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March 25, 2026
Podcast episode 46: Dr. Jennifer B. McKenney
Welcome to the Pioneers in Health podcast. In this podcast, we share inspiring stories of pioneering leaders from our nation and from your backyard who are working to improve health.
In episode 46, we interview Dr. Jennifer B. McKenney, MD, FAAFP. She owns and manages her practice, Fredonia Family Care, alongside her father and other colleagues. She was named the 2021 Rural Health Practitioner of the Year by the National Rural Health Association and received the Early Career Achievement Award by the University of Kansas School of Medicine in 2021.
She also is currently the associate dean for rural medical education for the KU School of Medicine. She serves as the Wilson County health officer and is co-chair of the statewide Health Officers of Kansas group. She is a past president of the Kansas Academy of Family Physicians and was the resident member of the AAFP Board of Directors. She serves on the medical staff at Fredonia Regional Hospital, a 25-bed critical access hospital. She has made numerous appearances on national and local news covering COVID-19 and rural health.
In this episode, she discusses what led her to pursuing a career in family medicine. She grew up with her father serving as the general surgeon at the local hospital in Fredonia.
“From the very beginning, I was able to see what my dad did for the people in this community, and it was beautiful,” she said.
Seeing the impact her dad had led her to following in her father’s footsteps to become a physician. Now, they work together at Fredonia Family Care.
“For me to be able to give back to the community that gave me so much is really cool,” she said. “Not to mention being able to work alongside my dad. …It really has become everything that I had ever hoped for in coming back to my hometown.”
She also discusses:
- The experience of practicing medicine in a small, rural town
- How to recruit more physicians to practice in rural areas
- Ways her community is working to introduce more students to health care positions
- Her rural family medicine fellowship
- The importance of family medicine
- Serving as the county health officer during the Covid pandemic
- The importance of public health
- Serving on her local school board
- Establishing the Fredonia Area Community Foundation and Cultivate Fredonia, a community growth initiative
- Creating Sausage Fest, a popular community festival that raises funds for Fredonia
- Opening Oasis Medical Spa
- Running a remote scribe company and utilizing technology in health care
- Investing in rural hospitals and Medicaid cuts
- What gives her hope
And much more! Listen now, and learn more about how Dr. McKenney is an innovative leader in Kansas.
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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