About Us

History of Riley County Health Department

The Riley County Health Department (RCHD) was started as a city-county Health Department in 1952. Since that time, the Health Department has grown to meet the health and safety needs of the unique communities in Riley County. In December 2011, the Health Department became a county Health Department. The Health Department provides services through funding received from Federal, State, and local revenues. The client of the agency is the community.

Riley County’s Health Matters

The Health Department works with the diverse partners, organizations, and communities in the county to identify and address health issues and improve the quality of life for residents, visitors, and neighbors. Want to learn more about Riley County’s health? Visit Kansas Health Matters and see how Riley County compares to other Kansas counties. Riley County Kansas Health Matters data includes the following morbidity (presence of disease) and mortality (death) data:

• Obesity rates 
• Heart Disease and Stroke rates
• Cancer rates
• Diabetes rates
• Infant mortality 
• Alzheimer's disease mortality 
• Cancer mortality 
• Diabetes mortality 
• Injury mortality 
• Suicide mortality 
• and much more! 

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin's Population Health Institute have released the eighth annual County Health Rankings. In 2019, Riley County ranked 5th in Kansas for Health Outcomes. An easy-to-use snapshot that compares counties within the states, the Rankings provide information on factors communities can do something about, such as jobs, education, housing, community safety and more. Learn more at the County Health Rankings website and check out the Neighborhoods Matters App.

The Kansas Health Institute has released a Chartbook: Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities in a Changing Kansas. The racial and ethnic composition of the population in the state has changed with an increase in the number of minorities and a decrease in the number of non-Hispanic White Kansans, as well as a shift away from rural Kansas to urban and semi-urban communities. Overall health outcomes may be impacted by these changes in the population, as population groups may be exposed to different social determinants of health, including education, income, nutrition, access to care and more. The report includes county level data for Riley. Read the full report online. 

Board of Health

The Health Department is governed by the Board of Health. The Riley County Commissioners serve as the Board members.

The Riley County Public Health Advisory Council

The Board of Health and the Health Department are advised by members of the Manhattan community and Riley County. PHAC meetings are held the 4th Wednesday of each month in the Riley County Health Department Board Room (2030 Tecumseh Road). Meetings are open to the public. 

In accordance with provisions of the American Disabilities Act, every attempt will be made to accommodate the needs of person with disabilities an equal opportunity to participate in and enjoy the benefits of our services, programs, and activities. Please contact the Health Department Administration Office (785-776-4779) for assistance.

Members of the Advisory Committee include:

• Robert Boyd, Chair
• Paul Benne, Chair 
• Anna Binder
• Nadine Chalman
• Robbin Cole
• Lori Herman
• Ellyn Mulcahy
• Jenny Yuen
• Julie Gibbs 
• Daniel Winslow

Riley County Public Health Advisory Council Minutes 

Most Recent (pdf) | View All

Riley County Public Health Advisory Council Agendas

Most Recent (pdf) | View All

Sign-In Sheets & Handouts

Most Recent (pdf) | View All

Strategic Plan

Beginning in January 2016,  members of the Riley County Health Department staff participated in a  strategic planning process facilitated by Kansas Health Institute. We  are pleased to present our organizational strategic plan for 2017-2019.  This organizational strategic plan guides our work towards becoming a  more efficient and effective health department that provides high  quality programs and services that will positively impact the health of  the community. We encourage all community members to read the Strategic Planning Report (pdf).

Annual Reports

• 2018 Strategic Plan Annual Report (PDF)
• 2017 Strategic Plan Annual Report (PDF)

Needs Assessment

In an effort to gain  insights from the community for the purposes of planning and community  improvement, Wichita State University’s Center for Community Support and Research (CCSR) was contracted to conduct a community-wide needs  assessment for Riley County. The overarching theme of all of the data  collected is that Riley County is a community that is divided between a  high quality of life, prosperity, and growth on one hand, and dwindling  resources for and lack of attention to those who are most in need on the other. Read the full Community Needs Assessment for Riley County (pdf).

Riley County Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP)

Following the Community Needs Assessment, the Riley County Community Health  Improvement Plan (CHIP) process began. The CHIP was an iterative process involving over 200 stakeholders in reviewing data, discussing needs,  and identifying priorities. Based on the series of community and  stakeholder meetings, thirteen priorities were identified. Of those,  three were selected as having the most potential for collective impact  in improving the health of Riley County:

1. Communication and Coordination of Systems and Services
2. Transportation
3. Mental Health

These selected three priorities are being addressed through a concerted,  cooperative effort of strategic teams formed around the issues.The  community continues to works on these priorities and develop a more  detailed implementation plan with specific, measurable objectives and  activities.Read more about the CHIP planning process (pdf). Read more the full CHIP Report including the implementation plan. To provide feedback on the Community Health Improvement Plan please email info@FlintHillsWellness.org. If you would like to get involved in implementing the CHIP, please submit your information here: http://www.flinthillswellness.org/get-involved.cfm

To provide feedback on the Community Health Improvement Plan please email info@FlintHillsWellness.org. If you would like to get involved in the CHIP planning process please submit your information here: http://www.flinthillswellness.org/get-involved.cfm

The health department is responsible for informing others of the potential public health impact of policies being considered at the local, state, and federal levels. This page is updated with information about selected current or proposed policies and resolutions that impact the health of the public.

This page is updated with Information about selected current or proposed policies and resolutions that impact public health.

 Two new vaccines will be required for school-age children for the 2019-20 School Year: Meningococcal and Hepatitis A. KDHE proposed changes to the vaccine requirement regulations earlier this year and held a public hearing concluding a 60-day public comment period in June. The regulations were approved by KDHE and will go into effect on August 2. Read more on the Kansas Department of Health and Environment website. 

Additional resources regarding public health policy: 

• Kansas Health Institute
• Kansas Health Institute 2019 Kansas Legislative Preview (January 2019)
•  Kansas Association of Counties 2019 Policy Statement 
• Kansas Association of Counties Weekly Legislative Updates for the 2019 Legislative Session
• Kansas Association of Local Health Departments 2019 Policy Statement
• Kansas Association of Counties 2018 Policy Statement
• Kansas Association of Local Health Departments 2018 Policy Statement
• National WIC Association Advocacy