Due to COVID-19, KanCare renewals were paused but they are coming back. Renewals are starting again this year and notices will go out from March 2023 to March 2024. Please read the important instructions below to ensure you keep your coverage.

If you receive a letter from Medicaid, please respond immediately as you will have a narrow window to reply. You must reply or you will be removed from the Medicaid program. 

Steps to keeping your coverage:

1. Update your address

•  Call the KanCare Clearinghouse at 1-800-792-4884. You can also call your MCO (number on the back of your KanCare card).
• You can also updated your address online. Scan this code and use the KIERA chatbot to update your address.

2. Open your mail

• Read any letters you get from KanCare.

3. Take action

• Review and complete the renewal form if you receive it.

KanCare Flyer – English

KanCare Flyer – Spanish

 

How to help your members avoid a lapse in Medicaid coverage

Please remind the families and individuals you serve:

• To make sure their address is updated with KanCare so they can receive their renewal notice; and,
• To act quickly if they receive a renewal form to complete

How can a member update their address:

• Calling the KanCare Clearinghouse at 1-800-792-4884; or,
• Calling the MCO Member Services (number on the back of their KanCare card). UnitedHealthcare Member Services number is: 877-542-9238; or,
• Using the chatbot that can be found on the bottom right corner of the kancare.ks.gov website. It looks like this:

How to know when to renew:

• A member will know they need to renew when and if they receive a renewal form in the mail. Members with a linked online account can also see if they are due to renew under Access my Benefits.
• Members can also call their MCO Member Services (number on the back of their KanCare card) to ask when is their renewal date.

If the member no longer qualifies for Medicaid:

• Visit healthcare.gov to learn more about coverage options available.

How can a member renew:

By mail

• Members will have to review, complete, and sign the renewal form received from the state. It is a good idea to make a copy for their records, then mail it back in the self-addressed envelope.
• The form can also be faxed to: 1-844-264-6285

Online

• Visit applyforkancare.ks.gov
• The member can log in to their account or create one, then make sure the account is linked to their case number. If not linked to a case number, send a request through the online portal to have their case linked to the account. The case number can be found on the notice received from KanCare. The member can also call the KanCare Clearinghouse to request the case number. UnitedHealthcare members can also call Member Services at 1-877-542-9238.
• If their case is ready to be renewed, they will see a link to Renew my Benefits under Access my Benefits.

If unable to renew by mail or online, call the KanCare Clearinghouse at 1-800=792-4884 to discuss other available options to submit the renewal form.

KanCare Flyer 

We are excited to announce the arrival of Hannah Schauf, PA-C as a certified Physician Assistant who will be providing care in the Emergency Room and Acute Clinic.

“Hannah is a tremendous addition to our team. Born and raised right here in Kansas, she brings a unique perspective on rural healthcare with lived experience facing the challenges and appreciating the charms of small-town communities,” said Emily Dilley, CEO of Kearny County Hospital. “She will be an excellent resource and a strong advocate for our hospital, health clinic and assisted living/long-term care patients and their families.”

Most recently awarded her Master of Physician Assistant Studies from the University of Nebraska Medical Center, Schauf also earned her BA in Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology close to home at Kansas State University. Schauf’s medical interests include primary care, OB-GYN, mental health, and emergency medicine. She holds certifications in Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) and Pediatric Advance Life Support (PALS).

Schauf strongly believes in advocating for patients and is committed to decreasing the healthcare barriers that exist for many rural patients. For example, concerned about language barriers in Hispanic and Latino communities, Schauf completed a Spanish healthcare immersion program in Peru after graduation.

Having grown up in Colwich, Kansas, Schauf brings a solid understanding of rural health issues and enjoys the full spectrum of care that rural medicine offers.

“I was raised in rural Kansas, and small-town life comes natural to me,” Schauf said. “So being a part of a health system that models leading-edge strategies for the future of rural health is exactly where I want to be – contributing professionally and personally in every way that I can to Kearny County Hospital and the surrounding communities.”

Aside from her medical career, Hannah enjoys the outdoors, skiing, traveling, cooking, reading, spending time with family and friends, and growing in her faith.

For more information, please call 620-355-7111.

‘Tis the time of year to spread holiday cheer – not germs. The holidays are prime time for the spread of infectious diseases like colds, flu, pneumonia and viruses, including COVID-19. Cold weather months keep us inside more, which leads to higher spread of all things transmissible.

It’s cold outside, but think of those damp, warm interiors – with the smells of roasting turkeys and pumpkin pies – as the perfect breeding ground for germs to spread. People gather closely, touching each other, the food, and practically every surface. Hugging and laughter all abound – with coughs and sneezes in equal abundance.

So how do you keep your loved ones healthy for the holidays without skipping special events or gathering virtually? Make sure you – and the ones you love – get those important winter vaccines. We know you’ve got a lot on your plate, so we came up with a plan to make it easy for you:

Our Family Health Center Clinic in Lakin, KS offers convenient walk-ins for flu, pneumonia and COVID-19 vaccinations Monday through Friday from 8:00 am-5:00 pm and Saturdays from 9:00-11:00 am – no appointment needed!

To make an appointment, visit our online Vaccine Hub and complete the form or call 620-355-7550 to get it scheduled. There, you will also find helpful information about vaccines, including frequently asked questions, immunization schedules, and more – for all ages and all times of year.

Many cherished holidays take place during this special time of year. Whatever holiday fun you have planned – or any time of year you need a vaccine and/or booster – Kearny County Hospital’s team of trusted experts is here to take care of you and your whole family.

From our team at Kearny County Hospital, Happy Holidays and all the best for your healthiest New Year ever.

A message from our new Chief Executive Officer to our valued patients, team and community:

Hello! I’m Emily Dilley, and I am thrilled to join the Kearny County Hospital family as your new CEO.

I am new to the Lakin community. There were many factors that drew me here, perhaps most of all the community and organization’s strongly rooted values and forward-thinking culture. I saw a team of innovators here who are building a vision for Kearny County Hospital – striving for excellence, finding creative ways to do more, and confident that a model for excellence in rural health exists right here in Kearny County.

The richness and diversity of the community was also part of the draw for me. Diverse perspectives drive innovative thinking. Different experiences, beliefs and perceptions, when brought together, make for the perfect brainstorm of unique ideas and solutions. That is what I experienced when I came here, and I am so happy to now be a part of it.

I saw who you are as a community and what you are poised to become. I saw kindness. I witnessed honesty. I marveled at how genuinely people care about their neighbors and each other. I was touched at how you reached out to make my family feel so welcome. My husband Shawn was equally impressed, and we knew that Kearny County would be a wonderful place to raise our seven-year-old daughter Telynn, and our son Beckett, who is three.

A hospital is so much more than a building and the beds inside. A hospital’s greatness is measured by the caliber of its people.

Great hospitals like this one deserve a committed, engaged, and caring team at all levels of the organization. Leadership, at its core, is based in relationships, an engaged and empowered culture, and good intentions – where we focus on solutions that are best for our patients, team, and community as a whole. It is how we can, not how we can’t.

Keeping the patient at the center of everything we do, every decision we make – that is what makes a hospital thrive. We come together to develop realistic, innovative, fiscally responsible initiatives that meet the needs of our patients, team, and community.

Collectively, with the entire KCH family, we will continue to build on decades of hard work and progress. My model of leadership begins and ends with caring – caring not only for but about each other and having open, honest, and transparent communication with one another. I’ve always said that in rural healthcare, it’s easier to keep people at the center of everything you do because you know them, you have a relationship with them. And it will be my privilege to come to know all of you.

As the new CEO, I will continue building on our strong foundation of caring, excellence, high quality care, and innovation. Great things have been happening at KCH for over 70 years now. Here’s to more great things to come! Thank you for allowing my family to be part of it.

Sincerely,

Emily Dilley, MBA, HSL

Chief Executive Officer

Kearny County Hospital

Click here to read the press release announcing Emily Dilley as Kearny County Hospital CEO

Click here to learn more about Emily

Get to know Emily:

LAKIN, Kan. (August 31, 2021) — Kearny County Hospital was one of eight rural health organizations recently featured in “Bright Spots: Case Studies in Innovative Rural Healthcare,” a national report compiled by the Texas A&M University Rural & Community Health Institute, in partnership with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the T.L.L. Temple Foundation, and Episcopal Health Foundation.

By highlighting “bright spot” success stories of rural communities and institutions tackling their healthcare challenges, the report’s creators hope to inspire other communities confronting similar struggles. “For every organization gridlocked by challenges, there exists an organization that has managed to adapt and overcome,” the report stated.

“Proudly, Kearny County Hospital has made great strides to overcome issues like access to care, provider staffing, and other challenges facing rural healthcare organizations across America,” said Betty Greer, President of the hospital’s Board of Trustees.

“It’s an honor to be recognized in the report – especially among so many bright ideas from other areas – but most importantly, it’s an honor to serve as a beacon of ideas for our rural health colleagues across the country.”

The eight rural health organizations selected as “bright spots” were located across Texas, Kansas, Iowa, and North Dakota. Interviews with the organizations were conducted, data collected, and case studies developed in 2019-2020.

Kearny County Hospital: Building a Mission Culture

One key reason Kearny County Hospital was highlighted in the “Bright Spots” report was its success addressing provider shortages – using a unique mission-focused recruitment strategy. Former CEO Benjamin Anderson reported that ten years ago, the hospital’s clinic staff had to turn away 50 new patients a week due to staffing shortages. Today, they have expanded their reach to serve a 20-county region with a population of around 15,000 people. Anderson credited the shift to a targeted recruitment and retention strategy, aimed at attracting and keeping providers who were raised in a rural community or have dedicated part of their careers to missionary work. Generous vacation time and professional development opportunities helped achieve long-term dedication from new recruits.

In the report, the hospital’s CEO David Hofmeister described the providers and staff Kearny County has brought together as “a small herd of unicorns, those incredibly rare but absolutely amazing team members.”

The “Bright Spots” report also highlighted Kearny County Hospital’s success in serving refugees and undocumented immigrants who have flocked to Kearny County to work in the local meat-packing industry. The Kearny County community is rich in cultural diversity. According to the report, Kearny County Hospital serves over 30 different nationalities, and as of 2018, 13 percent of Kearny County residents were born outside the U.S. As part of its mission culture, Kearny County Hospital has hired healthcare providers who speak the languages of the patients they serve – providers who are known and trusted in the various immigrant communities.

“Hiring staff with a mission mindset lays a foundation of trust for the provider-patient relationship,” said Greer. “And that results in greater community health overall.”

According to the report, the hospital’s tactical recruitment efforts, paired with its mission culture, not only expanded Kearny County Hospital’s primary care footprint by 18 percent, but it was also good for the bottom line – decreasing dependency on local tax revenues by more than 60 percent.

A third focus of the “Bright Spots” report was maternal health and infant outcomes. Rural health systems nationwide struggle to maintain obstetric services, but Kearny County Hospital prioritized recruiting OB physicians. The report noted that hospital administrators knew that if mom was cared for, she would encourage the rest of her family to seek and maintain primary care services, in turn improving the health and wellness of the entire community.

The hospital’s efforts resulted in a 67 percent increase in obstetrics volume and a 60 percent increase in primary care paneled patients over five years.

“People from 11 counties come to Kearny for OB care,” according to Kearny County Hospital Chief of Staff Drew Miller, MD, FAAFP – strong evidence that the mission focus goes beyond staffing and recruitment efforts into a multicultural approach to care.

“Kearny County Hospital is proud of its recent accomplishments and grateful to the staff and community for their support in our ongoing efforts to provide accessible, high-quality healthcare to all of the people who rely on us,” Greer said.

To learn more about the achievements of Kearny County Hospital among other high-ranking rural health institutions, read the full report here.

 

About Kearny County Hospital

Kearny County Hospital is committed to providing quality, compassionate healthcare services for our community to enrich the lives of family, friends, and neighbors. The hospital was founded in 1952 and is owned and operated by the Kearny County government to provide inpatient and outpatient hospital care, emergency medical treatment, and primary care. High Plains Retirement Village, the Kearny County Home for the Aged, was founded in 1983 to provide a nursing facility, senior housing, and long-term care services. In 1990, Kearny County Hospital began operation of the Family Health Center, which provides primary healthcare in Lakin and Deerfield. For more information, visit kearnycountyhospital.com.