Welcome to the Pioneers in Health podcast.
Here, we share inspiring stories of pioneering leaders working to improve health. We bring you guests from our state, from our nation and from your backyard to tell their stories of how they broke new ground and changed the landscape of health care.
In episode eight, we interview Krista Postai and Jason Wesco, of the Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas (CHK/SEK) based in Pittsburg, Kansas. Krista serves as CEO, and Jason serves as President and Chief Strategy Officer.
These two innovative leaders have worked to improve the health of individuals and communities in southeast Kansas for more than 20 years. Their work has not only addressed primary, behavioral and oral health care, but it’s also addressed the social factors that make a greater impact on health than what happens in the doctor’s office.
In this episode, they discuss how they evolved from providing services out of a trailer to now serving more than 80,000 patients this year and employing more than 1,000 with multiple sites in multiple states.
During the last five years, they said much growth has been from preserving access to health care where other health systems have left rural communities.
“We believe rural communities matter, and that means you step up and do some hard things when you need to,” Jason said. “And we believe we can improve health in our part of the world.”
They also discuss:
- Their approach to providing quality, compassionate care for all and removing barriers to care, such as transportation
- Developing residency programs for family medicine doctors, dentists and nurse practioners with the intention to cultivate a new generation of health care professionals dedicated to serving rural communities
- Expanding services to meet specific needs, such as mammography
- Creating a new, comprehensive hospice program, Mount Carmel Hospice, after a local hospice service closed
- Developing an education center and the Inspire Health Foundation, which provides hands-on learning to K-12 students through camps and activities aimed at sparking an interest in a health care career
And so much more! Listen now, and learn more about how Krista and Jason are true pioneering leaders in health care.
Listen now
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Please see the Pioneers in Health page on our website for more information on our podcast series and links to other episodes.
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