MDNews - Greater Kansas

KUSM-WICHITA SURGICAL SKILLS LAB EARNS ACCREDITATION The University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita surgical skills laboratory has earned national accreditation as an American College of Surgeons Accredited Education Institute (AEI). The AEI accreditation program is a voluntary peer-review process, and institutions undergo a two-part review process. Institutions that successfully complete the process are accredited for five years. DR. FONG NAMED VICE PRESIDENT, CMO FOR BCBSKS John K. Fong, MD, has joined Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas as the company's Vice President of Medical Affairs and Chief Medical Officer. He is the primary medical liaison for the compa - ny's contracting healthcare providers and is respon- sible for defining and resolving issues related to health insurance ben- efits and clinical care. He takes the leadership role in defining medical policies. Additionally, Dr. Fong has executive oversight responsibility for the company's utilization management, case management and disease management functions. He has served with three other Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies and has 20 years' clinical care experience. ASCENSION VIA CHRISTI, WESLEY MEDICAL CENTER RECEIVE STROKE CARE RECOGNITION Ascension Via Christi St. Francis and Wesley Medical Center have been recognized with the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association's Get With The Guidelines Stroke Gold Plus awards for ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate care according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines based on the latest scientific evidence. Both facilities also received Target: Stroke Honor Roll-Elite Plus awards, which recognize the hospitals for meeting quality measures to reduce the time between a patient's arrival at the hospital and treat - ment with the clot-buster tissue plasminogen activator, or tPA. FOUR KANSAS HOSPITAL SYSTEMS MAKE FORBES' BEST EMPLOYERS LIST Four Kansas hospital systems made Forbes' list of organizations liked best by employees in the magazine's inaugural ranking of best employers by state. Of the 29 employers ranked for Kansas, The University of Kansas Health System was third, followed by Children's Mercy Kansas City and Ascension Via Christi was 14th, followed by Stormont Vail Health. RAPPELLING EVENT RAISES FUNDS FOR PROJECT ACCESS Nearly a dozen physicians went over the edge to help raise funds for an agency that coordinates healthcare for uninsured, low-income residents of Sedgwick County. A total of 65 participants rappelled down Wichita's 14-story Ambassador Hotel in the Over the Edge fundraiser that brought in $32,750 for Project Access, which is celebrating its 20th year of operation. Among the participating physicians were Michael Lievens, MD, President of the Medical Society of Sedgwick County, and Rick Kellerman, MD, Chair of the University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita Family and Community Medicine Department. Other participants included the police and fire chiefs of Wichita, elected officials, local celebrities, and even a former Project Access patient. Project Access coordinates access to donated medical care through 640 physician volunteers, eight hospital systems, 14 den - tists, 85 pharmacies and other allied healthcare services, according to its officials. Since its founding, it has served over 14,200 residents who have received more than $215 million in donated health care. Project Access is a program of the Central Plains Healthcare Partnership, a nonprofit organization affiliated with the Medical Society of Sedgwick County. It started when Paul Uhlig, MD, a fourth-generation Kansas physician, shared the idea with the MSSC of coordinating care for the uninsured using the model of another Project Access program in North Carolina. STUDIES PROVIDE INSIGHT ON WICHITA'S BEHAVIORAL HEALTH A study of Wichita area behavioral health facilities and services found gaps in the community's behavioral health system are straining the community's resources, especially in emergency departments and jails, and suggested that consolidating resources and a coordinated community effort are needed to address those issues. The study was one of two recently released by Ascension Via Christi, which had secured funding for the studies. The systems study was funded by a $50,000 grant from a Wichita Community Foundation fund and $60,000 in private donations. With funding by the Kansas Health Foundation, Ascension Via Christi also conducted a usage study of behavioral health services in Sedgwick County from 2015–18. The study found that 516 patients received $56 million of care in that period, with $17 million funded by public assistance or uncompensated care. Also, one in four patients received services from more than one local organization. NEW IT EXEC POSITION, NEW DOCTORS ANNOUNCED AT STORMONT VAIL Stormont Vail Health promoted Judy Corzine to the role of Vice President, Chief Information Officer. She previously was Administrative Director and CIO. She's responsible for IT policies and procedures and techni - cal application and programming support of clinical and financial data, as well as strategic information systems. The following doctors recently joined the health system, with most practicing at Topeka locations: Continued from pg. 07 Judy Corzine M D N E W S . C O M /// M D N E W S G R E AT E R K A N S A S ■ 2 019 H O S P I TA L R O U N D S ❰❰❰❰❰ 2 1

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