Welcome to News in Brief
Welcome to the October 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 Joyce Tibbals at jtibbals@kumc.edu.
Sign-up to Receive Kansas Connections Online
Kansas Connections has gone paperless. The Summer 2009 issue of Kansas Connections was the last printed issue. The publication will be available online in an easy-to-view format. If you would like to sign up to receive e-mail alerts four times a year, letting you know when the newest issue is available, please visit www.ruralhealth.kumc.edu or join our email list here.
2009 Rural Kansas Photography Contest Winners
Congratulations to the winners of the 2009 Rural Kansas Photography Contest, presented by the University of Kansas Medical Center, Rural Health Education and Services. Winning photos can be found on the Rural Health Web site.
Kansas Recruitment Center Makes Placements
The Kansas Recruitment Center is excited to announce the placement of Joan Myers in rural Kansas. Myers, a Registered Nurse, joined Hiawatha Community Hospital in Hiawatha, Kan. in July. Myers is a Washburn University School of Nursing graduate. She is excited to be starting her career at a great hospital.
To date, the Kansas Recruitment Center has been integral in the placement of 78 health care professionals to rural Kansas. For additional information regarding the Kansas Recruitment Center, please contact Tyler Doyle, tdoyle@kumc.edu.
Save-the-Date for Kansas Career Opportunities in Kansas City
The Kansas Career Opportunities event will be held at the KU Medical Center in Kansas City on Oct. 29, 2009. It is an excellent opportunity for organizations to meet resident physicians, medical, nursing and allied health students and health care professionals who are seeking employment opportunities. If you would like to attend, register here.
Kansas Career Opportunities in Wichita is a Success
The Kansas Career Opportunities Event was hosted by Rural Health Education and Services on Oct. 8, 2009. One hundred thirty-seven participants attended including 61 resident physicians, and 76 medical, pre-med, nursing and allied health students from 4 different colleges. Thirty-one communities exhibited from across Kansas.
Kansas Bridging Plan Deadline Approaching
The December 31st deadline for first and second year residents to participate in the Kansas Bridging Plan is quickly approaching. Resident physicians in family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, or medicine/pediatrics, can apply either in the Rural Health office or on the Rural Health Web site at www.ruralhealth.kumc.edu/kbp/residents.html. Loans will be awarded to applicants in the order in which the applications are received. For more information, contact Joyce Tibbals, jtibbals@kumc.edu.
Rural Health Continues Visiting Residency Programs
In an effort to keep residents informed on Rural Health Education and Services programs, the Rural Health staff makes annual fall visits to Kansas residency programs. To date, the Rural Health staff has visited residents of the Via Christi and Wesley Family Medicine Residency Programs, Wesley Pediatrics Residency Program, Via Christi Orthopaedic Residency Program, Via Christi General Surgery, all in Wichita, Kan., Internal Medicine Residency Program, Kansas City, Kan., and the Smoky Hill Family Medicine Residency Program, Salina, Kan.
Residency Coordinator Appreciation
Residency Coordinators were treated to an appreciation luncheon by the staff of Rural Health Education and Services in Wichita on August 18, 2009 and in Kansas City on Sept. 29, 2009 for all their hard work. Seventeen coordinators at the Wichita location attended at Riverside Cup of Tea and twenty-six coordinators attended the appreciation luncheon at KU Medical Center. 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.
Amanda Gardner has Baby Girl!
Amanda Gardner, senior coordinator, RHES, gave birth to a baby girl on September 23. Calista Jane weighed 6lbs 9oz and measured 19 inches long. Congratulations to both Amanda and her husband, Matt! Amanda will return from maternity leave in December. During her absence, contact the Rural Health office for assistance at 316-293-2649, toll-free 888-503-4221.
KU School of Pharmacy -- Coming Soon!
A "roof-raising" for the new KU Pharmacy School was September 28, 2009. The new pharmacy school will share a campus with the University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita. With six Kansas counties without a pharmacist and 30 more with just one pharmacist, the Wichita campus will play an important role when it begins educating pharmacists for Kansas in the fall of 2011. Starting with 20 students, the school will grow to 80 students in its first four years.
Rural Health Welcomes New Candidate Relations Coordinator
Amy Greenstein is the new Candidate Relations Coordinator for the Kansas Recruitment Center. The skills she obtained while in school and working in the Academic and Career Information Center at Kansas State University will come into play as she fills this vital role. Contact Amy directly at agreenstein@kumc.edu. Welcome to RHES, Amy!
Rural Health Staff Attend Conferences Around the Nation
- Washington, D.C., Rural Health Director attends Workforce Summit
Rural Health Education and Services Director, Joyce Tibbals, represented Kansas at the Healthcare Workforce Crisis: A Summit on the Future of Primary Care in Rural and Urban American that took place in Washington, DC on Aug. 10-12, 2009. Sponsored by the Health Resources and Services Administration, leaders from across the country gathered to discuss primary care workforce trends, health care reform, and strategies to overcome primary care provider shortages. - Albuquerque, New Mexico, 3Rnet’s 14th Annual Rural Health Care Conference
The Kansas Recruitment Center’s Senior Recruitment Coordinators, Tyler Doyle and Auburn Rickman, represented Kansas at 3Rnet’s 14th Annual Rural Health Care Conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico. They took part in presentations and panel discussions focusing on the issues that affect rural health care including the impact of health care reform, health care access and availability in rural communities, visa sponsorship, provider recruitment, and retention. - Minneapolis, Minn., Rickman attends National ASPR Conference
Auburn Rickman, Senior Recruitment Coordinator with the Kansas Recruitment Center attended the 16th Annual of Association Physician Staff Recruiters (ASPR) Educational Forum on Aug. 30 - Sept. 1, 2009. Auburn received a scholarship from ASPR to attend this event. - Chicago, IL, An Event Apart Conference
Chris Drake, RHES Web Developer attended, An Event Apart (AEA) Conference in Chicago, IL on Oct. 12-13, 2009. This two day conference featured 12 speakers that focused on Web design, code and content. It provided great insight for designers and developers in designing web sites and making them easier to use.
Rural Health Staff Exhibits at 9 Events
- Iowa City, Iowa, CareerMD Reception
Rural Health staff attended the CareerMD reception in Iowa City on Sept. 10, 2009. The event was designed specifically for residents and fellows training at the University of Iowa. - Kansas City, Kan., KPTA Student Conclave
The Student Special Interest Group of the Kansas Physical Therapy Association hosted the KPTA Student Conclave on September 12, 2009 in Kansas City. Joyce Tibbals, Director, provided rural health information to PT and PTA students who attended from across the state. - Lincoln, Neb., MidwestMD Career Fairs
Rural Health Education and Services staff exhibited at the MidwestMD Career Fairs at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and Creighton University Medical Centers on Sept. 24 and 25, 2009. - Topeka, Kan., Washburn University
Rural Health Education and Services staff exhibited at the Washburn University Career Fair on September 9, 2009. RHES staff visited with numerous nursing and allied health students interested in careers in rural communities. For more information, please contact Auburn Rickman, arickman@kumc.edu. - Fort Hays, Kan., Fort Hays State University Career Fair
Rural Health Education and Services staff exhibited at the Fort Hays State University Career Fair on September 16, 2009. - Wichita, Kan., KAOM Conference
The Kansas Association of Osteopathic Medicine, Mid-Year CME Conference was Oct. 9, 2009 in Wichita, Kan. RHES staff exhibited and had the opportunity to visit with numerous osteopathic physicians from across the state of Kansas. - Overland Park, Kan., KAMU Annual Conference
RHES attended the KAMU Annual conference in Overland Park, KS Sept 23-25. The conference was an opportunity to network with colleagues in the health care industry and visit with KAMU members about Rural Health's services. - Overland Park, Kan., KMGMA Conference
Rural Health staff exhibited at the Kansas Medical Group Management Association (KMGMA) conference in Overland Park, Kan., on September 17-18, 2009. Exhibiting to physician practice managers, this conference provided an opportunity to showcase programs and services offered through the Rural Health office. For more information, contact Andee Ellis, aellis2@kumc.edu.
