Letter to the Community: Great Things are Happening at Kearny County Hospital

/in , /by

David Hofmeister, Chief Executive Officer of Kearny County Hospital

To our valued patients and members of our community:

We believe when we work to serve you at the highest level possible, great things will happen – and they are! We are excited to share with you these recent special developments at Kearny County Hospital.

First, we are proud to report the results of our latest Family Health Center patient satisfaction survey. Our providers received an outstanding score of 85 (on a scale of -100 to +100) indicating their patients’ likelihood to recommend the hospital to others – which is more than twice the national healthcare industry average of 38 (scale of -100 to +100). And nearly 82% of patients gave us a 5/5 satisfaction score after their most recent visit.

Other significant results of the survey regarding the Family Health Center’s patient care and services:

  • Explanation of treatment options: 8% said extremely well or very well
  • Attentiveness of nurse: 5% said a great deal or a lot
  • Explanation of follow-up care: 9% said extremely well or very well
  • Listening by provider: 89.3% rated 5/5
  • Cleanliness of facility: 83% rated 5/5
  • Service at reception: 4% rated 5/5

These results clearly demonstrate our commitment to ensuring a positive patient experience throughout the entire organization. We deeply appreciate and commend our staff for providing excellent care and comfort to our patients every day.

We also congratulate our Chief of Staff, Dr. Drew Miller, for his selection by the Kansas Academy of Family Physicians as the 2021 Family Physician of the Year – such a well-deserved honor! Dr. Miller truly personifies the highest ideals of family medicine through his comprehensive patient care, his compassion for others, and his work in our community.

We are proud to celebrate all the wonderful providers and staff at Kearny County Hospital, the Family Health Center, and High Plains Retirement Village – familiar faces in our own community who care for families, friends and neighbors every day. A special welcome goes out to our newest provider, Dr. Mark Frakes, who is board certified in family medicine with subspecialties in obstetrics, women’s health, and hospital medicine. Dr. Frakes joined us in May and is accepting new patients of all ages.

As champions of advancing rural health, we have worked to provide the highest possible quality of care for nearly 70 years, and we remain deeply committed to your health and wellness. Great things are happening at Kearny County Hospital, and we thank you for being a part of it!

Sincerely,

 

 

David Hofmeister
Chief Executive Officer
Kearny County Hospital

Drew Miller, MD, FAAFP, Named Family Physician of the Year by Kansas Academy of Family Physicians

/in , /by

LAKIN, Kan. (June 11, 2021) — Kearny County Hospital is very proud to announce that Drew Miller, MD, FAAFP, has been chosen as the 2021 Family Physician of the Year by the Kansas Academy of Family Physicians. Dr. Miller was honored today at the KAFP’s virtual Awards and Recognition Luncheon.

To be considered for recognition as Family Physician of the Year, a provider is required to have 10 years of post-residency experience and must be currently practicing family medicine in Kansas. The KAFP follows these criteria in making its annual selection:

  • Provides patients with compassionate, comprehensive and caring family medicine on a continuing basis
  • Enhances the quality of their community by being directly and effectively involved in community affairs and activities
  • Acts as a credible role model professionally and personally to their community, to other health professionals, residents and medical students
  • Stands out among their colleagues

“It is so gratifying to see Dr. Miller receive this well-deserved honor,” said David Hofmeister, CEO of Kearny County Hospital. “He truly personifies the highest ideals of family medicine through his comprehensive patient care, his compassion for others, and his work in our community. We wholeheartedly congratulate him and couldn’t be prouder that he is a key part of our hospital.”

As Chief of Staff, Dr. Miller is board-certified and practices full scope family medicine, including obstetrical services. He also has extensive experience in procedures such as endoscopy, vasectomy, joint injections and dermatologic procedures. Dr. Miller graduated from the University of Kansas School of Medicine and completed his residency at Via Christi Family Medicine Residency in Wichita.

A physician at Kearny County Hospital since 2010, Dr. Miller is passionate about practicing family medicine in a rural setting. He was nominated for KAFP Family Physician of the Year in 2016 as well. The KAFP has honored Kansas family physicians with this award since 1990.

“I’m truly humbled to be recognized as the KAFP Family Physician of the Year,” said Dr. Miller. “I offer my sincere gratitude to Kearny County Hospital, my valued patients, and the Kansas Academy of Family Physicians for their support. This is definitely an honor to be cherished and celebrated.”

Dr. Miller also has been nominated as Family Physician of the Year for the national American Academy of Family Physicians award, which will be announced this fall.

 

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.

Lindsee Wilson, SLP, Offers Speech Therapy Clinics at KCH

/in , /by

LAKIN, Kan. (May 12, 2021) — Kearny County Hospital now offers speech therapy services from Lindsee Wilson, Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP), who holds specialty clinics at the hospital on Tuesdays.

Wilson works with people of all ages to evaluate, diagnose and treat disorders of speech (how we say sounds and put them together to form words) and language (comprehension of what we hear or read and how we use words to communicate). Conditions she treats include slowed or slurred speech, vocal fold dysfunction, voice disorders, swallowing difficulties, and the effects of stroke or traumatic brain injury.

Wilson also works with children in the areas of speech articulation, receptive and expressive language, vocabulary, social aspects of language, and fluency.

“Lindsee has dedicated herself to working with patients in smaller communities and is an excellent fit for our culture and mission in advancing rural health,” said David Hofmeister, Chief Executive Officer. “We are proud to add her services in speech therapy to the specialty care we offer at our clinics.”

As part of its efforts to keep excellent care close to home, Kearny County Hospital partners with specialist providers from across the state of Kansas who hold regular outreach clinics at the Family Health Center. Besides speech therapy, clinics include audiology, general surgery, maternal/fetal medicine, orthopedics, urology, obstetrics/gynecology, and ear, nose and throat.

“I’m looking forward to being a part of the Kearny County Hospital family and providing their speech therapy patients with the option to stay close to home to get the specialized treatment they need,” Wilson said.

To schedule an appointment or for more information, please call 620-355-7111.

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.

Mark Frakes, MD, Family Medicine Provider

Dr. Mark Frakes Joins Kearny County Hospital as Certified Family Medicine Provider

/in , /by
Mark Frakes, MD, Family Medicine Provider

Mark Frakes, MD, Family Medicine Provider

LAKIN, Kan. (May 10, 2021) — Kearny County Hospital welcomes Mark Frakes, M.D., to its medical staff as a Full Spectrum Family Physician, providing a wide range of holistic primary care services to adults and children.

Dr. Frakes is board-certified in family medicine and brings additional subspecialties in obstetrics, hospital medicine/hospitalist and women’s health. With experience in rural health care delivery, his medical interests include high-risk obstetrics and critical care medicine.

“With his background in family medicine and understanding the needs of rural health, Dr. Frakes is an outstanding addition to Kearny County Hospital,” said David Hofmeister, Chief Executive Officer. “In alignment with our mission of advancing rural health, we are thrilled to add his expertise to our staff of family medicine providers to keep our community members healthy and well.”

Before joining Kearny County Hospital, Dr. Frakes practiced family medicine at CHI St. Joseph Regional Health Center in Bryan, TX, and Limestone Medical Center in Groesbeck, TX. In addition to providing patient care, he taught and supervised medical students and residents as a clinical assistant professor.

Dr. Frakes received his medical degree from the University of Illinois College of Medicine in Rockford, IL, and completed his residency in family medicine at Texas A&M Health Science Center in Bryan, TX, with additional training in obstetrics and endoscopy. Originally from Carthage, IL, Dr. Frakes earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the University of Illinois-Springfield.

“I look forward to joining Kearny County Hospital and establishing strong relationships with the community members of Lakin, both as patients and on a personal level,” Dr. Frakes said. “As an advocate of excellence in rural health, I am excited to be part of such a highly recognized community hospital, and I expect to feel right at home.”

Dr. Frakes officially joins the hospital on May 17 and begins seeing patients May 24. To make an appointment, please call 620-355-7550.

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.

Letter to the Community: COVID-19 Vaccination

/in , /by

David Hofmeister, Chief Executive Officer of Kearny County Hospital

To our valued patients and members of our community:

At Kearny County Hospital, the people we serve will always be our greatest joy and our number one priority. We have provided quality healthcare in this community for nearly 70 years, and we are committed to the health and wellness of our families, friends and neighbors – especially now, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues its course.

Fortunately, COVID-19 vaccines are becoming more widely available in our community. And I am proud to share that Kearny County Hospital has one of the highest COVID-19 workforce vaccination rates among hospitals in Kansas, at 83 percent. Our high workforce vaccination rate is yet another demonstration of our commitment to your health and safety, and a key milestone in ensuring healthcare services are open and available for you and your families.

To help protect the health of our community and for those who live, work and play here in Kearny County, we encourage you to get your COVID-19 vaccine as soon as it is available to you. There are many benefits to getting vaccinated:

  • The vaccines have shown to be highly effective against contracting COVID-19
  • For those who do get COVID-19, data are showing vaccines can lower your risk of severe illness
  • Getting vaccinated can help “stop the spread’ and protect the people around you
  • Fully vaccinated people can safely follow looser guidelines for gathering indoors and interacting with others
  • Fewer seriously ill patients will help prevent hospitals from becoming overcrowded
  • COVID-19 vaccines are a key factor in ending the pandemic and working toward our pre-pandemic normalcy

We are committed to your health, and as the number of fully vaccinated people increases, our community will continue to be safer and healthier. That is the goal of Kearny County Hospital – a safer, healthier community for all of us.

Sincerely,

 

 

David Hofmeister
Chief Executive Officer
Kearny County Hospital

To learn more about COVID-19 vaccines, please click here.

To learn more about vaccines at Kearny County Hospital, visit our Vaccine Hub.

Robin Allaman Joins Kearny County Hospital as Chief Nursing Officer

/in , /by

Robin Allaman, MSN, BSN, RN

LAKIN, Kan. (March 23, 2021) — Kearny County Hospital is pleased to announce that Robin Allaman, MSN, BSN, RN, has joined the staff as Chief Nursing Officer.

Allaman held positions in nursing and clinical care at Southwest Medical Center in Liberal, Kan., for more than 30 years. Most recently, she served as Vice President of Patient Care Services, which included responsibilities as Director of Nursing Care and oversight of all patient care areas.

As Chief Nursing Officer, Kearny County Hospital, Allaman will lead the direction of patient care and assume fiscal, operational and administrative responsibilities for KCH’s nursing departments. She will collaborate with the Clinic Operations Manager and Medical Staff to deliver exceptional nursing care in all patient settings. She will also work closely with the Director of Nursing at KCH’s High Plains Retirement Village and Assisted Living.

“As this position is critical to maintain our standard of excellence in patient service and care, Kearny County Hospital is very happy to welcome Robin as our Chief Nursing Officer,” said David Hofmeister, Chief Executive Officer. “Her extensive background and career accomplishments in nursing leadership make her exceptionally qualified to ensure our care delivery systems promote the highest level of care, safety and well-being for all our patients.”

A native of Goodland, Kan., Allaman earned a master’s degree in Applied Science, Nursing Leadership and a bachelor’s degree in Nursing Science from Tabor College in Hillsboro, Kan. She worked at KCH while attending Garden City Community College.

“I’m thrilled to begin my new role at Kearny County Hospital,” Allaman said. “Since KCH was my earliest experience working in nursing, it feels like I’m coming home. I look forward to becoming involved in this wonderful community while continuing my lifelong dedication to rural health.”

Kearny County Hospital offers full-spectrum family care for better community health and wellness. Other hospital services include women’s health and birthing center, specialty care, surgical services, imaging services, emergency care, physical therapy, respiratory therapy, and ear, nose and throat specialization.

 

About Kearny Community 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.