health 
Phone:  (620) 365-4079
Fax: (785)296-1231
Cell:  (620) 952-1470
E-mail: tguenther@ummam.org

Lucia Gutierrez, Caseworker Farmworker Health Program
Bureau of Local & Rural Health 
Garden City
Phone:  (620) 275-4970
Fax: (785)296-1231
Cell:  (620) 428-1762
E-mail: lgutierrez@ummam.org

Barbara Huske,  Workforce Analyst
Bureau of Local & Rural Health 
1000 SW Jackson, Suite 340 
Topeka, KS 66612-1365 
Phone: (785)296-2742
Fax: (785)296-1231
E-mail:  bhuske@kdheks.gov

Contact Barbara Huske for evaluation of health care provider shortage areas including the supply of physicians, dentists and mental health professionals. Ms. Huske has responsibility for the federal designation process for Health Professional Shortage Areas and Medically Underserved Areas. Her technical assistance expertise and program management responsibilities also include National Health Service Corps site and provider assistance, the State Loan Repayment Program and the H-1b and J-1 visa waiver review program for physicians.

Jacob Jackson, KS-TRAIN Instructional Specialist
Bureau of Local & Rural Health
1000 SW Jackson St, Suite 340
Topeka, KS 66612-1365
Office: 785-291-3241
Fax: 785-296-1231
E-mail: jjackson@kdheks.gov

Jacob Jackson is the KS-TRAIN Instruction Specialist, KS-TRAIN learning management system, for the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, Bureau of Local and Rural Health and the Bureau of Public Health Preparedness. Workforce responsibilities include management and development of on-line education courses posted to KS-TRAIN as well as assisting with database management, learner/course provider/admin training and marketing. Jacob is a recent graduate of the American Intercontinental University with a Master’s Degree in Education, Instructional Technology. He brings to the agency on the job experience and an education background in video production, marketing, web design, photography, use of various design software, and class room instruction. 

Sonita Loyd, Primary Care Clinic Coordinator
Bureau of Local & Rural Health
1000 SW Jackson St, Suite 340
Topeka, KS 66612-1365
Office: 785-296-3135
Fax: 785-296-1231
E-mail: Sloyd@kdheks.gov

Sonita Loyd is the new Primary Care Clinic Coordinator for the KDHE´s Bureau of Local and Rural Health. Sonita is a graduate of the University of Central Missouri where she earned a BS in Education, a BS in Psychology, and an MS in Education. She worked as an educator for 10 years in Missouri and has recently relocated to Kansas for this position. She looks forward to working with each clinic in their efforts to provide health care for the residents of the state. 

Debbie Nickels RN, C, BSN, Kansas TRAIN Administrator
Bureau of Local & Rural Health
1000 SW Jackson St, Suite 340
Topeka, KS 66612-1365
Office: 785-291-3457
Fax: 785-296-1231
E-mail: dnickels@kdheks.gov
| http://ks.train.org

Debbie Nickels is the Administrator of the KS-TRAIN learning management system for the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, Bureau of Local and Rural Health and the Bureau of Public Health Preparedness. State workforce responsibilities include administration, training, course development, and marketing of the KS-TRAIN learning management system for the Kansas public health & safety workforce. She is a graduate of Fort Hays State University, with a BS in Nursing and is a fellow from the 2003-04 Cycle I Kansas Public Health Leadership Institute. Ms Nickels has been a previous Dorothy Wooden Awardee for Excellence in Public Health Nursing by the Kansas Public Health Association, and a KU Nursing: The Heart of Health Care winner (2nd year). Prior to coming to KDHE Ms Nickels assisted the Kansas Association of Local Health Departments with training and implementation of HIPAA protocols and served for twelve years as the Administrator and Health Officer of the Jefferson County Health Department, Home Health and Hospice.

Shirley Orr currently serves as Director of Local Health for the Bureau of Local and Rural Health, Kansas Department of Health and Environment. In that capacity, she is responsible for oversight of state agency liaison activities with local agencies, including technical assistance and general infrastructure support for 99 local health departments serving 105 counties. She is also responsible for coordination of the state aid-to-local process within the Division of Health. In addition, she provides oversight of Public Health Workforce Development activities and the training component of the CDC Bioterrorism Preparedness Grant (Focus Area G). She has completed 13 years of service at KDHE, and has provided over 20 years of service in professional and administrative roles for public health and health care organizations in Kansas.

Shirley currently serves as Co-Director of the Kansas Public Health Leadership Institute, and is a founding partner in the Kansas WALD (Workforce and Leadership Development) partnership. She also serves as adjunct faculty for the Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health at the University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita.

Shirley received a BSN Degree as well as MHS in Administration from Wichita State University. She holds Kansas licenses as a Registered Nurse and Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner. Shirley is certified by the American Nurses Credentialing Center in Nursing Administration at the advanced level. Additionally, she is a graduate of the National Public Health Leadership Institute.

Current professional memberships include the National Public Health Leadership Society, Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Honor Society, American Public Health Association, American Nurses Association, Kansas Public Health Association, and Kansas State Nurses Association. She has served on the Board of Directors of the Kansas Public Health Association and Kansas State Nurses Association, and is past president of the Kansas Public Health Association.

Dan Robinson, Assistant Trauma Coordinator
Bureau of Local & Rural Health 
1000 SW Jackson, Suite 340 
Topeka, KS 66612-1365 
Phone: (785)296-1200
Fax: (785)296-1231
E-mail:  DRobinson@kdheks.gov

Rosanne Rutkowski, RN Director Trauma Office
Bureau of Local & Rural Health 
1000 SW Jackson, Suite 340 
Topeka, KS 66612-1365 
Phone: (785)296-1200
Fax: (785)296-1231 
E-mail: rrutkows@kdheks.gov

Rosanne is the program director for the Kansas Trauma Program.  The  Program activities are coordinated with the Advisory Committee on Trauma and Regional Trauma Councils.   Data collection for the state trauma registry is coordinated with the Office of Health Care Information.

Shelly Schroller, Farmworker Health Senior Administrative Assistant
Bureau of Local & Rural Health
1000 SW Jackson, Suite 340
Topeka, KS 66612-1365
Phone: (785)296-6028
Fax: (785)296-1231
E-mail: SSchroller@kdheks.gov

Allen Sester, Rural Health Consultant
Bureau of Local & Rural Health 
1000 SW Jackson, Suite 340
Topeka, KS 66612-1365 
Phone: (785)296-1200 
Fax: (785)296-1231 
E-mail: asester@kdheks.gov

Allen is the Rural Health Program Consultant responsible for providing staff support to the Rural Health Program Director.  The Consultant will  work with other staff in the Bureau of Local and Rural Health in maintaining current information on the office web site, the Kansas Rural Health Information Service and managing data on underserved designations and other workforce related programs, as well as assist in day-to-day operations of the rural health program. 

Jeanette Shipley, Regional Trauma Coordinator
Curtis State Office Building
1000 SW Jackson, Suite 340
Topeka, Kansas 66612-1365
Phone number: (785)-296-0604
Fax: (785)296-1231
Email: jshipley@kdheks.gov

The Kansas Trauma Program would like to take this opportunity to introduce a new staff person. Jeanette Shipley was hired effective January 28, 2008 as the Regional Trauma Coordinator. Jeanette will work directly for Kansas Department of Health and Environment’s (KDHE) Kansas Trauma Program. Kendra Tinsley who previously served in this capacity has accepted a new position with the Kansas Foundation for Medical Care.
Jeanette has worked with KDHE for the past four years as the Emergency Medical Services for Children (EMSC) Coordinator. She attended Marymount College (Salina) and Saint Mary’s of the Plains College (Dodge City) and received a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree. She has been involved in EMS for the past eighteen years as an EMTI and 911 EMD Dispatcher. She and her husband John have two children, Blake 10 and Lane 5. We welcome Jeanette and invite your participation in the Regional Trauma Councils.

Robert Stiles, Director Primary Care Office
Bureau of Local & Rural Health 
1000 SW Jackson, Suite 340 
Topeka, KS 66612-1365 
Phone: (785)368-8110 
Fax: (785)296-1231
E-mail:  rstiles@kdheks.gov

Robert Stiles is Director Primary Care Office and supervises the staff responsible for the State-funded Community-Based Primary Care Clinic Program, the Charitable Health Care Provider Program and work related to health care provider supply and health professional shortages for areas and populations. These include HPSA and MUA/MUP designations, J-1 visa waiver reviews, National Health Service Corp and the State Loan Repayment Program.

Cyndi Treaster, Director of Farmworker, Immigrant and Refugee Health
Bureau of Local & Rural Health 
1000 SW Jackson, Suite 340 
Topeka, KS 66612-1365 
Phone: (785)296-1200 
Fax: (785)296-1231 
E-mail:ctreaste@kdheks.gov

Cyndi is a Licensed Specialist Clinical Social Worker and Director for Farmworker, Immigrant and Refugee Health. She oversees the Kansas Statewide Farmworker Health Program and coordinates the Refugee Health Program. She works to support immigrant access to linguistically and culturally appropriate health services.

Rural Health Analyst
1000 SW Jackson, Suite 340
Topeka, KS 66612-1365
Phone: (785)296-1232
Fax: (785)296-1231
E-mail: blrh@kdheks.gov

Analyst will assist with the coordination, implementation and tracking of work plans for the State Office of Rural Health grant, the Rural Hospital Flexibility grant and the Small Hospital Improvement Program grant.

Debbie Whitmer, Public Health Nurse Specialist
North Central District Office 
2501 Market Place, Suite D 
Salina, KS  67401 
Phone: (785)827-9639 
Fax: (785)827-1544 
Cell: (785)220-8326 
E-mail:  dwhitmer@kdheks.gov

Debbie is the Public Health Nurse Specialist for Central and  Western Kansas. She is an Advanced Nurse Practitioner and has been in public health for 23 1/2 years. She Serves on the Kansas School Nurse Advisory Board and the Kansas Family Planning Training Advisory committee. She works closely with the local health departments on Immunization billing options, and had been focused on WIC and Maternal and Child programs.