Mark Gonzales president
Gail Vick vice president
Lindy Eakin treasurer
Jane Blocher secretary
Becki Dick past president
Daryl Craft
Marilyn Dobski
Lindy Eakin
Joan Golden
Barb Heeb
Ernesto Hodison
Jason Hoover
Matt Hoy
Joe Hurla
Dr. Walter Ingram
Russ Johnson ex officio , lmh health president and ceo
Teresa Kempf
Derek Kwan
Danny Lewis
Beth Llewellyn ex officio , lmh health board of trustees
Lew Nolan ex officio , lmh health volunteers
Sandy Praeger
Livia Sexton
Dr. Mike Thompson
Cindy Yulich
PARTNERS
316 Maine Street • Lawrence KS 66044 (785) 505-5005
LMH Health Foundation team: Amy Addington, Courtney Bernard, Erica Hill, Nicole Olson, Earl Reineman, Rebecca Smith, Becky Swearingen
© 2023 LMH Health Foundation
Rebecca Smith
We are proud to announce that LMH Health has been named by Newsweek as one of the World’s Best Hospitals in 2023 — one of only four hospitals in Kansas to receive this designation.
We owe this recognition to our ambitious and highly trained physicians and staff. Our team members are compassionate and strategic, providing exceptional patient care and developing innovative programs to expand access to services right here at home. These remarkable individuals could work anywhere, and we are grateful they choose to work here.
This honor is also due in large part to you — our donors and community members. Your generous contributions and support helps us elevate healthcare for all people in Douglas County and beyond, regardless of ability to pay. From charitable care to cutting-edge technology and facilities that reflect the high quality of care provided therein, your gifts make a difference every day.
Thanks to you, LMH Health has served the community as a successful, independent hospital for decades. And even as we navigate this new and increasingly challenging landscape in healthcare, we know will emerge even stronger — just as we have many times over the past 100 years.
We are confident in our future because of your role in it. We could not do this work without you, and with your continued support, our non-profit, safety net hospital will continue to be one of the very best for generations to come.
In gratitude,
Rebecca Smith Executive Director, LMH Health Foundation VP – Strategic Communications, LMH Health
316 Maine Street Lawrence, KS 66044
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Nate Penny is remembered by many in the Lawrence community as a beloved and hardworking friend.
The son of Bill and Marlene Penny, Nate played football for Lawrence High School and the University of Kansas. He worked for his family’s business, Penny’s Concrete, for many years and coached high school football.
After Nate passed away in August 2020, Bill and Marlene Penny became aware of the hospital’s wish to renovate the rooftop garden at LMH Health’s Main Campus. They made a generous gift to the LMH Health Foundation toward that important project in honor of Nate.
“We chose the rooftop garden project because of a desire and need for patients, employees, medical staff and visitors to have a welcoming place to enjoy an outdoor environment,” said Marlene Penny. “Our son loved the outdoors and we wanted to contribute to this project.”
Fundraising for the rooftop garden continued over the next year, with community and medical staff support helping to finish funding the project.
“I have long hoped to move this project ahead, and I’m so pleased with the timing of the Pennys’ gift,” said Russ Johnson, LMH Health president and CEO. “As we think about ways to show appreciation for our hardworking employees, we hope this project will provide an opportunity to bring some fresh air and sunlight into their day.”
The rooftop garden renovation was completed in May 2023. The final piece was a large mural called “Kansas Symphony of Seasons” painted by local artist Louis Copt.
Copt and the Pennys are longtime friends, going back to their high school years together. The Pennys personally selected Copt as the muralist for the rooftop garden project. Their only request was that the mural must be a Kansas landscape.
Copt took four of his existing paintings — all real locations around Lawrence and Kansas — and put them together to create the mural. The Kansas scene transitions through winter, spring, summer and fall.
“The winter scene is looking from the Lecompton Bridge where the Delaware River flows into the Kansas River, and the red barn is the one near the intersection of Kasold and the farmer’s turnpike in Lawrence,” said Copt. “The wildflowers you see are all native to Kansas.”
Copt worked on the mural for several weeks starting in March. He said he was touched by all the employees and patients who came out and told him what a difference the mural made.
“For patients to be able to come outside and see the work, it really lifted their spirits,” said Copt. “I can’t tell you how many people came up and said nice things to me — it was really heartwarming and something I didn’t expect. It’s just amazing how many people the mural touched.”
Dr. Jon Heeb, urologist at LMH Health, and his wife, Barb, made a significant gift in support of the rooftop project and the mural. The Heebs also know Copt and personally own some of his work.
“It was the perfect project to support because Barb and I love the outdoors, the Penny family, Louis’s work, and LMH Health,” said Dr. Heeb. “Additionally, Barb and I enjoyed the same outdoor space 24 years ago when she was in labor with our son.”
Dr. Heeb said he is already seeing the benefits of the newly renovated rooftop garden.
“The rooftop garden revival project and the mural have provided a wonderful, welcoming space for both staff and patients alike to get a breath of fresh air and a little bit of sunshine in a place that is otherwise often associated with illness and hard work,” said Dr. Heeb.
Accessibility to the rooftop garden was another priority during the project. A gift from the LMH Health medical staff made possible the installation of a wheelchair lift so everyone can access the space.
“It is our hope that many people will benefit from the rooftop garden for years to come,” said Bill Penny. “As Nate would say, ‘Love wins!’”
Local artist Louis Copt and the Pennys are longtime friends. The public is invited to visit the rooftop garden and the Louis Copt mural by taking the gold door elevators near the hospital’s gift shop, up to the third floor.
“The tournament has been a great fundraiser for the hospital and well-attended because Penny was known and loved by so many people,” said Dr. Myrick. “He helped found a great group of surgeons at LMH Health who have taken good care of our patients all these years.”
Each year, Dr. Myrick kicks off the morning and afternoon tournament flights with a shotgun start using Penny’s own Browning shotgun — a gift to Dr. Myrick before Dr. Jones passed away.
“He was a very benevolent guy,” said Dr. Myrick. “He was well loved in Lawrence and just a really unique person.”
Dr. Myrick said he’s proud of the impact that the tournament has had on the community and hospital.
Every Friday after Labor Day for the past 40 years, golfers and volunteers have come together in support of LMH Health.
The Penny Jones Open Golf Tournament has a rich history in Douglas County. Since 1982, the tournament has brought the community together in support of the county’s nonprofit, safety-net hospital. Tournament proceeds benefit patients and support programs at LMH Health, including new technology.
The tournament began in 1982 in honor of Dr. H. Penfield “Penny” Jones, a surgeon and member of Lawrence’s medical community for more than 60 years. Penny was born in Lawrence in 1906 and graduated from Lawrence High School.
While attending the University of Kansas, Penny played basketball under Coach Forrest “Phog” Allen. He earned his medical degree at Rosedale (now the University of Kansas School of Medicine) and completed graduate study at Harvard Medical School.
Dr. Jones returned to Lawrence in 1933 and joined his father, H. T. Jones, in his practice. Before he retired at age 80, he served as chief of medical staff at LMH Health, president of the Douglas County Medical Society and the State Board of Health.
Dr. Steve Myrick, now a retired surgeon, was recruited to join LMH Health by Dr. Jones in the early 1980s and has been involved with the tournament since its inception.
Join us at this year’s Penny Jones Open Golf Tournament on Friday, September 8, at Lawrence Country Club. The tournament is a four-person scramble with morning and afternoon flights. For more information, or to purchase individual and foursome tickets, or corporate sponsorships, please visit LMH.org/PennyJones.
“There are a lot of golf tournaments you can play in around here, but this one sells out fast,” said Dr. Myrick. “People want to come to this special event at a special golf course.”
Commerce Bank has been the main sponsor of the Penny Jones Open Golf Tournament for more than 30 years. Mark Heider, former president of Commerce Bank in Lawrence, said it has been gratifying to see the community come together to raise funds for LMH Health, its staff and departments.
“Healthcare is important to everyone,” Heider said. “I can’t think of a better way to make a difference for our community than to support LMH Health as it grows and improves services for all people in the Lawrence area — while still maintaining its community roots.”
Rob Gillespie, current president of Commerce Bank in Lawrence, said he was pleased to continue the bank’s legacy of supporting the local tournament.
“The strength of our local hospital is a key component to a strong and vibrant Lawrence,” said Gillespie. “We are honored to play a role in strengthening LMH Health for our customers, team members and the Lawrence community.”
Funds from the tournament have helped make possible many great things at LMH Health over the years, including:
• Supporting the new LMH Health Cancer Center expansion and renovation.
• Growing endowed funds for areas like mother/baby, therapy services, behavioral health, palliative care and pediatrics.
• Funding advanced technology, including a new cath lab, MAKO surgical robots and a new da Vinci surgical system.
• Funding a new, state-of-the-art system that tracks all surgical instruments and ensures sharpness and sterilization.
In February, the LMH Health Board of Trustees voted to approve a strategic clinical relationship with The University of Kansas Health System (TUKHS), paving the way for clinical partnerships that increase patient access to specialty care in and around Douglas County. The agreement serves as a framework for the two separate institutions to explore collaborative endeavors, while ensuring LMH Health retains its independence.
LMH Health is focusing on three service lines for the strategic clinical relationship — vascular surgery, sports medicine and maternal fetal medicine. Through the first four months of 2023, the maternal fetal medicine clinic had 119 patient visits and performed 190 ultrasounds.
Amy Elzea was grateful for her recent experience at TUKHS’s Advanced Maternal and Fetal Care clinic at the LMH Health West Campus. Her care team monitored what they thought was a clubbed foot in her son, Oscar. Fortunately, there ended up not being any complications with his foot.
“The team in Lawrence provided top-level care with advanced ultrasound and sonographers available to read them. It’s amazing that there’s such talent here,” Elzea said. “I encourage women who need a higher level of care to speak with their doctors to see if the advanced maternal fetal medicine clinic is right for them. It’s been amazing to be able to get this care right in my own backyard.”
Sheryle D’Amico, senior VP for strategy integration at LMH Health, said, “We continue to get great feedback about having these services available locally so that patients don’t have to travel to the metro to get care. These numbers speak to the need in the community.”
expansion project is scheduled to begin this fall with completion in late 2024.
committed to raising as much of the anticipated $9–$11 million cost as possible.
$6.5 million to the project so far. To make a gift, please visit LMH.org/donate.
Amy Elzea and her son, Oscar. Read her full story at LMH.org/AmyElzea. update The LMH Health Cancer Center renovation and The LMH Health Foundation is Donors have given more thanLMH Health has been named by Newsweek as one of the World’s Best Hospitals in 2023. We are one of only four hospitals in Kansas to receive this designation, including The University of Kansas Hospital, Advent Health Shawnee Mission and Wesley Medical Center.
The evaluation was based on factors including:
• Hospital recommendations from medical experts received through an international online survey that included more than 80,000 doctors, hospital managers and healthcare professionals.
• Patient experience surveys measuring patient satisfaction with hospitals.
• Hospital quality metrics including data on quality of care for treatments, hygiene measures, patient safety and staffing.
Additionally, LMH Health President and CEO Russ Johnson was named one of the 107 community hospital CEOs to know in 2023 by Becker’s Hospital Review.
Donors like you make great things happen at LMH Health. Recently, your gifts have helped make possible:
Vital security upgrades and renovations to the emergency department entrance, and expanding the footprint and capacity of the ED waiting room.
Ultrasound technology used for patient care in the new maternal fetal medicine program, part of the strategic clinical relationship with The University of Kansas Health System.
Funding to assist uninsured patients and those unable to pay the out-of-pocket cost for LMH Health’s remote patient monitoring program.
Pediatric dental drills for patients requiring extensive dental work within LMH Health surgical suites that cannot be performed in dental clinics.
New recumbent cross trainer and treadmill for patients in the cardiac and pulmonary rehab program.
Many thanks to everyone who joined us at Rock the Block–Kick Cancer on Saturday, April 15! Your presence, generosity and compassion for the LMH Health Cancer Center and our local patients made a real impact.
We’re excited to share that donors gave nearly $50,000 for oncology programs, direct patient care, and cancer prevention and screening for patients in need. We are so fortunate to have a world-class cancer program at LMH Health, and these funds will help strengthen our mission to provide top-notch care and support to those fighting cancer in our community.
At age 68, Paula Daoust is an avid runner. She’s run a total of 150 half-marathons — each a distance of 13.1 miles — including one in every state. When she began to experience debilitating knee pain, Daoust did everything she could to avoid hanging up her running shoes for good.
“I couldn’t go for a walk or go shopping for more than 10 minutes without having to sit down due to the pain,” she said. “To be able to run, I’d have to tape my knee but I’d end up in a lot of pain afterward. The idea of not being able to run was too depressing, so I kept trying a variety of things.”
Daoust coped with the pain for nearly five years until a friend made the suggestion to see an orthopedic physician. Hoping that she would be able to continue to run, she turned to LMH Health OrthoKansas for help.
Daoust saw James Huston, MD, an orthopedic surgeon specializing in knee and hip replacement.
“X-rays showed that Daoust had bone-on-bone arthritis on the inner (medial) aspect of her knee, with well-maintained joint spaces in the rest of the knee,” Dr. Huston said.
Because her pain was located on the inner part of the knee and imaging confirmed the arthritis was isolated, she was an excellent candidate for a partial knee replacement. In this surgery, a section of bone from one part of the knee joint is removed and replaced with an implant.
“When there’s arthritis and/or pain in other areas of the knee, a total knee replacement is typically a better surgical option,” Dr. Huston explained. “A partial replacement is less invasive, typically has a quicker recovery period and feels more like a natural knee because all of the knee ligaments are preserved.”
In June 2021, Dr. Huston performed Daoust’s partial knee replacement using the MAKO robotic arm, an instrument used to perform partial and total knee replacements, as well as total hip replacements.
LMH Health has two MAKO robots to serve patients — one at the Main Campus and the other at the West Campus. The robots, which were funded in part by donor support through the LMH Health Foundation, have been proven to facilitate a shorter hospital stay, typically less pain and quicker return to function.
“The MAKO system can be more precise than traditional surgical techniques,” Dr. Huston said. “The system allows us to create a personalized plan for each patient. The arm allows us to place the joint more precisely and cause less damage to soft tissues and surrounding structures, which can lead to less pain, less need for pain medication and quicker recovery times.”
Daoust said that pain disappeared quickly after the surgery. She stopped taking pain medication within three days, opting for Tylenol, a cold therapy machine and relaxation exercises for the muscles in her legs.
“I used the walker for one day, progressed to crutches and then a cane. Within two weeks, I was walking on my own and driving a car,” she said.
After spending six weeks in physical therapy, Daoust is getting back to her old form — running a race with her husband every weekend and competing in at least 10 half-marathons since her surgery. She’s also beginning to reduce the time she needs to run those 13.1 miles, recently clocking in at 3:08, about half an hour shy of her pre-surgical times.
“I’m so excited to be able to do what I love without the pain,” Daoust said. “I can’t recommend OrthoKansas enough. It’s all been amazing, from the robotics to the people on staff. They understand and are supportive of people who want to stay active. It’s the small details like having your meds available as you walk out the door because the pharmacy is there. The follow up calls, checking in with me — I felt that I was supported through the entire journey.”
I’m so excited to be able to do what I love without the pain. I can’t recommend OrthoKansas enough, it’s all been amazing.”
—Paula Daoust
Lawrence resident Mark Algren was diagnosed with a splenic artery aneurysm. His LMH Health primary care physician referred him to Axel Thors, DO, FACS, a surgeon from The University of Kansas Health System (TUKHS), working with Lawrence Vascular Surgery. Algren successfully recovered from his surgeries and expressed gratitude for the care he received close to home.
Dr. Thors and Lawrence Vascular Surgery are part of LMH Health’s strategic clinical relationship with TUKHS, which is paving the way for clinical partnerships that increase patient access to specialty care in and around Douglas County.
“We knew that LMH Health had people coming to Lawrence to provide specialty care, so there was no reason to go to a different hospital,” said Algren. “I wanted to stay with LMH Health because it is in Lawrence, and Lawrence is home.”
