2013 wbj special sections health care heroes by wichita business journal

HEALTH CARE HEROES

wichitabusinessjournal.com

| OCTOBER 18, 2013

HEALTH CARE HEROES

OCTOBER 18, 2013 | wichitabusinessjournal.com

INSIDE

Heroes work, live around us every day We all are uplifted by the news of courageous men and women who without regard to their safety or gain perform “superhuman” feats for fellow men and women. These are not the mythic heroes of antiquity or those who show great courage to defend and save others and country. Those we honor today are heroes in every sense of Guest the word for in the course Column of their medical profession they go beyond the norm to enhance their community’s or patient’s health and well Dr. Zack Razek being. Performing an emergency surgery, managing our pain, helping cure our cancer, and countless other acts make us view these health healers with the utmost regard as “our heroes.”

LONG LIST OF HEROES In medicine, there have been many unsung heroes that through their perseverance greatly benefited humanity; Nursing

(Florence Nightengale), Penicillin (Alexander Fleming), or polio and small pox vaccines (Albert Sabin) and (Edward Jenner) and many others. Yet to us individually, the doctor or nurse we call our hero is one who treated us or our loved ones in a crisis. In Wichita and Kansas we have been blessed by a robust group of health care providers. They work tirelessly to advance our health standard of living, and this group being honored is no different. For us at Heartland Pathology, an independent health care provider, we strongly laud the achievements of all the honorees for their service to the community. They are all heroes, each in their own way. Few are honored today publicly, and they truly deserve the acclaim given to them for each in their own way has done some to enhance and advance the quality of life for individuals and the community at large. For that we extend to them our deepest appreciation, our very own “Health Care Heroes.” Dr. Zack Razek is manager of Heartland Pathology.

Larksfield Place Celebrates Heroes for 25 Years In celebration of our 25th Anniversary, Larksfield is proud to recognize the heroes among us; the visionaries, the leaders, the champions and the doers. Our journey started with the visionaries in the community. They set forth a course for a unique community. It became real through leadership and dedication. These leaders made the vision hapGuest pen. Over time, the champiColumn ons who followed built this organization on quality, on service. And of course, we relied on the doers to make Reginald it happen each and every Hislop III day. These are the heroes for Larksfield and as we celebrate our legacy to date, we can’t be more proud of their work.

NUMEROUS LARKSFIELD HEROES The names are too long to list and their contributions to deep and profound to recount. They have held every job and title and still do so today. You will find them in senior management, in our kitchens and in our offices. You will see them with our residents; the finest dressed in purple and grey scrubs. You will see them in teal colored tops, working with residents to regain strength and to recover from a range of health challenges. Some you’ll have to work to find as they work behind the scenes in our laundry and maintenance shops, making all the clothes and linens

clean and keeping the equipment running. You’ll definitely see the ladies and men in black and khaki as they are everywhere cleaning the rooms and halls – the nooks, corners, and crannies. In fact, on any visit or encounter, you’ll see assuredly them as they greet you when you enter and as you pass them in the halls or watch them with a group.

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT

Page

Dr. Richard Guthrie ................................... Mid-America Diabetes ................................................... A5 Surendra P. Singh ........................................ Newman University ..................................................... A6

ADMINISTRATIVE EXCELLENCE Dr. Marcy Aycock ........................................ Butler Community College .......................................... A7 Lorene R. Valentine ............................KU Wichita Medical Practice Association ............................ A7

COMMUNITY OUTREACH Alzheimer’s Association Central & Western Kansas .................................................................. A8 Gerard House Inc. ............................................................................................................................. A8 The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society ............................................................................................. A9 Sedgwick County Health Department Community Health Navigators ................................. A10

INTERNATIONAL OUTREACH Dr. Naomi Shields ............................ Advanced Orthopaedic Associates ....................................... A11

HEALTH CARE INNOVATIONS Dr. Melissa Gaines ................. The University of Kansas School of Medicine - Wichita ............... A12 Shana M. Gatschet ................... Relive Rehab Group & Adaptive Living LLC ................................ A13 Dr. Stephen W. Nesbit ............................... Via Christi Health Inc. ................................................. A14 Wendy A. Williamson ........................... Williamson Wellness Center ............................................ A15

PHYSICIAN Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr.

Thomas J. Bloxham .................................Via Christi Clinic ..................................................... A15 Bradley Bruner ....................Orthopaedic & Sports Medicine at Cypress ................................ A16 Jerry B. Cohlmia ............................ Wichita Nephrology Group PA........................................... A16 Dasa V. Gangadhar ............................... Grene Vision Group ................................................... A17 Terry L. Mills .............................................Via Christi Clinic ..................................................... A17 Subhash H. Shah ............................ Neurology Center of Wichita ............................................ A18 Lindall E. Smith ...................................Wesley Medical Center ................................................ A18 Lisa A. Weber ................................ Kansas Nephrology Physicians .......................................... A19

NURSE Tony R. Nix ............................................... Wesley Clinics, Women’s Care .............................................. A19 Deanna Speer ................................................. Via Christi Health ..................................................... A20

HEALTH CARE EDUCATOR

Dr. Scott Moser ................The University of Kansas School of Medicine - Wichita....................... A20 Elaine E. Steinke ....................... Wichita State University, School of Nursing ............................... A21 Dr. Marshall Walker ............................................Via Christi .......................................................... A22

HEALTH CARE VOLUNTEER Dr. Antonio P. Barba Jr. .......................Via Christi Volunteers Partners in Caring......................... A22

PHOTOS: Courtesy honorees, Elisha Bauer and Shawn Houston.

CARRYING ON A TRADITION JOHN EK - Publisher ...............................................................................................266-6180..................................................................jek@bizjournals.com

Whether by memory or in current sight, these people, the employees, directors and officers of Larksfield have always been the heroes. They work to create and maintain the finest senior adult housing and health care organization in Wichita. Their effort, talent, expertise, and compassion are the back-bone of an organization fully dedicated to being the best; the innovator and leader in the industry. Those before them started the work of today, laying the challenge. Our heroes today have readily taken the challenge and have no intention of relaxing the standards. They intend to forge new standards and to set an even higher mark for their successors. As we celebrate our 25th Anniversary, we know of no more important recognition than to say thank-you to all the former heroes and the current heroes of Larksfield. We are proud and honored to have known you that came before and today, to work with the best of the best, every single day. Reginald Hislop III is president and CEO of Larksfield Place

ADMINISTRATION CHERILYN BRATTON - Business manager .............................................................266-6171 ........................................................cbratton@bizjournals.com ADVERTISING VANESSA GALAWAY - Account executive ............................................................. 266-6175 .......................................................vgalaway@bizjournals.com GARY NICKEL - Account executive ........................................................................266-6174 ...........................................................gnickel@bizjournals.com ANGELA ROBUCK - Account executive ................................................................ 266-6186 .........................................................arobuck@bizjournals.com CIRCULATION STACY GUINN - Audience development director .............................................. 266-6189 ...........................................................sguinn@bizjournals.com KIMBERLY LIVINGSTON - Audience development executive ........................... 266-6185 ...................................................klivingston@bizjournals.com ELISHA BAUER - Marketing/events coordinator ................................................ 266-6196 ...........................................................ebauer@bizjournals.com EDITORIAL BILL ROY - Editor in chief ....................................................................................... 266-6184 ............................................................... broy@bizjournals.com EMILY BEHLMANN - Social engagement manager ............................................ 266-6177 ...................................................ebehlmann@bizjournals.com STEPHANIE BLOYD - Research director ............................................................... 266-6173 ........................................................... sbloyd@bizjournals.com JOSH HECK - Reporter ............................................................................................. 266-6172 ..............................................................jheck@bizjournals.com SHAWN HOUSTON - Lead designer ........................................................................ 266-6194 ...................................................... shouston@bizjournals.com KELLEN JENKINS - Visual storyteller ....................................................................266-6191 ........................................................kjenkins@bizjournals.com NICK JUNGMAN - Print editor................................................................................ 266-6198 ..................................................... njungman@bizjournals.com DANIEL MCCOY - Reporter ...................................................................................... 266-6195 .......................................................dhmccoy@bizjournals.com JOHN STEARNS - Reporter ..................................................................................... 266-6176 ........................................................ jstearns@bizjournals.com PRODUCTION SPENCER PERCIVAL - Designer.............................................................................. 266-6197 .......................................................spercival@bizjournals.com The entire contents of this newspaper are copyrighted 2013 by Business Journal Publications dba Wichita Business Journal, with all rights reserved. Reproduction or use, without permission, of editorial or graphic content in any manner is prohibited. For information about reprints, plaques or use of the Wichita Business Journals’ material on other Web sites, contact the editor of the Business Journal at 266-6184. Wichita Business Journal, 121 N. Mead, Suite 100, Wichita, Kan. 67202. Telephone: (316) 267-6406. FAX: (316) 267-8570. Web address: http://wichitabusinessjournal.com All submissions become the property of the Wichita Business Journal and will not be returned; submissions may be edited and may be published or otherwise re-used in any medium. Wichita Business Journal is a publication of American City Business Journals Inc., 120 West Morehead St., Suite 400, Charlotte, N.C. 28202. Whitney Shaw, President & CEO, Ray Shaw, Chairman (1989 to 2009).

HEALTH CARE HEROES

Thank God for heroes Heroes make a difference in the lives of others. It’s what defines them. The way they live their lives and go about their business makes us wish we could all be like them — and so we try a little harder.

Congratulations to all the 2013 Health Care Heroes — especially the following Via Christi friends and colleagues: Community Outreach

Nurses

•

Gerard House

Deanna Speer, RN

Health Care Innovations

Health Care Educators

•

Stephen Nesbit, DO

Marshall Walker, DO

Physicians

Health Care Volunteers

•

Thomas Bloxham, MD

•

Terry Lee Mills, MD

Antonio Barba, MD

wichitabusinessjournal.com

| OCTOBER 18, 2013

HEALTH CARE HEROES

OCTOBER 18, 2013 | wichitabusinessjournal.com

t almost 78 years of age, Dr. Richard Guthrie is not interested in retiring any time soon. He loves practicing medicine too much. “As long as my health is good, I want to keep doing what I’m doing,” says Guthrie, who is the medical director of Mid-America Diabetes Associates. “It’s very satisfying to interact with patients.” Mid-America Diabetes has two physicians and four physician assistants. It serves 5,000 to 6,000 patients and operates 11 satellite clinics across the state. Guthrie has been practicing medicine since 1960, with 40 years of his career spent in Wichita. He is considered by his peers to be a pioneer in diabetes medicine and continues to do research in his field. He has trained hundreds, if not thousands, of physicians in diabetes medicine and disease management. Guthrie is perhaps most well known for his compassion and bedside manner. “Dr. Guthrie is one of the most passionate providers in the industry,” says Michael McDonald, a physician assistant with MidAmerica Diabetes who credits his interest in diabetes care to Guthrie. “I have done rotations all over Kansas and met many providers. However, I have yet to meet a provider who has as much passion for his patients as Dr. Guthrie.”

DR. RICHARD GUTHRIE Mid-America Diabetes LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

McDonald says Guthrie continues to practice medicine, not for the money, but because he loves what he does.

MEDICAL SCHOOL FOUNDER In 1973, Guthrie was recruited to Wichita to help build a new medical school, a site now known as the University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita. Guthrie served as the medical school’s chairman for nearly a decade and has remained a member of its faculty through a mix of paid and volunteer positions. Guthrie, who is now classified as a professor emeritus, started the medical school’s pediatric department and related residency training program. He also has been responsible for bringing various medical specialists to Wichita. When he came to Wichita, there were no pediatric sub-specialists in town, for example. Now, there are more than a dozen.

Guthrie says one of his greatest joys — in addition to helping patients — is training future doctors through the city’s diabetes residency programs. He teaches physician-assistant students from Wichita State University and pharmacy students from the KU Medical School in Wichita and Kansas City. “Students keep me young,” he says. Seeing the medical school grow and evolve over the years is a point of pride for Guthrie. He is also active in the Medical Society of Sedgwick County, the Kansas Medical Society and the American Diabetes Association, among others.

OUT OF POVERTY Guthrie grew up during the Great Depression and Dust Bowl era in a small farm town in Illinois. His family didn’t have electricity or indoor plumbing. “We were poor,” Guthrie says matter-offactly.

Still, his father wanted to ensure that he got a college education. Guthrie says when it came time to start thinking about a career path, he always gravitated toward the sciences. But he was reluctant initially to show interest in becoming a doctor because he didn’t think his family could afford to put him through medical school. His father told him that if going to medical school was something he wanted to do, he would find a way to make ends meet. And somehow they did. Guthrie started college at Graceland College, which is now Graceland University, and later transferred to the University of Missouri Medical School. He joined the U.S. Navy after medical school and spent time stationed at Camp Pendleton in California and then in the Philippines. After his time in the Navy, Guthrie spent five years as a faculty member for Missouri’s medical school before coming to Wichita. Guthrie says at the time he saw coming to Wichita as a new challenge. And Wichita quickly became home. Guthrie and his wife of 56 years, Diana, have three daughters, Laura, 53, Joyce, 52, and Tamera, 50, and five grandchildren. — Josh Heck

r. Larry Hund, a pediatrician at Mid-Kansas Pediatric Associates in Wichita, says he can’t think of anything he’d rather do than be a doctor. Yet medical school was not a part of his initial plan when he was a student at Newman University in the 1970s. He met Surendra Singh, a biology professor at Newman, because he was pursuing a career in environmental biology. Singh was an “exceptional teacher,” he says, but his most significant influence on Hund occurred outside the classroom. “He asked if I thought about a medical career. He was the one who encouraged me to explore that field,” Hund says. “If I had been at a different institution, I don’t think I would have gone to medical school.” Singh earned his doctorate in 1971 at the University of New Mexico and has spent his entire career at Newman. He’s from India, and he says part of the initial appeal of Kansas was that its terrain and wheat fields reminded him of home. The reason he’s stayed for 44 years, though, is largely because of the way he’s been able to make an impact at the small university. In addition to teaching, Singh has been able to counsel hundreds of students, and he’s been a driving force behind Newman’s pre-med program, several allied health degrees and three programs that encourage high school students to pursue science careers. “Dealing with fewer students, I can do

HEALTH CARE HEROES

SURENDRA P. SINGH Newman University LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

that here,” he says. “By knowing your students and what they really want to do, you guide them, and they get there.” Hund is one of many Newman graduates whose lives have been shaped by Singh. Some are doctors, others are dentists, physical therapists, veterinarians or nurses. “He has this capacity to help students discern where their best future lies,” says Newman President Noreen Carrocci. “What’s going to give your life meaning and joy?” Some, even, might have decided against a medical career because of Singh. When students told him they were interested in medicine, he would arrange for them to shadow a doctor or other professional. “You have to put yourself in that environment,” he says. “Ask, ‘Do I want to do this for the rest of my life?’” Carrocci says Singh assesses not only students’ passions, but also their abilities. If they’re struggling in courses that would be important for medical school, for instance, he might help them find a direction more suited to their skills. This is part of the reason, she says, that in the past 10 years, 96 percent of Newman graduates

who have applied for medical school have been accepted. What he does for other students, he also did for his son, Rahul, who said he wanted to be a doctor. Singh had a friend at Via Christi Health and asked that person to arrange for Rahul to shadow physicians in the most challenging environment possible. Rahul was sent to the emergency room, and he loved it. He’s now an ER physician in Newton.

SEEING A NEED Singh looks at the bigger picture in addition to each of his students’ individual needs and goals. His interests early in his career were in botany and environmental biology, thanks partly to a particularly good seventh grade teacher. His teaching focused on those areas. Then, he says he saw that students in those fields were struggling to find jobs. Meanwhile, medicine was full of career possibilities. That led him to develop programs at Newman focused on medicine and to open his students’ eyes to the possibility of a career in health care.

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| OCTOBER 18, 2013

Singh also noticed that the nation didn’t have enough youths pursuing careers in science. He created the Investigative Summer Science Program, which brings Kansas high school students to Newman during the summer so they can work on projects as “junior scientists.” Singh read that 26 percent of Hispanic students were dropping out of high school. He sought sponsors and established a science program especially for Hispanic students in Wichita. Later, he also created one for Native American students. He says that in evaluations after the program, students said they’d never considered college before, but now they were thinking about it. They also told their peers about the things that could be achieved through education. “Word got around that this was the direction to go,” Singh says. Singh will partially retire in 2014 and expects to have more time with family, including wife Swarn, grown children Rahul, Juhee and David, and two grandchildren. He also still stays in touch with many of his former students. Many return to campus, to speak to Singh’s classes or just to have lunch with him. Seeing them succeed is very gratifying, he says. “I have tremendous pride,” he says. “It’s all their hard work, but maybe I was able to point them in the right direction.” — Emily Behlmann

HEALTH CARE HEROES

OCTOBER 18, 2013 | wichitabusinessjournal.com

ometimes, high school kids know what they want to do for a career. Very often, however, they do not. Thanks to a program from Butler Community College, students are getting exposed to potential careers in health sciences much earlier. And for those who find they like it, the program is jump-starting their education. Butler’s Early College Heath Sciences Academy was started in 2011 with a handful of students from Rose Hill. The program now includes students from six high schools all taking classes that help fast-track their continuing education in health sciences, such as certified nurse aid training and actually working in the industry at a health care organization. One student even earned her associates degree through Butler — a day before graduating high school. A program like that just doesn’t happen on its own. It takes people like Marcy Aycock, director of the academy, who has put in countless hours to create the program and spread the word about it. Aycock has made numerous trips to area high schools to talk about the program. And she has worked behind the scenes to help coordinate the program, line out its curriculum and make it fit into students’ schedules. She has also worked closely with area health

care professionals and companies to craft the training and with state legislators to help secure funding. Aycock also spends a lot of time helping students find scholarships to help pay their way through the program “She kind of started it from the ground up,” says Noreen Templin, an economics professor at Butler. “She has put together multiple discovery days (for high schools). She has worked tirelessly on it. … she has talked to everyone she can about it.” For Aycock, who was a school principal for 16 years, the chance to help students get on a career path early is more than enough reward. She says Butler could add similar academies, such as one for careers in information technology, because of the success of the heath sciences program. So how does it feel when a program you’ve spearheaded helps a student find a career path and actually earn credit toward it — or even an associates degree — before they have even left high school? “I get goosebumps just thinking about it,” Aycock says. “It gives you, as an educator, a great feeling of pride. I know it’s cliche, but we really do want to help kids achieve their dreams. It’s just very rewarding to see your students succeed.”

DR. MARCY AYCOCK

Butler Community College ADMINISTRATIVE EXCELLENCE

orene Valentine was among the first few employees helping the late Dr. Cramer Reed establish the University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita roughly 40 years ago. Now executive director of the KU-Wichita Medical Practice Association, Valentine has spent most of her working career at the school, part of a long résumé in Kansas health care. Dr. Rick Kellerman, chair of the school’s family and community medicine department, says Valentine has demonstrated “longstanding and consistent and unwavering work on behalf of all Kansans.” That reaches from the medical school to the rural corners of the state. Valentine organized the Office of Rural Health Education and Services, which serves all KU medical schools, and she was instrumental in the launch 20 years ago of the Kansas Bridging Plan. That program offers physicians in residency $26,000 in forgivable loans in exchange for a three-year commitment to practice in a rural community. Roughly 200 physicians have gone through the program to date, she says. She also helped start Kansas Locum Tenens, which provides substitutes for rural doctors so they can take time off, and the Kansas Recruitment and Retention Program, which gives

— Daniel McCoy

rural communities a central place to list medical job openings. It’s no wonder she received the Louis Gorin Award for Outstanding Achievement in Rural Health Care from the National Rural Health Association, the NRHA’s highest award, in 2004. Valentine says she’s proud of her work in rural health, but also “getting to know what wonderful people there are out in the state of Kansas and some of the innovative things that they’re doing.” In her role today at the Medical Practice Association, she provides administrative oversight for five KU outpatient clinics and nurtures relationships between the school’s physicians and the community. She’s come far over the last 40 years, and so has the KU School of Medicine-Wichita. Kellerman says starting a clinical campus in Wichita separate of the main med school in Kansas City was a big deal in the early 1970s. “At that time, having a campus like this was kind of an innovative, new thought,” he says. And Valentine was there to help make it all happen, he says.

LORENE R. VALENTINE KU Wichita Medical Practice Association ADMINISTRATIVE EXCELLENCE

— John Stearns

HEALTH CARE HEROES

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| OCTOBER 18, 2013

n an organized two-day frenzy last month, the Alzheimer’s Association’s Central and Western Kansas Chapter moved its home base from 347 S. Laura in Wichita to a more prominent location at 1820 E. Douglas. Executive Director Marsha Hill says she hopes the move will increase the organization’s visibility. She says she hears all too often that people don’t know about the association’s services. “Every 59 seconds, someone is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s,” Hill says. “I just want families to know that we’re here to help them on the journey.” The association’s Central and Western Kansas Chapter serves 68 of the state’s 105 counties. In 2012, its help line received 821 calls, nearly 1,450 people attended one of 441 support sessions offered by the area’s 35 groups, nearly 3,500 people attended 21 sponsored health fairs, and more than 100 families received grants that paid for in-home respite care. This year, 140 families have benefited from the respite-care grants. Alzheimer’s ambassadors also work with lawmakers to raise awareness and promote research. Debbi Elmore, the chair of AACWK’s board of directors and the senior mentor program coordinator at Senior Services of Wichita, recently wrote a series of stories about Alzheimer’s caregivers, chronicling the experiences of only a few of the nation’s estimated 16 million. She says the physical and personal changes caused by the disease are “just incredible.” She aims to honor those who work tirelessly for loved ones even after their faculties are gone. Uplifting accounts like these are important because, Hill notes, we “lose caregivers sometimes before the person with the disease.” To fund the respite grants each year, the Alzheimer’s Association hosts a golf tournament, the proceeds of which go to Senior Services of Wichita, whose employees then coordinate the care. Hill says interactions with a caregiver often begin with a phone inquiry.

ALZHEIMER’S ASSOCIATION CENTRAL & WESTERN KANSAS COMMUNITY OUTREACH “It could be one of many issues, from ‘Does my loved one have [Alzheimer’s]?’ to ‘What can I do?’ We walk with them along the way to deal with all of the issues that arise from the disease. We stay with them and follow them as long as they want to be with the association.” AACWK also enables loved ones to take time for themselves through programs like The Roth Project, a person-

alized music therapy. Staff and caregivers use iPods to play music familiar to Alzheimer’s and dementia patients to soothe anxiety or aggression. There are also adult daycare sessions that allow caregivers to leave their loved ones in the care of trained specialists for five hours. — Julia Schwinn

erard House has been a community fixture for 25 years, providing a safe haven for pregnant teens. The shelter, located at 3144 N. Hood, houses young mothers and teaches them what it takes to be a good parent. It’s the only licensed residential maternity home in the Wichita area and one of three in Kansas. Executive Director Deneen Dryden says Gerard House provides services that ensure the physical and emotional well-being of its residents. “This is a very specific niche for a very vulnerable population,” says Dryden, who is only the second Gerard House director in its 25-year history. Residents are taught life skills, such as how to cook and take care of a baby. They also receive prenatal care. Dryden says residents adhere to a regimented daily schedule during the week, including schoolwork and chores, that basically runs from sunup to sundown. There’s more downtime for the residents on the weekends. Gerard House is licensed to provide care for 10 girls at a time, and the beds are always full, Dryden says. Residents — some as young as 14 — are allowed to come to the shelter at any point during their pregnancy, and the average stay is eight months. They are often referred to Gerard House through their doctors, nurses, school counselors or the foster care system. Dryden says the girls are allowed to stay in the shelter for six months after their baby is born to help them adjust to being parents. The three-story shelter has 10 bedrooms, four bathrooms, a community kitchen, and living and laundry areas. Gerard House operates on a $300,000 annual budget, money that comes from a combination of donor contribu-

GERARD HOUSE INC. COMMUNITY OUTREACH tions and a $24,000 grant from the state. The shelter, which employs 10, began as a joint mission of the Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother and the Congregation of St. Joseph. Now, Gerard House is part of Via Christi Hospitals in Wichita. Sister Sherri Marie Kuhn, senior administrator of mission integration at Via Christi, says Gerard House was established when there was a great deal of social stigma for

unmarried pregnant girls. The shelter took in girls whose families wouldn’t care for them. “We established the house to help teens during this time and to give young women an opportunity in life,” Kuhn says. The stigma, she says, has diminished, but needs haven’t. — Josh Heck

OCTOBER 18, 2013 | wichitabusinessjournal.com

HEALTH CARE HEROES

atients who are diagnosed with a blood cancer face a tough and uncertain road, But they don’t have to be alone, thanks to the state’s chapter of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. The society works to find better treatments for blood cancers. In fiscal 2011, the organization invested more than $76 million in blood cancer research. The Kansas Chapter has several programs that provide emotional and financial support for patients. One example is the Patti Robinson Kaufmann First Connection program, which matches newly diagnosed patients with survivors of a similar age, the same gender and the same diagnosis. “They get some comfort from someone who’s been through it,” says Jennifer Bitner, executive director of the Kansas chapter. For children, the chapter offers the Trish Greene Back to School program. When a young patient returns to school, volunteers speak to teachers and classmates to answer questions about where the student has been or, when applicable, why he’s coming back without hair or with a different appearance. The Society also offers financial help, which Bitner says the chapter provided to about

300 Kansans in the year that ended June 30. Patients can get help with co-payments and other expenses, like traveling to treatment. The chapter paid out about $425,000 in direct financial assistance last fiscal year. The society also has people available to help blood cancer patients make smart choices about their health insurance coverage. Local fundraisers support these programs and raise awareness. The Man & Woman of the Year program enlists local leaders, pairs them with cancer survivors and asks them to raise as much money as possible. Todd Bailey, president at Transworld Business Advisors, was a Man of the Year candidate in 2007 and connected with the organization’s mission and the people involved. Now he’s chairman of its board of trustees. “There’s a lot that takes place behind the scenes that no one will ever know about — food drives, blood drives, sitting with a patient in the hospital,” she says. “They care very, very much about the patients.”

THE LEUKEMIA & LYMPHOMA SOCIETY COMMUNITY OUTREACH

— Emily Behlmann

A10

HEALTH CARE HEROES

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ichita has a robust health care system. But many area residents, especially those who are uninsured or underinsured, sometimes aren’t aware of the options they have. That’s where the Sedgwick County Health Department’s Community Health Navigators program comes in. Founded in 2009, the program disseminates information about health care options in the county. The navigators are volunteers — often social workers, nurses, pastors and health department staff — trained by the program to be able to help people make appropriate health care choices. Anne Nelson, associate executive director of the Central Plains Health Care Partnership, has been involved with the program since its creation. She says county residents often aren’t aware of things like local “safety net” clinics that offer free and low-cost care. Instead, they wait too long to seek treatment, then end up going to an emergency room. With the right information, she says, they can get treatment before their situations get serious.

| OCTOBER 18, 2013

That benefits the patient, but it also puts less strain on the health care system. “It’s really an amazing outreach effort,” Nelson says. “Many of the safety nets in our community, they were not well known to the community at large. This program is the missing spokes in the wheel.” Since it started in 2009, the program has reached more than 8,000 patients. That’s because of the navigators’ willingness to go anywhere to make a presentation to residents, says the program’s project manager, Pamaline KingBurns. “We’ve shared it with just about anyone that would sit still,” she says. Presentations have been made in English, Spanish, Vietnamese and Portuguese, and everywhere from formal meeting rooms to restaurants to one-on-one interactions during the navigators’ everyday activities. “It’s so essential that people know what is out there and how to access it,” she says. “It’s improving the entire health of the community one person at a time.”

SEDGWICK COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT COMMUNITY HEALTH NAVIGATORS COMMUNITY OUTREACH

— Daniel McCoy

Wichita Nephrology Group, P.A. Nephrology and Hypertensive Disease

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HEALTH CARE HEROES

OCTOBER 18, 2013 | wichitabusinessjournal.com

r. Naomi Shields, an orthopedic surgeon, had known she wanted to volunteer overseas for years before she got the chance. She was in the Air Force in the early 1990s when she began looking for opportunities, but political complications kept getting in the way. It wasn’t until around 2000, when she was out of the Air Force and working at Advanced Orthopaedic Associates, when opportunity struck again. She was at a meeting of the American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society and learned about something called the Overseas Outreach Project to Vietnam. She snatched up an application. Later, she heard a speech about it, and that really fired her up. “I already had my application in hand,” she recalls. “I followed the speaker out of the hall.” Unfortunately, the speaker made a beeline for the men’s room, but undeterred, Shields parked herself outside. When he emerged, she marched up to him and declared, “I want to go!” And go she did, for the first of what is now 16 times. And counting. Shields is in Vietnam for a week or two at a time at least once a year, traveling at her own expense. She and her team will see patients from some of the poorest areas of Vietnam. Uncorrected club foot is common. Neglected traumas. Polio, which is still active in Vietnam. “Few patients with trouble will ever see a doctor,” she says. “So seeing us is like winning the lottery.”

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Shields says an important part of the work is that it’s done side-by-side with local surgeons. “This year we went back to one hospital, and we were pretty much talking their staff through the cases. They were doing 90 percent of it,” she says. “The more we can teach them, the more that can happen while we’re gone.” Shields’ work isn’t just in Vietnam. In 2010, a devastating earthquake struck Haiti. The next day, Shields went into the office and was greeted by her nurse, Susan Roby, who looked at her and said, “You know, Dr. Shields, we need to go.” They did. And Shields has been back five times since. In Haiti, Shields helps local doctors at a small hospital in the town of PierrePayen. Those doctors not only treat patients, they also purify water and maintain latrines. Shields says that work helped Pierre-Payen escape Haiti’s last cholera outbreak without a single case. Back here in Wichita, Shields is active in Soles for Souls, which fits the homeless with shoes. Mary Wine, administrator at Advanced Orthopaedic Associates, says Shields is an inspiration. “We take good health care for granted,” Wine wrote in her nomination of Shields. “We forget that there are people, even in our hometown, that can’t walk or that don’t have a decent pair of shoes. Dr. Shields is making a difference.”

DR. NAOMI SHIELDS Advanced Orthopaedic Associates INTERNATIONAL OUTREACH

— Nick Jungman

Health Care Hero

Patrolling the sidelines at games almost every friday night you’ll find Dr. Bradley Bruner our “Health Care Hero”. Ever present when injuries occur, Dr. Bruner stands ready to apply his knowledge and skill to help athletes return to their favorite sport. We congratulate our colleague Dr. Bruner as being one of Wichita’s “Health Care Heroes”. Phillip F. Hagan, M.D. James Joseph Jr., M.D. Ryan Stuckey, M.D. Damion Walker, D.O. Camden Whitaker, M.D.

EAST: 9300 E. 29th St. North | Suite 205 | www.osmcypress.com | WEST: 750 North Socora, Suite 200 | 316.219.8299 or 888.397.7362 WBJ.DR.BRUNER.HEALTH.CARE.HERO.2013.halfpage.indd 1

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HEALTH CARE HEROES

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onverting a medical practice to what’s called a patient-centered medical home is difficult, but Dr. Melissa Gaines at KU Adult Medicine is among those marching boldly forward. “She really gets it,” says Leslea Roach, coordinator for the Kansas PCMH Initiative, a pilot program of eight practices statewide making the transformation. PCMH involves managing and anticipating patient needs, a more pro-active model that tries to head off expensive problems. The switch — which KU Adult Medicine began two years ago and officially finishes in December — is an exhausting, comprehensive process. “It’s overwhelming,” Roach says. Over the next year, she expects most of the clinics involved in the pilot to apply to the National Committee for Quality Assurance for some level of PCMH recognition. Gaines says KU Adult Medicine intends to apply for the highest level. PCMH makes sense for Gaines’ internal medicine practice, which sees adults with chronic conditions and specializes in diagnostic challenges. It’s one of several clinics associated with the University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita. “I know that [what] really inspired me to

| OCTOBER 18, 2013

do it was the fact that this is a model of care that really focuses on efficiency, quality and allowing your staff to practice at the top of their license,” Gaines says. “It’s anticipating needs instead of reacting to patient needs.” She saw how valuable that could be with her 450 patients. About a quarter of them are diabetic, and the PCMH model gives her practice tools to track whether they’ve had things such as eye or foot checks. If they haven’t, a care coordinator arranges it. Roach praises Gaines’ embrace of the model. “Her spirit is just something that can be admired.” Roach says. “She’s sort of like a calm, determined, focused, humble force.” Roach says PCMH practices will experience financial rewards because the payment model is shifting to reward value over volume. “It could result in higher reimbursement, plain and simple,” she says. Gaines encourages other physicians to take on the challenge, too. “Like any change, there’s pain and unexpected changes,” Gaines says. “But in all honesty, overall, I feel like our practice is so much better in several aspects.”

DR. MELISSA GAINES

The University of Kansas School of Medicine - Wichita HEALTH CARE INNOVATIONS

— John Stearns

www.butlercc.edu

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HEALTH CARE HEROES

OCTOBER 18, 2013 | wichitabusinessjournal.com

or a homebound person’s insurance company to cover in-home services, a doctor must assess whether leaving a patient’s home requires “a considerable and taxing effort,” like assistance from another person, a wheelchair or walking aids, or if usually ordinary trips leave the patient feeling unusually exhausted. But what if you qualify for in-home services, but your home itself isn’t safe to navigate? What if daily tasks like bathing are hazardous? Enter Shana Gatschet, an occupational therapist and certified aging-in-place specialist. In 2008, after more than 15 years of serving a broad spectrum of patients — from infants to specialneeds adults to the elderly — Gatschet began working as an adaptability specialist in the Home for Life division of Heartland Home Improvements. Gatschet starts home assessments by asking clients what their days entail and then having them demonstrate. “Then we talk about things they used to do and give them resources to start again,” Gatschet says. Though Gatschet admits that she does not understand the mechanics of actual home repair, she’s become an expert in identifying the needs of home-bound clients. In 2009, Gatschet started Adaptive Living, a multidisciplinary outpatient therapy service. Because of the company’s size,

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Gatschet wasn’t just a therapist; she was also responsible for bookkeeping, marketing and human resources. She also started down the path of becoming what colleague Perry Young calls “a self-inspired expert on Parkinson’s rehab.” “There’s no cure for Parkinson’s,” Gatschet says, “but there’s definitely tools and techniques to help fight and slow the progression.” Young, divisional vice president of outpatient centers for Key Rehabilitation Inc., noticed Gatschet’s infectious drive and her successes. Last year, Gatschet joined the Key Rehab subsidiary ReLive Rehab Group as an occupational therapist and director of community development. Gatschet spends about half of a typical work week in direct patient care, either at ReLive’s office or in patients’ homes. Her other duties involve spreading awareness of Parkinson’s treatments and ReLive’s specialized services throughout the community. ReLive has not only physical and occupational therapists, but also employs dietitians and mental health professionals. “We really try to focus on the whole person, not just ‘here’s the disease, we’re going to do the best we can,’” Gatschet says. “We have such a unique niche with ReLive.”

SHANA M. GATSCHET Relive Rehab Group & Adaptive Living LLC HEALTH CARE INNOVATIONS

— Julia Schwinn

and

Congratulate Dr. Lisa Weber

2013 Wichita Healthcare Hero As both an attending nephrologist and Medical Director, Dr. Weber provides outstanding medical care to dialysis patients at: Fresenius Medical Care Wichita West Fresenius Medical Care Dodge City Through her dedication and commitment to patient-centered care, Dr. Weber helps Fresenius Medical Care staff achieve our UltraCare® Mission of improving the quality of life of every patient, every treatment.

Congratulations SURENDRA SINGH, Ph.D., PROFESSOR OF BIOLOGY

RECIPIENT OF THE 2013 HEALTH CARE HERO

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD Thank you for 44 years of dedicated service to Newman University students, and for your role in 90% of Newman pre-med graduates being accepted into medical school since 1969.

www.newmanu.edu :: 316-942-4291 3100 McCormick :: Wichita, KS 67213

316-264-3155 | www.UltraCare-Dialysis.com

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r. Steve Nesbit saw how effective Six Sigma practices were in improving processes for Wichita’s aviation manufacturing companies, and he wondered if those same methods could be applied to health care as well. As it turns out, they could. The Six Sigma techniques use sophisticated data analysis to achieve higher levels of efficiency and diminishing rates of error. It’s especially popular in manufacturing operations, and many members of the Via Christi team have extensive backgrounds in aviation manufacturing. Nesbit, chief medical officer for Via Christi Health, is credited with helping bring Six Sigma practices to Via Christi. Nesbit helped launch Via Christi’s Center for Clinical Excellence to look for ways to make its hospitals and clinics more efficient and patient care more consistent. Basically, the goal was to increase patient safety and standardize care across all of Via Christi’s facilities. “It goes back to evidence-based medicine,” Nesbit says. He says a giving patients who have had a heart attack aspirin as part of the care they receive is a rudimentary example of how Via Christi has incorporated Six Sigma practices. But some issues are more challenging and require more work to improve processes, Nesbit says. Another example he cites is how Via Christi is trying to have zero incidents of ventilator ac-

| OCTOBER 18, 2013

quired pneumonia — a condition that can arise in patients who have been on a mechanical ventilator — across its facilities. Nesbit says Via Christi leaders and health care practitioners identified deficiencies and made changes in process that are helping to reduce ventilator acquired pneumonia, such as providing frequent oral care, using sedatives less frequently and keeping the head of a patient’s bed elevated to 40 degrees. Nesbit says implementing Six Sigma practices have been successful so far, but the work’s not done. “This is a long journey that we are on,” Nesbit says. “It’s scientific enough that it captures people’s attention.” Nesbit is quick to deflect credit for implementing the Six Sigma practices at Via Christi, but colleagues say the organization wouldn’t be where it is without his leadership and foresight. Sherry Hausmann, senior administrator for hospital operations at Via Christi, says the organization is already starting to see improvements in its core measures and processes, things that might not have happened were it not for Nesbit’s willingness to think beyond Via Christi’s walls. “He brought the leadership team on board,” Hausmann says. “He challenged Via Christi to take approaches from aviation and apply them to health care.”

DR. STEPHEN W. NESBIT Via Christi Health Inc. HEALTH CARE INNOVATIONS

— Josh Heck

HEALTH CARE HEROES

OCTOBER 18, 2013 | wichitabusinessjournal.com

he exercises Wendy Williamson prescribes often seem simple. Some are small, repetitive movements that most anyone could do. But as part of a larger program, the exercises can change lives. At Williamson Wellness Center, she works with people who have a variety of abilities, including fit athletes. However, Williamson’s private fitness studio focuses primarily on people who are recovering from injury and illnesses. Some illnesses, like multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease, can limit patients’ independence, and Williamson says she finds joy in helping those patients improve their quality of life. Programs she’s devised might, for example, help a Parkinson’s patient train himself to step over a curb he couldn’t clear before, and exercises that rely on a metronome might help a stroke victim improve coordination between the brain and the hands. “I feel like I’m making a difference,” she says. Williamson had an extensive resume when she opened her own fitness studio in 2012. She has a doctorate in health and human performance, and she’s experienced in training not only individuals who want to become more fit but also other trainers — something she’s still often called upon to do. She also is teaching group classes for Parkinson’s patients with local occupational therapist and fellow Health Care Hero Shana Gatschet. Sarabeth Farney, who was diagnosed with

Parkinson’s in November 2012, attends group classes Williamson now leads at her fitness center. Farney says her disease affected her balance and her ability to walk. “I knew I was having a problem with walking and did not want to lose that independence,” Farney says. “She helped me a lot individually to get to the place where I am today.” Farney needs a cane to get around, but she knows she’d be worse off if not for Williamson. When taking on a new patient, Williamson first consults with the person’s physician to set goals. She’ll assess the patient’s condition, background and abilities before ever prescribing an exercise. Williamson always tries to get to know her patients and understand what they’re feeling. “I work with the whole person and not just the disease,” she says. She also is continuing to learn new things about her field. For example, she’s collaborating with Wichita State University on a study that examines how TRX, an exercise program in which the person is suspended on straps hanging from the ceiling, can increase balance and strength. Williamson knows she can’t make many of her patients’ struggles go away entirely, but even with terminal illnesses like Parkinson’s, she says her work can retard the signs and symptoms. “It gives them quality back,” she says.

WENDY A. WILLIAMSON Williamson Wellness Center HEALTH CARE INNOVATIONS

hen Dr. Thomas Bloxham first became interested in the science of sleep, very little was known about it. He was practicing pulmonary medicine and began to notice, as other doctors around the world were, some of the breathing problems that occurred in some patients while they slept. He began devoting more and more time to studying patients’ sleep. He remembers the curious looks of early test subjects when they were asked to spend the night in a lab so someone could watch them sleep, or teaming with dental departments to make molds of people’s faces for custom breathing machine masks. It was all very new at the time. “It just got busier and busier, and over time sleep disorders became the main focus of my practice,” Bloxham says. Today, Bloxham is the head of the Sleep Medicine Center of Kansas, which he founded in 1997 and is part of Via Christi Health. The practice now does roughly 2,000 sleep studies a year. They’re are done at three Via Christi Clinics in Wichita, one in Newton and one in Pratt, and some studies can even be done in patients’ homes. It’s a far cry from when he first started in the field, he says, when had to talk patients into undergoing a sleep study. “Now people are disappointed when they don’t

— Emily Behlmann

get to take the sleep test,” Bloxham says. “It’s just a completely different world now.” The biggest development, he says, has been the emergence of continuous positive airway pressure devices — CPAP machines — to help people breathe more easily during sleep. He has seen firsthand the difference CPAP and other treatments can make for patients. He has also been a strong proponent of education, says Colleen Brink of Via Christi’s communications department. He has written numerous articles, routinely makes educational presentations and was a an adjunct professor at Wichita State University for 10 years. And, he was among the first physicians to receive board certification in sleep medicine from the American Board of Internal Medicine. But his focus has always remained on improving other people’s lives. “He is passionate about patient care,” Brink says. Bloxham says it has been an exciting journey to see sleep medicine grow. “I had to reinvent myself a time or two along the way,” he says. “But you’re just blessed sometimes to be in the right place at the right time. I’m very grateful for that.”

DR. THOMAS J. BLOXHAM Via Christi Clinic PHYSICIAN

— Daniel McCoy

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hen athletes at Butler Community College, Friends University and Southwestern College are hurt, orthopedic surgeon Dr. Bradley Bruner is there to help. He or a partner attends all the home football games for the schools and many other sporting events. From his presence on the sidelines to regular training room appearances during the week, the time is donated. Bruner also volunteers his services for Andover High School. “It’s what I do. I do sports medicine,” says Bruner, partner in Orthopaedic & Sports Medicine at Cypress. “It’s not a big issue of doing it.” Especially for a sports fan like Bruner, who knows not only how to fix a player, but what it’s like being one. He played tight end for Southwestern’s football team. While he attends a lot sporting events — he’ll drop in on an occasional basketball game, volleyball match or track meet — most of the injuries occur in football, which is why he attends ever y home game. At a recent Southwestern game, Bruner says he had 10 players to see at halftime. He’s been serving as the schools’ orthopedic physician for decades: 22 years each at Butler and Friends, 21 years at Southwestern.

| OCTOBER 18, 2013

He and his practice also donate financially, including a training center he and his partners helped fund at Butler. “Dr. Bruner is among our top donors,” says Stacy Cofer, vice president for institutional advancement at Butler. “We’re blessed in that we have a lot of physicians who are involved with us, but he stands out,” Cofer says. Todd Carter, Butler’s athletic director, says Bruner is popular among the athletes. He can relate to them, Carter says. “He’s kind of our team orthopaedic surgeon,” Carter says. “He’s one of many professionals that keep us going.” Bruner also helps with preseason physicals and will help rehabilitate athletes who’ve had care from other doctors, Carter says. Bruner acknowledges that his schedule can get pretty hectic, but the football season isn’t that long. “It’s only a good, hard 10 weeks at the most,” he says. If there’s a bowl game, though, he’ll be sure to travel to that. Plus, he likes sports, “so covering games isn’t a big deal,” he says. “I’m doing something I like.”

DR. BRADLEY BRUNER

Orthopaedic & Sports Medicine at Cypress PHYSICIAN

s a nephrologist, Dr. Jerry Cohlmia has spent his life working with the sickest of the sick. While the specialty focuses on a single organ — the kidneys — nephrologists’ patients tend to have issues with many other organ systems, making diagnosis and treatment complex. “To help someone who is that ill is very gratifying,” he says. Cohlmia is mostly retired now, having stepped down in September from the practice he founded, Wichita Nephrology Group. It started as a solo practice in 1976, and he and partners Howard Day and Linda Francisco grew it into a 12-physician practice that serves most of the southern half of Kansas. All through the practice’s growth, Cohlmia has kept one goal, says Carolyn Payne, administrator at Wichita Nephrology Group: to do what’s best for the patient. That philosophy came into play when Cohlmia saw how far some of his patients were traveling to receive dialysis treatment. He says that when he began his work, Kansas patients needing dialysis had to travel to Wichita, Kansas City or Oklahoma City. Patients in places like Liberal and Independence had to make the long drive three times a week for treatment. It wasn’t an easy process, says Payne. After a four-hour drive, a patient would sit on a machine for several hours, then, feeling drained, would

— John Stearns

have to get back home. It was physically and financially hard on patients. Cohlmia and his partners worked to open dialysis centers around the Wichita metro area and in cities including Independence, Garden City, Parsons, Winfield and Pratt, significantly reducing patient travel time. Wichita Nephrology also has 10 outreach clinics around Kansas. Cohlmia, who says he’s known all his life that he wanted to be a doctor, will remain involved in medicine in Wichita. He sees patients at a clinic at the Robert J. Dole VA Medical Center and he’s the medical director for the Physician Alliance of Kansas, a group of doctors focused on efforts to improve care, reduce medical errors and avoid duplication of services. Cohlmia says he isn’t ready to fully retire after working for so long in the field. “I’ve enjoyed every minute of it,” he says. Meanwhile, Wichita Nephrology Group continues to operate under new leadership, with Drs. Usha Challa, Michael Grant and Jany Moussa as managing partners. “The doctors that will carry on the work all have the same vision,” Payne says. “That’s to care for the patients. They have the same vision he does.”

DR. JERRY B. COHLMIA Wichita Nephrology Group PA PHYSICIAN

— Emily Behlmann

HEALTH CARE HEROES

OCTOBER 18, 2013 | wichitabusinessjournal.com

asa Gangadhar has helped to revolutionize the way cornea transplants are performed in Wichita. Gangadhar has been an eye surgeon with Grene Vision Group for nearly 20 years. He says being an eye surgeon allows him to have an immediate and tangible effect on a person’s well-being. He performs cataract surgeries regularly, but he specializes in cornea transplants and is one of the few corneal transplant surgeons in Kansas. In 2005, Gangadhar performed his first cornea transplant using a procedure called deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty, or DALK, in which a thinner portion of the cornea is cut from the donor eye and is matched with the recipient. Gangadhar says that when he did his first DALK procedure fewer than 500 of them had been done nationwide. Now, 30,000 of them are performed annually — it’s become the industry standard. He says DALK reduces the chances that the transplanted cornea is rejected because the donated cornea is cut to more closely match the eye tissue of the recipient. And, Gangadhar says, DALK reduces the amount of time a patient spends recovering to weeks, rather than months.

Gangadhar volunteers as the medical director for the Kansas Eye Bank, a Wichita-based nonprofit organization that facilitates the donation of human eye tissue for research or transplant. He is also an active member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Through that organization, one of his major tasks is to review ophthalmology textbooks. Gangadhar’s colleagues say they rely on him for advice on complex and unusual cases. Dr. Samuel Amstutz, a Grene Vision Group partner, describes Gangadhar as the “eye doctor’s eye doctor.” Amstutz says Gangadhar has a rare combination of technical excellence, professional curiosity and compassionate manner. “He has a professional courtesy with how he interacts with patients, and that’s very settling,” Amstutz says. Gangadhar, a native of Pennsylvania, says he chose medicine as his profession for one simple reason: to make a difference in people’s lives. But Gangadhar says he’s never viewed himself as a hero. “I’m here to do what I can for the patients I serve,” he says.

DR. DASA V. GANGADHAR Grene Vision Group PHYSICIAN

n 2011, Dr. Terry Mills and a development team at Via Christi Health began planning for a new patient-centric model of care that the organization would test at three clinic locations. The group wanted to enable proactive care teams to better serve patients — and not just those waiting in exam rooms. They’d use technology to identify care gaps created by a lack of coordination across facilities. They’d even track down people who were overdue for important tests. “A whole lot of what determines how a doctor can help is the [health care] system,” Mills says. “I’ve been convinced that the crazy machinery of the system is not only adversely affecting my patients, but all patients.” Mills says that, in most places, the care model is designed to serve physicians, not patients, and it’s failing. He says doctor-patient interactions tend to be overdue and disjointed, and he was seeking a way to take “classic family medicine into the Information Age.” After more than five years of personal study, he knew what he wanted. It took a year to plan and a grant from the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation to start, but in May 2012 Via Christi launched its pilot of a model of care known as the patient-centered medical home, or PCMH. There were four goals: better population outcomes, better patient experiences, lower costs, and better experiences for health care providers and staff. By the time the pilot ended last month, nearly 50,000 patients had been served by 26 providers at the three ex-

— Josh Heck

perimental locations — two in Wichita and one in Newton. The health care providers involved are now sharing information across offices through a specially designed IT platform that creates visibility not only for patients who make and keep appointments but also those who don’t. Once a month at each site, providers print a list of uncontrolled diabetics and patients who’ve missed mammograms within the last two years, and a member of the care team contacts those patients. A patient’s attending physician will have records like that patient’s last boosters and cancer screenings in-hand during all appointments, and nurses are empowered to order some tests like overdue mammograms without waiting for doctors’ approval. Pam Copper is the grant program manager at Via Christi Health and is paired with Mills as his administrator within the PCMH model. She says Mills’ vision was what brought the pilot program into being. “He’s been very driven to bring the PCMH care model to his patients,” Copper says. “Once he starts something, he’s committed to something, and he’s going to see it through.” The next step for Mills and his team is to complete an application to the National Committee for Quality Assurance, the approval of which would certify the three pilot clinics as Level 3 Medical Homes and enable Via Christi Health to expand the PCMH model to its other facilities across the state.

DR. TERRY L. MILLS Via Christi Clinic PHYSICIAN

— Julia Schwinn

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r. Subhash Shah says the field of neurology is a series of questions waiting for answers. “I see every neurological problem as a puzzle,” he says. “I’m interested in solving them.” As head of the Neurology Center of Wichita, Shah gets plenty of puzzles to solve. And his practice takes him into another field he has always enjoyed — pediatrics. He had pediatric residencies both in his home country of India and here in the U.S., where he came in the late 1980s. It was also around that time he became interested in the puzzles of neurology and began pursuing a career in pediatric neurology. About 99 percent of his patients today are children. Kathr yn Welch is Shah’s physician assistant and has seen him solve many neurological puzzles in the 15 years she has worked with him at the center. She says he is always focused on finding those underlying answers. “He is very thorough and likes to think outside of the box,” she says. “He’s very diligent.” He’s never just looking for medicines to prescribe, Welch says. Anything he can think of that will make the lives of his patients and their families better is fair game.

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And while he has high expectations of his staff to be just as diligent, she says, he is at the same time as caring and generous with them as he is with patients. It’s diligence blended with an easy manner. Shah says diligence is needed because it’s key to providing the best treatment possible. As the field of neurology has advanced, Shah says, so has the quality of care for the types of patients he sees. “We have come a long way,” he says. “New treatments, new advancements. They help us in coming to a more precise diagnosis and treat things we weren’t able to in the past.” Shah says patient outcomes, especially with severe neurological disorders, can’t always be changed. But proper treatment can usually make the patients’ lives — and their families’ lives — better. “Even when we cannot alter the outcome, supporting the patient and their family with empathy and dignity … that should always be the goal,” Shah says. “I still enjoy the puzzle, but just solving it is not enough. When I’m able to make a difference in their life, and the gratitude I get from their family, that is what’s really rewarding to me now.”

DR. SUBHASH H. SHAH Neurology Center of Wichita PHYSICIAN

sk a patient or patient’s parent about Dr. Lindall Smith and you hear, “‘Oh, I just love Dr. Smith,’” says Cyndi Chapman, manager of the pediatric intensive care unit at Wesley Medical Center. Chapman can speak from experience with Smith, medical director for the unit. She’s known him for about 32 years. “He’s always had the same passion, compassion, soft-spoken, intelligent, educated demeanor,” Chapman says. Those are important traits to have when dealing with children and their families, especially in times when families could lose their children to illness or injury. “He will just try and try and try and do everything he can,” Chapman says. But in those incredibly difficult situations when a patient won’t make it, his way with families is outstanding, she says. “He values the life so much that he tries to take that compassion into the integrity of death as well,” Chapman says. “It’s just one of those knacks that a lot of physicians don’t have.” Smith says he sees people facing some of the worst situations in their lives: making significant choices that concern their children’s health. Parents obviously want to know all there is to know, and Smith does his best to explain. “At those times, you really have to be pretty

— Daniel McCoy

frank and just pretty straightforward with information,” he says. “Sometimes they want to know what is going to happen, and the best we can offer is what we’ve seen happen in the past with similar situations. But every patient is unique and, therefore, their response to interventions is unique. I always have to qualify any predictions I make on the fact that my crystal ball doesn’t work any better than anybody else’s.” Smith says his move to pediatrics might have been influenced by growing up on a farm. His father, whom he likened to an amateur veterinarian, learned to see patterns in the health of his cattle. “Pediatrics is very similar in that young kids can’t tell you what hurts,” Smith says. “It just kind of felt familiar to me, I guess, and just the joy of working with kids was so much fun, most of the time.” While there are tough losses, the victories of seeing children return to health are special, he says. Children may not remember what happened to them, “but we remember them and their families, and it’s real rewarding to see them do well,” Smith says. Chapman calls Smith a “very human man. He gets it, and he’s been that way consistently. ... He’s always just had that gift.”

DR. LINDALL E. SMITH Wesley Medical Center PHYSICIAN

— John Stearns

HEALTH CARE HEROES

OCTOBER 18, 2013 | wichitabusinessjournal.com

ephrology patients who also require urgent dental care must first tend to their teeth. During and after renal care, patients’ immune systems are weakened, leading to a high potential for infections and other complications. When treated, the results are costly. Untreated, the risks are deadly. A few years ago, Dr. Lisa Weber was treating a Dodge City man who could not afford his pre-transplant dental work. Weber paid the $2,000 bill herself. “Getting younger people transplanted makes a huge difference in my life,” Weber says. “He was 22 at the time, and he had kids and was unemployed because of doing dialysis.” That former patient is now employed full-time and able to support his family. Dr. Dennis Ross calls Weber “the patient advocate.” “She’s a very charitable person — she’s very empathetic,” Ross says. “I think it’s admirable to see doctors step beyond care inside their offices.” Weber and Ross are two of seven specialists at Kansas Nephrology Physicians. Rural nephrology patients are often

admitted to smaller local hospitals, and Weber makes herself available to physicians at those institutions. That helps those often-struggling hospitals maintain a vital source of income. Weber is now Wichita’s only certified transplant nephrologist, but nearly 20 years ago she was a nurse in the renal unit at Via Christi Hospital St. Francis. The experience ultimately made her want to become a nephrologist, too. Ross wrote one of Weber’s letters of recommendation when she applied to the University of Kansas School of Medicine. Ross says her obvious desire to help people was and still is “the kind of personality we need to see in med school.” Last year, in a move Ross calls “fitting with her personality,” Weber became the only Wichitan on the Kansas Dialysis Association’s board of directors. The KDA is a nonprofit organization that can provide dialysis patients with financial assistance for expenses like medicine, transportation to and from treatment, home utility bills and groceries.

DR. LISA A. WEBER

Kansas Nephrology Physicians PHYSICIANS

ony Nix was tired of being laid off. He had worked in sheet metal and groceries, among other jobs. He was looking for something stable. Nix’s aunt, a registered nurse, told him that people seemed to like him and he should give nursing a try. That was 27 years ago. And for 23 years of that 27 he has been a male nurse in women’s care. Those who work with Nix say those female patients love him. “You’d think women wouldn’t be comfortable with a man in that field, and they all think the world of Tony,” says Laurie Welch, the co-worker who nominated him as a Health Care Hero. “I mean, they remember him years later.” Nix’s career as a nurse began in several other areas, but he was looking for the right challenge. A friend suggested helping moms deliver babies. “I went to labor and delivery, and it just clicked for me for some reason, and that’s where I’ve been ever since, is just working in women’s care,” Nix says. His patients accepted him quickly. He had to get over his own hesitation to go into women’s care. He was from a religious family, and it scared him. But he soon realized that being a general nurse

— Julia Schwinn

meant caring for women anyway. Nix had adopted a daughter and wanted a more stable schedule. That led him to a clinic setting, where he could have weekends off. Many of the women he helps treat are low- or no-income and have self-esteem issues. Many don’t have a positive male role model in their lives. He considers his work to be his ministry. “That’s my biggest goal, that everybody, at least those who come in contact with me, understands that they’re valuable and that ... you were put on this earth for a reason,” Nix says. Welch says many women like Nix so much they ask for him by name. “He takes time with each patient, makes them feel special, makes them feel like they’re the reason he’s here,” Welch says. “They feel very special and cared for by him.” Nix says he’s glad that he was able to find his purpose in life, and that he and his two brothers made his dad proud. “Being able to find an occupation that I could have some longevity in and still thoroughly enjoy what I do for a living,” he says, “that’s huge for me.”

TONY R. NIX

Wesley Clinics, Women’s Care NURSE

— Bill Roy

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HEALTH CARE HEROES

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eanna Speer sees patients and their families at some of the most difficult times of their lives. As a nurse and clinical care coordinator specializing in palliative care with Via Christi Health, she is charged with helping seriously and terminally ill patients. But more than simply meeting their medical needs, such as pain management, Speer aims to care for the patient’s body, soul and mind. “Palliative care really addresses it all,” she says. Jennifer Rodgers, senior director of education with Via Christi, says Speer always goes to whatever lengths she can to help her patients. For example, earlier this year Speer coordinated a baptism for a young woman in her care shortly before she died from a rare disease. It’s always about caring for all the patient’s needs and meeting their wishes with Speer, Oates says. And that story is but one recent example of the types of things she does all the time. “She puts her patients first and does not treat just the disease, but the whole person,” Oates says. As difficult as the work can be, Speer says it’s always inspiring to see the way her patients handle their situations. Those situations are trying for their families, as well, which makes working with a patient’s loved ones as important as working with the patient.

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Speer says she does whatever she can for families to try to take some of the stress out of what they are facing. The more information the families have, the better the support system that can be built up around the patient. And going through the trying time with them has forged relationships that last well beyond their time in the hospital, Speer says. Speer points out that there is often a misconception that palliative care is the same as hospice care. However, the majority of the care she provides takes place in the hospital as opposed to in the home. Palliative care can help transition patients, though, into hospice in the case of terminal illness. That, again, is just another example of meeting the needs of patients and their families. “It’s a very holistic approach to care,” Speer says. It’s also an approach — caring for body, spirit and mind — that she believes has some positive momentum in the health care field. She knows it has a positive effect on those she comes in contact with. And seeing that positive effect firsthand is what keeps Speer always looking to do whatever she can to help. “It’s a privilege for me to get to do this,” she says.

DEANNA SPEER Via Christi Health NURSE

hen students at the medical school in Wichita had the idea to launch a charity clinic that they would staff, they sought out Dr. Scott Moser to be their champion. “They knew they needed some kind of faculty support,” says Moser, who’s a professor and vice chair for education in the family medicine department at the University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita. “I readily volunteered to help when they came.” That was eight and half years ago. Today, Moser remains adviser to the JayDoc Clinic, where he says his job is to “keep everybody from getting in the way” of the student clinicians. “The students are smart, dedicated young people who are really charged up about making a difference,” Moser says. “And it’s so easy for those of us around all that to try to put roadblocks in their way. So my job is to keep the streets open so they can do what they do best.” That’s a pretty good example of Moser’s teaching philosophy: Give the students the tools they need to discover important truths for themselves. “I came up with a little phrase a number of years ago that I posted on a bulletin board. It says, ‘Teaching is a learning process,’” he says. That means tailoring the learning experience to every student. “I would put it much more like playing jazz than

— Daniel McCoy

playing symphony music,” he says. “You assess what the learner’s needs are, and you focus on teaching toward those needs. So you’re continually individualizing and improvising.” Moser joined the faculty at KU-Wichita in 1989, following a couple of years in private practice in Newton. In his time at KU, he’s been honored with some of the highest teaching honors the university can bestow, including the Chancellor’s Award for Outstanding Classroom Teaching. Dr. Rick Kellerman, chair of the family medicine department at KUWichita, calls Moser a “thought leader” when it comes to medical education. “He holds his students to high standards, is committed to producing outstanding clinicians, and invests innumerable hours in one-on-one clinical teaching and advising,” Kellerman wrote in his Health Care Heroes nomination. “He challenges students to think about the medical, psychological and social aspects of the patient’s care.” Moser says there are few things he misses about private practice — the close relationship with patients, the control over his schedule. “But,” he’s quick to add, “the benefits of being able to be involved in teaching the next generation of physicians far outweigh that for me.”

DR. SCOTT MOSER

University of Kansas School of Medicine - Wichita HEALTH CARE EDUCATOR

— Nick Jungman

HEALTH CARE HEROES

OCTOBER 18, 2013 | wichitabusinessjournal.com

laine Steinke’s chosen field of study is sexuality after cardiac incidents. She has dealt with a variety of reactions to that focus, from patients and from other health care professionals. “Some people laugh because of embarrassment. ... You get past that with education,” Steinke said, as she took a break from attending an Orlando conference. She tells nurses and doctors: “If you were in that patient’s shoes, and you had a partner that you were in an intimate relationship with ... wouldn’t you want that information?” Steinke, a professor in the school of nursing at Wichita State University, began her career as a nurse, then research on aging led to research on the sexual concerns of patients who had suffered heart attacks. She earned her Ph.D. in adult and occupational education at Kansas State University. Steinke says she did not set out to research, and become an expert in, sexuality after heart attack. It came about, she says, because of misunderstandings as she talked with her students, working nurses and other health care professionals. “When I asked them what they talked about ... regarding sexuality ... if [the patient was] young and male, they might ask

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a question,” Steinke says. Otherwise the topic was not addressed. That led to asking patients about their needs and concerns. “Only about a third of patients reported ever having anything ever discussed with them,” Steinke says. Her research has taken her to conferences all over the world, and her work has been published in professional journals. A colleague at the WSU School of Nursing, Pam O’Neal, says it’s apparent that Steinke has a passion for her work and wants to make a difference in the lives of her students, health care professionals and patients. “There’s just this light that she shines,” O’Neal says. She adds, “You kind of leave after talking to her going, ‘Wow, I just learned a whole lot just talking to her.’” Steinke says she believes her work, and that of her colleagues, is creating results. But by no means is she done. “I tell people before I die I want to make sure that health care professionals have the resources and patients are getting information that they need,” she says. “I have a lot of work to do yet.”

ELAINE E. STEINKE

Wichita State University, School of Nursing HEALTH CARE EDUCATOR

— Bill Roy

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HEALTH CARE HEROES

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r. Marshall Walker retired in 1999 after 35 years in the business. Two years later Walker couldn’t shake the feeling of wanting to get back into health care. It was too much a part of his life to give it up completely. Walker had spent his career as an ear, nose and throat surgeon, but the rigors of that job were behind him. Going back into private practice wasn’t really an option. It turns out that teaching medical students was a good option. He says as a medical student he benefited from faculty at the Kansas City College of Osteopathic Medicine — now known as the Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences — and attending physicians who were invested in seeing him succeed. He wanted to give back in the same way. “Medical education has been my second life,” Walker says. “I almost don’t consider it work. It’s just been one of those things that has been a labor of love.” Walker is the director of medical education for American Osteopathic Association training programs at Via Christi Health. He served in the U.S. Navy as the chief of otolaryngology and was once stationed at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. He is a member of the Collegiate Fellows of the American Osteopathic Directors of Medical Education. Walker served as a volunteer faculty

| OCTOBER 18, 2013

member in various capacities during his career as a practicing physician. Walker got his post-retirement start in medical education working for what was then Riverside Hospital, offering lectures to medical students. Walker helped grow the residency program there and was hired to be medical director. He later went to work for the Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences and helped elevate its training and curricula. Walker commuted back and forth between Wichita and Kansas City for two years before starting with Via Christi. He continues to serve as a clinical professor of surgery at the Kansas City University of Medicine’s college of osteopathic medicine and as a clinical assistant professor for the University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita. Walker also serves as the chairman of the board for KCUMB. Dr. Mark Stovak, program director for the family medicine residency program and the sports medicine fellowship at Via Christi, describes Walker as someone who has the students’ and residents’ best interests in mind. “He’s a great mentor for them and a great role model,” Stovak says. “He’s always working hard to do the right thing for their education.”

DR. MARSHALL WALKER Via Christi HEALTH CARE EDUCATOR

r. Antonio P. Barba Jr. retired from delivering babies in 2006. Now his work is delivering happiness. Barba, 79, is a volunteer chaplain at Via Christi Hospital-St. Francis, where he visits patients, prays with them, even plays the accordion and sings for them. He also visits Via Christi HospitalSt. Joseph. “It’s one of the greatest gifts that I can share with people, especially people in the hospital,” Barba says. Barba is a bundle of positive energy. “I think what he does is he spreads joy for the patients, their families and the staff,” says Peg Tichacek, chief planning and marketing officer for Via Christi Health. “And whether he’s using an accordion to do that or just his personality, he has a presence of joy. And he has a strong faith that’s contagious.” Deneen Dryden, director of the Gerard House for pregnant teens and teen mothers and their babies, says you can count on Barba to brighten your day. “If you’ve got anything going on, he just kind of puts it all back into perspective,” Dryden says. “He’s very charming and will lift your spirits.” Which he did countless times for Gerard House mothers. Until he retired in 2006, Barba delivered about 80 percent of the babies there, Dryden estimates. He would treat all the mothers with dignity and respect, she says, and he quickly gained their

— Josh Heck

trust. After delivering their babies, he’d play a lullaby on his accordion. “It’s just one of those moments that you just watch, and it’s just amazing,” Dryden says. He let the mothers know that no matter their situation, “that they had a new opportunity to make a difference in this newborn’s life,” she says. Barba is a deeply religious Catholic. With some girls, he knew that the services he was delivering at Gerard House was helping them decide against an abortion. Seeing those children and mothers today is deeply rewarding for him. Barba has delivered more than 6,000 babies in Wichita. As a hospital volunteer he prays with patients and encourages their spirituality. He likens it to his work delivering babies. “I’m hoping to help other people get to the next world,” he says. “That’s a permanent place. Where you are going is permanent.” Barba plans to move into an independent living facility at the Catholic Care Center. He’ll be able to walk to church, attend daily Mass and, he hopes, make a difference in the lives of his fellow residents. For Barba, it’s an important part of his life, part of praying that what he does is for the greater honor of God. “I think what we need to do is bring a little more joy to other people,” he says.

DR. ANTONIO P. BARBA JR. Via Christi Volunteers Partners in Caring HEALTH CARE VOLUNTEER

— John Stearns

OCTOBER 18, 2013 | wichitabusinessjournal.com

HEALTH CARE HEROES

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