KU School of Pharmacy takes aim at rural shortages

Transcription

1 c o n n e c t i o n s Rural Health Education and Services Vol. 20 No. 2 Winter 2012 What s Inside... Page 3 Continuity is the goal of new health care system KU School of Pharmacy takes aim at rural shortages Page 4 & 5 Rural Kansas Photography Contest Page 7 Kansas Recruitment & Retention Center job listings Page 14 KU Medical School expands Page 15 Garden City adds helicopter transport service Page 16 Rural Health Care Provider Spotlight - Jon Bigler, PA The KU School of Pharmacy welcomed 20 students to its first class on the Wichita campus. The University of Kansas School of Pharmacy opened a satellite program in Wichita last fall to an inaugural class of 20 students all Kansas residents. The reason for the expansion is to meet the needs of the state, said Robert Emerson, KU School of Pharmacy Wichita associate dean. We have an aging pharmacist population in Kansas and we need graduates who will go out and carry the torch. We hope to graduate more students interested in serving rural Kansas. The demographics of the first Wichita class support that mission. The class has one student each from Andover, Altamont, Assaria, Cimarron, Derby, Ellsworth, Great Bend, Haven, Manhattan, Minneapolis and Olathe. The remaining nine students are from Wichita. Out of these 12 communities, half have a population of less than 3,000. The School of Pharmacy is located on the same campus as the KU School of Medicine in Wichita. Through video conferencing For a second straight year, the School of Pharmacy has reached a record-high enrollment as part of its work to meet the serious need for pharmacists in Kansas and nationwide. It now has an enrollment of 655 students, up from 586 students in the fall of technology, Wichita pharmacy students are given the same education as their Lawrence classmates. Every student has a microphone that when activated, allows a camera to zoom in so students at either location can always see who is speaking. Pharmacy CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

2 From The Director... Joyce Grayson Kansas Connections is published three times a year by the University of Kansas Medical Center, Rural Health Education and Services, Kansas City and Wichita. KUMC is an AA/EO/Title IX Institution. This publication is available in alternate formats upon request. Contact Jenifer Yuza (316) Kansas Relay Number DIRECTOR Joyce Grayson ADVISOR Lorene Valentine EDITOR /GRAPHIC DESIGNER Jenifer Yuza CONTRIBUTING WRITER Jackie Cleary Charles S. Billings Award Winners Announced The Charles S. Billings Award was established in 1971 and is the top honor given by the Kansas Hospital Association (KHA). KHA reserves this award for those who have truly shown their commitment, leadership and dedication for distinguished service and outstanding contributions to the health care of Kansans. During the KHA Annual Convention and Trade Show on November 16, KHA presented two Charles S. Billings Awards, one to Jackie John and one to Roger John. Jackie and Roger have made many contributions to health care in Kansas. They have both served communities by working to provide access to health care for local citizens. Jackie has served as vice president for resource development and vice president for regional operations for the Great Plains Health Alliance, Pictured from left to right: Tom Bell, President and CEO, KHA; Jackie John, Vice President Regional Operations, Great Plains Health Alliance; Roger John, President and CEO, Great Plains Health Alliance; Leonard Hernandez, KHA Board Chair (CEO, Morton County Health System in Elkhart) Inc., since Jackie most recently served as a KHA representative to the American Hospital Association Regional Policy Board and as a KHA representative on the Kansas Health Information Exchange Board. Roger has served as president and CEO for the Great Plains Health Alliance, Inc., since 1991 and has been with Great Plains since Roger most recently served as a member of the KHA Task Force on Medicaid Efficiencies, a group that is guiding KHA policy on the transformation of Medicaid in Kansas. 2 Kansas connections Checking Ears in the ER, Teddy Bear Clinic Photographed by Marcia Newell 2011 FIRST PLACE Health Care Photography Contest I would like to thank each of the contestants who entered the annual Rural Kansas Photography Contest. This year was a record-breaking year with 308 photo submissions. These photos allow us to promote rural Kansas by showing the beauty of the landscape, the connections of the community, the care in rural health care facilities and the fun side of Kansas. You can view the winning photos on pages 4 and 5 of this edition of Kansas Connections and online at ruralhealth. kumc.edu. Director CONTINUED ON PAGE 20

3 Continuity is the goal of new health care system Working smarter, not harder The Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) is a health care delivery model the University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita, Smoky Hill Family Medicine Residency Program in Salina began working toward in Now, three years later, the PCMH is more than a model; it s an everyday system that benefits patients and makes health care providers jobs easier. Doctors, resident physicians and nurses at the Smoky Hill Family Residency, who provide care at the Salina Family Healthcare Center, are working smarter, not harder, to see that patients receive the right care at the right time. The PCMH is based on the premise that the best health care has a strong primary care foundation. The model puts the primary care physician and a collaborative team at the center of a patient s care. With the Patient-Centered Medical Home, you want to see your primary care physician first. You identify your doctor as the first and best place to access health care, said Robert Freelove, MD, Smoky Hill Residency Program director. Two important changes the clinic made were to extensively utilize the electronic health record, which was new in 2008, and to redefine how health care workers collaborated and divided duties. We were two large, loosely affiliated teams working to care for patients, said Dr. Freelove. Now we have four smaller well-defined teams that maintain continuity with our patients. A small team consists of a faculty physician, medical assistant, first-, second- and third-year resident, a midlevel practitioner and a nurse. Each team has clinic space in an area defined With the Patient-Centered Medical Home you want to see your primary care physician first. You identify your doctor as the first and best place to access health care. Robert Freelove, MD Smoky Hill Residency Program director as a pod. The clinic has two pods that accommodate the four teams. The two teams in each pod share a floating medical assistant and a nurse whose primary duty is immunizations and chronic anticoagulation management. Everyone on a team has a specific role, said Dr. Freelove. Everybody on the team works to their maximum capacity. Before small teams, one nurse would do refills, another phone contacts and another triage duties. Now each team has a nurse that does all three things, he said. Dr. Sara (Cook) Purdy works with a young patient at the Salina Family Healthcare Center. In developing a medical home, health care is looked at from a systematic approach. Change is focused on how it will be good for patients and how it will improve and streamline care. An example of this can be shown through the clinic s progress in immunizations. At the Salina Family Healthcare Center, children receiving childhood immunizations were less than half the national average. To improve, they moved from an inefficient, reactive process where the physician needed to remember the ever-changing immunization schedule, to a systematic approach that has much better outcomes. Now the clinic utilizes the immunization nurse to check the patient schedule a day ahead to identify children who need immunizations. A standing order within the electronic record allows the nurse to proceed without waiting for the parent to ask for shots or the doctor to order them. The system alerts the medical assistant, the nurse and the doctor when a scheduled patient needs shots, said Dr. Freelove. We went from a reactive process to a team-based systematic one. Our immunizations are now above the national average. PCMH CONTINUED ON PAGE 18 3

4 Rural Kansas Photography Contest Since 2006, the University of Kansas Medical Center, Rural Health Education and Services department has coordinated a Rural Kansas Photography Contest. The purpose of the contest is to work with Kansans from across the state to produce a collection of photographic images to help promote Kansas as a great place for health care providers to live, work and play. The 2011 Rural Kansas Photography Contest set a record this year with 75 contestants submitting 308 photography entries. The contest is divided into four categories (rural landscape, health care, community and recreation) and judges vote for the top two photographs in each category. For rules, information and dates for the 2012 Rural Kansas Photography Contest, contact Jenifer Yuza at jyuza@kumc.edu. Rural Landscape 1 Community Lake Sunset Photographer: Lee Mossman Firefighters Photographer: Bryan Gilligan Health Care Recreation Checking Ears in the ER, Teddy Bear Clinic Photographer: Marcia Newell 4 Kansas connections Airplane Caleb Photographer: Jessica Lindsey; Submitted By: Roger Tobias

5 2 Recreation Rural Landscape Balloon Glows Alongside Moon Photographer: Ashley Davis Community Storm Passing Photographer: Jacob VanSkike Health Care Run for the Wall 2011 Photographer: Debbie Auld Tea Time Photographer: Marcia Newell Rural Kansas Photography Contest first, second and honorable mention photos online at ruralhealth.kumc.edu 5

6 Pharmacy CONTINUED FROM COVER Our instructors do a good job of engaging the distance students. The instructors and students can interact with each other 160 miles apart, said Emerson. It s really one school, one curriculum on two campuses. The Wichita expansion, along with a new School of Pharmacy building constructed in Lawrence last year, allowed the number of incoming pharmacy students to increase from 105 two years ago to 170 this year. In 2014, contingent on need, the Wichita class size could potentially increase to 40 students, bringing the overall number of first-year pharmacy students to 190. For a second straight year, KU s School of Pharmacy has reached a record-high enrollment as part of its work to meet the serious need for pharmacists in Kansas and nationwide. It now has an enrollment of 655 students, up from 586 students in the fall of The present growth comes at a time when a shortage of pharmacists is growing at a swift pace. According to the Rural Policy Research Institute, Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis, the number of rural independently owned community pharmacies declined rapidly from May 2006 through September It continued to drop at a slower rate through Data from the Pharmacy Manpower Project, established to analyze data on the supply and demand for U.S. pharmacists, estimates that by 2020 the nation is expected to be more than 150,000 pharmacists short of what is needed. The same group found that 6 Kansas connections Kansas was one of nine states that showed the highest level of pharmacist shortage. The primary shortage for Kansas is in rural areas. Emerson calls it an extreme shortage. Kansas now has six counties without a pharmacy and another 30 have only one. First-year student Amanda Payne, who s studying in Wichita and is from Cimarron, is hopefully part of the answer for Kansas. She is the type of student the School of Pharmacy hopes to attract and nurture in its overall program, but especially in Wichita. I like the small class size. There is more opportunity for one-on-one interaction, Payne said. Payne garnered an interest in a pharmacy career in high school after We have an aging pharmacist population in Kansas and we need graduates who will go out and carry the torch. Robert Emerson, Associate Dean, KU School of Pharmacy shadowing Cimarron s local pharmacists Jim Coast, RPh, CGP, and Mike Coast, RPh, CGP, a father and son team who own pharmacies in Cimarron, Dodge City and Minneola, as well as a closeddoor pharmacy that serves rural nursing homes and assisted living centers. The Coasts hired Payne as a pharmacy technician at Clark Pharmacy in Cimarron after her first year of college; she continued to work there each summer and during school breaks. The Coasts definitely impacted my decision to go to pharmacy school. They pride themselves on the care they give to everyone. It s amazing what they will do for their customers, Payne said. Like many small rural pharmacies, Clark Pharmacy is more than a place to get medicine. Townspeople stop by to shop in the gift boutique and they gather at the full-service soda fountain for a refreshing drink or ice cream. It fills more than the need for prescriptions in Cimarron. The hometown friendliness has not been lost on Payne. I want to work in a rural independent pharmacy. I like that atmosphere, she said. More people would choose rural pharmacy if they could see how rewarding it can be. The Coasts, both graduates of the KU School of Pharmacy, are preceptors for the school. They regularly welcome both fourth and sixth-year students to their pharmacies. There are a lot of opportunities in western Kansas and we try to help them get connected, said Jim Coast. We try to emphasize a hands-on experience in our rotation. Compounding, the mixing of drugs to fit the unique needs of a patient, is a skill students get to try at Clark Pharmacy. Coast noted compounding experience broadens students options for employment and is making a comeback in the profession. We average about seven or eight compounds a day, he said. The Clark Pharmacy compounding lab can make medications without dye, make a formulation for someone who can t swallow a tablet, and they make several formulations for Bio-identical Hormone Replacement Therapy. Compounding for local veterinarians is also commonplace. The Coast style has made a memorable impression on Payne, as well as on a sixth-year pharmacy student who did a rotation with them last year. Gail Unruh, Pharm D., KU 11, joined their staff. Coast said the Wichita campus will help develop pharmacy interest for rural Kansas. I think it will help us down the road. I anticipate it will help us find students who want to stay in rural America, he said.

7 Kansas Recruitment and Retention Center February 2012 The mission of the Kansas Recruitment and Retention Center (KRRC) is to assist Kansas rural communities in recruiting and retaining physicians and other health care providers. KRRC works with hospitals, private physician practices, community health centers, and other organizations in recruiting physicians, nurses, physician assistants and other health care professionals. KRRC is also a health care career service for physicians, physician assistants, nurses, nurse practitioners and other allied health professionals. KRRC assists candidates in finding a community and practice or career opportunity that meets their requirements. Services are provided to candidates at no charge. Candidates should refer to a position by number when they are calling about a specific opening. For more information, contact the University of Kansas Medical Center, Rural Health Education and Services, or , or visit the website at NORTH CENTRAL KRC C Family Physician 25-bed CAH and rural health clinic; current staffing includes 1 physician and 1 PA; call is 1:3; salary: $135,000- $150,000; full benefits KRC Family Physician w/o OB for 2-campus, 99-bed hospital w/ secondary campus 20 miles southwest; salary is $140,000 + production incentive + sign-on bonus; call is 1:2; full benefits KRC Registered Nurse for 12- bed ICU; the 385-bed hospital focuses on career, community, and family; 125 physicians on staff; salary is competitive and negotiable; full benefits KRC Orthopaedic Surgeon successful group practice; opportunity for qualified residents to earn $1000/month while completing training; excellent salary; full benefits KRC Gastroenterologist large multispecialty group; Opportunity for qualified residents to earn $1000/month while completing training; competitive salary, negotiable; full benefits KRC Dermatologist BC/BE for Dermatological and Medical Aesthetics care in a well organized and growing private practice; mix of general dermatology, medical aesthetics, and surgical dermatology; aggressive compensation, fantastic bonus potential, full benefits, signing bonus, paid relocation expenses KRC Urologist two-campus, 99-bed, regional acute care hospital. New practice; call is negotiable and may be shared; able to develop the program; specialty is in very high demand; great salary; full benefits KRC Family Physician w/ OB for 25-bed hospital w/2 clinics. Currently on staff: 3 FPs, 1 GS; call coverage is 1:4 weekends and backup call during the week; negotiable salary, great benefits KRC Physician Assistant for well-established and busy family medicine practice; schedule is 4.5 days per week; currently on staff: 4 FPs and 1 PA/NP; no call coverage; salary is $60,000 - $70,000 + production bonus; great benefits KRC Nurse Practitioner for an experienced NP in a well-established, busy family medicine practice; schedule is 4.5 days/ week; currently 4 FPs and 1 PA/NP on staff; no call coverage; salary range is $60,000 - $70,000 + production bonus w/ one-year contract; excellent benefits KRC Emergency Medicine BC/ BE opportunity for 385-bed regional health care center; newly constructed Emergency Room has 26 beds and 27,000 visits annually; open 24 hours; physicians work 12 hour shifts with at least one physician on staff at all times; while they are working towards level III trauma designation, trauma team is formed and responding to trauma needs now; emergency air ambulance is available directly atop of the ER; for those residents and fellows who qualify, there is an opportunity to earn $1,000 per month while completing their last two years of training KRC General Surgeon BE/BC GS for 385-bed regional health care center; facility is a regional referral center for many specialties and is working to become accredited as a level III trauma center; looking for a physician leader to help improve accessibility and quality of trauma care to patients; great income potential and signing bonus KRC Neurological Surgery Physician BC/BE Neurosurgeon for large regional hospital to join neuro and trauma teams; strong surgical and interpersonal skills, desire to collaborate w/ other specialties in the delivery of trauma/neuro care to patients in region; state-ofthe-art imaging and technology capabilities;stipend of $1,000/month available to residents/fellows who qualify while finishing last two years of training KRC Neurologist 385-bed community-owned not-for-profit regional hospital seeks BE/ BC Neurologist to assist with in-patient & out-patient care; experience or training in EEG, EMG, Nerve Conduction, Botox, interest in movement disorders a plus; for those residents and fellows who qualify, there is an opportunity to earn $1,000 per month while completing their last two years of training; aggressive compensation, benefits package KRC Obstetrician/Gynecologist BC/BE OB/GYN physician for well established single specialty women s clinic; aggressive compensation, benefits package, opportunity for qualified residents/fellows to earn $1,000/month while completing their last two years of training; currently on staff are 2 fulltime OB/GYN physicians; call time is 1:3 KRC BC/BE Hospitalist Critical Care/Intensivist or appropriately trained Internal Medicine physician for 385-bed regional hospital; set schedule of 7 days on, 7 days off; aggressive compensation, benefits package, this health center serves as the regional hub for state-of-the-art medical services, newly completed patient tower and renovations, diverse medical staff of more than 130 physicians KRC BC/BE Pediatrician for pediatric clinic w/ 6 child-friendly themed exam rooms; aggressive compensation, benefits package, 1:4 call; privileges at the Regional Health Center CONTINUED 7

8 KRC Physician Assistant BE/BC Physician Assistant w/ training and/or experience in Cardiovascular Surgery to work w/ cardiothoracic surgeon; primarily an OR position, surgery typically 3-4 days/week; clinic 1 day/week; daily in-patient rounds split w/ NP, call coverage is every other night & every other weekend (split w/ CVT Surgeon); competitive salary, great benefits; position offers autonomy & learning environment KRC Family Physician to join growing healthcare system; FP w/ OB is preferred but will consider FP w/o OB; emergency department is open 24/7 and is staffed by mid-level providers with primary care physicians as on call back up; salary is negotiable and competitive, great benefits KRC General Surgeon for all laparoscopic procedures (chest, vascular); Mon-Fri 8:30a-5p; position does include consultative or referral call; income guarantee, potential partnership opportunity; excellent benefits NORTHEAST KRC C Family Physician join 2 physician at group practice clinic; salary is $140,000+; call coverage rotates; full benefits; H-1B and J-1 opportunity KRC Internist for multi-specialty group including 13 physicians w/various specialties; 4 PAs/NPs on staff; 4 satellite clinics; 120-bed admitting health center; call is 1:8; salary is competitive and negotiable; benefits KRC Family Physician with OB for a newly constructed hospital based clinic; office in a new hospital-based clinic; call is every 5-6 weeknights and 5th-6th weekend; salary range is $180,000 to $200,000; great benefits KRC Nursing Unit Manager for OR of 92-bed hospital; RNs in the OR are responsible for scheduling and coordination of surgeries in the OR, patients/physicians, and staff; hospital employed position offering a competitive salary; experienced RNs and new graduates are encouraged to apply; great benefits KRC Laboratory Director 24-bed CAH; currently on staff: 4 physicians, 1 PA/NP, 1 Med-Tech, 2 Med/Lab Techs, 1 phlebotomist/secretary; call shared equally among all staff; must have ASCP or equivalent; salary is negotiable and depending on experience; great benefits KRC Physical Therapist for 24-bed CAH; position is 50% outpatient, 20% peds, 15% inpatient, and 15% home health; rehab facility is brand new; currently on staff: 1 PT, 4 PTA s, and 1 OT; position hours are 8-4:30, flexibility offered, call time is 1 holiday weekend /year; salary is competitive and includes a great benefits package 8 Kansas connections KRC Medical Lab Technologist KRC Medical Technologist for 24-bed CAH; currently 4 physicians and 1 NP on staff at the hospital; experienced and new graduates are encouraged to apply; must have ASCP or equivalent; salary is negotiable depending on experience, great benefits; day shift position 6a-3p, 8a-4:30, or 9:30-6p, call coverage is shared KRC BC/BE Gastroenterologist for multi-specialty group practice; group includes 13 physicians, also 4 PA/NPs on staff w/ 100 supporting staff members, four satellite clinics; admitting regional health center located within one half mile of practice; call coverage is shared with 2 other gastroenterologists in the community; salary is competitive and negotiable; great benefits KRC Family Medicine w/out OB KRC Internist for Not-for-Profit organization that provides health and dental care for the uninsured; physician will work 16 hours/week, Mon, Wed & Thurs evenings 5-9P & Sat 8A-noon; benefits, salary range of $53-$65/hour KRC Clinical Laboratory Scientist for 24-bed CAH; experienced, new graduates are encouraged to apply; must have ASCP or equivalent; salary is negotiable depending on experience; day shift position 6a-3p, 8a-4:30p, or 9:30-6p, call coverage is shared KRC Dentist to join a expanding clinic providing dental care for the indigent/medicaid populations of the immediate county; dentist needed to diagnose, treat diseases as well as provide preventive dental services; position offers competitive salary with 1-3 year contract and an annual performance based bonus; attractive benefits package KRC LPN to join a thriving FQHC w/ over 170 employees; position will focus on primary care, family planning, immunizations, must be licensed in Kansas, certified in CPR, & possess valid driver s license; no nights, weekends, or call time for LPNs; full-time opportunity w/ steady clinic hours 8-5 & 10-7 (Tuesdays only); great benefits KRC Nurse Practitioner to join safety net, primary care clinic; NP must have experience working with patients whose income is below 200% of the federal poverty level, flexibility in assigned working hours is needed; ARNPs will lead the care team (as applicable) and ensure the highest standards of care are provided for the patients; salary range is $65,000-$70,000 and is based on a full-time 40-hour work week, great benefits KRC Family Physician KRC Internal Medicine Physician KRC Pediatrician for a Kansas Safety Net Primary Care clinic, physician will be the sole physician in the clinic, physician will participate in an on-call system; must have a license to practice medicine in the State of Kansas, Board Eligible/ Certified; ability to speak a foreign language helpful, $110, ,000 DOE & skill range; benefits package available including student loan repayment program KRC BE/BC Family Medicine KRC BE/BC Med Ped for FQHC with state-of-the art environment offering EMR; competitive salary & excellent benefits; very limited call; NHSC approved site; Bi-lingual providers encouraged to apply KRC Pharmacist to join hospital as Director of Pharmacy, candidate should be certified as a registered Pharmacist in the state of Kansas, in good professional standing and it is preferred that they have five or more years of hospital pharmacy experience; salary is commensurate with experience, great benefits KRC Clinical Pharmacist to join clinic that works to assist the medically underserved. The pharmacist responsibilities include coordinating the pharmacy technician s duties, specialize in dispensing drugs prescribed by physicians and providing information to patients about their side effects and use; position offers a great benefits package KRC Physical Therapist to join large, fully integrated rural healthcare system in Northeast Kansas, PT is needed to provide therapy in both home health and outpatient environment; typical work week is Mon-Fri 7a-5p; salary range is $66,500 - $76,900 & based on experience, comprehensive benefits package NORTHWEST KRC Gastroenterologist 190+ bed state-of-the-art medical center w/new wellness facility; 90 physicians on active medical staff; salary negotiable; full benefits; H-1B and J-1 opportunity KRC Family Physician with OB, prefer c-section certified; 25-bed CAH; currently 3 physicians and 1 PA/NP; call is 1:4 as secondary to ARNP (primary ER call); salary includes base + productivity incentive, approximately $150,000+ depending on OB and procedures; full benefits; H-1B opportunity KRC Internist 190+ bed, state of the art medical center and wellness facility; currently 90 physicians on staff; call is 1:5; salary is negotiable; benefits; an outstanding hospital in a positive and progressive environment; H-1B and J-1 opportunity KRC C Family Physician 25-bed CAH; OB preferred; rural health clinic on-site (4-day schedule); current staff: 3 FPs, 1 general surgeon, 1 PA/NP; call is 1:5 ER and 1:3 OB; salary is $140,000-$150,000 + incentives; full benefits; J-1 and H-1B opportunity CONTINUED

9 KRC C Family Physician 25-bed CAH with a 33-bed long term care unit attached; 2 clinics - one in town, and one 15 miles away; out of town clinic has a physician half day/week and FT NP; new FP will work in the clinic 4.5 days and will perform rounds on long term care patients and their patients in the hospital; OB preferred, but not required; no high-risk OB; current staff: 1 physician (does OB), 1 NP, and 2 PAs; call is 1:4 with second call backup for the PAs; salary is $150,000-$165,000; full benefits; H-1B and J-1 opportunity KRC C Family Physician w/o OB for health center that operates a 24-bed CAH, 2 RHC s, 8 specialty clinics, and retirement community; to see patients in rural health clinic and long-term care, and participate in the admission and delivery of inpatient care; call is no more than 1:3-5; currently 3 full-time providers on staff; salary is $150,000-$170,000; excellent benefits; H-1B and J-1 opportunity KRC C Internist for health center that operates a 24-bed CAH, 2 rural health clinics, 8 specialty clinics, and a retirement community; to see patients in a rural health clinic setting and long-term care, to participate in the admission and delivery of inpatient care; call is 1:3½ or less; currently 3 fulltime providers on staff; salary is $150,000-$170,000; excellent benefits; H-1B and J-1 opportunity KRC Pulmonologist/Critical Care Physician for 2 physician team, practice attached to hospital; the 190+ bed state-of-the-art medical center has 90 physicians on staff; call is 1:3; salary is competitive and negotiable; full benefits; H-1B and J-1 opportunity KRC Family Physician w/ or w/o OB for group practice in 24-bed CAH and 36-bed long term care unit; current staff: 3 FPs and 1 NP on staff; to work in clinic w/in walking distance of hospital; call is 1:4; 1 satellite facility; salary: $130,000-$150,000; loan repayment and relocation; H1-B and J-1 opportunity KRC Internist group practice in 24-bed CAH and 36-bed long term care unit; current staff: 3 FPs and 1 NP; Internist will work in clinic w/ in walking distance of hospital; call is 1:4; 1 satellite facility; salary: $130,000-$150,000; loan repayment and relocation; H-1B and J-1 opportunity KRC Hospitalist for 190+ bed, state of the art medical center and wellness facility; currently 90 physicians on staff, will be 6 hospitalists providing care; current 12 hr shift is 7on, 7 off; evening coverage every 6th week; salary is competitive and negotiable; benefits KRC Physical Therapist 190+ bed medical center; rehabilitation center just underwent a $17 million expansion. Experienced therapists and new grads encouraged to apply; KS licensure and BLS certification must complete within first 2 weeks. Salary: $55,000-$58,000 for new grads, based upon experience for experienced therapists; full benefits KRC Occupational Therapist 270-bed, state-of-the-art medical center and wellness facility; rehabilitation center just underwent a $17 million expansion; acute care/inpatient hospital setting; salary: $68,000 and based upon experience; full benefits KRC Occupational Therapist 25-bed CAH that includes a 2 physician hospitalbased clinic and a 68 bed long term care facility. Will work with another OT and handle 5-8 patients per day; emphasis on hand therapy preferred but not required. Salary depends on experience; range: $46,600 - $75,000; full benefits KRC Occupational Therapist NEW facility; 20-bed CAH; experienced therapists and new graduates encouraged to apply; salary is negotiable and depends upon experience; great benefits KRC Physical Therapist NEW facility; 20-bed CAH; the hospital also supports 4 satellite clinics; experienced therapists and new graduates are encouraged to apply. Salary is negotiable; fantastic benefits KRC Medical Technologist Manager 16-bed progressive hospital; will oversee technical procedures and personnel; salary is $30,000-$40,000; excellent benefits KRC C Family Physician with OB for newly remodeled RHC, on campus of 25-bed CAH; call is 1-4; to perform C-sections. Prefer interest in pediatrics, elder care, and women s health and commitment to the medical home concept; Great patient mix and enhanced reimbursement through the RHC. Salary: $170,000 - $190,000; great benefits KRC Family Physician w/ or w/o OB for 18-bed CAH; patient population is pediatric thru geriatric in variety of settings; currently 1 physician and 2 ARNP s on staff; call is secondary; 1:4, ARNP s take primary call; salary is $175,000- $185,000 plus a production bonus, a sign-on bonus, and ARNP supervision pay with a three-year contract; full benefits; H-1B and J-1 opportunity KRC Medicine-Pediatrics 18-bed CAH; patient population is pediatric thru geriatric in variety of settings; currently 1 physician and 2 ARNP s on staff; call is secondary; 1:4, ARNP s take primary call; salary is $175,000-$185,000 plus production bonus, sign-on bonus, and ARNP supervision pay with a three-year contract; full benefits; H-1B and J-1 opportunity KRC Physician Assistant schedule Mon.-Fri. 8a-5p in the ER and RHC; no weekends or holiday work typically involved; no weekend or night call; top salary and benefits KRC Medicine-Pediatrics 25-bed CAH; currently on staff: three other physicians and three PA/NPs; must have Kansas licensure; salary and benefits negotiable and competitive; J-1 and H-1B opportunity KRC Otolaryngologist 25-bed CAH; currently on staff: 3 other physicians and 3 PA/NPs; must have Kansas licensure or be eligible. Salary and benefits are negotiable and competitive; J-1 visa opportunity KRC Physician Assistant 25-bed CAH w/ HPSA designation; call is 1:4; currently on staff: 2 physicians and 1 PA; salary is $75,000- $80,000 + production bonus; great benefits, J-1 visa opportunity KRC Internal Medicine 25-bed CAH; currently on staff: 3 physicians and 2 PA/NPs; must have Kansas licensure or be eligible; salary and benefits are negotiable and competitive KRC Nurse Practitioner 25-bed CAH, HPSA designation, call is 1:4; currently on staff: 2 physicians, 1 PA; salary range is $75,000- $80,000 + production bonus, great benefits KRC Family Physician w/o OB for thriving family medicine clinic looking to expand; currently on staff: 6 physicians, 2 PA/NPs, 7 RNs plus support staff; call is 1:6; salary is negotiable, full benefits KRC Dentist needed to build practice in a great community, current dentists not able to take new patients; great need for new dentist to provide oral health services; several nearby communities willing to assist in setting up practice and creating established patient base; salary starting at $125,000, benefits negotiable and include relocation costs KRC Family Medicine w/o OB for FQHC; great opportunity to join wonderful staff; currently on staff: 2 physician, 2.2 NPs, 1DDS, 1RDH; to provide care to all ages, under the direction of the Medical Director; great benefits, 5 weeks PTO; salary range of $140,000- $160,000 KRC Family Physician w/o OB for family medicine clinic looking to expand; current staff includes 6 physicians, 2 PA/NPs, 7 RNs plus support staff; call is 1:6; salary is negotiable; full benefit package offered, including paid vacation, CME allowance, relocation costs and possible loan repayment KRC Nurse Practitioner to join newly formed hospital owned clinic with several specialty physicians; great opportunity for experienced clinician or new graduate; ER coverage will be shared, call time will be 10 days/month, only one on a weekend; lab and x-ray done in the same building; salary is $90,000, it is negotiable, includes a 1 year contract, outstanding benefits package CONTINUED 9

10 KRC Registered Nurse 25-bed CAH & clinic; currently on staff: 2 physicians, 1 PA; salary is competitive and negotiable; hospital is in a HPSA designated area & participates in NHSC loan repayment program; great benefits KRC Registered Nurse to join busy OR in a 25-bed CAH; full-time position with 6a-2p shift and rotating call schedule; circulating nurse position with some pre and post op coverage; salary range is $42,000-$64,700 & based on experience; benefits KRC ARNP progressive cardiology practice seeks Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner to join our team; position works directly with a cardiologist 1:1; call coverage is 1:4, average 35 patients a month; position is predominately acute care hospital-based; new grads encouraged to apply; competitive salary range, benefits KRC Family Physician w/out OB KRC Internal Medicine KRC Med/Ped position available to oversee care of RHC, acute, swing, long term care, and ER patients; 1 PA currently on staff; 8-5 schedule, call coverage: 8 days/28 day cycle; benefits, salary range is negotiable as is contract duration, bonus structure KRC Nurse Practitioner to join new comprehensive Breast Center; work closely with breast cancer specialists, see patients independently under supervision; Mon-Fri 8a-5p, no call coverage; 3-5 years of nursing experience preferred; understanding of breast diseases & breast cancer; light travel; salary range is $78,000 - $98,000, benefits KRC Physician Assistant to join orthopedic practice; new PA will join 4 surgeons, 1 DO, and 4 PA s; schedule is Mon-Fri, 8a-5p & will involve traveling to outreach clinics; PA will see own patients in clinic; average number of patients: 30/ day; PA will be on the same outreach/call schedule as their provider; salary is highly competitive, benefits KRC Physical Therapist Supervisor to join 24-bed CAH to manage PT dept; responsible for coordinating patient care of dept, also provides direct patient care; position schedule is 7:30a-4:30p; currently on staff: 1 PTA, and 1 additional PTA is being hired; salary range is $52,000-$56,500; benefits package KRC Physical Therapist for 25-bed CAH; rehab dept fully renovated, new equipment; current staff includes 2 PT, 4 PTAs, 2 OT, 1 COTA; need a well rounded therapist: flexible, knowledgeable; must have great customer service and patient education skills; new graduates, experienced therapists are encouraged to apply; must have current Kansas license or be eligible; salary range is $72,800- $93,600, excellent benefits; call time is none/very minimal; hours are Mon-Fri 8a-5p KRC Dentist to join progressive safety-net clinic; schedule is Mon-Fri 8a-5p; salary range is $115,000-$125,000 w/ 2 year contract; comprehensive benefits package KRC Family physician w/o OB for clinic, hospital, and emergency department patients; call currently 1:4, this may decrease in the future; clinic is newly remodeled uses EMR; salary range of $180,000-$210,000 if bonuses attained, sign on bonus & RVU production incentive, great benefits KRC Family Physician w/o OB KRC Internist RHC w/ updated equipment & facilities, attached to a 20-bed CAH; physician clinic includes oversight of NPs & oversight of patients/residents with ER call throughout the month; excellent benefits, salary is $150,000+ KRC Medical Technologist KRC Medical Laboratory Technologist for a 25-bed CAH serving NW Kansas, Eastern Colorado, and SW Nebraska with a full range of clinical services, full time position with primarily day and early evening work, call coverage is every 5th weekend and typically once per week; salary range is $37,400-$47,800, great benefits package KRC Director of Nursing for 16 - bed newly remodeled, progressive hospital that takes pride in service and values employees, the DON will manage the department of nursing services to provide care for a full spectrum of ages; schedule is typically Mon-Fri w/ back-up responsibilities as needed; salary starts at $65,000+ depending on experience, great benefits KRC Hematologist/ Oncologist to join 2 Hem/Onc physicians providing comprehensive care for patients in the region; shared call; hospital employed opportunity w/ base salary & production bonus, full benefits package; work culture of this medical center is based on teamwork and respect SOUTH CENTRAL KRC Family Physician without OB for hospital-based RHC; varying call schedule models; salary range: $145,000-$160,000; great benefits; currently 1 FP and 3 PAs on staff KRC C Internist KRC C Family Physician w/o OB for 25-bed CAH; call is 1 evening/wk and 1:5 weekends; salary: $150,000-$160,000 w/ up to a 2 year contract; full benefits; H-1B and J-1 opportunity KRC Family Physician with OB for rural health clinic; currently 3 physicians and 2 PAs/NPs on staff; phone call is 1:4; 4 days/week schedule; nearby 80-bed hospital; salary is competitive and negotiable; full benefits KRC Internist group located within a 69-bed acute care facility; also, a 51-bed short-term and long-term care facility, home health agency, rural health clinics, and specialty physician clinics; currently 3 internists and 1 gastroenterologist KRC Speech Language Pathologist 103-bed newly renovated/updated medical center; PRN, Monday-Friday during the day. Patients range from pediatric to geriatric; competitive pay; great benefits KRC Urologist option to be hospital employed or in a solo practice; no other urologists on staff; call is negotiable. Benefits are comprehensive; excellent salary KRC Pediatrician group practice with suburban and rural patients in clinic and hospital, covering a level II nursery; complete clinical EMR/HER; currently1 full time pediatrician and part-time MDs on staff; cover deliveries at OB request; call is 1:4 nights and weekends; salary range is $140,000 to $155,000 + possible bonuses; benefits KRC Laboratory Director (ASCP or equivalent); friendly RHC and 25-bed CAH; will oversee 3-4 med techs, 1 lab assistant; shared call time of 1-2 nights per week and a weekend rotation every 3rd; great salary and benefits package KRC C Family Physician w/ OB, family practice clinic with a four day work week. Current staff: 5 physicians and 2 PAs. Call Coverage will be shared with an eight physician rotation. Salary is $160,000 with great benefits KRC Family Physician w/o OB; will work in a FQHC, care for children and adults in a family practice setting, some supervisory duties of NPs/ PAs and hospital care. New facility with new equipment; shared call coverage; salary range is $161,000 - $178,000; excellent benefits KRC Family Medicine community health center; w/ or w/o OB; benefits include medical, dental, 10 paid vacation days, loan repayment availability, CME allowance and a negotiable salary KRC Occupational Therapist for newly remodeled therapy department, new therapy pool; currently on staff: 1 PT, 2 PTAs, PRN COTA, and SLP staff. Great benefits, competitive salary KRC Medicine-Pediatrics 22- bed CAH with RHC, long-term care center, and home care agency, expansion and renovation project planned; call coverage 2 days/week; salary $145,000 - $165,000 + sign on and retention bonus; full benefits 10 Kansas connections CONTINUED

11 KRC Physical Therapist 103-bed facility w/ about 60 physicians of all specialties; salary is $52,000 - $65,000 and depends on experience; excellent benefits KRC Internal Medicine 22-bed CAH w/ attached RHC, 32-bed long-term care center, and home care agency; new renovation and expansion project planned; Call coverage is 2 days/ week, no weekends or holidays that fall on a Monday or Friday; currently on staff: 1 physician, 1 PA, 2 nurses and 2 support staff; salary is $145, ,000; full benefits KRC C Family Medicine w/ or w/ out OB; join existing practice w/ 2 physicians; call coverage shared w/ 8 physician rotation; salary is $160,000-$180,000/ year w/ first year guarantee and option for year two KRC Internist KRC Medicine Pediatrics KRC Family Physician w/o OB - for 22-bed CAH w/ attached rural health clinic, 32-bed long-term care center, and home care agency; renovation and expansion project planned; call coverage is 2 day/ week; no weekends or holidays that fall on a Monday or Friday; $205,000 + sign on and retention bonus, great benefits KRC Family Physician for growing health center, OB is preferred, but negotiable; very supportive medical community, great working environment, currently one internist, Peds, ARNP and 8 volunteer physicians on staff; great benefits and negotiable salary KRC Nurse Manager for nonprofit urban primary health care institution to participate in development of clinical areas of strategic and operational plans; ideal candidate would have KS RN license and special interest in community medicine; salary range is $45,000 - $52,000; H1-B opportunity KRC Endocrinologist for solo practice located within the hospital; hospital prefers generalist that is able to do a wide range of ENT procedures; competitive salary, full benefits KRC General Surgeon to join expanding practice; new, hospital employed position, joining one full-time GS and 1 part-time orthopedic surgeon; general surgeon should be familiar with laparoscopic and bariatric surgery; clinic space and staff are provided in-house and shared with the other surgeon; facility averages 90+ surgeries per month; salary range is around $220,000 + incentive bonus; excellent benefits package KRC OB/GYN needed to join a thriving CHC with 3 satellite clinics; the OB GYN would focus on women s health and providing pre and post natal care, outpatient only; currently on staff are 6 physicians and 6 PA/NPs; call coverage will be 1:5 phone triage; salary is competitive and based on experience, great benefits KRC Registered Nurse for family focused, 25-bed CAH & adjoining RHC, RN needed to assist physicians in the family practice; currently 1 Physician and 3 PA/NPs on staff, hospital is open to experienced RN s and new graduates; salary range is negotiable, competitive, and based on experience; great benefits package, position may offer loan repayment, relocation costs, and a CME allowance KRC Internal Medicine physician for full time, traditional IM clinic w/ inpatient/ outpatient mix; call coverage is shared and would be one in five weekends; excellent benefits; salary: $175,000-$200,000 range with a 1-2 year guarantee as well as a sign-on bonus KRC OB/GYN for family-oriented, small-town practice; call is 1:2 for one hospital, which provides one-on-one nursing for laboring patients; excellent benefits, salary is in the $175,000- $200,000 range w/ one to two year guarantee + sign-on bonus KRC Family Physician KRC Internal Medicine Physician for FQHC, position will be for chief medical officer; faith based non-profit clinic serving the indigent population; very convenient schedule Mon.-Fri. 8A 5P; full benefits, salary DOE KRC Nurse Practitioner KRC Physician Assistant to join faith-based FQHC look-alike; NP/PA will work in a primary care team w/ family practice physicians, NPs, PAs, & pediatricians; salary range is $65,000- $75,000 w/ annual contract; comprehensive benefits package KRC Family Physician for nonprofit CHC seeking a Physician/Medical Director; accommodating 8:30-5:00 schedule for this outpatient clinic; clinic is a multi cultural, fast paced, high patient volume environment with excellent providers and electronic health records; great benefits KRC Physician Assistant KRC Nurse Practitioner for RHC & cover the ER of a 25-bed CAH; must be willing to cover the hospital s ER 1 night/week & 1 weekend every 5 weeks.; schedule is 4 days/week in the RHC and the ER call schedule; position can include OB if desired; salary range is based on experience & provider requirements w/ 2 year contract, great KRC C Family Medicine Physician w/o OB to take over two clinic solo practices w/ current patient base; position is located in a desirable area in South Central, KS; physician able to follow patients in local hospitals; experienced physicians and recent graduates encouraged to apply; benefits, salary is $120-$140,000 KRC Family Physician KRC Internist KRC Pediatrician for a 73 physician multi-specialty group; benefit highlights include malpractice, CME, vacation, salary is negotiable and DOE KRC Pediatric Nurse Practitioner for a CHC w/ 3 satellite clinics, clinic hours are Mon-Fri, 8 am-5 pm; 1:5 call rotation; salary range is competitive and will be based on experience, great benefits KRC Family Physician for established, growing private practice; prime location & recently expanded to accommodate growth; very favorable outpatient hours (Mon-Fri 8-5) with phone call coverage only, no shared call with other practices, and optional hospital rounds; great benefits, salary range is negotiable depending on candidate experience and qualifications KRC Pharmacist for progressive, not-for-profit community owned medical center; position schedule is 7a-6p M-F and 7a-2p Sat-Sun w/ rotating call schedule; salary range is $85,000- $125,000 w/ sign-on bonus; full benefits package KRC Physician Assistant to join the hospital emergency room department; qualified PAs must be certified as a Physician s Assistant; candidate should have obtained the clinical skills to work independently under the direction of a physician; competitive wages and excellent fringe benefit program; weekend and/or holiday rotation may be required, rotating shifts may be required, call schedule rotates SOUTHEAST KRC Internist multi-specialty group with 4 satellite clinics; staff includes: 6 FPs, 1 pediatrician, 2 internists, 2 general surgeons, 1 urologist; the clinic offers a full spectrum of care; salary is negotiable; full benefits KRC C Pulmonologist 148-bed licensed, 105-bed operating medical center; not a hospital employee, salary guarantee; benefits KRC C Otolaryngologist 148-bed licensed, 105-bed operating medical center; not a hospital employee, salary guarantee; benefits KRC C Family Physician busy rural health clinic; 1 FP, 1 NP, 1 administrator, and 1 office coordinator on staff; admitting 25-bed licensed inpatient acute care CAH directly across street; salary is competitive and negotiable; great benefits CONTINUED 11

12 KRC C Internist 109-bed hospital serves a 6 county area; will serve in-patient and out-patient pop.; currently 37 physicians representing over 15 specialties on staff; salary is competitive and negotiable; full benefits if employed by the hospital KRC Urologist for solo practice; 190-bed admitting hospital; call minimum of 10 days/mo.; income guarantee of $400,000 plus RVUs; + benefits KRC C Internist multi-specialty group practice; 105-bed admitting medical center; this is a traditional inpatient/outpatient internal medicine primary care position; 1st year guarantee offered to solo practitioner; benefits KRC Family Physician w/ or w/o OB for multi-specialty group practice; 105-bed admitting medical center; 1st year guarantee offered to solo practitioner; benefits; H-1B and J-1 opportunity KRC C General Surgeon for solo practice; 105-bed admitting medical center; the medical center offers practice establishment assistance and marketing; first year guarantee; benefits; H-1B opportunity KRC C Orthopedic Surgeon for solo practice; 105-bed admitting medical center; one ortho surgeon currently on staff; the medical center offers practice establishment assistance and first year guarantee; benefits; H-1B opportunity KRC Anesthesiologist for solo practice; 105-bed admitting medical center; salary is competitive and based on experience; possible loan repayment and CME allowance available; H-1B opportunity KRC C Otolaryngologist medical center; salary $340,000 with a 2 year contract. Relocation costs and loan repayment are available as well as CME allowance; excellent benefits package for hospital employed physician KRC C Endocrinologist hospitalist program at a 109-bed medical center. Salary is $220,000 with a 2 year contract; relocation costs and loan repayment are available, CME allowance; excellent benefits KRC Occupational Therapy 109-bed acute, intensive and skilled care hospital; position is ortho/neuro based and treats 5-6 patients per day; experienced candidates and recent graduates encouraged to apply; great salary and benefits KRC Occupational Therapy Assistant 109-bed acute, intensive and skilled care hospital; position is ortho/neuro based and treats 5-6 patients per day; experienced candidates and recent graduates encouraged to apply; great salary and benefits KRC Physical Therapy 109-bed acute, intensive and skilled care hospital; position treats patients per day. Experienced candidates and recent graduates encouraged to apply. Salary: 73,000-94,000; excellent benefits KRC Speech-Language Pathologist 109-bed acute, intensive and skilled care hospital; position is an inpatient rehabilitation unit, acute care, and outpatient setting; salary: $70,000-$80,000; great benefits KRC Physical Therapy Assistant 109-bed acute, intensive and skilled care hospital; position treats 5-6 patients per day. Experienced candidates and recent graduates are encouraged to apply; salary DOE with great benefits KRC C Orthopedic Surgeon BC/ BE for very busy group practice with 3 other orthopedists; would prefer candidates to have an interest in spine, foot, or ankle specialties or any subspecialty besides total joints; income guarantee for the first year is $350,000-$400,000; excellent benefits including sign on bonus KRC C Urologist hospital employed or independent. The hospital would like to have a new urologist onboard by Salary is $360,000 with a one year contract; excellent benefits package KRC C OB/GYN BC/BE for 105-bed hospital; several employment options, call coverage depends on employment model; excellent benefits; salary is negotiable and competitive KRC C Pathologist BC/BE for 105-bed hospital; several employment options, call coverage depends on employment model. Excellent benefits; H-1B opportunity; position available in 2011/2012 KRC Family Medicine for 25-bed CAH; new physician to work in RHC with 3 other physicians and 2 PA/NPs; shared call coverage, no ER coverage KRC Urologist for solo practice; the medical center offers practice establishment assistance as well as a first year guarantee, with relocation costs; possible loan repayment and CME allowance available KRC Pediatrician 109-bed hospital that is open to physician s practice needs, multiple employment options; salary depends on model chosen and can be market + RVU (based on MGMA standards); great benefits; H-1B visa opportunity KRC C Radiologist 109-bed medical center; call coverage is 1:2, one other Radiologist on staff; candidate must be skilled in muscular skeletal MRI and mammography; salary is $450,000 w/ partnership opportunity availability after 1 yr; full benefits KRC Internal Medicine for growing health center with total of 120 employees: 6 physicians, 5 NPs, satellite clinic, call is shared with 3 other physicians; excellent benefits, negotiable salary KRC Family Medicine w/ OB; for growing health center with total of 120 employees: 6 physicians, 5 NPs, satellite clinic, call is shared with 3 other physicians; excellent benefits, negotiable salary KRC Family Medicine w/o OB, for FP group that just accepted hospital employment; this practice is well-known and respected in the community; call coverage is 1:2 with the possibility of 1:4 in the future; Salary range of $140,000- $150,000 with RVU incentives, great benefits, up to 32 days off per year KRC Orthopedic Surgeon for growing multi-specialty group practice, one main clinic and four satellite clinics, clinic also sponsors surgical outreach; clinic has 10 providers covering six fields to better serve the communities needs; first year base salary is $500,000 + bonus + full benefits; partnership/practice ownership is offered after 1 year KRC OB/GYN needed to join a progressive and innovative non-profit CHC; needed to provide pre, post, perinatal care, perform deliveries, and women s health services; shared call; 4 day work week w/ flexible days/hours; excellent benefits; salary is highly competitive and negotiable; contract duration is negotiable KRC C Hospitalist program looking for multiple internists to meet goal of 4 Hospitalists on service; average patient load is 15/ day w/ a maximum of 20 patients/day; need to be proficient in EKG interpretation, Vent management, Central and Arterial lines, intubation; employed position, salary is $220,000 /year (no RVU) w/ $25,000 signing bonus; malpractice is paid plus benefits package KRC Psychiatrist to join outpatient community mental health center; psychiatrist will provide evaluation & monitoring of medications, will work in team capacity w/ therapists, case managers; the facility is currently progressing to an integrated care model; no call time, 4-day work-week is available w/ day time hours; salary range is $175,000- $185,000plus great benefits SOUTHWEST KRC Family Physician for federally qualified community health center w/ 3 satellites; FP can see OB patients up to delivery; no call; no weekends; salary negotiable; benefits; H-1B and J-1 opportunity 12 Kansas connections CONTINUED

13 KRC Endocrinologist multi-specialty group,25 physicians with 11 specialties; serves 24 counties; 2 satellite facilities; highly complex lab and radiology/nuclear medicine depts; call is 1:6; 100-bed hospital is 3 blocks away; salary is $180,000; full benefits; H-1B and J-1 opportunity KRC Rheumatologist multispecialty group,25 physicians in 11 specialties; large service area w/ many referrals; 2 satellites; highly complex lab and radiology/nuclear medicine depts; call is 1:6; 100-bed hospital 3 blocks away; salary:$180,000; full benefits; H-1B and J-1 opportunity KRC Pulmonologist multi-specialty group, 25 physicians with 11 specialties; large service area w/ many referrals; 2 satellites; highly complex lab and radiology/nuclear medicine depts; call is 1:6; 100-bed hospital is 3 blocks away; salary is $180,000; full benefits; H-1B and J-1 opportunity KRC Internist for multi-specialty group, 23 physicians from 11 specialties; large service area; satellite facility; 100-bed hospital 3 blocks away; 2 opportunities due to growth; 2 physicians and 1 NP on staff; call is 1:3; competitive and negotiable salary full benefits; H-1B and J-1 opportunity KRC C Pulmonology/Critical Care Physician for 99-bed acute care facility services:fully staffed 24-hour ER; hospital employed or part of the 22 physician multi-specialty group; currently no pulmonologists on staff; salary is competitive and depends on experience; full benefits; J-1 opportunity KRC Registered Nurse with OB, 18-bed CAH with a 32-bed long term care unit; recently remodeled hospital facility with state-of-theart computer systems; great salary; full benefits KRC Medical Laboratory Technician 25-bed CAH. currently 3 med techs on staff, including the department supervisor; call shared among 4 providers. Salary: $35,000-$50,000 depending on experience; comprehensive benefits KRC Nurse Practitioner CHC for primary care (including OB) ARNP; no call coverage; currently on staff: 2 physicians, 1 ARNP, 1 PA, 3 part-time ARNPs; salary is $70,000 - $80,000 with great benefits package; candidate with strong desire to work in public health is ideal KRC C Registered Nurses for Med/Surg and Pediatrics in 99-bed medical complex; salary is $41,600-$62,500, sign-on bonus w/ 2 year contract; great benefits KRC C Physical Therapist 99-bed medical complex; salary is $62,500-$76,900, sign-on bonus w/ 2 year contract; great benefits KRC Family Physician w/ or w/o OB for 20-bed CAH w/ rural health clinic; currently 2 physicians, 2 PAs, 1 ARNP on staff; shared call coverage 1:5; salary $200,000 + production bonuses + ER coverage pay; great benefits; H-1B and J-1 opportunity KRC Internal Medicine for 20- bed CAH w/ rural health clinic; currently 2 physicians, 2 PAs, 1 ARNP on staff; shared call coverage 1:5; salary $200,000 + production bonuses + ER coverage pay; great benefits; H-1B and J-1 opportunity KRC Family Medicine w/ OB for 25-bed CAH; currently on staff: 3 physicians and 3 PA/NPs; must have Kansas licensure or be eligible; salary and benefits are negotiable, competitive; J-1 visa opportunity KRC Family Physician w/ OB for Rural Health Clinic to oversee PA, provide OB and various procedures; traditional call is shared with 2 other FP OB physicians; great teamwork with other providers in the area; salary is $165,000 - $180,000 w/ 1 year contract; great benefits KRC Physical Therapist for outpatient rehabilitation, 25-bed CAH; experienced therapists and new graduates are encouraged to apply; must have a KS license or be eligible; salary range is $65,000-$75,000 based on experience, excellent benefits KRC Director of Nursing 25-bed CAH; full-time, salaried position, works closely w/ Chief Clinical Officer; responsible for staff development and supervision of the nursing staff; the ideal candidate will have a Bachelor s degree or higher in Nursing, current KS RN license, 5+ years of clinical nursing experience and 2+ years of nursing management experience; candidates must be BLS certified, and willing to obtain certification in ACLS, PALS, NRP, and TNCC; position offers excellent benefits package KRC Dentist full time staff dentist position for FQHC; may be required to serve as the Site Director for all dental care delivery services at the particular site; must have KS license or a Federally Active license; bilingual Spanish/English candidates preferred; $105,000 - $115,000, great benefits KRC Physician Assistant to join 40-bed general medical and surgical care group; medical group practice operates 2 satellite clinics as well; call coverage is shared and is every 5th weekend (1:5) and 1 night per week; salary range is $80,000- $90,000 with a 3 year contract; excellent benefits, sick leave, vacation, holidays KRC Internist needed for RHC and to oversee/supervise PA, provide services, and various procedures; very favorable call schedule, weekend Call covered by PA/NPs (ER only), traditional call is shared with two other FP OB physicians (OB only); great benefits; $165k-$180k with one year contract KRC Internist for great group practice w/ 2 satellite clinics; call coverage is shared and is every 5th weekend (1:5) and 1 night per week; salary range is $180,000-$200,000; excellent benefits KRC Family Medicine Physician w/ OB KRC Internist to join excellent group; Board certification is necessary; negotiable and competitive salary, full benefits KRC Family Physician w/o OB for 25-bed CAH, RHC & 44-bed Long-Term Care; seeking MD/DO w/ desire to help lead/grow facility & community; site is currently designated as an underserved area & may be eligible for state/federal loan forgiveness; competitive base salary in the $160,000 range, full benefits KRC Director of Nursing to oversee operations of nursing home for healthcare center; DON will lead approx. 35 people; strong emphasis on the importance of international service work- the organization provides employees w/ extra PTO for service work; competitive salary & full benefits package; BSN is required; MSN & nursing home administrator s license is preferred KRC Physician Assistant for healthcare system in western Kansas; recently remodeled hospital facility; call coverage is 1:4; position will focus on family medicine; salary is $65,000-90,000 & depends on experience; includes a 1-year contract, great benefits KRC Family Practice Nurse Practitioner to join group practice in family-oriented community, Mon-Fri: hour work week, no call coverage; salary range is $63,000-$71,000, great benefits package KRC General Surgeon for a new surgical department in a 69,000 sq ft replacement hospital opening May 2012; new position, hospital employed, compensation includes a guaranteed competitive salary w/ opportunity for bonus & excellent benefits; candidates must be Board eligible (new grads) or Board Certified KRC Family Physician w/ or w/o OB for a progressive, energetic, recently remodeled hospital facility & clinics; salary of $150,000- $200,000 depending on experience; great benefits CONTINUED 13

14 KRC Physician Assistant KRC Nurse Practitioner needed to practice in a 69,000 square foot replacement hospital opening May 2012; call coverage is 1:4; total compensation including benefits will exceed $100,000 KRC Urologist for multi-specialty group housing 25 physicians with 11 specialties, there is a large service area with many referrals from the region, group also supports 3 satellite facilities including an urgent care clinic, local 100-bed hospital is located 3 blocks; salary is competitive and negotiable KRC Nurse Practitioner for a progressive, energetic healthcare system; call coverage is 1:4; position will focus on family medicine; salary is $65,000-90,000 and depends on experience; includes a 1-year contract, great benefits KRC Physician Assistant KRC C Nurse Practitioner to join hospital & RHC; experience in managing complex, acute, and chronic health conditions is desired; clinic coverage Mon - Fri 8:00a - 5:00p w/ additional hours of ER coverage; must have the ability to work w/ multi-disciplinary teams & experience in an ER setting; weekend call covered by PA/NP, provider back-up provided by phone conference on weekends; must have a Kansas license; must not be excluded from billing for Medicare and Medicaid patients Health care providers looking for job opportunities in Kansas can access up-to-date listings by the KRRC by visiting KansasRecruitmentCenter.com KU Medical School expands Expansion in Wichita and Salina to help improve rural physician shortage The University of Kansas Medical Center reached a milestone last fall that has great potential to improve future health care availability in rural Kansas. The School of Medicine added a four-year medical degree program in Salina and expanded the Wichita branch from a two-year clinical program to a full, four-year curriculum. Now, in addition to 175 traditional first-year students in Kansas City, eight students comprise the first year class in Wichita, and another eight students train in Salina. The expansions in Wichita and Salina will enable us to educate more physicians who will go on to improve the lives and health of Kansans, said KU Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little, PhD. Salina The School of Medicine-Salina will admit eight students each year; they will complete all four years in a program designed specifically to enhance interest in rural careers. Though Salina is the smallest, nonurban city in the country to host a fouryear medical degree program, the midsize community setting will be a key to developing physicians for the state. We want to show these young medi- 14 Kansas connections First-year medical students in Salina, from left to right, are Tyson Wisinger, Sara Ritterling, Daniel Linville, Rany Gilpatrick, Kayla Johnson, Claire Hinrichsen, Erik Dill and Jill Corpstein. cal students that life can be good and practice can be challenging outside of the big city, said William Cathcart-Rake, MD, director of Undergraduate Medical Education, KU School of Medicine-Salina. Rural physician preceptors were introduced to students in the first few weeks of school; about once a month preceptors welcome students to their practices to show them first-hand what happens in rural health care facilities. Dr. Cathcart-Rake noted that students who come from rural areas don t need to be sold on the positive aspects of rural life; they do, however, need to be comfortable practicing in those areas. We want our students to develop networks and support systems that root them professionally and personally to rural life, he said. Out of the first eight students, seven hail from rural locations and five of this initial group chose the Salina campus as their first choice even though the Liaison Committee on Medical Education, the nationally recognized accrediting authority for medical education programs, had not fully signed off on the program when these students decided on campus rankings. Five students are part of the Kansas Medical Student Loan Program, which will forgive loans for students who go on to practice primary care in an underserved Kansas county any county except Douglas, Shawnee, Sedgwick or Johnson. The School of Medicine-Salina is housed in a remodeled, three-story building donated by Salina Regional Health Center (SRHC). In addition to picking up a large portion of the remodeling tab, SRHC is paying for a significant amount of the school s first year of operating costs bringing its School CONTINUED ON PAGE 19

15 Garden City adds helicopter transport service Critical care programs drive need for helicopter service in western Kansas Kansas-based air medical transport service provider EagleMed LLC and St. Catherine Hospital in Garden City have teamed to provide critical care helicopter service in western Kansas. In a medical emergency, a matter of minutes can make the difference between life and death. Having a helicopter will allow residents beyond Garden City to receive life-saving services in a timely manner, said Scott Taylor, president and CEO of St. Catherine Hospital. The helicopter will be used for timesensitive emergency air lifts in western Kansas as well as in eastern Colorado and the Oklahoma panhandle. Last November when St. Catherine added the helicopter service, it was an extension of its existing partnership with EagleMed, which has had a fixedwing plane at the Garden City Regional Airport since St. Catherine Hospital shares our core values of safety and world-class patient care. We are pleased to bring this additional lifesaving resource to the patients and community served by St. Catherine Hospital, said EagleMed President, Larry Bugg. Steven Henson, MD, EagleMed medical director and 17-year veteran of the air transport business said, When a helicopter is deployed, it is usually done to save a life or limb. The helicopter is a mobile intensive care unit. It has all the ALS [Advance Life Service] capabilities you would find at the hospital. The helicopter base is a result of the hospital s continued growth, said Amy McGrath, St. Catherine Hospital community relations coordinator. St. Catherine Hospital, licensed for 132 beds, offers adult, pediatric and newborn intensive care units, as well as a hospitalist, an intensivist, a growing cardiology program and a wound care program. Last June the hospital updated its facilities by completing a three-story building which now houses maternal child care, medical and surgical units, and inpatient dialysis. Our critical care programs drove the need for our helicopter, said McGrath. Our critical care programs have grown exponentially in the last several years. Fr. Rene Labrador performs the Catholic Blessing rite at the helicopter s arrival at St. Catherine Hospital on December 16. Dr. Henson said the helicopter will bring patients to St. Catherine from about a 100 mile radius. Helicopters, he said, are used for trauma scene flights about 35 percent of the time, and the other 65 percent of flights are hospitalto-hospital transfers. Physicians in smaller critical access hospitals can now send us patients using the helicopter, McGrath said. Two examples of time-sensitive transfers are a high-risk obstetrical patient and a stroke victim. A stroke victim, said Dr. Henson, needs quick care because the best treatment window is less than three hours. You don t want to expend your whole window of opportunity for treatment on travel time, said Dr. Henson. McGrath agrees. We would receive St. Catherine Hospital shares our core values of safety and world-class patient care. We are pleased to bring this additional lifesaving resource to the patients and community served by St. Catherine Hospital. Larry Bugg, President, EagleMed many of these patients anyway. Now they will just get here much faster than they would by ground ambulance. In the medical field, Dr. Henson added, helicopters are a visible gauge of health care development. Community hospitals that have helicopter service are Helicopter CONTINUED ON PAGE 20 15

16 Jon Bigler, PA Ashland Health Center Editor s note: This is the ninth in a series of articles highlighting a rural health provider. If you know someone who would be an interesting subject, contact Andrea Ellis at aellis2@kumc.edu. 16 Kansas connections Jon Bigler is a physician assistant but residents of Ashland love him like an old fashioned doctor. He is quick to point out that he is not a doctor and he corrects patients if they call him Dr. Jon. However, Bigler likes nothing better than treating people with the care and concern of a doctor. He makes house calls and doesn t think twice about giving the elderly, or anyone, a ride to the clinic if they need it. I care a lot about these people. They are great to work with and work for, he said. Ashland, nestled in the Red Hills of southwest Kansas, has a growing health care system thanks to Bigler. Ashland Health Center CEO and Administrator Benjamin Anderson said he has never seen a community build its health care around a PA, but that is exactly what Ashland has successfully done. He is a gifted communicator. Patients love him. He manages their care and takes ownership of his patients care, said Anderson. He recalled a time when Bigler was driving down the street and noticed a patient s car was idling in the garage with the driver s door ajar and an open trunk was loaded with groceries. Bigler stopped, entered the home and found the elderly man fast asleep in a chair. Jon shut the car off, unloaded the groceries and put the man to bed. That s the kind of guy he is, Anderson said, noting that he has never had a complaint about Bigler s bedside manner. Today, the Ashland Health Center (AHC) has a thriving rural health clinic, a 24-bed critical access hospital, a 21-bed Long Term Care Unit, a six-bed independent living apartment complex and a home health service. In addition to Bigler, AHC has one doctor and two nurse practitioners. Administrators are in the process of recruiting a second doctor. This is a far different situation than the one Bigler stepped into six years ago. After 11 providers in 20 years passed through Ashland, Anderson says citizens began to lose confidence in their health care system and the hospital was on the verge of closing. It was Bigler s commitment that helped turn the tide. People in the community and throughout Clark County learned they could count on him. Anderson sums it up with one word trust. He has earned their trust. And the trust we had in him let us build an entire medical staff around him. I have never seen a PA have this kind of impact, said Anderson, who has been at AHC for three years. In 2006, Bigler joined Ashland Health Center immediately following graduation from physician assistant training at Wichita State University (WSU). For Jon Bigler with Lori, his wife of nearly 25 years. several years, Bigler was the sole medical provider in Ashland. He has had no less than nine supervising physicians, and until recently, most were at least 30 miles away. Jon has hung in there with us and held down the fort. He has literally kept us going, said Renita Ediger, receptionist, Ashland Health Care Clinic. For a long time, he did it all hospital, clinic, ER, nursing home, on-call. It was typical for Bigler to be on call from 5 p.m. Sunday all the way through 6 p.m. Friday. People of all ages from across Clark County, population 2,081, learned Bigler was a keeper. He was CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

17 Provider Spotlight CONTINUED FROM PAGE 16 always there to fix them up after car wrecks and other injuries. He takes care of their lacerations, fever and dehydration. He helps parents address ADHD in their children, a diagnosis he s familiar with since he has dealt with it his entire life. Just in the last six months administrators hired Daniel Shuman, DO, a physician Bigler helped select. Shuman has a level of compassion and service AHC has been looking for. Jon has the trust of the hospital board, administration and medical staff. He earned that. We wanted him to be part of the search for a physician because if Jon was not comfortable with the person we wanted to hire, we would not hire them, said Anderson. Bigler said he has found success in remote Ashland partly because he knows his boundaries. It doesn t hurt that he likes to be busy probably an understatement and he has a sense of humor. I know what I can handle and I He is a gifted communicator. Patients love him. He manages their care and takes ownership of his patients care. Benjamin Anderson, Ashland Health Center CEO and Administrator know what I should package and ship, he said. Being out in western Kansas, I have to know my limitations. He created a good network of health care advisors and he has the equipment he needs, such as a CT scanner. One thing Bigler brought to his post, and perhaps a good explanation of his staying power, is maturity. Even though he arrived in Ashland straight-out-ofschool, this is his second career. He entered the PA program at the age of 42. Prior, he taught biology and English at Labette County High School for 15 years. He was also the school s head football and wrestling coach. I still miss coaching, but now I help kids in different ways. I can influence students and parents doing this job, he said, noting that sometimes he still gives young patients advice before a big game. Though making a livelihood as a PA is his second career, medicine wasn t too foreign a choice. His late father was a well-known surgeon in Garden City; and two of his brothers are doctors of dermatology and urology. If I wanted to get into the conversation around the family dinner table, I had to get into the field of medicine, The beautiful landscape of Ashland, Kansas. jokes Bigler. He has no regrets about coming to Ashland, but it has not been without sacrifice. His wife of nearly 25 years, Lori, supported his career decision while continuing to teach high school in Wichita until the last of their three daughters graduated high school. She joined him in Ashland just a year-anda-half ago. There has to be a lot of adaptability in a marriage, Bigler says, Sometimes patients come before family, Lori adds. Now that they are both in Ashland, she teaches at Ashland High School and they are happy to be free of the days when his on-call schedule barely gave him 36 hours to be with the family on weekends. Bigler is just what the doctor ordered in Ashland. His job and his family are his life, said Ediger. Both he and Lori have been a blessing for our community. Now that he s only on-call four days a week, and he s not traveling to Wichita on weekends, Bigler likes devoting more time to hobbies. Of course, he likes sports. He was once a wrestler and a gymnast, and he was a yell leader at the University of Kansas. He also enjoys watching and playing tennis. He s a handyman and he likes being outdoors whether it s in the garden or taking in the scenic views of the hills that surround Ashland. He especially likes to hike and hunt for fossils and artifacts, like arrowheads. Once when he was hunting with his daughter, he stumbled upon a large fossil with large teeth. It was a baby mastodon, an animal that would have resembled a mammoth. People kept asking him, Are you sure it s not a buffalo head? He assured them it was not and now it is on display in the WSU Archaeology Department. My medical training came in handy there too, he said. Those teeth were just massive. 17

18 PCMH CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3 Another feature of systematic immunizations is that the clinic produces monthly reports to analyze immunization records and see who is behind on shots. A nurse then makes calls to the patients home to alert the parents. The kids who are falling through the cracks, we catch them, said Dr. Freelove. The clinic is taking steps to systemize other preventive care and chronic disease management. For example, they will soon use the electronic record to alert patients about pap smears and mammograms. Diabetes care will be the next target for chronic disease management within the system. The electronic medical record lets us reach out to people and engage them in their own health care, said Dr. Freelove. The hope is that you can empower them to have better health care. The electronic record also promotes preventive care. For instance, the medical assistant takes the usual height, weight and blood pressure, and patients are also asked about smoking. When smokers and non-smokers are identified in the record, it allows the medical assistant to ask all smokers if they are interested in quitting. Regardless of the answer, all smokers receive handouts and for those who say they want to quit, the medical assistant alerts the doctor so a quit plan can be developed. The medical assistant is being used as a first line of prevention and treatment, said Dr. Freelove. Collaboration within teams is not the only form of collaboration within the PCMH. The Salina Family Healthcare Center houses the primary-care medical clinic, a dental clinic and a substance 18 Kansas connections abuse program. A mental health component is also being added soon. An example of dental collaboration is that now it is standard procedure for a well-child check to include a quick dental screening and fluoride from a hygienist. TransforMED, a subsidiary of the American Academy of Family Physicians that focuses on change management and medical practice redesign, guided the transformation at the Salina Family Healthcare Center. Smoky Hill was the first residency program in the nation to hire TransforMED to help develop a PCMH. We made an effort to involve the resident physicians from the start. It is particularly important because the office practices physicians learn during residency training tend to translate into their practices upon graduation, said Dr. Freelove. We want them to be agents of change in their future practices. We want them to be able to step into a patient-centered model and be a team member. Patients seem to like the continuity they have with the medical team. It helps build a trusting relationship and that is a big part of the patient-centered medical home. Shane Thoreson, MD, second-year resident Shane Thoreson, MD, a secondyear resident, said, Patients seem to like the continuity they have with the medical team. It helps build a trusting relationship and that is a big part of the patient-centered medical home. Thoreson, originally from Marysville, The Salina Family Healthcare Center was recognized for their Best Practices in immunizations last year. Pictured, left to right, is Shane Thoreson, MD, Smoky Hill second-year resident; Janet Linderberger, LPN, Shari Sutton, LPN, Robert Freelove, MD, Smoky Hill program director; Melissa Kalb, MD, Smoky Hill third-year chief resident. grew up around doctors who undoubtedly had their patients trust. However, he sees the medical home model as a way to maximize the value of the patient-to-doctor relationship. He said even small tweaks to everyday systems can add value for patients. At the clinic, for example, they expanded daily hours until 6 p.m. to make access to the clinic easier for people, especially those who would have to take vacation time to see the doctor. Additionally, beyond closing, residents are on-call so patients can always speak to a doctor. If patients are happier, doctors are happier, said Dr. Thoreson. Throughout the transformation to a PCMH, a TransforMed facilitator helped assess where the clinic was, which direction it should go and pulled in experts to guide the process as needed. A three-year grant from the United Methodist Health Ministry Fund in Hutchinson helped pay for their expertise. Nationally, the PCMH has garnered a lot of attention. TransforMED experts say for the model to be fully successful, payment systems needs to be restructured physicians will need to be compensated for health promotion, disease prevention and management PCMH CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE 5

19 PCMH CONTINUED FROM PAGE 18 on top of procedures and treatment of acute conditions. Though that has not happened in Salina, Dr. Freelove said there are demonstration programs that include paying for preventive care. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, for example, is paying demo practices a care coordination fee for prevention work. Those clinics are being paid $6 per enrollee, per month for care coordination. That is significant dollars for clinics that have a large base of Medicare patients, said Dr. Freelove. The strengthening of the primary care delivery system accomplished in Salina would not have been possible without the grant from United Methodist Health Fund, said Dr. Freelove. School CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14 The inaugural first-year medical students at KU School of Medicine-Wichita. Whitney Weixelman Caitlin Farrington Jacob Wallace Stephanie Shields Kyle Rowe Ashley Lida-Venegas Jordan Groskurth Matthew Blue investment to more than $1 million. Without their support, it would have been difficult to get this off the ground, said Dr. Cathcart-Rake. Wichita Prior to last fall, for 35 years medical education at the KU School of Medicine-Wichita was limited to third and fourth year students. Now, the first-year class of eight is only the beginning. It will expand in fall 2012 to accommodate 28 students. The 28 slots should be easy to fill since twice as many students requested Wichita as their first choice last fall. Whitney Weixelman, first-year medical student from Wichita, said her classmates are excited to be in Wichita. None of us wish we were any place else. The individual attention has been phenomenal, she said. This is a unique med school experience and I really like it. H. David Wilson, MD, Dean of the School of Medicine-Wichita, wants his This is a unique med school experience and I really like it. campus to be a source of rural practice information and encouragement. I want to train as many doctors as possible for rural Kansas, he said I believe most of Kansas views Wichita as a good place to recruit doctors. Dr. Wilson wants to be a wellinformed promoter of rural Kansas and thus far he has visited 17 communities Belleville, Colby, Concordia, Garden City, Goodland, Great Bend, Hays, Liberal, Medicine Lodge, Minneapolis, Ness City, Norton, Phillipsburg, Plainville, Scott City, Stockton and Tribune. I have met with doctors, clinic managers and hospital administrators. I have toured the facilities. I can tell students that I have met these people and that they should as well, said Dr. Wilson. Whitney Weixelman, 1 st year medical student The expansion and continued growth in Wichita would not have been possible without collaboration. The School of Medicine partnered with Wichita State University and Newman University to make handson education cost effective in a time of decreasing budgets. For example, a cadaver lab and some faculty members are being shared to avoid duplication and increase efficiency. By pooling resources, it helps keep costs down. This is good news for legislators, said Dr. Wilson. One education Interactive technology is being utilized to deliver one medical education to all students, regardless of location. All 191 first-year students receive lectures simultaneously; they are delivered via streaming video to students in Salina and Wichita. This allows the satellite locations to receive the best elements of a large academic health center in a home town environment. In a few years, Dr. Wilson would like Wichita to offer equivalent, but not identical medical education. We are one medical school, but in Wichita, we want to take a slightly different approach, he said. I don t want students to be memorizing out of context for the first two years. I want to move to a patient-centered model that puts a human face on every part of their learning from the first day of medical school. 19

20 Director CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2 Two KUMC faculty awarded prestigious award Congratulations to Nancy Dunton, PhD and Cindy Teel, PhD, RN, FAAN, University of Kansas Medical Center faculty who were recently inducted as Fellows in the American Academy of Nursing the most prestigious honor society in the nursing profession. Dr. Dunton is a research professor at the School of Nursing. She is director of the National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators (NDNQI) project, which collects and evaluates unit-specific nurse-sensitive data from hospitals across the country. Dr. Teel has been with the School of Nursing since She serves as associate dean for graduate programs, where she coordinates programs for master s and doctoral students. Dr. Nancy Dunton Dr. Cindy Teel Dr. Teel was among the 142 nurse leaders selected to be inducted as Fellows and Dr. Dunton was one of four non-nurses selected as an honorary fellow a designation given to those who have had a significant impact on the nursing profession. Dr. Pingleton receives promotion Congratulations to Susan K. Pingleton, MD, FACP on her promotion to associate dean for Continuing Medical Education. She is also the Joy McCann Professor of Women in Medicine and Science and the director of Dr. Pingleton Quality and Professional Development for Continuing Medical Education and Graduate Medical Education at the University of Kansas School of Medicine. Dr. Pingleton has served in multiple senior administrative positions at KUMC and has extensive experience in local, regional, national and international service organizations. Helicopter CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15 ready to provide a high level of emergency care. A helicopter actually raises the talent level of the local caregivers, he said. Doctors and nurses will see more traumas. It will sharpen their skill sets. Garden City officials believe the helicopter has the potential to be used every day. EagleMed s emergency technicians have the capability to do as many as four missions per day, if needed. The crew consists of a flight nurse, a paramedic and the pilot. They are ready to depart 24-hours-a-day and reside at the hospital when on duty. Area law enforcement, other first responders and referring and receiving physicians decide when to request a helicopter transport. The initiation of the request and actual deployment of the aircraft is handled by the EagleMed communication center in Wichita. It takes seven minutes or less for a rotor-wing aircraft to be in route to an emergency, said Dr. Henson. In comparison, a fixed-wing plane deploys in about 25 minutes. And though the Community hospitals that have helicopter service are ready to provide a high level of emergency care. A helicopter actually raises the talent level of the local caregivers. Steven Henson, MD, EagleMed medical director fixed-wing plane has a faster air speed, the helicopter is a better choice for emergencies because of its ability to set down and take off from many locations. It also delivers patients to the emergency room door. Another important factor related to helicopter service is that it keeps health care dollars in the region. This is a significant economic factor for community hospitals because they are often one of the largest employers in the rural economy. The service the helicopter provides is designed to be as autonomous as possible, but it still sends patients out when a hospital doesn t have the capacity to care for someone, said Dr. Henson. Safety on the ground and in the air is of utmost importance to EagleMed and St. Catherine Hospital. Dr. Henson said EagleMed is the first air transport service to put night-vision goggle equipment for the entire crew in all of its helicopters and planes. The night-vision goggles help the pilot clearly see landing sites and other obstacles that could be obscured by low light or by bright city lights. The goggles are also helpful for the medical crew in low visibility situations. EagleMed, based in Wichita, also operates planes or helicopters in Chanute, Dodge City, Goodland, Hays, Pittsburg and Wichita.