Ascension Via Christi will cease operations at its emergency department in Fort Scott on Wednesday, Dec. 20. This decision was made after a thorough analysis of trend data, patient census, and the current and future challenges and opportunities facing this facility.
Over the past several years, a multidisciplinary team that includes Ascension Via Christi clinical and operational leaders have been working together to understand the current operating environment at the Emergency Department in Fort Scott. This department has seen a steady decline in visits and its overall average daily census. These factors, coupled with other economic challenges, have limited the emergency department’s ability to continue operations.
“After exploring the options available, it was clear that this was the only option for us. There are other providers in the region positioned to serve the residents of Fort Scott and neighboring communities. These providers will help us ensure continuity of care for our patients as we approach closure,” says Drew Talbott, president of Ascension Via Christi Hospital in Pittsburg.
Ascension Via Christi is committed to supporting associates, patients and community members through this transition.
###
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 and the District of Columbia. Visit www.ascension.org.
MANHATTAN, Kansas — The Kansas Department of Agriculture, in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA–APHIS), has identified highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in two egg layer facilities — one in McPherson County and one in Rice County. This marks five cases of HPAI in Kansas this fall; since the start of the outbreak in 2022 there have been 21 cases of HPAI in Kansas.
KDA is working closely with USDA–APHIS on a joint incident response at the affected premises in the two affected counties. According to KDA’s animal health officials, the facilities both increased their biosecurity upon the initial HPAI outbreak in 2022 and have been continuously monitoring their flock. Upon noticing clinical signs of HPAI in their birds, they immediately contacted KDA. The affected premises were placed under quarantine and the birds will be humanely depopulated and disposed of in an approved manner to prevent the spread of the disease.
In addition, KDA will be establishing a 20-km surveillance zone around the infected premises, and other farms or properties with poultry that fall within that zone will not be allowed to move birds or poultry products on or off their property without permission from KDA. The animal health team is working to locate all poultry owners in the area to ensure they know the symptoms of HPAI and are taking critical steps to protect their birds. If you own poultry and live in McPherson or Rice counties, please contact KDA at 833-765-2006 or [email protected]. You can also self-report your birds at https://fs22.formsite.com/KansasDeptAg/zlb9fcr9oc/index.html.
This outbreak of HPAI is primarily spread by migrating wild waterfowl, so a critical part of protecting your flock is to establish separation between your domestic birds and wild birds as they migrate through your region. Anyone involved with poultry production from the small backyard chicken owner to the large commercial producer should review their biosecurity activities to assure the health of their birds. Find guidance on biosecurity on the KDA Division of Animal Health webpage at agriculture.ks.gov/AvianInfluenza.
Highly pathogenic avian influenza is a contagious viral disease that can infect chickens, turkeys and other birds and can cause severe illness and/or sudden death in infected birds. Poultry owners should attentively monitor your birds for symptoms of HPAI which include: coughing, sneezing, nasal discharge, and other signs of respiratory distress; lack of energy and appetite; decreased water consumption; decreased egg production and/or soft-shelled, misshapen eggs; incoordination; and diarrhea. Avian influenza can also cause sudden death in birds even if they aren’t showing other symptoms.
If these symptoms are observed in your birds, immediately contact your veterinarian. If you don’t have a regular veterinarian, contact KDA’s Division of Animal Health office toll-free at 833-765-2006.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the recent HPAI detections do not present an immediate public health concern or a food safety concern. As a reminder, the proper handling and cooking of all poultry and eggs to an internal temperature of 165˚F is recommended as a general food safety precaution.
For more information about HPAI, including current status of the confirmed cases in other states and more information about biosecurity for your flock, go to KDA’s avian influenza webpage at agriculture.ks.gov/AvianInfluenza or call KDA at 833-765-2006.
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) today introduced the Rural Emergency Hospital Adjustment Act that would allow previously closed rural hospitals to potentially re-open and apply for the Rural Emergency Hospital designation if they can demonstrate they met all eligibility requirements between Jan. 1, 2015 and Dec. 27, 2020.
The REH designation was created as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 to enable certain hospitals to convert to the new Medicare provider designation, which helps rural hospitals to continue operating with limited services rather than closing. Currently, hospitals are only eligible for the designation if they met the requirements when the legislation was signed into law on Dec. 27, 2020.
“Access to outpatient and emergency services often determines if a rural community can survive,” said Sen. Moran. “More than 100 rural hospitals have closed since 2015, and this legislation will allow these hospitals an opportunity to re-open and serve their communities.”
The Rural Emergency Hospital Adjustment Act would extend the eligibility date back to Jan. 1, 2015, for hospitals that were either critical access hospitals or rural hospitals with no more than 50 beds.
As the population of drivers aged 65 and older continues to grow, maintaining safe mobility is important. Older Driver Safety Awareness Week, Dec. 4-8, encourages seniors and their families to assess age-related changes and how best to remain safe on the road or choose other kinds of transportation.
Older drivers are considered more susceptible to serious injury and death in a crash. In Kansas, 72 drivers aged 65-99 were involved in a fatal crash in 2022. Another 3,694 were involved in a serious injury or injury crash. According to the National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA), more older drivers are in fatal crashes on rural roads versus urban roads.
“If you have an older driver in your family, consider having a positive and engaging conversation about driving,” said Chris Bortz, Transportation Safety Assistant Bureau Chief for the Kansas Department of Transportation. “These conversations should focus on their current driving behaviors and the resources that are available if they need to stop driving.”
KDOT and NHTSA recommend older drivers and their families work together to:
Promote awareness of the impact aging has on driving.
Understand how medical conditions and prescribed medications can impact physical fitness, reflexes and vision when driving.
Discuss knowledge on new road designs such as round-abouts, diverging diamonds or other traffic flow changes along route.
Plan trips during the day and when traffic is light.
Work with older drivers to understand new vehicle technology such as lane departure, back up cameras and blind-spot detection.
Make sure they correctly use headlights at night, and buckle up every trip, every time.
Assist older drivers who may no longer be able to drive and help them plan for safe mobility by family, friends or public transport.
Mercy Hospital Fort Scott signed an agreement with Ascension Via Christi to provide equipment and furnishings for emergency room services in 2019, following the closure of the hospital in 2018.
The loss of the emergency department in Bourbon County on December 20 is on the minds of many in the community.
Ascension Via Christi Emergency Department cited “a steady decline in visits and its overall average daily census” in the press release announcing the closure.
Gregg Motley, Southeast Kansas Regional Manager of Landmark National Bank, proposed a question-and-answer interview on the current medical issues between him and Dr. Randy Nichols that would answer some of the questions the community has. Here is the interview.
Dr. Randy Nichols, who recently retired from a long medical practice in Bourbon County, answers some frequently asked questions from Bourbon County residents about the future of Emergency Room services in Bourbon County.
Motley:
Why do we need an emergency room? Would a great ambulance service with high-quality Emergency Medical Services personnel be just as good?
Nichols:
Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and Emergency Rooms (ER) are mutually beneficial services. EMS is to evaluate the on-scene emergency needs, provide the care available on the ambulance, and transport to the closest appropriate ER. Once EMS is involved, they are legally required to transport the patient to the closest appropriate ER. An ER, on the other hand, is available to both ambulance transfers and “walk-ins” seeking emergency care. An ER has lab and x-ray diagnostic capabilities. It has treatment options not available on an ambulance. Following diagnostic evaluation, a patient can be treated and dismissed or stabilized and transferred for hospitalization to a facility offering the needed services.
Let’s look at our utilization numbers to understand why EMS alone is not adequate. Approximately 2/3 of our ER visits do not arrive by ambulance. Of our total ER visits, less than ¼ ultimately require hospitalization. If most of the people seeking emergency care can no longer bring themselves to a local facility, the number of ambulance calls, and therefore number of transports out of the county, could triple. To staff this would be a prohibitive expense. More importantly, emergencies aren’t scheduled, so if multiple health events occur at the same time without a local ER, our ambulance system could be overwhelmed: people will be waiting longer and some will not get the care they need in a timely manner. Additionally, some people may choose to “ride it out” at home rather than call an ambulance or make a long drive to the closest ER. Both of these decisions put people at increased risk.
A brick-and-mortar ER is foundational to the safety and well-being of our community.
Motley:
Could a stop at an ER without an attached hospital jeopardize the life of a critically ill patient by delaying a life-saving treatment?
Nichols:
EMS is obligated to take a patient to the closest ER providing the needed level of care. However, that care may be identified as a need to stabilize in the local ER while arranging transport to a higher level of care. This is often a more controlled situation, improves patient safety, and, if for example Life Flight needs to be called, may shorten the time to distant hospitals.
Motley:
Why is government being asked to subsidize a private corporation? Do other rural communities fund / subsidize their ERs.
Nichols:
Healthcare reimbursement is unlike other business models. In order to get paid, a healthcare organization must meet a rigid group of CMS (Center for Medicare and Medicaid) standards. Reimbursement is based on “customary and reasonable” and/or negotiated fees. Reimbursement doesn’t equal charges and in many cases, episodes of care are never paid. To have an ER, a subsidy is needed whether it is private or “not for profit.” Of course, the subsidy needs to be based on real and regularly verified numbers.
Many other communities subsidize their health care. In our area, Iola, Garnett, and Parsons all subsidize. Nevada has a ½ cent sales tax to support their hospital. Ottawa, Kansas subsidizes about $2 million yearly to cover the cost of indigent care. In Kansas, more than 50 hospitals are at risk of closure. The Kansas Hospital Association reports many of these would already be closed if not supported by local subsidies.
Motley:
Are there subsidies for rural health care out there to lighten our local burden? Is it anticipated this will be a perpetual subsidy for the taxpayers of Bourbon County?
Nichols:
Federal designation as a Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) is being pursued. REH would pay $2-3 million a year as a facility fee. This would support an ER and a limited number of 24-hour observation beds. REH would provide long-term stability to our situation and probably eliminate the need for subsidy. Without REH, the need for an ongoing subsidy will be our responsibility.
Motley:
Will the rural health care system be fixed?
Nichols:
To fix rural health care our legislators must understand how it is broken. Please communicate with them your needs and concerns. In our immediate situation, we need help with waivers of the current rules limiting our ability to have an ER. First is a law dictating that the sponsoring hospital must be within 35 miles. The other is a waiver related to the timing of the closure of our hospital as it relates to qualifying for REH. Please continue to ask our representatives for their help.
The holiday season can bring a wide array of emotions, and for many, that includes grief.
Grief is a profound sorrow, especially one that is caused by someone’s death.
“The key thing to remember is grief looks different for each and every one,” says Behavioral Health provider Sara Jarrett, LMSW. “We have all lived our own experiences. Because of this, and because the circumstances surrounding each person’s passing vary, none of us experience grief in the exact same way.”
Grief can be caused by many things. It could be the first holiday season without a loved one. You may have recently finalized a divorce, and your children will spend the holiday with an ex-spouse. Perhaps you’ve moved, or other family members have moved, and you won’t be together as you were in previous years. Maybe your family is alive and well, but you’ve had to set a healthy boundary to protect your peace, so you’re spending the holidays without them.
No matter the situation, grief is heavy and unpredictable. It has no timeline, and healing doesn’t always happen as quickly as we’d like.
How to deal with grief during the holidays
These nine points can help, but there’s no wrong or right way.
Trust that grief is part of healing
Time does not heal the pain associated with loss; It is what we do with the time that matters.
Grief is a process by which we heal. Experiencing the pain, rather than trying to escape it, can help us feel betterin the long term
.
Set healthy boundaries
We don’t have to force ourselves to face every holiday event or celebratory tradition. If attending a family dinner or participating in the office gift swap will bring too many painful memories this year – be willing to say no. Other people may try to convince you and tell you what you should do, but it’s okay to say no.
Focus on what you can control
We can’t control many things about the holidays, such as being subjected to Christmas music in waiting rooms or hearing co-workers discuss holiday plans. There are some things we can control. We can plan ahead and acknowledge within ourselves that this time of year is hard. We can make a list of things that make us happy and find ways to incorporate those things into our now.
Plan ahead
Often, the anticipation over how hard something will be is worse than the event. While Thanksgiving dinner may be only two hours long, we can easily spend weeks dreading it. Instead, creating a simple plan for getting through the holiday could be helpful.
Allow yourself to feel a range of emotions
The holidays can bring many different emotions. You might feel joy, guilt, and sadness all within a few minutes. Allow yourself to feel those emotions without judging yourself. Don’t judge yourself for feeling happy or laughing. It’s okay to feel however you feel.
Find a way to honor your memories
Find a special way to honor the person you have lost. For some, that may mean setting an extra spot for them at dinner. If a tradition is ending for you, journal how things used to be or share those memories with loved ones.
Create new traditions
Don’t be afraid to start new traditions this year. It’s okay to think outside the box to alter old traditions and make them work with this new phase of life.
Do something kind for others
It can be helpful to a grieving person’s spirit if we find a way to help others. Finding a way to serve a purpose in other’s lives can remind us we have more to give to the world. Feeling connected and part of
something is always important.
Ask for help
Whether a loved one has passed, a tradition has concluded, or our perspective around relationships has changed, we don’t have to do it alone. It’s okay to reach out to a friend and say, “I need you.” It’s okay to sell someone, “I don’t know how to do this anymore.” When we need help, we need to ask for help from a friend or a professional.
Talking to a behavioral health provider can be helpful when dealing with grief. Make an appointment with a CHC/SEK Behavioral Health Provider by calling 620-231-9873.
FORT SCOTT — Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas in Fort Scott has been awarded a three-year term of accreditation in computed tomography (CT) for adult and pediatric scans as
the result of a recent review by the American College of Radiology (ACR).
The location is also accredited by the ACR for mammography.
CT scanning — sometimes called CAT scanning — is a noninvasive medical test that helps physicians diagnose and tailor treatments for various medical conditions. Mammograms are X- ray images of your breasts designed to detect cancers and other changes in breast tissue.
The ACR gold seal of accreditation acknowledges CHC/SEK’s commitment to the highest level of ACR practice and technical standards for image quality, patient safety, staff qualifications,
facility equipment, quality control and quality assurance.
“Having CT in our facility gives the patient access to affordable scans if they don’t have insurance, or if they have high deductible insurance, it gives them the option to receive a CT
scan that they wouldn’t receive because they couldn’t afford it,” said Kimberly Wass RT(R). “On- site CT allows our clinicians to diagnose and treat sooner because it removes hospital
scheduling backlogs and transportation barriers for the patients.”
The same is with mammography. Although breast cancer screening cannot prevent breast cancer, it can help find breast cancer early, when it is easier to treat.
Radiologist reports are received quickly and to the doctor, so the patients are notified in a timely manner of what’s going on, Wass said adding, “And, if there’s anything of concern, we’re able to ‘cloud’ our scans to other facilities. We don’t have to worry about creating a disk to be mailed, or carried by the patient if we are sending them on to a specialist or a hospital.”
CHC/SEK has CT and mammography services in Fort Scott and Pittsburg. For more information
about CHC/SEK CT and mammography services call 620-231-9873 or visit www.chcsek.org
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 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.”
Ascension Via Christi currently operates the emergency department at the former Mercy Hospital building in Fort Scott but is closing operations on Dec. 20.
Ascension Via Christi of Pittsburg has been providing emergency services in Fort Scott since February 2019, following the closure of Mercy Hospital in 2018.
Yesterday it was announced they will be closing operations at the site, 401 Woodland Hills Blvd., Fort Scott, on Dec. 20.
“This department has seen a steady decline in visits and its overall average daily census,” according to the AVC press release: Ascension Via Christi to close Emergency Department in Fort Scott on Dec. 20. “These factors, coupled with other economic challenges, have limited the emergency department’s ability to continue operations.”
Drew Talbott. Submitted photo.
“There are other providers in the region positioned to serve the residents of Fort Scott and neighboring communities,” Drew Talbot, president of Ascension Via Christi, Pittsburg, said in the press release. “These providers will help us ensure continuity of care for our patients as we approach closure.”
Fort Scott Mayor Matthew Wells is thankful to Ascension Via Christi (AVC) for providing an emergency department in Bourbon County, he said.
Matthew Wells. Submitted photo.
“It is very unfortunate that Ascension is departing Fort Scott, and even more so that an emergency room operator loses over $1.5M annually to remain in a rural community,” Wells said.
“While it might seem that all hope is lost…the City (0f Fort Scott) and (the Bourbon) County (Commission) have identified a capable operator and have also agreed to provide financial support to ensure the delivery of quality healthcare in Fort Scott,” Wells said.
“The parties involved have been working tirelessly to affect a smooth transition to the new operations,” Wells said. “However, there are some regulatory challenges at the state and federal level which we are actively working to navigate. These regulations have made it exceedingly difficult for rural communities to access quality healthcare, and this is a problem that extends beyond just Fort Scott.”
Amberwell Health is ready to begin providing an emergency department in Bourbon County, once the regulatory hurdles are accomplished, Wells said.
“It is a national issue that requires urgent attention and immediate action from our legislators,” Wells said. “Over 13 million children under 18 reside in rural areas throughout the United States, and they, along with our seniors and all members of society, require access to emergency services. We need the legislatures to do what is necessary to change these regulations, this issue is a matter of life and death to my community.”
“With the cooperation of all parties, there is a clear path to not only maintaining an emergency room in Fort Scott but also expanding primary care services to benefit this growing community and its future aspirations, with not only an ER but a Rural Emergency Hospital,” Wells said.
Wells encourages the community to take an active role in supporting the endeavor.
“I encourage the community to take an active role by contacting their local government officials for support,” Wells said. “There are those who are actively moving this forward, but we can help push the state and federal legislature to make this happen faster.”
Your Elected Representatives
Following is a list of the elected representatives for Bourbon County at both the state and federal levels, according to the Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce website:
In a press release yesterday, Kansas Governor Kelly stated:
“I am incredibly saddened by the news that Ascension Via Christi’s Emergency Department in Fort Scott is closing. Bourbon County residents have already had to drive 30 miles to Pittsburg – or, in some cases, 90 miles to Kansas City – for most care since Mercy Hospital closed five years ago. Now, even in emergencies, they’ll have one less place to turn, threatening their health and safety.
“I’ve been touring the state rallying for Medicaid Expansion for six weeks, and in that time, we’ve seen a rural hospital and now an emergency room close. How much more evidence do we need that rural communities need our support to keep health care affordable and accessible? Enough is enough. It’s time to act.”
The Kansas Department of Commerce Rapid Response Team is reaching out to Ascension Via Christi leadership and will be sharing resources with employees who are now looking for work, according to the press release.
According to the Governor’s press release:
Rural hospitals in states that have not adopted Medicaid expansion are six times more likely to close than rural hospitals in states with expansion.
Researchers have found that hospitals in expansion states, particularly those in rural areas, are better off financially and are less likely to close.
58% of rural Kansas hospitals are at risk of closing, and 28% are at immediate risk of closing.
Urologist Mark Frogge, MD, FACS, has joined Ascension Via Christi Hospital in Pittsburg.
Dr. Frogge will see patients at Ascension Via Christi’s new Urology Clinic in Pittsburg, located at 2701 S. Rouse St., starting Nov. 1.
As an Oklahoma City native, Dr. Frogge knows the importance of close-to-home, community-based care and is excited to care for the Pittsburg community.
Dr. Frogge earned his Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Kansas and then did his residency through the Naval Medical Center in San Diego, CA. In addition to being a urologist, he is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons.
Prior to joining Ascension Via Christi Hospital, Dr. Frogge spent over two decades caring for patients in California to Missouri and Kansas. He has been board-certified since 2000.
“We are excited to have Dr. Frogge at our new Urology Clinic to further improve access to care for our community,” says Drew Talbott, hospital president. “Dr. Frogge’s values, passion and patient-first mindset will make him a great fit for our Ascension Via Christi team.”
Patients can schedule an appointment with Dr. Frogge by calling 620-235-7529. For more information, visit ascension.org/pittsburgKS.
###
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 and the District of Columbia. Visit www.ascension.org.
Ascension Via Christi will cease operations at its emergency department in Fort Scott on Wednesday, Dec. 20. This decision was made after a thorough analysis of trend data, patient census, and the current and future challenges and opportunities facing this facility.
Over the past several years, a multidisciplinary team that includes Ascension Via Christi clinical and operational leaders have been working together to understand the current operating environment at the Emergency Department in Fort Scott. This department has seen a steady decline in visits and its overall average daily census. These factors, coupled with other economic challenges, have limited the emergency department’s ability to continue operations.
“After exploring the options available, it was clear that this was the only option for us. There are other providers in the region positioned to serve the residents of Fort Scott and neighboring communities. These providers will help us ensure continuity of care for our patients as we approach closure,” says Drew Talbott, president of Ascension Via Christi Hospital in Pittsburg.
Ascension Via Christi is committed to supporting associates, patients and community members through this transition.
###
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 and the District of Columbia. Visit www.ascension.org.
