Reno County
Last updated January 2012
Reno County is served by the Southwest Office of KU Medical Center's Area Health Education Centers (AHECs) in Garden City, 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
- 33 students from Reno County are currently studying at KU Medical Center
- 8 health professions students received hands-on training in Reno County in 2011 through placement programs in rural and underserved communities, including SEARCH, Rural Preceptorship Program for KU medical students, and occupational therapy fieldwork.
- 19 K-12 students in Reno County participated in activities during 2011 that showcased the rewards and exciting challenges of careers in health care, hosted by the Area Health Education Centers and health professions pipeline grants.
- Reno County is part of the Southcentral Medical Education Network with Greg Thomas, MD, and Marla Ullom-Minnich, MD, residents of McPherson and Moundridge, respectively, serving as the Medical Education Co-Directors. 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
- 148 KU Medical Center graduates live and/or practice in Reno County
- 2 health care providers have been placed in Reno 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.
- 3 Reno County physicians 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.
- 3 temporary physician coverages allowing Reno County physicians time off in 2011, made via Kansas Locum Tenens and Kansas Medical Resource.
- 440 health care professionals from Reno County participated in continuing education courses and conferences from July 2010 to June 2011.
- 5 professional education and administrative visits in Reno County occurred in 2011 via telemedicine, an interactive video technology that connects providers and patients when distance separates the two, operated by the KU Center for Telemedicine and Telehealth.
Researching to Improve Health
- Hospitalization has been identified as a teachable moment in which patients may be more likely to quit smoking. Reno County is one 27 counties in Kansas to participate in Kan Quit II, an innovative research intervention that provides smoking cessation counseling, treatment and case management services to evaluate the effectiveness of the smoking cessation services. The project is led by Edward Ellerbeck, MD, MPH, and is sponsored by the National Cancer Institute and the National Institutes of Health.
- Promise Regional Medical Center in Hutchinson offers clinical trials for patients with cancer in their local community through the support of the Midwest Cancer Alliance, a network of hospitals, physicians groups, and cancer support and patient advocacy organizations bringing cancer research, care, and professional support together to advance the quality and reach of cancer care, prevention, early detection, and survivorship in the Heartland
- 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
- 39 visits with Reno County residents by KU Medical Center health care providers via telemedicine, an interactive video technology that connects providers and patients when distance separates the two, in 2011. To learn more about KU Medical Center's telemedicine services, click here.
- Promise Regional Medical Center in Hutchinson is a member of the Midwest Cancer Alliance, a network of hospitals, physicians groups, and cancer support and patient advocacy organizations bringing cancer research, care, and professional support together to advance the quality and reach of cancer care, prevention, early detection, and survivorship in the Heartland.
Outreach Connections
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