Osborne County

Last updated January 2012

Osborne County is served by the Northwest Office of KU Medical Center's Area Health Education Centers (AHECs) in Hays, which provides quality professional education for health care providers and serves the eastern part of the state through health screenings, presentations and clinics.

Enhancing Student Education

• 6 students from Osborne County are currently studying at KU Medical Center
• Osborne County is part of the Northwest Medical Education Network with Michael Machen, MD, a resident of Quinter, serving as the Medical Education Director. The medical education director helps coordinate the School of Medicine's efforts to mentor, train and place physicians throughout Kansas.

Strengthening the Health Care Workforce

• 1 KU Medical Center graduate lives and/or practices in Osborne County
• 1 health care provider has been placed in Osborne County through the Kansas Recruitment & Retention Center, which provides placement assistance to rural health organizations and seeks to enhance the quality and quantity of health care professionals in rural Kansas since 2003.
• 1 Osborne County physician received funding through the Kansas Bridging Plan, a loan-forgiveness program offered to primary care residents who agree to practice in rural Kansas since 1991.
• 6 health care professionals from Osborne County participated in continuing education courses and conferences from July 2010 to June 2011.

Researching to Improve Health

• Women in Osborne County are currently participating in Rural Women Connecting for Better Health, a weight-loss maintenance program for rural breast cancer survivors that focuses on tools for success, including a low-calorie diet, high levels of physical activity, accountability and group support. The study is led by Christie Befort, PhD.

• Occupational therapists at KU Medical Center provide professional support and development for Kansas' Infant-Toddler Services. Working in every county, KUMC professionals evaluate effectiveness of early intervention services provided to families. Principal investigators Winnie Dunn, PhD, OTR, FAOTA, and Ellen Pope, Med, OTR, facilitate this ongoing project with the Kansas Department of Health & Environment.

Advancing Health Care Access

• 2 outreach clinic visits with Osborne County residents were made by KU Medical Center health care providers in 2011.