New Lecture Series to
Focus on Rural Health
Centered around the importance of collaboration to improve
community well-being, the inaugural session of the Radcliff Lecture Series on
Rural Health will take place at 12:00 p.m. on Thursday, February 2 at the
Physicians Pavilion Assembly Room at 1230 E. 6th Ave. in Winfield.
Hosted by William Newton Healthcare Foundation in
conjunction with the Beats Go On community wellness initiative, Dr. Nancy W.
Dickey, executive director of the Center for Optimizing Rural Health, and a
panel of local healthcare experts will explore the challenges, perks, and next
steps of supporting our rural communities.
Dickey will speak on the importance of different community
entities working together to bolster access to health and wellness resources in
rural areas.
“Our rural populations are shrinking in comparison to urban
counterparts, yet it is rural areas that offer many recreational opportunities
and supply much of the country’s food and fuel. Small hospitals across our
nation like William Newton Hospital are an imperative link in assuring access
to quality healthcare,” says Dickey.
The Center for Optimizing Rural Health is a federally-funded
program with 16 participating Kansas health centers including neighboring
hospitals Sedan City Hospital, Sumner County Hospital District No. 1, and Patterson
Health Center. Dickey previously served as president of the Texas A&M
Health Science Center and vice chancellor for health affairs for the university
system. She is also a primary care and rural medicine professor at the Texas
A&M School of Medicine. In addition, she was the first woman to be elected
president of the American Medical Association.
In her current role, Dickey is a champion for access to
quality healthcare in rural communities across the nation.
“It is not acceptable that those whose livelihood or choice
of residence causes them to live in geographically remote areas should suffer
from more chronic diseases, die at higher rates from chronic disease, and
ultimately live shorter lives.”
The featured panel of local healthcare experts will include
Dr. Rodrick Heger, Dr. K. Daniel Miller, Renee Price, PharmD, and Aaron Sutton,
BS, EMTP-IC.
The Radcliff Lecture Series on Rural Health is funded by
Paula Radcliff through the William Newton Healthcare Foundation. Radcliff, a
local rancher and business owner, served the region for 27 years as an
emergency medical technician at William Newton Hospital, co-chaired the H. L.
Snyder Medical Foundation Surgery Center campaign, and is co-chair of the Beats
Go On community wellness initiative aimed at providing wellness education and
fostering collaborative partnerships.
Radcliff strongly believes in supporting and ensuring
healthcare excellence in our communities.
“I never take our hospital for granted. All rural healthcare
facilities across the country are facing challenges. To think WNH would never
avoid challenges, in my thinking, is naïve. But…we always overcome,” expresses
Radcliff. “For me, it’s more important to answer the question, “What can I do
to help to boldly move us forward?”
While this event is geared towards community leaders and
healthcare providers, all are welcome. Lunch is provided by Rodger and Marcie
Steffan. Seating is limited to 70 attendees. To reserve your seat, call
Brittney Shaffer with the William Newton Healthcare Foundation at 620-222-6275
or email brittney.shaffer@wnhm.org.
To learn more about the Beats Go On community wellness
initiatives or schedule a speaker for your organization, visit www.wnhcares.org/foundation/2ndcentury/beats.
