Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health

04/07/2026

Congratulations to Wyatt Loethen, this year's Exemplar Award recipient for collaboration!

Since joining LDCPH in 2025, Wyatt has engaged 76% of staff in quality improvement projects. This showcases his commitment to building a culture of quality and teamwork across our organization.

Each year, we honor four staff members who embody our core values: collaboration, integrity, impact, and service. Thank you, Wyatt, for exemplifying collaboration in action!

04/06/2026

It's National Public Health Week! Each year, we join health departments across the nation to celebrate the work public health professionals do to improve our daily lives, safeguard our families, expand our life spans, and strengthen our communities.

Much of that work happens in the background, as success in public health often looks like "nothing happened." But behind that "nothing" are years of steady, intentional effort: refining policies, cultivating partnerships, training staff, earning trust, and strengthening the infrastructure that allows us to respond when it matters most. It's the kind of work that doesn't always get attention, but it's what makes everything else possible. This week we celebrate this work and the people making it happen!

04/05/2026

Join us for Public Health After Dark, a community event dedicated to exploring birth outcomes in Douglas County. We'll look at maternal and infant health, talk about why outcomes aren't equal for everyone, and reflect on what's behind those gaps.

📆 April 16 from 6:00 - 7:30 PM
📍Community Health Facility, 200 Maine St., Second floor meeting room

🔗This is a free event, but we ask that you RSVP at this link bit.ly/4sBAodA.

LMH Health LiveWell Douglas County Early Childhood Collective of Douglas County

04/04/2026

💉LDCPH offers a variety of vaccines to protect yourself against preventable diseases. View our full immunization list at ldchealth.org.

Same day visits are based on availability. Please call 785-843-0721 to schedule.

You can find your immunizations records anytime at myvaccinerecord.ks.gov.

04/03/2026

04/03/2026

We offer required and recommended back to school immunizations!

Please bring immunization records, ID, and insurance your appointment. If records are in another language, please drop them off or email them to office@ldchealth.org at least two business days in advance.

To schedule an appointment, call 785-843-0721. Same day visits possible, based on availability.

04/02/2026

Each week during flu season, we track Douglas County emergency department (ED) visits and wastewater levels to better understand how respiratory illnesses are spreading in our community.

In Douglas County, COVID ED visits are at 0%, flu ED visits are at 1%, and RSV ED visits are at 1%. In the Lawrence, KS wastewater, COVID and RSV levels remain high, while flu remains at medium levels.

Even though we are not seeing many people in the ER for COVID right now, high wastewater levels tell us the virus is still spreading in the community, including among people with mild or no symptoms. RSV is showing a similar pattern. Flu activity is lower, but has not altogether disappeared.

Please stay home if you're sick, wash your hands often, and cover your coughs and sneezes.

RSV activity started late in Kansas this season, which suggests the risk of RSV infection may continue longer than usual into the spring. Infants under 8 months of age are eligible to receive the RSV vaccine through April 30, 2026. If you have questions or need to schedule an appointment, please call our clinic at 785-843-0721.

04/01/2026

Shopping small applies to your healthcare too! When you choose local providers, more of those dollars stay right here in our local economy.

So next time you need a vaccine or health service, think local!

📞Call 785-843-0721 to schedule an appointment.

03/30/2026

We're grateful to Douglas County, Kansas Government and the Board of County Commissioners for awarding $50,000 from the Municipalities Fight Addiction Fund to expand HIV, Hepatitis B, and Hepatitis C testing for uninsured and underinsured residents in our community. Through our Designated Collaborating Organization agreement, Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health and Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center are proud to strengthen integrated, coordinated care all under one roof.

Visit bit.ly/412eLaI to read the full release.

📷: From left to right: LDCPH Executive Director Jonathan Smith, Douglas County Commissioner Erica Anderson, Douglas County Commissioner Gene Dorsey, LDCPH Clinic Services Director Christine Ebert, BNC CEO Dr. Kirsten Watkins, and BNC Sr. Director of Community Based Services Marsha Page-White.

03/28/2026

Whether you want to keep your loved ones safe from the dangers of secondhand smoke or you want to reduce your risk of disease, free help is available.

Call 1-800-QUIT-NOW or visit KSquit.org to get help today.

🚭What are your reasons for quitting?

03/27/2026

Our WIC team is here to support your breastfeeding journey through peer support and nutritional education for breastfeeding moms!

Visit ldchealth.org/wic to learn more.

03/27/2026

Each week during flu season, we track Douglas County emergency department (ED) visits and wastewater levels to better understand how respiratory illnesses are spreading in our community.

In Douglas County, COVID and flu ED visits are each at 1%, while RSV ED visits are down to 0%.

In Lawrence, KS wastewater, COVID and RSV levels are categorized as high, while flu levels are down to medium. Flu and RSV continue an overall downward trend, while COVID wastewater levels in Lawrence are showing a slight uptick. Even with low ED visits, high wastewater levels for COVID and RSV indicate ongoing community transmission, including mild or unreported cases. Flu activity is declining but still present, consistent with the seasonal pattern.

RSV activity started late in Kansas this season, which suggests the risk of RSV infection may continue longer than usual into the spring. Infants under 8 months of age are eligible to receive the RSV vaccine through April 30, 2026. If you have questions or need to schedule an appointment, please call our clinic at 785-843-0721.