Barton County Health Department will honor Janel Rose, retiring public health educator, at a come-and-go reception from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 21, at Barton County Health Department, 1300 Kansas Ave. Community members are invited to attend.

Rose has served public health educator for almost 28 years and has initiated multiple grant projects to inform and address needs identified in Barton and partner counties.  

From earlier days with HIV education and bringing the AIDS Quilt to Barton County, and the Breast and Cervical Cancer project, to smoke-free restaurants, tobacco-free schools and youth tobacco prevention, to Suicide Prevention, Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program, and the master bike and pedestrian plan implementation in Barton and Rice counties, Rose has helped lead projects that have improved community health.

Rose, a graduate of Fort Hays State University with a master’s degree from Kansas State University, began her career as a secondary school teacher at Hoisington High School and Ransom High School. She is a past president of the Barton County Chapter of the American Association of University Women and serves as the current president of the Central Kansas Partnership.