This transcript is auto-generated and may contain inaccuracies.

Ashley Webb:
At the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, we have created a symbiotic relationship with the Public Health Infrastructure Grant. In this relationship, PHIG represents the flowers, and the funds provided by PHIG are the pollen. KTHE in this example is the hive, and our employees are the bees through the pollen that PHIG has provided. We have done the following with key accomplishments such as hiring five key staff, retaining said staff, beginning data modernization assessment, creating an internship pipeline program, and also initial distribution of local health department funds.

One of our greatest accomplishments through the Public Health Infrastructure Grant is the development of our recruitment strategy, such as expanding career ladders to attract applicants and aligning salaries with steps. We guide hiring managers on promoting and retaining staff by following the established career ladder for employee advancement. We engage staff and career fairs and build
strong networks with schools and organizations to showcase KTHE careers. We promote internships and encourage hiring interns into open KTHE positions after they graduate. We conduct salary reviews with up to 10% increases and share monthly turnover reports to strengthen the workforce. And then we fill vacancies and retain trained staff by offering growth through promotions, trainings, and benefits, such as education assistance.

One of our greatest success stories is through our labs. Through the Kansas Health and Environmental Laboratories, we were able to create three new career ladders, which include our microbiologist series, our chemist series, and our lab tech series. Through the creation of these new ladders, we were able to successfully hire one of our interns into a microbiologist series position, specifically in newborn screening.

Again, thanks to the funds or the pollen that PHIG has provided, we have also been able to fund multiple employee positions. Examples of PHIG-funded growth incentives are possible tuition assistance, along with paid development opportunities. Examples of these opportunities are our mental health first aid, Clifton Strengths, and Emerging Leadership Academy.