Welcome to News in Brief
Welcome to the August issue of News in Brief. This newsletter is published bi-monthly to feature what is happening in Rural Health Education and Services at the KU Medical Center. For more information contact Lorene Valentine at lvalenti@kumc.edu.
2008 Rural Kansas Photography Contest
The 2008 Rural Kansas Photography Contest is presented by RHES, University of Kansas Medical Center. The purpose is to work with Kansans across the state to produce a collection of photographic images to help promote Kansas as a great place for health care providers to live, work, and play. Winning photos will be published and prizes will be awarded. Photographs are due by Tuesday, September 30, 2008. Download an entry form today at: http://ruralhealth.kumc.edu/documents/2008KSphotoContest.pdf.
Save-the-Date for Kansas Career Opportunities
The Kansas Career Opportunities event will be held at the KU School of Medicine - Wichita on Oct. 30, 2008, and KU Medical Center in Kansas City on Nov. 6, 2008. Both career fairs are excellent opportunities for organizations to meet physician residents, medical students and allied health professionals who are seeking employment opportunities. If you would like to exhibit at either event, register at: http://ruralhealth.kumc.edu/krc/exhibitor08.html. If you would like to attend either event, register at: http://ruralhealth.kumc.edu/krc/participant08.html.
Kansas Bridging Plan Now Accepting Applications
Loan forgiveness is offered to residents in family medicine, general internal medicine, general pediatrics, or medicine/pediatrics residency programs in Kansas through the Kansas Bridging Plan. Applications are now being accepted for the program. Resident physicians who participate in the Kansas Bridging Plan agree to practice medicine full-time in a rural Kansas community for 36 continuous months upon completion of their residency training program in exchange for loan forgiveness. Applications are taken from July 1 to December 31 each year. To apply visit http://ruralhealth.kumc.edu/kbp/application.html.
Kansas Recruitment Center Welcomes New Placement
The Kansas Recruitment Center is very excited to announce the placement of Lindsay Ohlemeier, Physician Assistant, to Goodland Regional Medical Center, Goodland, Kan. Lindsay is a graduate from Wichita State University and currently completing her preceptorship in McCook, Neb., before joining the team in Goodland in late August. Lindsay is a Kansas native and excited about the opportunity to work in Goodland.
Ohlemeier is KRC’s 54th placement. For more information about KRC, contact Lauren Lambert, llambert2@kumc.edu.
Lunch with the Residency Coordinators
Wichita residency coordinators were treated to an appreciation luncheon by the staff of Rural Health Education and Services on Aug. 7, 2008 for all their hard work. Twelve coordinators attended the appreciation luncheon at Victoria’s Tea Room in Wichita. Whether coordinators are scheduling a time for Rural Health staff to visit with residents or distributing materials, all their support of RHES is greatly appreciated.
Rural Health Education and Services Visits Residency Programs
In an effort to keep residents informed on Rural Health Education and Services programs, Rural Health staff have begun making annual visits to residents in KUMC residency programs. The visits are designed to increase the residents' awareness and understanding of Rural Health programs designed to enhance health care in rural Kansas. To date, Rural Health staff have visited residents in both the surgery residency program and Wesley radiology residency program, Wichita, Kan. For additional information regarding residency visits, please contact Maxey Wood, mwood@kumc.edu.
RHES Director Presents at Leadership Kansas
On June 26, 2008, Lorene Valentine, RHES director, presented on rural health at the 2008 Leadership Kansas, hosted by the University of Kansas. Sponsored by the Kansas Chamber of Commerce, Leadership Kansas’ mission is to inspire people to maintain involvement in the social, business and political fabric of Kansas’ communities. Each year, leadership Kansas brings together 40 leaders throughout Kansas and provides them with exposure to the critical issues facing Kansas’ businesses and government. Among those 40 individuals for 2008 is Dave Cook, PhD, Assistant Vice Chancellor for External Affairs at KUMC.
Kansas Locum Tenens and Kansas Medical Resource Report Coverage
The Kansas Locum Tenens (KLT) Program has been successful in providing over 315 days of coverage for physicians in rural Kansas for fiscal year 2008! KLT is a program designed to provide temporary coverage for rural physicians in family medicine, general internal medicine, and pediatrics. The Kansas Medical Resource (KMR) Program has been successful in providing over 79 days of coverage for primary care and over 37 days for specialty care for fiscal year 2008! KMR is a program designed to provide temporary medical coverage to physicians in rural communities for general surgery, psychiatry, radiation oncology, anesthesiology, obstetrics/gynecology, family medicine, general internal medicine, general pediatrics, and other health care specialties. For more information about KLT or KMR contact Andee Ellis, aellis2@kumc.edu.
Rural Health Staffs a Booth at CareerMD
CareerMD hosted the Kansas City Career Fair on July 22, 2008. Maxey Wood, Recruitment Coordinator for the Kansas Recruitment Center of RHES, attended the career fair and exhibited with the National Rural Recruitment and Retention Network (3R Net). This was an opportunity for Wood to meet with residents and physicians about working in rural Kansas. This was the first time for CareerMD to be held in Kansas City.
Rural Health Heads to the Exploration Place for a Summer Retreat
On June 13, 2008, the RHES staff spent the afternoon at the Exploration Place in Wichita, Kan. During lunch, the staff reviewed FY08 and discussed program and project development. Staff members were then able to tour the exhibits, play miniature golf and experience a film in the IMAX theater.
