Special to the Great Bend Tribune Sunday, February 7, 2021
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• GREAT BEND (KAN.) TRIBUNE • SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2021
A healthy economic force Hospitals crucial for local economies; COVID has impact
BY DALE HOGG dhogg@gbtribune.com
Hospitals and health care systems are a powerful economic force in Kansas, according to the report “The Importance of the Health Care Sector to the Kansas Economy” released by Kansas State University researchers Jan. 15. They identified three primary ways health care influences local economic development: health care attracts and retains business, attracts and retains retirees, and creates local jobs. “Rural hospitals are critical in many small towns across Kansas, for many reasons,” said Lindsey Bogner, Ellinwood District Hospital Foundation and Marketing director. “Besides the health care that they provide, they provide employment, income impact, retail sales generation, and additional community benefits that can’t be easily quantified.” The study details estimates of the “gross” impact of the health care sector on economic activity in the State of Kansas. The state’s health-care sector generated $17.9 billion in income and $31.7 billion in sales, ranking it fifth among all economic sectors in the state, the report noted. Hospitals were the biggest contributor in the health sector, generating $9.0 billion in income and $17.9 billion in sales, employing nearly 100,000
of the 240,000 healthservice employees in the state, and ranking as the third largest aggregate employer in the state. Jobs are an essential part of the economic impact; however, funds also flow to businesses and throughout the economy as hospitals purchase goods and services. Hospitals generate nearly $4.1 billion in local retail sales in Kansas each year. Additionally, the hospital sector generates more than $270 million in state sales tax. These are critical funds that the state uses for important programs such as education and transportation. Looking closer to home For example, Ellinwood Hospital and Clinic is the largest employer in Ellinwood, and 83% of its employees live in Barton County, Bogner said. “This means even more impact, bringing families to our communities and kids to our schools, spending money in our stores and paying for services locally, volunteering in organizations and for causes that mean the most to us.” The hospital’s estimated income impact is $6,782,110 annually, meaning that for every dollar of income generated by the hospital, another $0.38 is generated in other businesses and industries in Barton County, Bogner said. It also generates an estimated $1,960,914
in retail sales in Barton County. “We understand the value that our operations have on our community, and we make sure we maximize that at every opportunity: buying locally if available, hiring local talent, and ensuring that we are building relationships close to home, and encouraging our employees to do the same,” she said. In addition to these economic impacts, there are the unmeasurable impacts: free sports/ school physicals, educational classes on a variety of topics, community involvement in clubs, civic groups, and events, reduced-cost lab fairs, patient assistance with medications, Vaccines for Children program, and being a clinical site for nursing, phlebotomist, and nursing practitioner students to give them on-the-job training. “To be a communityminded hospital, you have to take care of the whole community – we do that by improving our community through outreach and involvement, maximizing our economic impact, and, of course, by offering high quality, compassionate health care,” Bogner said. As for University of Kansas Health System in fiscal year 2018, an estimated 1.73% of the total output of the State of Kansas and 1.75% of all Kansas jobs were attributable to the health system and its academic
partners’ activities, said Bob Hallinan, UKHS media relations manager. This is roughly $5.8 billion of economic impact total and equates to roughly $1,997 of economic impact per Kansas resident. UKHS operates its Great Bend Campus and the St. Rose Pavilion in Great Bend. “Along with other health-care providers serving the citizens of Barton County, we are part of the more than 2,600 total direct and indirect jobs and $110 million of total economic
impact produced by the health sector in Barton County,” he said. This is according to an October, 2019, analysis by K-State Research and Extension. Out of more than 13,000 employees of The University of Kansas Health System across the state, Great Bend employs 380 individuals. HaysMed employs 1,385 and Pawnee Valley in Larned employs 131. But, health care is about more than dollars and cents. Hallinan said their operations in Barton County allow patients to stay close to home,
in their community with their community resources when they need to receive care, and there is a sense of comfort and security in that. There is also a sense of community by taking care of family, friends and neighbors. In addition, there is the investment in the health and wellness of the community – preventative care to take care of the individual and the health of the population.
See FORCE, 3
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TRIBUNE FILE PHOTO
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Productivity and efficiency
Even with multiple variables, Barton County COVID vaccine campaign moving forward BY TRAVIS HENDRYX thendryx@gbtribune.com
In an effort to maximize the effect of COVID-19 vaccination efforts, Barton County health officials continue their push to insure residents are able receive the two-dose Moderna vaccine. One of the county’s goals is to get the weekly allotment out and in a timely manner, said Karen Winkelman, Barton County Health Director. “We are receiving the Moderna vaccine, which requires less refrigeration than the rival PfizerBioNTech,” Winkelman told Barton County
Commissioners at their Jan. 25 meeting. Like the Monderna vaccine, the Pfizer version comes in two doses. When asked about the length of time it would take to move through the second phase of Gov. Laura Kelly’s vaccination roll out plan, Winkelman said it’s unclear because of some lack in public interest. “First, only about half the population has expressed interest in taking the vaccine,” she said. “And second, the vaccine supplies continue at a trickle.” According to Winkelman, Barton County has saturated the first phase of the rollout and added that Phase 1
was completed during the vaccination clinic a few weeks ago. “The first phase covers health-care workers and first responders,” she said. “Those left can be incorporated into the second phase efforts.” Barton County automatically receives secondary doses in addition to the first 300 doses. “Those who get the first shot will receive a reminder of the second,” said Winkelman. “There is a 28-day waiting period between the first and second dose with the Moderna shot. But it can be pushed to (as early as) 24 days.”
The maximum immunity is two weeks after the second shot but the vaccine is only 95% effective according to Winkelman. “So don’t forget the masks and the other protocols we’ve been following,” she said. “Just because we have a vaccine does not give us the green light to let our guards down.” She also noted that individual immune systems respond differently, “so people will also need to take those precautions.” The county’s efforts to keep COVID in check have also aided in combating the flu, said Winkelman. “I
think the rate of influenza has proven that, because we’re seeing very little of that in the community.” Even after the clinics, there still remains a lot of work for county health officials. “When the vaccinations are over, all the data must be entered into state and county data bases,” said Winkelman. “And the inventory must show all doses are accounted for.” She also mentioned that individuals who received one or two doses must also be tracked. While contract tracing for COVID has seen a decrease, the county is still involved in measures to keep residents informed
of possible exposure to the virus. “This is still on top of the routine duties the health department has to get done,” Winkelman said. In keeping the clinics flowing at a productive pace, Winkelman, along with Barton County Administrator Phil Hathcock and Sheriff Brian Bellendir, received high praise from the county commission. “They’re just doing an unbelievable job,” said Commissioner Kirby Krier after observing the drive-through clinic at Expo III on Friday, Jan. 22. “It’s amazing how quickly people get through the whole process.”
FORCE, from page 2
Kansas hospitals keep Kansas healthy and economically Strong And then there was COVID-19 “The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly impacted all of us and in particular our frontline health workers,” Hallinan said. “Our team in Great Bend has responded and persevered in a way in which we can all be proud. This is the first true pandemic of almost all of us alive today. “The pandemic has highlighted the importance of our clinical connections across our system and the state – from COVID tests from our Great Bend Campus patients that are couriered and run daily in our labs in Kansas City, to coordination of emergent patient transfers among and beyond our system hospitals in Hays, Larned, Topeka and Kansas City, to physician connections to share the latest research on COVID-19 prevention and treatment, to now distribution of, and advocacy for vaccine delivery,” he said. In addition, The University of Kansas Health Care Collaborative, the statewide clinically integrated network sponsored by UKHS whose participants include hospitals, physicians, and other providers in 66 Kansas counties, is providing critical assistance to rural providers at UKHS’ expense. The
relationships the Care Collaborative team have developed with rural providers over the last several years has made them a trusted resource for critical information during the pandemic. This assistance has reached every rural hospital in Kansas, including several providers that have not previously participated in the Care Collaborative’s activities. “Hospitals and health services truly are an economic anchor in our state,” said Chad Austin, president and CEO of the Kansas Hospital Association. “This report documents the importance of the health care sector to the Kansas economy. While the estimates of economic impact are substantial, they are only a partial accounting of the benefits health care in general, and community hospitals in particular, provide to the state. Kansas community hospitals help stabilize the population base, invigorate their communities and contribute significantly to quality of life.” According to the 2021 economic report, Kansas hospitals employ 5% of all job holders in the state. The report calculated economic multipliers, or “ripple effects,” and estimated hospitals account for 95,692 additional jobs throughout
all other businesses and industries in the state. In other words, for each new job in the hospital sector, nearly one other job (0.96) was created in other businesses and industries in Kansas. The hospital sector employment had a total impact on state employment of 195,677 jobs. Furthermore, the entire health sector in Kansas employs about 240,000 people, or 12% of all job holders in the state. This puts Kansas ahead of the national average, which is 10% of job holders in the United States working in health care services. The total employment impact of the health services sector in Kansas is nearly 407,000 jobs, making it the third largest aggregate employer in the state. This report confirms heath care is directly or closely related to more than 20 percent of all Kansas employment. The study also found Kansas hospitals generate more than $7.5 billion in direct labor income to the Kansas economy each year. For every dollar of income generated in the hospital sector, another $0.64 was generated in other business and industry. As a result, the hospital sector had an estimated total impact on income throughout all businesses and industries of $12.3 billion.
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• GREAT BEND (KAN.) TRIBUNE • SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2021
TRIBUNE FILE PHOTOS
Curtis Wolf from the Kansas Wetlands Education Center at Cheyenne Bottoms visits with attendees at last year’s Central Kansas Health and Wellness Expo.
Tribune prepares for revamped expo in February BY DANIEL KIEWEL dkiewel@gbtribune.com
In the last year, the COVID-19 pandemic put even more attention on the importance of physical, mental and emotional wellness. This is also the focus of the Great Bend Tribune’s Central Kansas Health and Wellness Expo, which is set to move into its third year on Saturday, Feb. 27. The Central Kansas Health and Wellness Expo is a free event where attendees can learn about opportunities in the community to improve their physical and mental health, and improve their living space. “In essence, it is an event to make your life easier and more fulfilling,” Tribune Publisher Mary Hoisington said. The event was originally scheduled to be held on Jan. 9; however, in December the Tribune decided to postpone the Expo to Saturday, Feb. 27 in response to an uptick in COVID-19 cases in Barton County. Hoisington said the decision to postpone the event was made for the health and safety of the community. “We were concerned with the increase in COVID cases we are currently experiencing, compounded with the holiday season, and determined it may be better for the community to postpone this year’s event,” Hoisington said in December. Though it may look somewhat different this year, holding the event is important to help put a spotlight on the many aspects of health and wellness in the community.
TRIBUNE FILE PHOTOS
(Left) Youngsters learned from Barton Community College Nursing students as they used stethoscopes on each other and on stuffed animals at a Teddy Bear Clinic during last year’s Health and Wellness Expo. (Right) Julie Kramp from the Center For Counseling and Consultation speaks with attendees at last year’s even.
Hoisington noted in the past year, Barton County ranked 83rd out of 105 Kansas counties in the Kansas Health Institute’s Health behavior rankings, so helping promote healthy habits and lifestyles in the community is crucial. And though the spotlight has been squarely on physical health during the COVID-19 pandemic, wellness is about more than just physical health. “There are many aspects to health and wellness, ranging from mind and body to finances and fitness,” Hoisington said. “We want to give people the tools they need to meet their goals.” Too often, though, she said, the daily grind can put health and wellness on the back burner for many. “Life can get in the way of taking care of yourself,” she said. “There is always one more load of laundry
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to do or one more bill to pay. It is easy to get so busy getting life done that we forget to take time to live.” What to expect at the Expo The event will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Great Bend Events Center, 3111 10th St. Admission is free to the public, thanks to the financial support of the vendors. Hoisington said the entire family is welcome at the event. Vendors at this year’s Expo will address wide-ranging aspects of physical, mental, household and financial wellness for attendees of all ages and backgrounds. Besides having booths At our residence your loved one has the freedom to live with choice in their care, while you can be secure that they are being cared for by compassionate and professional staff.
and speakers with information for men and women, the Expo also offers activities for kids, such as the Teddy Bear Clinic presented by the Barton Community College Nursing program. Coffee will also be provided again this year by Great Bend Convention and Visitors Bureau and refreshments are available for purchase from Great Bend Coffee. A lot of exactly what this year’s event will look like still remains fluid, Hoisington said, depending on where the COVID-19 situation stands as the event approaches. The Tribune’s focus, she said, remains the health and safety of
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“We will put in place whatever safety measures we need to make the event as safe as possible,” she said. Hoisington stressed, though, the priority for the event remains the continued health and safety of the community, and all decisions will be made with that commitment in mind.
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GREAT BEND (KAN.) TRIBUNE • SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2021 •
It takes a community
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Winkelman praises team effort in COVID response BY DALE HOGG dhogg@gbtribune.com
It was baptism by fire for Karen Winkelman. The former Health Department public health nurse supervisor and deputy local health officer was named the as Barton County’s health director last March just as the COVID-19 pandemic was hitting its fateful full stride. Winkelman, who has 23 years of experience with the Health Department, was named acting director by the County Commission in March to replace Shelly Schneider who abruptly resigned just days earlier. The word “acting” was removed from her title in June. It can be a challenge stepping into a job held by someone for a long time, such as was the case when Schneider left. “When Shelly left, I truly was numb,” she said. Schneider left on a late Friday afternoon as the pandemic was becoming more widespread and grant applications were all due on Monday. “The staff immediately came together on Saturday morning along with County Administrator Phil Hathcock,” she said. “We came up with a plan and I can proudly say that the applications were all submitted by the 5 p.m. deadline. They count that as a win. “Then reality set in,” Winkelman said. “I knew that we (I) needed a sense of calmness and structure
TRIBUNE FILE PHOTOS
(Left) Barton County Administrator Phil Hathcock, left, and Health Director Karen Winkelman each received plaques from the Barton County Commission last June. Hathcock was honored for his “tireless” efforts in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic and other emergency matters. Winkelman was also recognized for her non-stop work on the pandemic and related safety issues in the county, all while keeping other Health Department services operational. (Right) The Barton County Health Department held its first COVID-19 vaccine drive-through in December at the department. Shots were given to emergency medical services personnel, health-care and associated workers, and the BCHD staff. Department officials said they are following the distribution orders recommended by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. Pictured is Health Director Karen Winkelman administering one of the shots.
in our department with so much uncertainty at all levels going on around us. We realized how much we all needed each other and that still holds true today.” So many lessons were learned and so many are still to be learned. “The pandemic and everything that goes along with it has consumed my time. I look forward to being able to learn and to focus on other aspects of my role.” A community effort Even with all this, “our department has received an overabundance of support from the county commissioners, our county administrator, department heads, the elected officials, our community and from our own personal families,” she said. “I have always been one to find it difficult to ask for help. Every time I turn around, help seems to be waiting literally at our doorstep. I am very grateful and proud to be an employee and a resident of Barton County.” The Health Department staff has committed itself to working together as a “tribe” to carry on the necessary tasks that are required
during the pandemic to protect the health of our community to the best of their ability, she said. “There are days that are more difficult for some and on those days the others come along and provide positive encouragement.” “Self-care” is very important, but there are times that we lack in acknowledging the importance of it, the director said. All staff, on several occasions, have had to step out of their comfort zones and have had to take on added responsibilities and duties. What has she learned? “I have always been a very technical person. I thrive for structure, consistency, concreteness, order, etc.,” she said. “This pandemic has been anything and everything but that. It has forced me to be adaptive, whether I wanted to or not.” Recommendations and guidance from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment change frequently and sometimes rapidly. “We have had to be flexible and willing to take risks. We have found that if we activate a plan, it can always be changed based on
lessons learned. Listening to the public’s input and taking that into perspective during decision making has also presented challenges and learning curves.” The show must go on But, in addition to the pandemic, other routine operations must continue. So, “we have had to go to scheduled time slots for specific services versus daily walk-in services. This has allowed us needed time to focus on our responsibilities related to COVID,” she said. “Core public health services must continue,” Winkelman said. “Again, this has only been possible due to the dedication of the staff.” The date that they activated their first drivethrough COVID testing clinic, they had a briefing first thing in the morning. “We all had a chance to reflect on how the day before us was a true ‘public health’
day.” Women, Infants and Children (WIC) and Maternal/Child services were being provided by some staff while others were conducting childcare surveys, providing drivethrough COVID testing, and some were providing routine vaccinations, screening for tuberculosis, educating the public on disease risk reduction, billing for services, accounting and other services. And, almost 200 COVID vaccines were administered that same day – all made possible with team effort. A lifelong dream “From a young age, I always knew that I wanted to be a nurse when I grew up,” Winkelman said. “My career has spanned now for 40-plus years.” It started with hospital nursing (medical/surgical, obstetrics), moved to a
family practice clinical setting several years and then to the Health Department where she’s been for 24 years. She and her husband Tim have been married for 40 years. They have one daughter, Alison, who, along with her husband Preston and their daughter Addyson, reside in Great Bend. “Family time and especially ‘nana time’ is very important to me,” Winkelman said. “The past several months, the focus has been more on quality time versus quantity time.” So, how does Winkleman relax these days? She said she took a Conceal and Carry class through the Barton County Sheriff ’s Office a couple of years ago. “I find peace and reflective time at the range – nature, outdoors, simplicity are all present. That is where I go to get away from the day to day stressors.”
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Barton County Commissioner Jennifer Schartz, left, last March visits with Karen Winkelman, who had just been named acting Barton County health director to replace Shelly Schneider who had resigned. In June, Winkelman was named health director.
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• GREAT BEND (KAN.) TRIBUNE • SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2021
Clara Barton Hospital stepped up with in-house rapid tests HOISINGTON — Clara Barton Hospital purchased analyzers that allow staff to process COVID-19 tests in one hour. They process a total of 1,568 tests in 2020, according to Sydney Rugan-Dolezal, director of public relations. This past June, Clara Barton Hospital was able to secure its own COVID testing platform, known as the Sofia. It is an antigen platform that performs a rapid COVID test inhouse. While tests performed on the Sofia provided quick results, they still had to be verified by a reference lab that tests for the RNA specific to COVID-19. In August, the hospital received the “Abbott ID Now” rapid RNA testing platform, which tests specifically for the COVID-19 virus and has allowed Clara Barton staff to receive accurate results within an hour of swabbing the patient, eliminating the need to send the test off to a reference lab. “As COVID-19 became
a rapidly spreading illness throughout the nation, testing platforms were a hot commodity for hospitals around the country, but getting our hands on one wasn’t easy,” Rugan-Dolezal said. During the first few months of the pandemic, in-house testing abilities were not available and COVID swabs had to be sent to reference labs for processing. Tests performed on the Sofia provided quick results but they include all types of coronavirus, which is why they still had to be verified by a reference lab that tests for the RNA specific to COVID-19. Sending the tests to the reference lab took anywhere from 2-8 days to receive results at times. “Although we now have the rapid RNA platform inhouse, use of the Abbott ID Now has been reserved for inpatients, pre-op patients, and health-care employees as testing supplies are in short supply nation-wide,” Rugan-Dolezal said.
COURTESY PHOTOS
(Top) The rapid lab analyzer at Clara Barton Hospital now allows staff to do in-house tests for COVID-19 and have the results in one hour. (Left) Pictured is the Steris V-Pro Max sterilization system, purchased with funds from the Clara Barton Hospital Foundation. Used to sterilize surgical equipment, it now has the added purpose of sterilizing N-95 masks so they can be used up to 10 times. “The Steris V-Pro Max has helped us to conserve and extend our supply of N-95 masks, which are the best protection for staff against COVID-19,” said Surgery Director Kim Tutak.
Dr. Jonathan Pike appointed Barton County Health Consultant University of Kansas Heath System officials weigh in on COVID-19 prevention and treatment new
Dr. Jonathan Pike Public health officials faced new challenges in 2020 after the COVID-19 pandemic arrived. Karen Winkelman, the former Barton County Health Department public health nurse supervisor and deputy local health officer, was tapped as public health director and local health officer July 2. She was made interim director and health officer in March following the resignation of Shelly Schneider. The position of county health consultant also changed a couple of times. Dr. Stanley Hatesohl was named to the position in March but resigned in the fall when he retired and moved away from Kansas. “During his tenure, he had successfully provided a vital community service,” Winkelman told the county commission when it was time to name
It’s been a year since the first COVID-19 case was documented in Wuhan, China. Since then, the disease has spread around the globe and throughout the United States. More than 26 million people in our nation have become infected, and more than 440,000 have died. But there is hope. Vaccines are here, and monoclonal antibody treatment provides a new therapy for patients with mild to moderate illness. “Believe the science,” says Steve Stites, MD, chief medical officer for The University of Kansas Health System. “It’s not going to lead you astray. Science is bringing us vaccines. Science is bringing us monoclonal antibody treatment. And we will tell you what we know.” “It has been a long, challenging journey,” adds Jonathan Pike, MD, family medicine physician at The University of Kansas Health System Great Bend Campus. “We still face many unknowns with COVID-19. However, as evidenced by vaccines and monoclonal antibody treatments, each new day brings more information and a
his successor. Enter Dr. Jonathan Pike, who accepted the position in October. Meeting as the Barton County Board of Health, county commissioners accepted the resignation of Dr. Stanley Hatesohl and then appointed Dr. Jonathan Pike to fill the
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better understanding of the virus. It shows that our community efforts and sacrifices to practice safety measures have not been in vain.” The situation is a dynamic one and changes rapidly. The University of Kansas Health System has been at the forefront of
vacancy. “Thank you for allowing me to serve in this capacity,” Pike said in October, noting recent months were “perilous times.” “We don’t have enough information,” he said. “The county is doing its best to gather this
information.” He agreed with the county’s approach to adhere to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment guidelines. “But, COVID doesn’t happen in a vacuum. There are other factors,” Dr. Pike said. While deviation from KDHE
Ellinwood Hospital and Clinic provided mask packs as school resumed ELLINWOOD — To help get students and teachers back to school during the COVID-19 pandemic, Ellinwood Hospital and Clinic provided a mask pack to every student, teacher and staff member at Ellinwood Grade School, Ellinwood Middle/High School and St. Joseph Catholic School on the first day of school last August. Each kit included three 3-ply cotton masks with adjustable ear loops, a travel bottle of hand sanitizer that can be attached to a backpack, and an information sheet with protective measures and a symptom checklist. “It is critical that different community organizations and agencies work
together to protect our students, teachers, and staff,” said Cassie Stevenson, an infection prevention nurse at Ellinwood Hospital and Clinic as well as a USD 355 parent. “It is also important that parents support the safety measures in place and encourage compliance in their students. Wearing a mask and social distancing are simple ways to ensure that activities can continue to take place,” She has assisted the school administration in best practices and safety protocols, in addition to detailing the process of identification, testing, and contact tracing protocols. “It is our responsibility and our privilege to help our local schools navigate this return to school,” said
receiving and sharing important information. The University of Kansas Health System created a COVID-19 vaccine FAQ website and updates it regularly. You can find it at kansashealthsystem.com/vaccine.
“We still face many unknowns with COVID-19. However, as evidenced by vaccines and monoclonal antibody treatments, each new day brings more information and a better understanding of the virus. It shows that our community efforts and sacrifices to practice safety measures have not been in vain.”
Kile Magner, Ellinwood Hospital and Clinic CEO. “By providing these masks, we ensure that every student has access to tools that can protect their peers, their parents, their teachers, and their community as a whole.” Ellinwood Hospital and Clinic showed its support
for the community in other ways, said Lindsey Bogner, director of marketing and the hospital foundation. Most recently, hospital staff passed out free hand sanitizer to local businesses. For more information about the COVID-19 pandemic, visit ellinwooddistricthospital.org.
Follow the pillars Even as these developments progress, safety standards that have seen us through the pandemic this far still apply and haven’t changed. “Wear a mask, keep your distance, wash your hands, stay at home if you’re sick, and don’t go out and congregate in large groups,” Dr. Stites says. “That’s what’s kept us safe in hospitals. It’s the same science in the community.” “Patience and consistency pay off,” Dr. Pike adds. “We see the consequences when there is a lapse in safety precautions. We must not only understand our own personal risk, but the risk to the community at large. Continuing to make wise, safe choices is the best thing you can do to protect your family, friends and community.”
and Centers for Disease and Control guidelines can’t be taken lightly, he said there are other needs, such as those of businesses and schools, that must be considered. A Great Bend native, Dr. Pike was just finishing his residency in family medicine when the
opportunity arose to practice medicine in his home town. He returned in 2018 to join The University of Kansas Health System Family Medicine at 1309 Polk St. in Great Bend. (Its former name was Central Kansas Family Practice.)
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GREAT BEND (KAN.) TRIBUNE • SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2021 •
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COURTESY PHOTOS
(Left) Xpress Wellness Urgent Care opened in Great Bend in December 2019, and has adapted to changing rural health-care needs in a pandemic environment. (Right) The radiology room at Xpress Wellness Urgent Care in Great Bend is pictured. The clinic has on-site lab and x-ray services to meet needs of rural patients.
Xpress Wellness overcomes COVID challenges to meet changing rural health-care needs BY DANIEL KIEWEL dkiewel@gbtribune.com
Xpress Wellness Urgent Care, which opened its doors at 3800 10th St. in Great Bend to patients in the Golden Belt in December 2019, faced a brand new set of challenges when the COVID-19 pandemic hit the area in March. Chief Executive Officer Grant Asay said the Oklahoma-based private urgent care provider was originally drawn to Great Bend by a mission to make a difference by providing more options for health care in rural areas. “We look for opportunities to live out our mission, which is, ‘If you meet a need, you make a friend, and if you can make a friend, you have the opportunity to touch a life. If you touch a life, you can make a difference,’” Asay said. However, the urgent care clinic had only been open for around three months when the COVID-19 pandemic arrived in the area and business shutdowns began. Chief Medical Officer Dr. Scott Williams said it forced them to make difficult decisions about how to continue to provide service to Great Bend residents. Shutting down the clinic was not an option. “Remaining committed to Great Bend was always top of mind for us,” Williams said. While staffing shortages at the clinic forced them to close to in-person visits for a short time, Williams said they were able to remain available
for virtual visits during that time. In response to the pandemic, Williams said, one initial goal was to help bring rapid COVID-19 testing to the area, something very few providers in the area were offering. He felt offering this service was critical to managing the spread of the virus, given the shorter wait times for the rapid test. “We have been so proud to bring options to the area when seeking health care may be scary for some in uncertain times,” Asay said. COVID-related services were only a small part of what Xpress Wellness sought to bring to the community. Their goal, Asay said, is to bridge the gap in access to quality health care in rural communities by meeting urgent care needs, which meets the needs of working families. Another way they sought to meet those needs is by offering on-site lab and x-ray capabilities. In addition to benefiting patients, Asay said offering those services also helps free up area emergency rooms to focus more on critical care. One area the clinic hopes to grow in Great Bend is by providing virtual primary care services for the community, an existing service they hope to bring to the Great Bend location soon. Williams said he sees an increasing demand for this type of service in the pandemic environment, where people may feel less comfortable getting out of
their homes. They have also sought to improve the health of the community by partnering with several
area employers to provide occupational medicine. Although the way they provide services has adapted, the mission
remains the same: to meet needs, touch lives, and make a difference through health care in the Golden Belt.
Xpress Wellness Urgent Care is open Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from 1-7 p.m.
G r e a t B e n d E ve n t s C e n t e r Saturday, Februa uary ry 2277 10:0000 aam m - 4:00 4:00 pm pm
Take care of yourself! Ta S etimes yo you get too bussy ta taking care o h t yoou forget yoou are im . tribune.com
www.gbtribune.com/e-editions/healthandwellness For more information call us at 620-792-1211 or email us at advertising@gbtribune.com
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• GREAT BEND (KAN.) TRIBUNE • SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2021
Bringing health care to the third dimension Clara Barton Hospital uses 3D technology in N-95 mask production Like almost every health-care facility in the nation, Clara Barton Hospital (CBH) in Hoisington has been forced to adapt to a completely foreign medical landscape brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. While the early goings of the crisis were taxing for personnel, the hospital has been able to not only survive but thrive in providing quality health care for citizens of Hoisington and the surrounding area. “While we’re not completely out of the woods yet, our staff has really worked and grown through this very trying ordeal although many of them had to adjust to becoming the sole bread winners of their families because other family members have lost jobs,” said Syndey RuganDolezal, director of Public Relations and Provider Recruitment at CBH. With help from the community, Rugan-Dolezal said the hospital has been able to continue with its mission as a full service community hospital that offers comprehensive inpatient and outpatient services. “We really felt the outpouring of love and support firsthand as the community came together providing donations, supplies and pure compassion amid the COVID-19 pandemic.” In March of 2020, the hospital devised a CO-
VID-19 Response Team, which included members of the medical staff, nursing, leadership and public relations, in order to prepare for what was to come. In the weeks prior to the spread of the virus within central Kansas, the team worked together, implementing policies and procedures that were needed to protect the employees, patients and community from widespread transmission. “While meeting every morning, one of the many key topics discussed was the facility’s supply of personal protective equipment (PPE),” said Rugan-Dolezal. “These include masks, gowns and facial protection.” Adaptation and flexibility are imperative in the health-care field, particularly in a rural hospital setting. This brings pressure to adopt alternative solutions in acquiring resources to meet the needs of patients and health-care workers alike. One measure the hospital has initiated to combat the spread of the virus involves the use of 3D technology to produce N-95 masks. Rugan-Dolezal said the idea to use 3D printers to make the masks came from extensive research. “A 3D mask template was discovered online and was published from Billings Clinic in Montana,” she said. “This template was designed by medical professionals and includes an improved way to insert a medical-grade fabric filter that snaps in place, making it easy to change out between uses.” Rugan-Dolezal said that with the template ready to go, the next step was to find somewhere local they could be printed.
“Our response team reached out to connections at H&B Communications, USD 112 in Claflin and USD 431 in Hoisington to see if their technology skills and 3D printing equipment could get the job done.” With help from Scott Mitchum, technology director at Central Plains High School in Claflin, within a couple of weeks, more than 160 masks were produced using 3D printers. “This was enough for every clinical staff member throughout our organization to have a 3D mask of their own,” said Rugan-Dolezal. “These 3D masks can be sterilized and reused over and over again.” N-95 masks offer the highest level of protection and are worn by health-care workers in direct contact with COVID-19 patients or those with COVID-19 symptoms. “Cloth masks offer the lowest level of protection for the wearer,” Rugan-Dolezal said. “But because many individuals with COVID-19 don’t show any symptoms, they make a great addition to social distancing and help prevent spreading this virus to others.” According to RuganDolezal, during the first weeks of the outbreak, 3D printed masks weren’t the only PPE being donated to help the frontline health-care workers at Clara Barton Hospital and Clinics. Others began sending extra N-95 and surgical masks they had on hand, as well as face shields, ear savers, gloves and hand sanitizer. From near and far, donations of all kinds began pouring in, especially cloth masks. Rugan-Dolezal again stressed the coopera-
COURTESY PHOTOS
(Top) Scott Mitchum, Technology Director at Central Plains High School in Claflin, used his 3D printer to help produce 3D masks, face shields and ear savers for the nurses and staff at Clara Barton Hospital and Clinics. (Below) Members of the lab staff at Clara Barton Hospital pose with their 3D printed masks.
tive effort of community members. “Our area is one to be proud of, that’s for certain,” she said.
“We are just incredibly grateful, not only for the donations of masks, hand sanitizer, gloves, treats
and everything in between, but for the endless love and support. We are truly blessed.”
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Medicalodges Inc. has been serving communities in Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma since 1961. Offering rehab to home, short term care, long term care and skilled nursing services in your hometown. Give us a call at 620-792-2165 1401 Cherry Lane in Great Bend.
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