Category Archives: Area News

Ascension Via Christi Hospital in Pittsburg earns High 5 for Mom & Baby recognition

A photo of part of the OB team.  Submitted.

Ascension Via Christi Hospital in Pittsburg earns High 5 for Mom & Baby recognition

Ascension Via Christi Hospital in Pittsburg has continued its commitment to infant and maternal health by once again earning High 5 for Mom & Baby recognition from the United Methodist Health Ministry Fund, a program developed by the United Methodist Health Ministry Fund to increase breastfeeding initiation and duration rates in Kansas.

“Our OB team takes pride in caring for their patients and has continued to set the bar high,” says Janelle Wade, director of Inpatient Services, which includes Women’s Health. “I am so proud of their commitment to helping the approximately 600 babies born at our hospital each year get the healthiest possible start in life.”

Ascension Via Christi in Pittsburg first received High 5 recognition in 2018 and has maintained it each year since that time.

High 5 for Mom & Baby provides resources and a framework to help Kansas hospitals implement 10 evidence-based practices proven to support successful breastfeeding, improve maternal and infant health outcomes and reduce racial and ethnic health disparities.

To obtain this recognition, each facility is asked to complete a voluntary and self-reported evaluation and must follow five of its 10 evidence-based practices:

  • Have a written maternity care and infant feeding policy that addresses all 10 High 5 for Mom & Baby practices supporting breastfeeding
  • Maintain staff competency in lactation support
  • Provide all expectant mothers with information and instruction on breastfeeding
  • Assure immediate and sustained skin-to-skin contact between mother and baby after birth
  • Provide all families individualized infant feeding counseling
  • Give no food or drink to newborns other than breastmilk unless medically indicated
  • Allow mothers and infants to remain together 24 hours a day
  • Encourage feeding whenever the baby exhibits feeding cues, regardless of feeding methods
  • Give no pacifiers or artificial nipples to breastfeeding infants
  • Provide mothers with information about community resources for breastfeeding support following their discharge from the hospital

These steps are designed to increase breastfeeding initiation and duration rates in the state of Kansas. Factors that influence how long or if a baby is breastfed include hospital practices, education and encouragement, policies or support in the workplace, and access to community support.

According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, six out of 10 mothers stopped breastfeeding sooner than they had planned.

“We aim to provide the support that mothers and babies need to be successful through delivery and then breastfeeding, for as long as they desire to do so,” says Miranda Caskey, RN, the certified lactation consultant who led the hospital’s High 5 Mom & Baby efforts. “By empowering them to have better breastfeeding outcomes, we’re uplifting the health of our community.”

That support is critical, particularly during a pandemic, which is why Ascension Via Christi converted its lactation and childbirth education classes to virtual offerings led by a registered nurse and offered them at no cost to parents. Breastfeeding mothers also can schedule in-person follow-up appointments and weight checks with Caskey to help ensure a successful breastfeeding experience.

Earlier this year, Ascension Via Christi Hospital in Pittsburg also earned designation from Blue Cross Blue Shield as a Blue Distinction Center+ for Maternity Care, showing it demonstrates expertise and a commitment to cost-efficient quality care for vaginal and cesarean section deliveries and have better overall patient satisfaction.

To learn  more about Labor and Delivery at Ascension Via Christi, visit viachristibaby.com.

For more information on the High 5 for Mom & Baby, contact Cara Gerhardt, program coordinator, at [email protected], or visit the website at https://www.high5kansas.org/

 

Community Foundation of Southeast Kansas Scholarship Applications Due March 31

Logo

Applications for our many Scholarship funds through the CFSEK Scholarship Program are available now. Many thanks to the individuals, businesses, and organizations for establishing these funds to create opportunities for advanced learning.

Applications are due March 31st, 2024!

Register and apply for a scholarship online.

Learn about our CFSEK Scholarship Program on our website.

For any questions, contact Sherri via our website

Facebook icon Website icon YouTube icon LinkedIn icon

Southeast Kansas Library System Newsletter

The SEKnFind Newsletter
January 2024

We hope you enjoy this newsletter sent as a courtesy to adult patrons of a southeast Kansas library using the SEKnFind catalog.
This selection of titles are NEW at a SEKnFind library and available for a hold.
Need assistance? Your local librarian can show you how!
Happy Reading!

New Fiction

First lie wins : a novel
by Ashley Elston

A woman with many faces and identities, Evie Porter, covertly moves from job to job for her unknown employer until her latest mark, Ryan Summer gets under her skin and makes her envision a different sort of life.

No one can know
by Kate Alice Marshall

Returning to the house where her parents were murdered, mother-to-be Emma Palmer who has never told anyone what she saw the night her parents died, even when she became the prime suspect, is reunited with her estranged sisters who will do anything to keep the past buried.

The fury
by Alex Michaelides

Spending Easter with Lana Farrar, a reclusive ex-movie star and one of the most famous women in the world, on her idyllic private Greek island, her guests, concealing hatred and desire for revenge, become trapped when the night ends in violence and murder.

True north : a novel
by Andrew J. Graff

A heartfelt novel of marriage and whitewater rafting follows one couple as they navigate the changing currents of family, community and the river itself.

The waters : a novel
by Bonnie Jo Campbell

Spending the days searching for truths on an island in the Great Massasauga Swamp, 11-year-old Dorothy Zook, the granddaughter of an herbalist and eccentric healer, finds her childhood upended by family secrets, passionate love and violent men where the only bridge across the water is her wayward mother.

Hedging your bets : a novel
by Jayne Denker

Happily divorced Gillian prefers her garden to the dating scene but is intrigued by her new neighbor until they’re pitted against each other in gardening contest, in the new novel from the author of the“Welcome to Marsden” series. Original.

The house of last resort : a novel
by Christopher Golden

Buying an abandoned house in the remote Italian town of Becchina, American couple Tommy and Kate Puglisi are drawn into a nightmare when they discover the home was owned by the Church—and learn the truth about what the priests were doing in this house for all those long years.

Sanctuary of the shadow
by Aurora Ascher

Hidden within an unusual circus run by a centuries-old Enchanter, Harrow, keeping her true identity and magical ability a secret, finds her destiny in an elemental with no recollection of who he is, forcing her to reveal the secrets from her own dark past to save this dangerous creature.

Mislaid in parts half-known
by Seanan McGuire

When Eleanor West’s School for Wayward Children’s mean girl discovers her talent for finding absolutely anything, new student Antsy searches for a way back to the Shop Where Lost Things Go to be sure Vineta and Hudson are keeping their promise.

The curse of Pietro Houdini : a novel
by Derek B. Miller

In 1943, 14-year-old Massimo, rescued by a mysterious man called Pietro Houdini who preserves the treasures within the Benedictine abbey’s wall, accompanies him on a World War II art-heist adventure where they lie, cheat, steal, fight, kill and sin to survive, while smuggling Renaissance masterpieces they’ve rescued from the“safe keeping” of the Germans.

The caretaker : a novel
by Ron Rash

In 1951, Blackburn Gant, the sole caretaker of a hilltop cemetery in Blowing Rock, North Carolina, is charged with caring for his best friend’s wife, Naomi, when he is drafted to serve overseas, and as Blackburn and Naomi grow closer and closer, a shocking revelation upends numerous lives.

On the Oregon Trail
by Robert Vaughan

When sixteen-year-old Matt Logan and his friend Danny Dugan ran away from an orphanage, they went west. There, they met Jim Bridger, among other mountain men, and became fur trappers. But the market for beaver plews died out, and the two friends took on jobs as wagon train guides. They eventually separated, hoping to meet again. One of the trains Matt picks up in Independence began its journey in St. Louis, led by widower Cody McNair. Cody was a well experienced leader, having once been the captain of an ocean-going sailing ship. His adult son and daughter, Jared and Ellen, make the trip with him. Also a part of the wagon company is Lon Baker, his wife Norma, and their eight-year-old daughter, Precious. Lon had been a slave on the McNair farm. When Cody’s father died, Cody had sold the farm and granted Lon his freedom. Lon, in turn, followed Cody to serve as a crewman on his ship. The two were now best friends and were embarking on this new adventure together. On the journey west, tension develops with some of the members of the train, and Cody and Matt are tasked with keeping things in check as the train endures the rigors of travel on their way to Oregon City, Oregon.

New Audiobooks

The Guests
by Margot Hunt

When a Category 5 hurricane is poised to hit their coastal Florida town, the Davies family takes refuge in their waterfront manse. Marlowe, Lee, and their teenage twins invite their close friends to wait out the storm in comfort and style. Uninvited are the three strangers who dock on the family’s shore right before the storm descends. Brothers Jason and Bo―and Bo’s girlfriend, Darcy―are a charming, helpful trio in need of a safe haven that the Davies are only too happy to provide. But as the storm outside grows more threatening, so does the tension in the house. Soon, the lines between family, friends, and strangers blur. Danger mounts with every pointed finger and broken confidence, and long-held secrets are revealed one after another until only one truth remains: not everyone is going to make it out alive.

The Heiress
by Rachel Hawkins

When Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore dies, her adopted son, Camden, rejects his inheritance, settling into a normal life as an English teacher in Colorado and marrying Jules, a woman just as eager to escape her own messy past. Ten years later, his uncle’s death pulls Cam and Jules back into the family fold and questions about the infamous heiress come to light. What really happened to those four husbands, who all died under mysterious circumstances? And why did she adopt Cam in the first place? Soon, Jules and Cam realize that an inheritance can entail far more than what’s written in a will–and that the bonds of family stretch far beyond the grave

Birdie & Harlow : Life, Loss, and Loving My Dog So Much I Didn’t Want Kids… Until I Did
by Taylor Wolfe

Taylor Wolfe tells the story of her wonderfully codependent relationship with her dog, and what he taught her about chosen family and the rewards of motherhood.

New Nonfiction

Your pocket therapist : break free from old patterns and transform your life
by Annie Zimmerman

“Every day, psychotherapist Dr. Annie Zimmerman meets clients in her private London practice who are struggling with their lives. They’re committed to achieving personal growth, making changes-but they’re struck at the question stage. They ask her: Why can’t I sleep? Why do I keep going back to a bad relationship? Why did I lose my temper? What is wrong with me? Here’s the thing: nothing is wrong with them. It’s just that they’re asking themselves the wrong questions. In Your Pocket Therapist, Dr. Zimmerman helps readers delve into their past to identify old, unhelpful patterns and teach them how to unlock the present. The book combines practical tools with anecdotes gleaned from the therapy room, distilling complex psychological concepts with her signature warmth and empathy. Her belief-galvanized by her hundreds of thousands of followers-is that if we learn to understand the roots of our suffering, we can bring about meaningful-and permanent-change in our lives. It comes down to learning how to ask the right questions. A brilliant, necessary toolkit for those who want to break free from past patterns and embrace a life of abundant self-awareness and connection, Your Pocket Therapist is an absolute must-read in the field of psychology”

Njuta : (enjoy, delight in) : the Swedish art of savoring the moment
by Niki Brantmark

Introducing the Swedish concept of njuta, which is about simplicity and intent in every aspect of life, this empowering and engaging guide offers advice for incorporating njuta into any lifestyle, showing you how to relax and consciously seize the moment to enrich and deepen your life. Illustrations.

I survived capitalism and all I got was this lousy t-shirt : everything I wish I never had to learn about money
by Madeline Pendleton

The TikTok superstar and founder of Tunnel Vision, a progressive and employee-centric clothing company, discusses her days living paycheck to paycheck while offering no-nonsense advice on taking control of your own financial life and building wealth.

Your journey to financial freedom : a step-by-step guide to achieving wealth and happiness
by Jamila Souffrant

The founder of Journey to Launch and the host of an award-nominated podcast of the same name offers her seasoned expertise, providing readers with the resources they need for spending and saving responsibly as they embark on a journey to financial freedom and independence.

The allure of the multiverse : extra dimensions, other worlds, and parallel universes
by Paul Halpern

Drawing on centuries of disputation and deep vision from luminaries like Nietzsche, Einstein and the creators of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, a physicist reveals the multiplicity of multiverses that scientists have imagined to make sense of our reality. Illustrations.

Break the cycle : a guide to healing intergenerational trauma
by Mariel Buquâe

A trauma psychologist, professor and sound bath meditation healer offers scientific research and practical exercises to help the pain of unhealed emotions and inherited trauma and transform that pain into intergenerational abundance.

Come hungry : salads, meals, and sweets for people who live to eat
by Melissa Ben-Ishay

“In Come Hungry, Melissa shares her favorite everyday recipes and tips for creating nourishing, delicious meals the whole family will love. With flavorful ingredients and easy-to-follow instructions, Melissa encourages home cooks of all levels to cook outside of their comfort zones and reveals her go-to techniques for creating the perfect bite”

Ascension Via Christi Pittsburg Earns Distinction for Maternity Care

Ascension Via Christi hospitals designated
Blue Distinction Centers+ for Maternity Care

Ascension Via Christi St. Joseph, Ascension Via Christi Hospital in Manhattan and Ascension Via Christi Hospital in Pittsburg have all earned designation by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas as Blue Distinction Centers+ for Maternity Care.

St. Joseph is the only Wichita hospital to earn this quality recognition, which is based on Blue Cross and Blue Shield’s analysis of patient outcomes, satisfaction and additional measures collected as part of its 2023 Maternity Care Provider Survey.

According to Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Blue Distinction Centers+ for Maternity Care demonstrate expertise and a commitment to cost-efficient quality care for vaginal and cesarean section deliveries and have better overall patient satisfaction.

“The criteria for Blue Distinction Center+ designation covers virtually every aspect of maternity care, requiring a demonstrated team commitment to and focus on evidence-based best practices and protocols,” says Samer Antonios, MD, chief clinical officer for Ascension Via Christi. “Thanks to everyone involved for helping ensure that delivering mothers have the best possible experience and outcomes at our hospitals.”

###

About Ascension Via Christi

 

In Kansas, Ascension Via Christi operates seven hospitals and 134 other sites of care and employs more than 6,400 associates. In FY2023, Ascension Via Christi provided more than $65 million in community benefit programs. In FY2023, Ascension provided $2.3 billion in care of persons living in poverty and other community benefit programs. Ascension includes more than 150,000 associates and 40,000 aligned providers. The national health system operates more than 2,600 sites of care – including 139 hospitals and more than 40 senior living facilities – in 19 states. Serving Kansas for more than 135 years, Ascension is a faith-based healthcare organization committed to delivering compassionate, personalized care to all, with special attention to persons living in poverty and those most vulnerable. Visit www.ascension.org.

Fort Scott Students Qualify For PSU Fall Semester Honor Roll

Pittsburg State University has released the honor roll for the 2023 Fall semester.  

To qualify for Dean’s Scholastic Honors, a student must complete at least 12 semester hours, receive a grade point average of 3.6000 for all credit course work that semester, and have no grade lower than a B and no grade of I in any course during the semester.

To qualify for All-A Scholastic Honors, a student must complete at least 12 semester hours, receive a grade of A in all credit course work for the semester and have no grade of I in any course during the semester.

https://www.pittstate.edu/gorillaconnection/2023/12/university-releases-fall-2023-honor-roll.html?fbclid=IwAR1IzRUQggg22lCy1o2TKYqn0Tl2HZwJ-LPRZpQhmEX4Qln9HhuK2Ny66CA

The following are the honor students listed from Fort Scott:

Burke, Rebecca B. Fort Scott Psychology SR Dean’s Scholastic Honors

Carver, Kaeden L. Fort Scott Accounting JR Dean’s Scholastic Honors

Delatorre, Jacob Fort Scott Physical Education SR All A Scholastic Honors

Emmerson, Amanda R. Fort Scott Elementary Education JR All A Scholastic Honors

Erie, Aleana G. Fort Scott English SR All A Scholastic Honors

Feagins, Grant Fort Scott Accounting JR All A Scholastic Honors

Gorman, Tyler D. Fort Scott General Studies SR Dean’s Scholastic Honors

Goucher, Courtney Fort Scott Workforce Development SR All A Scholastic Honors

Hill, Sage R. Fort Scott Geo and Political Sciences JR All A Scholastic Honors

Hudiburg, Dawna C. Fort Scott Rec, Sport, and Hospitality Mgmt SR All A Scholastic Honors

Jones, Madison P. Fort Scott Physical Education SR Dean’s Scholastic Honors

Jones, David A. Fort Scott Music JR All A Scholastic Honors

Keating, Elizabeth Fort Scott Nursing SR Dean’s Scholastic Honors

Love, Adriana N. Fort Scott Nursing SR All A Scholastic Honors

Madison, Kendall E. Fort Scott Elementary Education SR All A Scholastic Honors

Mason, Rylan Fort Scott Biology SO All A Scholastic Honors

Mcclure, Macayla J. Fort Scott Elementary Education SR All A Scholastic Honors

Michaud, Alaenah M. Fort Scott Biology JR Dean’s Scholastic Honors

Michaud, Alec P. Fort Scott Construction Eng Technology SR All A Scholastic Honors

Mix, Angela C. Fort Scott Psychology SR All A Scholastic Honors

Reynolds, Kerigan J. Fort Scott Psychology SO All A Scholastic Honors

Terry, Noah R. Fort Scott Electrical Technology SO All A Scholastic Honors

Witt, Ivan A. Fort Scott Accounting SR All A Scholastic Honors

Clifford Evans, 52-year-old white male escapes Johnson County Work Release on Today

Clifford Evans

Minimum-Custody Offender Clifford Leon Evans Walked Away from Contract Placement in Johnson County Work Release

 

GARDNER, Kansas. –

Kansas Department of Corrections resident Clifford Leon Evans has been placed on escape status after it was reported at 2:45pm that he did not return to the facility while serving his sentence at the Johnson County Work Release center on Monday, December 18, 2023.

Evans, a 52-year-old white male, has brown hair, brown eyes, is 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighs 131 pounds.

Evans is currently serving a sentence for violating his parole. Evans was convicted in Johnson County for possession of opiates. He is serving that sentence at the Johnson County Department of Corrections (JCDOC) Adult Residential Center (ARC) from which he walked away. Under an agreement between the KDOC and JCDOC, residents who have release plans that are appropriate to Johnson County are housed at the ARC to promote their successful reintegration back into the community.

Anyone with information on Evans can call EAI at 816-266-2102, JCDOC 913-715-6539, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation at (800) 572-7463 or local law enforcement at 911. Kansans can also contact EAI via email at [email protected]

The walk-away is currently being investigated.  New information will be released as it becomes available.

Southwind Extension District Appreciation Award 2023 PraireLand Partners

The Southwind Extension District is proud to recognize PrairieLand Partners in Iola for their outstanding support of the mission of K-State Research & Extension.

Prairieland Partners has been a large supporter of the 4-H program for many years.

Most recently, they graciously sponsored a multi-specie 4-H livestock “Barn to Ring” series that provided the opportunity for participants to learn livestock management and showmanship tips from top industry leaders.

PrairieLand Partners has also made purchases at the Allen, Woodson, Neosho and Bourbon county 4-H Livestock Premium Auctions.

The K-State Research and Extension Appreciation Award was authorized by Extension administrative staff in 1977. Its purpose is to honor a person, business or organization who has made outstanding contributions to extension programs in a county or district. The Southwind District Extension board and agents want to express their sincere gratitude to PrairieLand Partners for their support and look forward to partnerships yet to come.

A Deeper Look at Native Americans and the Civil War

Chief Opothleyahola, Credit Photo as: National Archives Photo

 

Fort Scott National Historic Site concludes the first year of Native American Experience programming with two chapters from the Civil War in Kansas.

The first presentation, “A Shield Against the World”: Opothleyahola and the Trail of Blood on Ice Campaign in the Civil War, is by Dr. Michelle M. Martin on Saturday, November 18th, at 1 pm.

The second presentation, “Allies and Adversaries”: The role of American Indians in the Civil War west of the Mississippi River, is by Arnold W. Schofield on Sunday, November 19th, at 2 pm.

Both programs will be held in the park’s Theater on the second floor of the western Infantry Barracks.

 

“A Shield Against the World”: During the American Civil War the Five Southeastern Nations in the Indian Territory were divided. Pro‐Union, Pro‐Confederate, and Neutral factions developed within the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Mvskoke, and Seminole Nations. Wishing to remain neutral, Mvskoke leader Opothleyahola provided shelter to men, women, and children who wanted to stay out of the war. In the fall of 1861 Opothleyahola’s followers neared 10,000 and he led them on a desperate flight north to the safety of Union Kansas. Dr. Michelle M. Martin, an Assistant Professor of History/Coordinator of the Public History Certificate in the Department of History at Northeastern State University, will share this incredible and often misunderstood event in Native American history.

 

“Allies and Adversaries”: The program will be presented by retired NPS Historian Arnold W. Schofield, and its primary focus will be on the organization, recruitment and combat history of the Three Regiments of Indian Home Guards from Kansas. The program will close on an unknown aspect of the Civil War in Kansas, the Indian uprising by the plains tribes in 1864.

 

 

Dr. Michelle M. Martin is a Michigan native who made her way west after completing her BA and MA degrees in history at Western Michigan University. From 1997-2015 she lived in Fort Scott, Kansas and Bartlesville, Oklahoma where she taught history at the community college and university levels and worked as a museum professional and historical consultant to the television and film industries. While living in Kansas and Oklahoma Martin volunteered her time to various national, state, and local historic sites including Fort Scott NHS, Fort Larned NHS, Constitution Hall, Mine Creek Battlefield, and Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield. She earned her doctorate in history (and a minor in museum studies) at the University of New Mexico in 2022 with highest honors. Her dissertation was selected for the Linda Williams Reese Award from the Oklahoma Historical Society as the Outstanding Dissertation on Oklahoma History in March 2023. In August 2023 she joined the faculty in the Department of History at Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. Her areas of interest include Native American history, the U.S. West from 1800-1925, Kansas history from 1854-1865, interracial marriage and family in North America, and Public History. Her current project explores interracial marriage in the Mvskoke Nation during the Indian Territorial period.

 

Arnold W. Schofield is a retired NPS Historian who spent much of his civilian career at Fort Scott National Historic Site. He is currently a researcher, public speaker, and traveling lecturer around the region.

 

Fort Scott National Historic Site’s, a unit of the National Park Service, exhibit areas and visitor center are open daily from 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. The park grounds are open daily from a half hour before sunrise until a half hour after sunset.

 

-NPS-

 

 

2024 KS State Parks Permits/Campsite Reservations Will Go On Sale in December

Annual Permits, 2024 Campsite Reservations for Kansas State Parks Coming Soon

SHAWNEE – Whether you’ve had your eye on a waterfront cabin, are slowly working through a state park “bucket list,” or simply want to break in that new tent you got as a birthday present – there are three important dates coming up that Kansas State Park visitors won’t want to miss!

Beginning December 1, 2023, the following annual permits for Kansas State Parks will go on sale online, at state park offices and at license vendor locations:

  • Annual Vehicle Permit – $25
  • Annual Vehicle Permit (Senior/Disabled Kansas Resident) – $13.75
  • Unconventional Vehicle Permit – $52.50 (Purchase at state park offices.)
  • Annual Camping Permit – $202.50 (If purchased prior to April 1 or after September 30. $252.50 if purchased between April 1 and September 30. Discount permit, a $10/night discount on camping for the calendar year.)
  • 14-day Camping Permit – $112.50 (Discount permit, a $10/night discount on camping for up to 14 nights; nights do not have to be consecutive.)

Beginning December 8, 2023, at 12 p.m. (NOON) CST, campsite reservations for the prime season (April 1 thru October 31) will open for the following Kansas State Parks:

  • Cedar Bluff, Cheney, Kanopolis, Meade, Milford, Perry, Pomona, Prairie Dog, Sandhills, Tuttle Creek), and (Note: Tuttle Creek River Pond and Riley campground may be reserved online from April 1 thru November 30.)

Beginning December 15, 2023, at 12 p.m. (NOON) CST, campsite reservations for the prime season (April 1 thru October 31) will open for the remaining Kansas State Parks:

  • Clinton, Crawford, Cross Timbers, Eisenhower, El Dorado, Elk City, Fall River, Glen Elder, Hillsdale, Historic Lake Scott, Lovewell, and Wilson.

Parkgoers who want to have the best chances possible of being able to reserve a campsite for a desired date(s) during prime season should:

  1. Familiarize themselves with CampItKS.com or ReserveAmerica.com
  2. Ensure they have a seamless login with an existing complete profile or create a new account for customers brand new to either website.
  3. Download the CampItKS mobile app for access on-the-go
  4. And, mark down the aforementioned launch dates for permit sales and 2024 reservations.

To view a complete list of state parks in Kansas – including maps and lists of amenities – visit ksoutdoors.com/State-Parks.

###

Ascension Via Christi Hospital Earns National Distinction

Ascension Via Christi, Pittsburg, Ks. Submitted photo.

Ascension Via Christi Hospital in Pittsburg earns Leapfrog ‘A’ for safety

 

Ascension Via Christi Hospital in Pittsburg has received an “A” Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade for fall 2023, a national distinction that recognizes hospitals’ achievements in protecting patients from preventable harm and error.

 

“Receiving this recognition is truly a testament to the professionalism, dedication to safe patient care and the skills of our nurses, techs, medical staff and associates in our support staff,” says Drew Talbott, hospital president.

 

The Leapfrog Group, an independent national watchdog organization, assigns an “A,” “B,” “C,” “D,” or “F” grade to general hospitals across the country based on more than 30 national performance measures reflecting errors, accidents, injuries and infections, as well as systems hospitals have in place to prevent harm.

 

The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade is the only hospital ratings program based exclusively on hospital prevention of medical errors and harms to patients. The grading system is peer-reviewed, fully transparent and free to the public. Grades are updated annually in the fall and spring.

 

“I appreciate every single one of our associates and medical staff and am thankful for the collaboration and teamwork that led us to achieve such an impactful recognition,” says Talbott.

 

To see details of Ascension Via Christi Hospital in Pittsburg’s grade and access patient tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit HospitalSafetyGrade.org.

 

###

About Ascension Via Christi

In Kansas, Ascension Via Christi operates seven hospitals and nearly 80 other sites of care and employs approximately 6,200 associates. In FY2023, Ascension Via Christi provided more than $65 million in community benefit programs. Serving Kansas for more than 135 years, Ascension is a faith-based healthcare organization committed to delivering compassionate, personalized care to all, with special attention to persons living in poverty and those most vulnerable. Ascension is the leading non-profit and Catholic health system in the U.S., operating more than 2,600 sites of care – including 145 hospitals and more than 40 senior living facilities – in 19 states. Visit www.ascension.org.

CHC/SEK Nurse Practitioner becomes HIV Specialist

CHC/SEK Nurse Practitioner Crystal Garcia, DNP, APRN, FNP-C, AAHIVS, listens to a patient’s heart at the CHC/SEK Coffeyville clinic. Submitted photo.

Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas Nurse Practitioner Crystal Garcia, DNP, APRN, FNP-C, AAHIVS, joins CHC/SEK’s Family Physician Julie Stewart, MD, as the second HIV
Specialist at CHC/SEK.

Garcia recently completed her certification through the American
Academy of HIV Medicine.

“I’m so excited to have another HIV Specialist on our CHC/SEK Infectious Disease team,” Stewart said. “Crystal has a heart for the patients and the knowledge to care for them with
excellence. We are blessed to have her expertise on our growing team as we reach more and more patients each day.”

Prior to the inception of CHC/SEK’s Infectious Disease team, people living with HIV had to travel up to three hours to see their HIV Specialist in Wichita or Kansas City or wait up to 12
weeks for an HIV Specialist to come to them in Pittsburg. Now, between Garcia and Stewart, they can stay in their hometowns and get care five days a week.

Garcia also just entered into a year-long training through the Midwest AIDS Training and Education Center’s (MATEC) Clinical Scholar Program with the University of Kansas School of
Medicine.

The program pairs participants with a mentor, provides access to clinical consultations with otherHIV providers, and there are many opportunities to advance their knowledge through live and
virtual meetings and sessions. Garcia’s mentor is Donna E. Sweet, MD, AAHIVS, MACP, a Professor of Medicine from the University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita. Sweet has been at the front of fighting HIV and AIDS in Kansas for 30 years. Garcia has monthly meetings with Sweet and will have the opportunity to shadow her in the clinic several times this fall.

“This program offers so many resources and education that I will be able to pass on to patientsthat we serve to improve their retention in care and their overall health,” Garcia said.
HIV specialists provide and have access to wrap around care that includes evidenced based practice knowledge to help those diagnosed with HIV. This increases engagement in treatment,
retention in care and decreases the effects this virus can have if not adequately controlled, Garcia said.

HIV specialists not only diagnose and treat individuals with HIV, but they also work to prevent others from acquiring it, Garcia said, adding that the treatment of HIV has come so far in the 40 years that individuals with HIV when engaged in care with an HIV specialist, can have a very positive prognosis.

“By being able to care for individuals diagnosed with HIV, we often are a ray of hope in someone’s life that they may not have seen on their own,” Garcia said. “This diagnosis can come
with so many negative thoughts and feelings that often individuals are ashamed and would rather not come into care due to fear and the unknown.

“It is beyond rewarding to be able to help people diagnosed with HIV understand their diagnosis and how it is very manageable throughout their lifespan. As a provider for people living with
HIV, there is a very unique connection that occurs and sometimes the person just needs acceptance and to be heard to see their life is not over and their future can look very parallel to what they planned prior to their diagnosis.”

 

Garcia is also nearing completion of an Internal Medicine fellowship with Stewart, a 12-month program designed to be an internal medicine/infectious disease fellowship within CHC/SEK. She
spent the first three months side-by-side with Stewart for every patient she interacted with, before seeing patients independently at the CHC/SEK Baxter Springs, Columbus, Coffeyville,
Fort Scott, Iola, and Pleasanton clinics.

She also regularly has appointments via Telehealth to
Independence and Parsons. Occasionally, on an emergency basis, she will Telehealth into other clinics, such as CHC/OK in Miami.

“I believe Dr. Stewart and I have built a very solid professional relationship that only adds to
each patient’s care,” Garcia said. “Our patients are aware we are a team and very much operate under this mindset to provide each patient with what they need and want from their healthcare.
“This last year has been a steep learning curve that has forced me to dive deep into myself and hustle for a goal that I truly believe benefits each patient. This fellowship is a huge building
block that enhances my professional ability to improve my practice.”