State Health Director Named

The Capital-Journal

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment has announced that Dr. Howard Rodenberg, of Daytona Beach, Fla., has accepted the position of the state’s health director.

Rodenberg has been director of the Volusia County Health Department in Daytona Beach since October 2003.

“Dr. Rodenberg’s experience in public health and emergency medical services, as well as his demonstrated commitment to health issues, will be invaluable to the agency,” KDHE Secretary Roderick Bremby wrote in a statement. “We are extremely pleased with his decision to return to the Midwest to lead the Division of Health, and we will greatly benefit from his experiences abroad, as well as his extensive background in medicine.”

Rodenberg earned his undergraduate degree in biology from the University of Missouri-Kansas City, his medical degree from the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine and his master’s degree in public health from the University of South Florida at Tampa.

Rodenberg’s experience includes working in emergency medicine services as EMS medical director for Volusia County, as medical director for EMS programs at Central Florida Community College, as a consultant for Emergency Health Services with Medical Rescue International Inc. in Johannesburg, South Africa, and as a field physician during the Rwandan refugee crisis in Zaire and following Hurricane Andrew in Florida.

Rodenberg also served as a NASA certified flight surgeon and as coordinator of the NASA-University of Florida Kennedy Space Center Launch and Landing Support Medical Team.

He will begin his position in February.

Dr. Howard Rodenberg

comes to Kansas from Florida