KDHE's Future to Be Discussed at Rural Health Symposium

During this year's Rural Health Symposium, hospitals will have an opportunity to get to know the newly appointed secretary of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, Robert Moser, MD. He will provide an overview of KDHE and the agency's vision of Healthy Kansans Living in Safe and Sustainable Environments. Topics to be discussed will include short-term and long-term goals of KDHE, the proposed reorganization of the Kansas Health Policy Authority, health information exchange and the Kansas Indoor Clean Air Act.

The Rural Health Symposium will be March15 and 16 at the Hyatt Regency in Wichita.

The brochure and online registration are available on the KHA Web site. Questions may be directed to the KHA Education Department at (785) 233-7436.

--Jennifer Findley, Kansas Hospital Association

RHES staff will be attending the Fort Hays State Spring Career Fair on Wednesday, February 23, from 10:00am - 2:00pm. Stop by our booth for information and to find out how Rural Health can help you find the right job in Kansas!

Winter 2011 Kansas Connections is Now Available

The Winter 2011 publication of Kansas Connections is now available. All issues of Kansas Connections are available online in an easy-to-view format at www.ruralhealth.kumc.edu.

From Rural Health to the JayDoc Clinic: A Pre-med's Journey



Auburn Weber,
Sr. Recruitment Coordinator,
Rural Health Education &
Services, KUMC



Part 1

KU School of Medicine Wichita is going to be a 4 year medical school.  This statement gave me the rush motivation I needed to think seriously about what I am going to be when I grow-up.  I decided to rekindle an old aspiration and begin my journey to become a physician. 

I already have a bachelor’s degree, but need at least 2 years of basic science courses to be prepared for medical school.  In the meantime, I wanted a little taste of what I might experience as a practicing doctor.  This is what led me to the Jaydoc Community Clinic.  In the coming weeks, I will be sharing with you, my experiences as a volunteer at the Jaydoc Community Clinic in Wichita.     

The Jaydoc Community Clinic (JCC) was founded and is operated by KU medical students.  It  is run in cooperation with the KUSM-W Department of Family and Community Medicine and Guadalupe Clinic and offers health care to uninsured and underinsured patients.  Each patient is checked in by an undergraduate pre-medical student volunteer from one of the area colleges and a medical student then performs a history and physical exam.  Finally, the medical student consults with the physician to determine a plan of care. 

Lesson 1: I have a new found respect for my new arch nemesis – the manual blood pressure cuff.

My first day at the JCC was incredibly overwhelming and exciting.  I showed up with a brand new stethoscope and lot of enthusiasm for learning! 

I went from being medically illiterate to learning how to do the following tasks: blood pressure check, urinalysis, blood sugar check, pulse, and respirations.  To most medical professionals these sorts of tasks are pretty standard and make up a typical day.  However, to a pre-medical student, these tasks were exciting and some were downright challenging.  It took several tries before I was able to come close to taking an accurate blood pressure reading.  I decided to purchase my own blood pressure cuff so I could practice at home.   Luckily my husband was a willing participant.

Lesson 2: Patient’s trust you to take good care of them the minute you shut the exam room door.

My attention was quickly drawn from learning tasks to actually spending time with a patient.  I was checking patients in, obtaining their vitals, and documenting their health concerns.  I was surprised with how supportive the patients were, encouraging me to take my time and learn.  I loved having this interaction with patients.  I had their trust and I did not want to let them down.

Lesson 3:  Being a physician is much more than just providing a thorough exam and a correct diagnosis.

I escorted the last patient of the day to the exam room.   The medical student and I learned a lot about this patient, along with his need for a critical medication that he could not afford.  As the volunteer physician entered the room, I realized that this case was different than what I seen earlier in the day.  The goal of the physician was to get this patient the necessary medication before the current supply ran out.  The physician wrote down the name and address of an organization that would be able to quickly help this patient get the necessary medication.  The physician said, “This organization will help you get your medicine.  They are really good about it.  They will take of care you.”

The last case of the day didn’t diagnose a new ailment or just provide a prescription refill.  It exemplified how important it is for physicians to be aware of resources that can help their patients get the care, or in this instance, the medication they need.  These resources are just one aspect of compassionate caring, but they will make all the difference in the world to the patients who need them most. 

Event Reminder - WSU Health Professions Career Fair

RHES staff will be attending the Wichita State University Health Professions Career Fair on Monday, Feb. 7th, from 11am - 2pm on the 2nd floor of Ahlberg Hall. Stop by our booth to visit with one of our recruiters and learn how Rural Health can help you find a health care profession in Kansas.

The first 20 visitors to bring a RHES coupon will recieve a free gift!

Spotlight Community - Osborne, Kan.

In unique Osborne County, one will find an open landscape with rolling prairie and bluffs accompanied by the Solomon Valley River. The county is said to be a sportsman’s dream surrounded by lakes, attracting visitors from all over the country to hunt pheasant, deer, quail and turkey. Two nine-hole golf courses are available to the public, along with a four-field baseball complex, bike and hiking trails, and a shooting range.

Osborne County Memorial Hospital (OCMH) is a non-profit 25-bed acute health care provider, owned and operated by Osborne County in the State of Kansas. The hospital serves Osborne County as well as the surrounding communities. OCMH is governed by a 5-member Board of Directors appointed by the Osborne County Commissioners and is managed by The Great Plains Health Alliance, Inc. (GPHA). Staff members at the hospital work in a friendly, family oriented atmosphere, serving the needs of the patient and their families.

For more information about Osborne or other communities, visit Focus on Kansas.