(a) The secretary of health and environment shall collect such information as is necessary to define the effective distribution of health manpower in the state and to project future health manpower needs in the state. The board of nursing, the Kansas dental board, the board of examiners in optometry, the state board of pharmacy, the state board of healing arts and the state board of veterinary medical examiners shall cooperate with the secretary of health and environment in the collection of health manpower information and shall furnish to the secretary of health and environment all such health manpower information.

(b) Information collected pursuant to the provisions of subsection (a) of this section shall be confidential and shall not be disclosed or made public, upon subpoena or otherwise, except such information shall be disclosed if no person can be identified in the information to be disclosed and the disclosure is for statistical purposes only.