KHI News Service

TOPEKA — The Kansas Department of Health and Environment on Thursday announced that Sara Belfry had been named director of communications.

Belfry is currently deputy director of communications for Gov. Sam Brownback’s office. She will begin her full-time position at KDHE on April 14.

Prior to joining the governor’s staff, she was director of public affairs at the Department on Aging, which later became the Department for Aging and Disability Services.

Belfry has a bachelor’s degree journalism from the University of Kansas.

She replaces Miranda Steele, who left KDHE last week for a communications position with Sunflower State Health Plan, one of the state’s three KanCare contractors.