THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS HEALTH SYSTEM MILESTONES

JUST GETTING STARTED, THE EARLY 2000S:

2000: Trauma Center becomes first in the region to receive Level I national verification from the American College of Surgeons.

2001: Cardiologists from Mid America Cardiology and Mid America Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgeons join the hospital. The Center for Advanced Heart Care opens five years later.

2006: The University of Kansas Hospital earns Magnet® designation for the first time from the American Nurses Credentialing Center. (Redesignated in 2011, 2016 and 2021.)

Today, the health system treats the sickest of the sick — from every county in Kansas, almost every county in Missouri, every state in the U.S. and 26 countries across the world. And that was just in fiscal year 2023.

“When we started this journey 25 years ago, we knew we needed to find a path forward, because patients didn’t want to be here,” said Tammy Peterman, MS, RN, FAAN, President of the Kansas City Division and Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Nursing Officer of The University of Kansas Health System. “I don’t think anyone then would have — could have — imagined we would be where we are today.”

And for the next 25 years?

“We’ve come so far, but there is so much more to do,” Peterman said. “We want to ensure no Kansan needs to leave home for the very best care provided by the very best care teams.”

2007: U.S. News & World Report names the hospital to its top 50 list for the first time — it has been on the list ever since.

2007: Annette Bloch donates $20 million for programs at the new outpatient cancer facility, later named the Richard and Annette Bloch Cancer Care Pavilion.

HITTING ITS STRIDE, THE 2010S:

2011: The University of Kansas Cancer Center acquires Kansas City Cancer Center and sets a national model for cancer care delivery.

2012: Athletes of all ages get professional treatment as The University of Kansas Health System becomes the Kansas City Chiefs’ official health care provider. It became the Kansas City Royals’ provider in 2011.

2012: The University of Kansas Cancer Center earns National Cancer Institute designation, one of only 71 in the nation. (Earned again in 2017.)

2012: The University of Kansas Hospital is the first in Kansas City to earn Advanced Comprehensive Stroke Center designation.

2012: Turning Point joins the hospital as a free resource supporting the emotional, social and psychological needs of anyone living with a serious or chronic illness.

2012: The University of Kansas Hospital – Indian Creek Campus opens in Johnson County, Kan.

2013: Center for Transplantation opens to provide comprehensive care for liver, kidney, pancreas and heart transplant patients.

Bob Page, the health system’s president and CEO, likes to imagine the future and think about what lies ahead. His vision is simple, but ambitious. Much like Bell’s plan when he approached KU more than 100 years ago.

“We believe the day is near where cancer is a treatable disease, not a death sentence. And where breakthroughs in brain health mean patients can live their best lives for longer,” Page said. How?

“Starting here,” he said. “With the answers — and hope — we provide for so many today.”

Answers and hope that would not be possible without the collaboration of the medical researchers at the University of Kansas Medical Center, the dedicated care team at The University of Kansas Health System and the support of the community that this hospital has always had at the heart of everything it does.

LEADERS IN HEALTH CARE: Executives Bob Page and Tammy Peterman have been instrumental in The University of Kansas Health System becoming the highly acclaimed health system it is today.

2014: The hospital receives a $12.5 million grant to establish the Kansas Heart and Stroke Collaborative.

2015: Behavioral health care services expand with new hospitals at Marillac and KVC Health Systems.

2016: A bone marrow transplant cures a Kansas woman’s sickle cell disease, the first in the nation.

2017: The University of Kansas Hospital and The University of Kansas Physicians integrate to create The University of Kansas Health System.

2017: Center for Advanced Heart Care becomes the first in the nation to receive Comprehensive Cardiac Center certification from The Joint Commission.

2017: Cambridge Tower A opens, expanding patient care rooms and surgical suites. The St. Francis Campus in Topeka is added, through a partnership with Ardent Health.

2017: The health system founds Centrus Health with North Kansas City Hospital and Advent Health. It also partners with Vibrant Health to support Federally Qualified Health Centers in Wyandotte County, Kan.

2018-19: Two new campuses join the health system: Strawberry Hill and The University of Kansas Health System - Great Bend Campus.

SURVIVING A PANDEMIC AND LOOKING AHEAD, THE 2020S:

2020: In response to COVID-19, the health system adapts its services, offering telehealth options and treatments to maintain safety for staff and patients.

2021: The health system conducts its 5,000th organ transplant since 1969.

2022: Proton therapy debuts at The University of Kansas Cancer Center, one of only 42 centers nationwide.

2022: The University of Kansas Cancer Center is one of the first in the world to provide FDA-approved CAR T-cell therapy.

2022: The University of Kansas Cancer Center achieves NCI comprehensive designation, making it one of 56 nationwide.

2024: Breaking ground for a new transformational cancer research and patient care destination at The University of Kansas Cancer Center.

2027: The new comprehensive cancer building is set to open on The University of Kansas Health System’s main campus.

WHAT’S IN YOUR BACKPACK?

“MY STETHOSCOPE,” SAID NICK SCHEMMEL, a KU junior double majoring in biology and Spanish. “It’s good to future-orient yourself toward your goal and to wake up and see that I’m working to help people live longer, healthier lives.”

Schemmel is a one-man balancing act, with leadership positions in multiple clubs, performing nematode research in a lab, studying for the MCAT and volunteering as an EMT, while also being a full-time student and a double major. While he admits it can be a lot to balance at times, Schemmel views this as preparation for the leadership roles in medicine he aspires to take on in the future.

Not only does Schemmel take research and opportunities seriously, but he elected to learn Spanish for the sake of better communicating at his current volunteer position and for his future patients. “I think it’s important to be able to talk to more patients, especially within underserved communities,” he said. “Speaking Spanish helps patients identify with you and trust you more.”

Even though he is an undergraduate, Schemmel keeps his eyes set on the future and tries to set himself up to be equipped to help others the best he can. “I want to make it to medical school, and KU’s a top option to be at one of the best and brightest places in the country,” he said.

Schemmel spoke passionately about how scholarships have propelled him in his studies. “Any financial burdens that can be lifted from college students is a very helpful thing academically, and I don’t think it’s said enough,” he said. “Students are very appreciative of scholarships because they allow students to make the most of their college experience.”

Despite all the schoolwork and the involvement in student organizations, Schemmel finds ways to enjoy his college experience with different hobbies. He loves playing any sport with friends or family and developing his guitar skills. However, he often finds himself at the campus tennis courts playing with fellow Tennis Club members.

Schemmel knows he would not be able to pursue all of his passions without the scholarships he has received and looks to eventually return the favor to other students. “Once I graduate here and get out of school, I’ll focus on giving back,” he said.

MAX MCELROY