In today's installment of the PHIG Impact Report, Jade Ramsdell, performance improvement director with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE), shares how KDHE is using the Public Health Infrastructure Grant (PHIG)...
In today's installment of the PHIG Impact Report, Jade Ramsdell, performance improvement director with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE), shares how KDHE is using the Public Health Infrastructure Grant (PHIG) to strengthen foundational public health capabilities across the state. This includes investing in its public health workforce and data modernization.
This work is supported by funds made available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), National Center for STLT Public Health Infrastructure and Workforce, through OE22-2203: Strengthening U.S. Public Health Infrastructure, Workforce, and Data Systems grant. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by CDC/HHS, or the U.S. Government.
JOHN SHEEHAN:
This is the Public Health Review Morning Edition for Tuesday, November 4, 2025, with news from the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials. I'm John Sheehan.
Today, another edition of the Public Health Infrastructure Grant, or PHIG, Impact Report. Our guest is Jade Ramsdell, performance improvement director for the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. She's also the project director for PHIG, which, as we'll hear, has been used to strengthen Kansas' public health capabilities statewide.
JADE RAMSDELL:
I think everyone in public health has felt like, across the country, you know, that we're holding up a house where beams are splintering and we're just trying to catch up as much as we possibly can post the pandemic. And so what we've been able to do at the department is rebuild from the ground up, invest in people who make public health possible, modernize data, all of those really fantastic things that are highlighted within the grant. But beyond that, we've seen a shift, and our department is constantly, instead of being in survival mode, we're patching cracks, we're looking at ways to sustain our work and to focus on building systems that are steady. You know, in Kansas, we're using PHIG to pour new concrete at the very base of our system and build up from that, which is great, and I really see the grant as being modular. We've created this blueprint that enables us to not only fix what may have been broken or where we see an opportunity, but build a structure that can stand strong no matter what comes next.
SHEEHAN:
Jade says that streamlining technical assistance for local health departments was a priority.
RAMSDELL:
You know, our local health departments are the front line of public health, and too often they were spending precious time navigating what we were told was a maze. Multiple contacts, conflicting guidance, and overall processes that slowed them down in their work, so they weren't front-facing anymore. You know, they were doing a lot of administrative work. Streamlining technical assistance wasn't really just about efficiency. In this case, it was about respect, respecting their time and their expertise and the communities in which they serve, the communities we all serve. So, centralizing and simplifying support made it easier for our local health departments to get answers quickly. And instead of chasing paperwork, staff are back in the schools and in neighborhoods and having conversations about strengthening community health.
SHEEHAN:
Centralizing and simplifying technical assistance made real impacts on local health departments.
RAMSDELL:
When you think of centralized support, we think of it about it kind of like a hub, right? This is a go-to place where if you have questions, you're going to get those questions. Get those questions answered. And some months we have 94 TA sessions that are held. They're looking at us face to face. We're holding a one to one session. And any questions they have about administrative work, from the grant possibilities, new ideas that they have or innovations, we're able to answer them in real time. And we develop quite a bit of rapport with health department directors who are really, just truly looking to use these grant dollars in the most efficient way, and local health directors have told us that what used to take them days of back and forth is now resolved in a single call or a screen share, instead of feeling like you're knocking on closed doors, local staff and know they have a direct line of support, and I would say even beyond that, they're building confidence and capacity and stronger connections to the communities that they serve. And that goes from every corner of the state. You know, we're largely rural, and you know, we have expansive ground to cover, and they're able to cover that ground in a way that we haven't been able to before.
SHEEHAN:
And beyond centralizing communications, PHIG has enabled Kansas to implement specific programs.
RAMSDELL:
You know, one stand-out program has been launching our Foundations of Public Health Training Program and Mental Health First Aid for our staff. You know, it's not just about skills. It's been about dignity. And it says to every worker internally that you know, whether you're brand new or decades in, that you deserve investment and you belong to something bigger than yourself. When you hear from departments saying, you know, we've been able to extend our clinic hours to meet a more diverse need within the community, that's phenomenal. And that's the kind of outcome that lasts beyond a grant cycle, which is fantastic.
SHEEHAN:
And Jade says that she hears a lot from local community members about the impacts of the infrastructure grant and that it's helped make public health feel more visible and more human.
RAMSDELL:
What we're seeing now is that when you walk into a local health department, you're more likely to see someone who reflects your own story, and that is what our work is all about. You know, a community health worker who knows your neighborhood, or a translator who is making sure that language isn't just a barrier to care, or even a lactation consultant who can support you through one of the most personal times of your life. Behind the scenes staff now have stronger tools, like electronic health records that are easier to use and share, and so your care is quicker and smoother and less frustrating, and those are the kind of stories that we're hearing from people. And the difference may not always be a headline, but you feel it in those everyday moments, and PHIG has made public health more accessible and more representative and more capable of meeting people exactly where they are, and that is what we are hearing from our communities, and that is what sticks with us each day.
SHEEHAN:
Jade Ramsdell is the performance improvement director at the Kansas Department of Health and Environment and the project director for the Public Health Infrastructure Grant. You can learn more about PHIG at cdc.gov or find a link in our show notes.
I'm John Sheehan, and this has been the Public Health Review Morning Edition from the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials.
