University of Kansas Medical Center News

Garold Minns, M.D., who has led the Wichita campus since 2012, will retain his role overseeing KU’s efforts establishing the Wichita Biomedical Campus

KU School of Health Professions doctoral student created capstone project to boost wheelchair users’ access and improve visitors’ experiences at the historic museum

Faculty at KU Medical Center are working with state and local health departments to contain the spread of the disease.

As Kansas City vies for a Super Bowl three-peat, Elizabeth Holmes says lessons learned from the pros will inspire her treatment of ‘everyday athletes,’ too.

Before 2025 begins, take a look back at some of the news across KU Medical Center over the past year.

The annual Night at the Lab event recruits youth from all corners of the state, giving them a stage to present their work and introducing them to careers in health care research.

Nourish KC, a community kitchen, partnered with the Center for African American Health to serve a meal and distribute holiday food boxes, bringing awareness to health concerns in the community.

CuidaTEXT delivers daily text messages with tips and information on caring for someone with dementia, self-care, social support and other topics to assist caregivers.

The report card gave a physical activity grade of a D-, with just 20% to 28% of children getting the recommended daily hour of physical activity.

KU Medical Center faculty and staff commemorate a century for their flagship building with 1920s music and a fascinating lesson in university history.

The grant, which includes researchers from KU School of Nursing and KU School of Medicine, will fund the creation of a sustainable model of quality obstetrical services and care at a network of hospitals in three rural Kansas counties.

The report, based on data collected from many different credible sources, is the first issued by the Kansas Nursing Workforce Center.

Abiodun Akinwuntan, Ph.D., MPH, earned a third Fulbright award, this time to South Africa to identify opportunities for research collaborations and student and faculty exchanges.

Finalists will be featured in the Beauty in Kansas wall calendar, and the grand prize winner’s photograph will appear on the cover of Kansas Country Living magazine.

Part of the National Institutes of Health, the All of Us Research Program is working to collect data from a million different people to drive new treatments and cures.

The Masonic Cancer Alliance community grant seeks to reduce stigma, promote screening in southeast Kansas

New grant-funded project to address food insecurity issues in six areas across the state

These devices improve clinical outcomes, but study shows they are used much less in rural areas, where the burden of type 1 diabetes is high.

Lead exposure rates are twice the national average for kids in Kansas, especially for those in rural areas, indicating the need for prevention and remediation.

Groundbreaking ceremony for new joint facility emphasizes partnerships across the state

Students from the Salina Student Medical Outreach group volunteered at a clinic for children in Peru, experiencing first-hand the challenges of providing care in an environment with few resources.

Resource fair with local nonprofit provides bridge between academics and real-world experience

The Masonic Cancer Alliance partners with the Kansas Masons to provide screenings throughout the spring and summer.

KU School of Health Professions professor introduced rehabilitation methods to area where number of head and neck cancer patients is among the highest in the world.

Along with others nationally, KU medical students learned where and in what specialty they will take the next step in their career path

Implemented by the Masonic Cancer Alliance, The University of Kansas Cancer Center’s outreach network, the Pool Cool program has trained over 13,300 aquatic staff at over 85 sites in safe sun protection.

Centene Foundation and Sunflower Health Plan announce major gift to develop a central source of data to address nursing shortages across the state of Kansas

At an annual event to encourage careers in research, KU Medical Center celebrated the achievements of 18 undergraduate students from 10 universities.

KU Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center offers program featuring evidence-based strategies to improve and protect brain health

The iAmHealthy Parents First study is the first randomized controlled trial in the world designed to examine the effectiveness of an integrated obesity treatment program aimed at both adults and children.

Here are just some of KU Medical Center’s accomplishments and successes over the past year.

A 2021 grant for preventing the spread of COVID-19 in rural Kansas created a collaboration that responded to an August heatwave — saving lives and expanding community outreach.

“Why” is a documentary created by the KU Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center that puts forth a positive perspective on the lives of people living with cognitive decline and dementia.

The new center, funded as part of a prestigious program at the National Institutes of Health, will bridge the gap between research knowledge and clinical practice and reduce health inequities.

Part of the National Institutes of Health, the All of Us Research Program is working to collect data from a million different people to drive new treatments and cures

Rural Health Education and Services at KU Medical Center invites entries to highlight the unique beauty of Kansas and its people

A new class of nursing students begin their journey with the Dedication to the Profession ceremony

Launched by KU School of Medicine in partnership with the Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas, the rural family-medicine residency aims to train doctors interested in practicing in rural areas, where the physician shortage is the greatest.

Children with autism are 160 times more likely to drown than other children, making learn-to-swim programs essential for their safety.

KU School of Nursing has created a center to foster collaboration among nursing stakeholders across Kansas to address shortages of nurses and nursing faculty.

Approval moves forward a joint project to build a new health sciences center in downtown Wichita.

New initiative lets rural-based students and health professionals access training for long COVID and other pulmonary conditions.

Kimberly Johnson Hatchett, M.D., uses examples from her life to help others live their best lives

Rural Health Council facilitates collaboration and synergy among KU Medical Center researchers and faculty members, while the Rural Health Partners invites health care professionals across Kansas to provide input.

KU School of Nursing faculty member Heather Nelson-Brantley, Ph.D., brings business skills from her prior career for a unique perspective on the challenges facing nursing.

The Center for African American Health will partner with the community to enhance and improve the health and wellness of Black individuals and African Americans living in Kansas and beyond.

NFL program offers opportunity to KU School of Medicine student with aspirations in sports medicine.

Commentary seeks to set an agenda for national problem of cancer disparities in those who have been incarcerated.

The KU Center for Community Access, Rehabilitation Research, Education and Service (KU CARES) will develop and implement innovative rehabilitation strategies to improve the health and well-being of people with disabilities in Kansas and nationwide.

KU School of Medicine ranked 5th among all public medical schools in the country in the percentage of physicians practicing in rural areas and 9th among public institutions in producing primary care physicians.

The Center for Clinical Research, the investigative center of the University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita, is reaching out to rural residents via telehealth, telephone and mail service.

The National Rural Health Association has recognized Moser, the former dean of KU School of Medicine-Salina, with its Louis Gorin Award for Outstanding Achievement in Rural Health.

Students in KU School of Health Professions practice what they are learning in the classroom by providing Kansas City-area patients with free physical therapy and occupational therapy.

Robert Deady has no scientific degree, but his dedication to the work of KU ADRC earns him the title (and award) of Citizen Scientist.

The KU ARDC’s Michelle Niedens and Dementia Friendly Kansas City provided advice and advocacy to help make the new Kansas City International Airport more welcoming and accessible.

Decision-makers in nursing gathered in Topeka to discuss the nursing crisis in Kansas.

KU School of Nursing students presented research projects ranging from maternal health to elderspeak.

The annual K-INBRE Symposium gives promising students in Kansas and Oklahoma a chance to pursue research topics in the biosciences.

KU Nursing and KU Health Professions continue collaborative classrooms with Kenya, India and Ghana, building international connections that don’t require physical travel.

Available in English and Spanish, CareTEXT was developed by the KU Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center to help caregivers of people with dementia take care of their loved one as well as themselves.

Students in KCK have faster internet access and expanded academic support thanks to new computer lab.

New mural is part of the KU Cancer Center’s campaign to encourage diverse participation in cancer clinical trials.

Area high school students came to KU Medical Center to participate in Kansas City Regional Brain Bee, a qualifier for the USA Brain Bee, sponsored by the Society for Neuroscience.

Brylee Aldridge, a student at the University of Kansas School of Nursing-Salina, comes from rural roots, and that background is shaping her future career.

CHAMPS Achievers allows students in the Department of Occupational Therapy Education at the University of Kansas School of Health Professions to volunteer and practice more than just karate kicks.

The University of Kansas Area Health Education Center reports record-setting requests for events such as Night at the Lab and Women in Health Care.

Sharla Smith, Ph.D., MPH, answered a few questions about her work and the problem of health disparities for Black infants and mothers.

The pandemic worsened the nursing shortage in Kansas and nationwide. KU’s Sally Maliski is part of a task force seeking to increase the number of nurses in Kansas.

Tyler Hughes, M.D., hopes to share his passion for rural health care with KU medical students in Salina as the new dean.

May Maloba, a doctoral student at the University of Kansas School of Nursing, brings her expertise in women’s health to Kenya, Cambodia and the United States.

See what shaped the University of Kansas Medical Center this year.

KU Medical Center’s Office of International Programs welcomed six visitors from Ukraine as international visits resume.

The annual rural photo contest, supported by KU Medical Center Rural Health Education and Services, celebrates its 17th year.

Veronica Fernandez aims to support and promote the family-centered program that she says is ‘the best place in Wyandotte County’

Families and friends of medical students attended the event, which helped them understand the medical school experience.

The school’s new digital twin campus promises to change the way KU nursing students learn and eventually how many can be taught.

TEAMSPORT will create a standardized approach to ordering genomic tests and adapt it for use in community cancer centers, where most cancer patients receive testing and treatment.

National call to action encourages use of low-dose CT to combat the leading cause of cancer in the United States

The Kansas Center for Metabolism and Obesity Research seeks to become a national hub for obesity-related research and the training of junior research faculty.

Thanks to a $3 million grant, the Kansas Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and related Disabilities program continues its five-decade mission of training, research and leadership development.

‘Discover KU’s Health Programs’ invited students from Kansas City, Kansas, who would be the first generation in their families to go to college.

Karen L. Weis, professor, KU School of Nursing-Salina, brings Air Force experiences and a wealth of research to nursing education in Kansas.

The contest, sponsored by KU Medical Center’s Rural Health Education and Services, aims to showcase the beauty of Kansas through photographs.

The grant administered through the Department of Pediatrics at KU School of Medicine will fund KanAWARE, a multi-agency project formed to address escalating student behavioral health needs in the Southeast Kansas corridor.

The 2nd Annual Health Outcomes Assembly was titled "Disparities Between Counties and ZIP Codes”

University of Kansas Medical Center students marked the start of the 2022 fall semester by volunteering for six area organizations

The clinic run by students now offers free food from Harvesters Community Food Network with special emphasis on fresh produce and providing care for the whole person.

If the program can raise $2,500 by Aug. 6, Robert D. Simari, M.D., executive vice chancellor, and Abiodun Akinwuntan, Ph.D., dean of the KU School of Health Professions, have agreed to participate in a swim-a-thon for Sensory Enhanced Aquatics.

Glenn Frommer, who has polycystic kidney disease (PKD), is bicycling cross-country and met researchers, support staff and students at the Jared Grantham Kidney Institute at the University of Kansas Medical Center July 7.

Templeton, M.D., professor of Orthopedic Surgery and Sports Medicine, garnered recognition from the American Medical Association Foundation, the Women’s Health Congress and the National Board of Medical Examiners.

Professors from schools of Health Professions and Medicine connect a local elementary school with a bicycling nonprofit in a push for lifelong activity.

With help from local teachers and other members in his department, scientist Aron Fenton is breaking down stereotypes about scientists and sharing stories of science as a career.

The five-year, NIH-funded COMET clinical trial is the largest of its kind to compare aerobic, resistance training or a combination of both while looking at cognition in older adults.

Equipment upgrade provides cutting-edge resources to researchers across the region

The grant was offered in response to COVID-19 but its design allows for a community response to all kinds of health issues.

The University of Kansas Clinical Research Center (KU CRC), a dedicated clinical trials facility with support from a Johnson County sales tax, celebrates it's 10 year anniversary.

Along with leaders from Frontiers, Children’s Mercy Kansas City and the University of Kansas Medical Center, the group discussed how to adapt or “translate” medical research into useful treatments for patients.

For people who are overweight, obese or excessively obese, the threat of COVID-19 looms large. So, University of Kansas Medical Center researchers are testing obesity as a variable in a clinical trial and continuing research on obesity in general.

The program connects high school teachers at Kansas City, Wichita, Topeka, Lawrence and Hays school districts with local health systems and university faculty.

The work of Sarah Finocchario Kessler, Ph.D., MPH, supports the progressive efforts of Wyandotte County Health Department to address social needs of Covid-positive residents.

The campaign spotlights stories in seven languages to address health disparities highlighted by the pandemic and opportunities to close the gap.

Talk show-like format allows researchers and clinicians to explain their work while engaging with the community.

The program offered participants a retrospective look at the initiative and discussed the current state of cancer research, treatment and prevention.

Colonel Lee A. Norman, M.D., MHS, MBA, secretary of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE), has been appointed by Kansas Governor Laura Kelly to the Masonic Cancer Alliance Partners Advisory Board.

The University of Kansas Medical Center has been chosen as a training center in Kansas for a nationwide interactive virtual initiative that will share best practices to improve COVID-19 infection control, safety and preparedness in skilled-nursing facilities.

The University of Kansas Medical Center has been chosen to receive a grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) through the RADx-UP program to support projects designed to rapidly implement COVID-19 testing strategies in populations disproportionately affected by the pandemic.

Alumni Reunion Weekend at the University of Kansas Medical Center looks a bit different in 2020, with events occurring virtually.

A special photo contest sponsored by Rural Health Education and Services at the University of Kansas Medical Center, celebrates its 15th anniversary. Enter your photo.

When the COVID-19 pandemic closed the face-to-face Jaystart Clinic, students of physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech pathology turned to telehealth.

Nayeli Bustillos, a registered nurse and KU School of Nursing student, spent four weeks in New Rochelle, New York, caring for patients diagnosed with COVID-19.

KU Medical Center helps expand use of telehealth during pandemic and beyond

Jessica Kalender-Rich, M.D., FACP, associate professor of Geriatric Medicine at KU Medical Center and practicing physician, has been named to the Coronavirus Commission for Safety and Quality in Nursing Homes. U.S. President Donald Trump called for the formation of the commission in an announcement April 30, 2020, and asked the commission to assess the immediate and future implications of the pandemic on nursing homes.

A private laboratory operating on the campus of the University of Kansas Medical Center conducts COVID-19 tests. Its founder says it's a service to his community.

KU School of Medicine graduates received their medical degrees early so they could provide care in wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the weeks between early graduation and their residencies, some helped tired doctors and nurses in Liberal, Kansas, any way they could.

For many medical researchers, studying disease means going to work in exam rooms, offices and laboratories. For Megha Ramaswamy, Ph.D., MPH, it means going to jails and hitting the streets.

Christopher Neal, Ph.D., research associate at the University of Kansas Medical Center, donated around 100 headbands for face shields to PPE for KC. Neal used the 3D printer at work.

Cancer patients undergoing treatment at The University of Kansas Cancer Center don’t have to worry about getting a test for the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19. The research arm of the KU Cancer Center stepped up to allow patients to opt-in to a study that provided the test in recent weeks and also covered its cost. It is just one of the many ways the KU Cancer Center is working to fight the pandemic.

Students in the respiratory therapy program in the University of Kansas School of Health Professions have chosen to graduate early to help fend off a shortage of RTs during the coronavirus pandemic.

The JUNTOS Center for Advancing Latino Health at KU Medical Center, whose mission is to eliminate health disparities in under-served Latino communities in Kansas, is working to deliver COVID-19 information to these communities in their native language.

Cloud County Community College joined the Community College Nursing Partnership at the KU School of Nursing, the eighth community college in the state to sign on.

Mobility Impaired Get Healthy Together (MIGHTY) will explore and compare different methods to help those will mobility issues lose weight.

Want to lose weight, battle depression or manage chronic pain? Your doctor’s “prescription” may include a newly reimagined program at the Kirmayer Fitness Center called Exercise is Medicine (EIM).

Arthur Dick, M.D., retiring after 50 years, helped build neurology field and establish department at KU

Check out the memorable news stories of 2019 at the University of Kansas Medical Center. Our year in review gives you a look back at the best of 2019.

The University of Kansas Center for Physical Activity and Weight Management conducts nationally funded studies based on weight loss and activity and also has an award-winning fee-for-service weight loss clinic.

Advance practice nurses (APRNs) can gain additional training in rural and underserved areas with support from a nearly $2 million grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).

Attracting and retaining medical staff is a major challenge in rural areas, second only to financial solvency for struggling community hospitals, according to panelists who are experts in rural health

KU ADC's RDAD-KC program provides one-on-one, in-home support to Alz caregivers in Kansas

McGee will work to enhance the successful recruitment, professional development and retention of students, faculty and staff from diverse and under-represented population groups.

The Department of Occupational Therapy Education at the University of Kansas Medical Center has developed a national reputation of excellence for educating its students to become therapists who provide essential assessment and support skills that empower their patients with physical or mental disabilities to engage in everyday life activities.