Category Archives: Area News

Area News, Bourbon County, Schools

Pittsburg Youth Chorale Spring Enrollment Open

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Area singers in 4th, 5th, and 6th grade are invited to join Pittsburg Youth Chorale, directed by MJ Harper.

The purpose of this vocal ensemble is to further grow vocal abilities, musical knowledge, and choral repertoire.

Performers will prepare music for community events and music festivals. COVID guidelines will be observed.

Rehearsals are Tuesdays from 6-7PM at First United Methodist Church, 415 N. Pine, Pittsburg, KS and begin February 23rd.

There is a fee of $25 per semester (Sept-Dec/Feb-May) to cover the cost of music.

Scholarships are available. To enroll, contact MJ Harper at 620-719-6633 or email [email protected], deadline
February 23rd.

Area News, Health Care

Nevada Hospital Receives First COVID 19 Vaccines For Phase 1B

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NRMC to Host Phase 1B Vaccine Clinics

Nevada Regional Medical Center (NRMC) has received their first shipment of COVID-19 vaccines for Phase 1B. Only individuals registered through waiting lists will be notified and scheduled for one of two upcoming mass vaccination clinics that will provide more than 500 individuals with their first dose of a two-part Moderna vaccine. Second doses will be given at follow-up clinics four weeks after the initial clinics. It is important to note that COVID-19 vaccination may only be done by appointment and walk-ins are not accepted.

As supplies continue to come in, NRMC will continue to reach out to those who have requested a vaccination. Anyone who believes they fall into one of the tiers in Phase 1B and wishes to be notified when an appointment for vaccination is available may call NRMC’s vaccine call center at (417) 448-2120 or visit the hospital’s website at www.nrmchealth.com to register online.

The vaccine call center is open 24/7 and staffed by live receptionists. In the interest of making scheduling as efficient as possible, NRMC requests that individuals register for the notification list only once as multiple requests are unnecessary and not helpful.

So who exactly is eligible right now? Here’s the breakdown:

Phase 1B – Tier 1: Protecting those who keep us safe and help during emergencies

• First Responders

• Non-Patient Facing Public Health Infrastructure

• Emergency Management and Public Works

• Emergency Services Sector

Phase 1B – Tier 2: Protecting those who are at increased risk for severe illness

• Anyone aged 65 and older

• Any adult with one or more of the following conditions: Cancer, Chronic Kidney Disease, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), Intellectual and/or developmental disabilities such as Down Syndrome, Heart Conditions (such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, or cardiomyopathies), Immunocompromised state from a solid organ transplant, Severe Obesity (BMI greater than 40), Pregnancy, Sickle Cell Disease, Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

“Getting a vaccine to everyone that wants one is not going to be a fast process,” said NRMC Chief Executive Officer Steve Branstetter. “However, we are dedicated to not wasting any vaccine that we receive and ensuring the most efficient and safe vaccination process that we can for our community. We are as anxious as everyone else to start a new chapter in this story, where we defeat our antagonist, the virus.”

NRMC reminds readers to frequently check local media and the hospital’s Facebook page for updates on COVID-19 vaccines.

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About Nevada Regional Medical Center
Serving a six-county area since 1937, Nevada Regional Medical Center is a 71-bed acute, intensive and skilled care hospital. Nevada Regional Medical Center has earned recognition as a respected regional medical center for its comprehensive health care services, skilled and caring employees and state-of-the-art medical technology. Staff represent more than a dozen medical specialties, including family practice, women’s services, neurology, urology, psychiatry, orthopedics, wound care services, and general, vascular, thoracic and oncological surgery. Additionally, consultation clinics are held regularly by specialists in oncology, pulmonology, podiatry, ear, nose, and throat and cardiology.

Area News, Health Care

Free Cholesterol Screening In Nevada

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NRMC to Offer Free Cholesterol Screening

Nevada Regional Medical Center (NRMC) announces it will host a free cholesterol screening sponsored by NRMC Foundation on Thursday, February 18 from 6 to 9 A.M. Registration is open to the public, but appointments are limited.

According to NRMC cardiologist, Dr. David Zuehlke, the two largest risk factors that can accelerate heart disease include tobacco use and diabetes. Other major risk factors include hypertension (or high blood pressure) and elevated cholesterol, followed by family history. Elevated cholesterol levels can be an indicator of heart disease while maintaining healthy cholesterol levels can lower chances of heart disease and stroke.

For men, typical symptoms of coronary artery disease or a heart attack include chest discomfort and pressure that radiates to the back, arm or neck, nausea, sweating, shortness of breath. However, for women, the symptoms can be confused with other mild illnesses.

“Women will often present with shortness of breath, abdominal pain with some nausea and fatigue,” Dr. Zuehlke said. “That’s what makes it difficult to diagnose women; these symptoms could be so many other things that coronary artery disease in women often gets missed.”

Dr. Zuehlke recommends that someone who experiences symptoms that go away with rest should visit a doctor as soon as possible to be evaluated. However, if someone is experiencing symptoms while at rest, or that are worsening, that person should call 9-1-1 for an ambulance. He does not advise driving oneself to the emergency room, or even being driven by someone else.

Persons with risk factors for heart disease can be proactive by visiting with a cardiologist or primary care provider before they experience symptoms and discover ways to prevent heart problems. The American Heart Association recommends all adults age 20 or older should have their cholesterol (and other risk factors) checked every four to six years and talk with a doctor to determine one’s risk for heart disease.

To register for the free cholesterol screening, visit www.nrmchealth.com or call (417) 448-3801.

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About Nevada Regional Medical Center
Serving a six-county area since 1937, Nevada Regional Medical Center is a 71-bed acute, intensive and skilled care hospital. Nevada Regional Medical Center has earned recognition as a respected regional medical center for its comprehensive health care services, skilled and caring employees and state-of-the-art medical technology. Staff represent more than a dozen medical specialties, including family practice, women’s services, neurology, urology, psychiatry, orthopedics, wound care services, and general, vascular, thoracic and oncological surgery. Additionally, consultation clinics are held regularly by specialists in oncology, pulmonology, podiatry, ear, nose, and throat and cardiology.

Area News, Health Care

Butterflies in the Emergency Room

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Dr. Larry Seals holds a new piece of ultrasound equipment at Nevada Regional Medical Center.

 

 

Nevada Regional Medical Center (NRMC) has recently began utilizing new medical technology to provide point-of-care-ultrasound. For more than 50 years ultrasound technology has been based on the same hardware. Traditionally this involves large equipment.

Today, NRMC healthcare providers have the power of ultrasound in the palm of their hands with a compact ultrasound technology, called Butterfly IQ. The Butterfly allows physicians to convert a tablet or cell phone into a monitor for the ultrasound machine. This state-of-the-art technology has numerous advantages.

In the emergency room, the time savings is a significant benefit. Using the Butterfly allows for a Focused Assessment with Sonography for Trauma (FAST) exam and aid the quick location of veins for IV access.

If a patient presents with very low blood pressure, the doctor doesn’t have to send the patient off to radiology. Instead he can simply plug in the Butterfly to quickly examine the chest cavity and check the left ventricular function to see if it involves fluid around the heart or lungs.

Providers in many departments of NRMC are happy to utilize the new technology as well. Larry Seals, DO can use the device for prenatal exams. Steve Marquardt, CRNA, NSPM provides interventional pain management at NRMC. Prior to a surgery, Marquardt is often called upon to inject anesthesia into a specific nerve to numb the area of the body where the surgery will take place. With Butterfly, he will be able to pinpoint the precise nerve within seconds.

Use of the new device is expected to improve patient satisfaction by decreasing wait times for some ultrasound procedures. Most importantly, it will be readily available during a trauma, when life-saving minutes count, such as a suspected internal bleed or cardiac issue.

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About Nevada Regional Medical Center
Serving a six-county area since 1937, Nevada Regional Medical Center is a 71-bed acute, intensive and skilled care hospital. Nevada Regional Medical Center has earned recognition as a respected regional medical center for its comprehensive health care services, skilled and caring employees and state-of-the-art medical technology. Staff represent more than a dozen medical specialties, including family practice, women’s services, neurology, urology, psychiatry, orthopedics, wound care services, and general, vascular, thoracic and oncological surgery. Additionally, consultation clinics are held regularly by specialists in oncology, pulmonology, podiatry, ear, nose, and throat and cardiology.

Area News, Government

Ogallala Aquifer Depletion Discussion Feb. 24-25

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Ogallala Aquifer Virtual Summit to Engage Stakeholders in Tackling Tough Questions

This event will be February 24-25, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. (CST). Through panels and facilitated workshops, participants will discuss and identify actionable activities and priorities that could benefit producers, communities, and this critical groundwater resource.

 

At 8 a.m. (CST) on February 24 and 25, producers and other water management leaders will grab their coffee cups, fire up their devices, and wade into a series of highly interactive conversations designed to tackle several tough questions faced by communities that rely on the declining Ogallala aquifer resource. For example, what on-farm, district, or state-level decisions and policies could support shifts in water management to ensure future generations will be able to continue to farm and live in the Ogallala region? What can be done so that rural communities remain vital in parts of the region where aquifer depletion means irrigated agriculture will no longer serve as much of an economic backbone in coming years or decades?

 

This event is being led by the USDA-NIFA Ogallala Water Coordinated Agriculture Project (OWCAP) team, along with the Kansas Water Office, Texas A&M AgriLife, and the USDA-ARS supported Ogallala Aquifer Program, and support from individuals in all eight Ogallala states. Between the pandemic, an extended period of drought, and lower commodity prices, summit organizers wondered if producers and other water management leaders would be inclined to meet virtually. Together, they assessed that the value of this event, which encourages people to meet one another and exchange a wealth of practical and technical expertise, would not be diminished if held online. In fact, more than ever, having an opportunity to help people connect and hear from one another and from producers in particular on many important dimensions of the water-dependent future of this region, seemed right and necessary. This event will serve as the capstone outreach event for OWCAP, an interdisciplinary, collaborative research and outreach project underway since 2016 involving researchers from 9 institutions based in 6 of the 8 Ogallala states.

 

Topics covered during the summit will include updates on projects, new programs, activities and policies that were inspired at least in part due to an earlier 8-state Ogallala summit event held in Garden City, Kansas in April of 2018. Together, participants will share their expertise and identify opportunities and gaps requiring attention, resources, and expanded collaboration within and across state lines to benefit agriculture and the region’s communities.

 

“The increasing depletion of the Ogallala Aquifer is one of the most daunting water problems in America. Extending and restoring the life of this resource, and, in turn, the economies and livelihoods that depend on it, will require collaboration across a diverse range of water-focused stakeholders and entities,” said Connie Owen, Director of the Kansas Water Office. “This summit will provide a unique opportunity to foster and strengthen that collaboration. It will cover emerging innovations, research, and policies as well as help identify opportunities for working together across state lines to address the water-related challenges facing this region and its communities.”

 

Registration for the summit costs $40; the fee for producers and students attending the 2-day event is $20. Participants from each of the eight states overlying the Ogallala aquifer will be represented: South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado, Wyoming, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Texas. A detailed schedule of this event is available at https://www.ogallalawater.org/. Members of the media are invited to attend.

Area News, COVID-19, Health Care

Nevada Hospital COVID-19 Vaccine Call Center

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NRMC Launches Vaccine Call Center

In response to Missouri’s implementation of the COVID-19 vaccination priority Phase 1B, many have inquired to Nevada Regional Medical Center (NRMC) as to when and how they might schedule an appointment to be vaccinated. However, NRMC and most other approved vaccinators in Missouri face a similar challenge that they have yet to receive any phase 1B vaccine doses from the state.

Although individuals who qualify for Phase 1B vaccination may not be able to schedule an appointment at this time, they are able to request notification when it becomes available to them. For this purpose, NRMC has launched a vaccine information call center at (417) 448-2120. This line is answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by live receptionists. Individuals may also complete a form online to be added to the notification list at www.nrmchealth.com/vaccine. Questions about the vaccine may also be emailed to [email protected].

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About Nevada Regional Medical Center
Serving a six-county area since 1937, Nevada Regional Medical Center is a 71-bed acute, intensive and skilled care hospital. Nevada Regional Medical Center has earned recognition as a respected regional medical center for its comprehensive health care services, skilled and caring employees and state-of-the-art medical technology. Staff represent more than a dozen medical specialties, including family practice, women’s services, neurology, urology, psychiatry, orthopedics, wound care services, and general, vascular, thoracic and oncological surgery. Additionally, consultation clinics are held regularly by specialists in oncology, pulmonology, podiatry, ear, nose, and throat and cardiology.

Area News, COVID-19, Health Care

Nevada Hospital Provided 200 COVID-19 Vaccinations In the Last Week

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January 12, 2021

 

Submitted by
Steve Branstetter, CEO
Nevada Regional Medical Center

As COVID-19 cases continue to impact our hospital, we are seeing hope in the first round of vaccines being administered throughout Missouri.
We are proud to share that over the last week, our Nevada Regional Medical Center team has provided more than 200 vaccinations to front-line health care workers who are among the first group eligible to receive the vaccines, in accordance with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines.
As our vaccine supply increases throughout the coming weeks and months, we will expand our vaccine operations to the community, as guided by the CDC and the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. We will share a defined timeline as more information becomes available.
It will take time to vaccinate all members of our community. In the meantime, please continue to follow all safety precautions – wear a mask, practice physical distancing and hand hygiene.
We will keep you informed and updated as we learn more and prepare for each phase of vaccinations. There are many moving parts related to the supply and administration of the vaccine, so thank you for your patience and understanding as we strive to take care of our community.
Please share this message with your friends, family and others in the community who have questions or concerns about the vaccine. Up-to-date resources and information also are available for individuals on the state’s vaccine website MoStopsCOVID.com.
Please continue to send well wishes to our front-line caregivers as they take care of patients and families.
Sincerely,
Steve Branstetter, CEO
Nevada Regional Medical Center

 

Natalie Eberhard,Community Relations and Foundation Manager, said Kansans may get vaccines in Missouri as well.

DO’S AND DON’TS FOR PEOPLE
SEEKING THE COVID-19 VACCINE
What can I do to know more about the COVID-19 vaccine?

Research.
Check your doctor, local hospital, local pharmacy or local health department website or social media sites for vaccine availability information.
Be patient.
Know that vaccines only are available in limited quantities and that vaccinations for certain populations, especially health care providers and first responders, take precedence.

Know what vaccination phase you are in.

Missouri’s COVD-19 vaccination website can help you understand the roll-out process, which is risk-based.

Just show up.

Supply is limited. Unlike some other vaccinations, providers will not have vaccine available for the public — outside of those in the priority categories — until Phase 3 vaccination begins.

 

 

 

Area News

Kansas Archeology Training June 4-20 in Shawnee County

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Kansas Archeology Training Program Field School

to Be Held in Shawnee County:

Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site

June 4-20, 2021

 

TOPEKA—The Kansas Historical Society and the Kansas Anthropological Association announced on Jan. 8 that the Kansas Archeology Training Program (KATP) will be held at Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site, in Topeka. The annual field school will partner with the park and the National Park Service’s Midwest Archeological Center (MWAC). The park includes the Monroe Elementary School and commemorates the 1954 U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to end the nation’s legal segregation. The landmark victory for civil rights in America helped to inspire the American Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s and 1960s. The national historic site is located where Monroe Elementary School was built in 1927 and the previous Monroe School was built in 1874. Both were intended as segregated schools for Black children, one of four in Topeka, until the 1954 court decision.

 

The goal of the 2021 KATP is to expand on knowledge of the school property from the early years when it was purchased by John Ritchie in 1855 and later when the current Monroe school was built. The field school will be an opportunity to explore some of the structures buried on the property that once stood near the earlier Monroe school. Little information in known regarding the preservation of these structures. Through the use of archeology it is hoped to gain a better understanding of those who lived in the Monroe school neighborhood. This project will help tell of the crucial time between the Civil War and the Civil Rights eras that had a profound impact on people’s lives throughout the nation. Visitors to this national site are often unaware or unable to understand the property’s broader history prior to the 1954 court decision. Research goals will be shaped by input from the National Park Service to help assist them in telling this story and to gain more understanding about the community that surrounded this school.

 

The annual KATP field school is an opportunity for the public to work alongside professional and avocational archeologists in finding and excavating archeological sites and processing the resulting artifacts in the lab. No experience is necessary—just a desire to learn. Volunteers can attend for a few days or the entire 17 days of the field school. Participants must be at least 12 years old and children aged 12-17 must be accompanied by a parent or responsible adult. Classroom courses on archeology are also offered and can be taken for college credit through Emporia State University for an additional fee. Artifacts found at the site will be processed in the archeology laboratory at the Kansas Historical Society.

 

The registration fee for members of the Kansas Historical Society and the Kansas Anthropological Association is $35 for standard participants, $25 for participants 65 or older, $15 for all students currently enrolled at a middle school, high school, or college. There is no fee for students enrolled for college credit through Emporia State University. The nonmember fee is $90.

 

Registration will be available online through kshs.org from April 1-June 1, 2021. Registration is limited based on activity on a day-by-day basis.

 

A full schedule of evening programs will be held in Topeka; admission to the programs is free and open to the public. A tentative schedule of programs will be posted online. Find more online at kshs.org/14622.

 

For more information contact Nikki Klarmann, [email protected]; 785-272-8681, ext. 266; kshs.org/katp.

 

**Due to the current public health crisis, the KATP field school is subject to cancellation. This decision will be made prior to the opening of registration on April 1, 2021.**

Area News, Health Care

Carmen Pike New Administrator At Nevada Hospital

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Carmen Pike. Submitted photo.

Moore-Few Care Center Announces New Administrator

Moore-Few Care Center (MFCC) is pleased to announce the promotion of Carmen Pike, RN from Director of Nursing (DON) to Administrator. Her promotion took place in October as the previous administrator Angela Barrett moved on to the position of Controller at Nevada Regional Medical Center.

Pike brings more than 28 years of experience as a career-long employee of MFCC. She has worked her way up through the ranks over the years, with her first job at MFCC as a housekeeper. When asked what she likes about her job, she says she sees long-term care residents as the often-forgotten people of society. “I enjoy taking care of them, making them smile and feel important,” says Pike.

A self-proclaimed overachiever, Pike enjoys learning and advanced her career at MFCC by continuing her education. A Nevada, Mo native, her nursing career path began in the health occupations class at Nevada High School, by which she earned her certification as a nurse aid. She went on to earn her practical nursing license through Crowder College. Later, she became a registered nurse and most recently, in 2020, she passed rigorous state and federal exams to earn her administrator’s license.

“As Administrator, I look forward to encouraging a family-oriented team at Moore-Few,” says Pike. “I think that approach will help us provide the best home for residents, where we take care of them, as well as each other. I want our Moore-Few family to look forward to coming to work and to see that hard work pays off.”

Pike lives on a farm in Nevada with her husband of 32 years. They have two sons and two grandchildren. When asked about how she spends her spare time she says, “I LOVE fishing, especially for catfish, and caring for our cows and chickens.”

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About Moore-Few Care Center
Moore-Few Care Center, a skilled nursing facility, provides a variety of rehabilitation and health care services. The first Moore-Few nursing home was created in the old Nevada City Hospital building when the new hospital construction was completed in 1971. In 1988, Moore-Few Nursing Home was moved to a newly built facility adjoining Nevada Regional Medical Center and referred to as the Moore-Few Care Center. Boyd Ewing’s property was used in the construction of the new building.

Area News, Government, Kansas

Wichita Earthquakes Investigation Complete

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KCC completes investigation of Wichita area earthquakes

TOPEKA –The Kansas Corporation Commission has completed an investigation into whether the recent string of earthquakes occurring in the Wichita area are related to oil and gas industry activity. The KCC regulates oil and gas production and exploration in the state.

“Based on our investigation, KCC staff does not believe the seismicity in Wichita, Kansas is tied to any oil and gas activities in the area,” said Ryan A. Hoffman, Director of the KCC Conservation Division.

The KCC’s investigation examined many factors including:

  • A review of historical disposal well records for Arbuckle or Granite Wash injection wells within a six-mile radius of the earthquakes. Five wells were located in the radius. No recent volume increases were found.
  • Any new drilling activity within three miles of the epicenters. No new wells were recently completed within the area.
  • Spot checks of the wells within the radius area to verify compliance with permit conditions.

This investigation procedure is outlined in the Seismic Action Plan developed in 2014 in collaboration with the Kansas Geological Survey and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. An investigation is triggered whenever an earthquake of M 3.5 or higher occurs in the state or when an earthquake scores a 17 or higher Seismic Action Score which takes into account variables such as risk, clustering and timing.

The KCC will continue to monitor the situation and consult with the Kansas Geological Survey and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment as necessary.

Area News, Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas, Health Care

Freeman Donates to CHC/SEK

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Freeman Health System donates to CHC/SEK’s new John Parolo Education Center

PITTSBURG – On Tuesday, Freeman Health System invested in the next generation of rural healthcare professionals through a $1,000,000 donation to the new John Parolo Education Center building at Community at Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas, Pittsburg.

The building project, set to break ground in May, expects to grow the number of primary care physicians in the region as well as other healthcare disciplines. By 2025, Kansas is projected to need an additional 290 primary care physicians just to meet current needs; many rural counties no longer have a dentist. Kansas is experiencing a major exodus of its under-30 population seeking professional opportunities elsewhere.

“The overwhelming support and generosity of Freeman Health System most certainly demonstrates their true commitment to the future of healthcare in southeast Kansas,” said Krista Postai, CHC/SEK President and CEO. “This is an investment not only in health education, but in the lives of hundreds of our young people who will now have the opportunity to train locally and then serve the communities in which there were raised.”

Since inception, CHC/SEK has served as a medical training site for healthcare students from all disciplines. It has affiliation agreements with 50 different organizations dedicated to healthcare education and more than 400 students receive training annually within its walls. 

Southeast Kansas is critically underserved in all areas of healthcare and, like all of rural Kansas, is seeing its health resources erode and is challenged to recruit health professionals who typically practice within 75 miles of where they have trained. Studies show that only 2 percent of new doctors want to practice in town with less than 25,000 residents. 

To bring training opportunities to southeast Kansas, CHC/SEK is building a state-of-the-art $5 million, 16,000 sq. ft. facility which will include learning laboratories, classroom and conference rooms designed to support medical and dental residents.

There will be a rural medicine training program for physicians and physician assistants, and post-graduate clinical training for licensure of multiple professionals including pharmacists, social workers and psychologists among others. 

“This is indeed a dream come true and we are honored that Freeman CEO Paula Baker – who grew up just a few blocks from where this health education center will be built – shares our vision of training health professionals that are fully committed to the people they serve,” Postai said. “We are extremely appreciative for their willingness – especially in the midst of a worldwide pandemic – to look beyond today to a better, healthier tomorrow.”

About Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas

Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas (CHC/SEK) is a non-profit Federally Qualified Health Center dedicated to providing affordable, high quality medical, dental, behavioral health, and pharmacy services to everyone, regardless of income or insurance status. For more information, visit www.chcsek.org.

About Freeman Health System 

Locally owned, not-for-profit and nationally recognized, Freeman Health System includes Freeman Hospital West, Freeman Hospital East, Freeman Neosho Hospital and Ozark Center – the area’s largest provider of behavioral health services – as well as two urgent care clinics, dozens of physician clinics and a variety of specialty services. For more information, visit www.freemanhealth.com

Area News, Government

Charles Baker retires from KDOT

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Charles Baker has retired from the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) following 41 years of service to the agency.

 

Baker was hired in 1979 as an Equipment Operator at Erie. He was promoted to Equipment Operator Specialist in 2002 and became Highway Maintenance Supervisor in 2006. As the supervisor at Erie, Baker directed a maintenance crew that worked on state highways throughout the area.

 

In retirement, Baker said he was planning to put family first and then work on his hobbies. He and his wife, Janice, live in Hepler. They have two children and four grandchildren.