Hays, KS– The Center for Health Improvement at HaysMed invites you to Walk with a Doc, a health initiative aimed at promoting community wellness and fostering connections between healthcare providers and residents.

Scheduled for Saturday, April 20, 2024, from 8:00 – 9:00 AM, this event invites Hays and local area residents to join Dr. Erin Hemphill, Hospitalist and The Transplant Network & Saving Sight for an invigorating walk at Big Creek Crossing, across from Gliks. Participants will have the chance to learn about organ, eye, and tissue donations, as well as connect with Dr. Hemphill from HaysMed.

Walk with a Doc offers a unique opportunity for individuals to engage in physical activity while interacting with healthcare professionals in a relaxed and informal setting. You’ll take a few minutes to learn about a current health topic, then spend the rest of the hour enjoying a healthy walk at your own pace and distance.

The Walk with a Doc event in Hays is open to all community members, and participation is free of charge. Pre-registration is not required, and individuals of all ages and fitness levels are encouraged to attend.

Stephanie Howie, Fitness Director of The Center for Health Improvement, emphasized the importance of consistent physical activity for sustaining optimal health and wellness. According to Howie, dedicating just 30 minutes a day to walking can notably enhance one’s well-being and quality of life.

The benefits of walking, as highlighted by the American Heart Association, include improvements in blood pressure and blood sugar levels, maintenance of a healthy body weight, enhancement of mental well-being, and reduction of the risk of osteoporosis.

Walk with a Doc is an international non-profit organization founded by Dr. David Sabgir, a cardiologist based in Columbus, OH. Since its inception in 2005, the program has expanded to numerous communities worldwide, inspiring individuals to prioritize their health through movement and conversation.

Don’t miss this opportunity to take a step toward better health and connect with healthcare professionals in your community. Join the Walk with a Doc program the third Saturday of every month at 8:00 AM at Big Creek Crossing, 2918 Vine Street in Hays, Kansas. For local Walk with a Doc information please click here.

 

 

About The Center for Health Improvement

 The Center for Health Improvement is a 92,000 square foot facility that houses a 2-lane indoor track, indoor pools, group fitness studio, education room, community health library, gym, and a playcenter for children. The Center features two floors of weight machines and cardiovascular equipment, and integrates traditional medical treatment with fitness, disease prevention and health education allowing each individual to achieve lifelong wellness.

 

About HaysMed

Hays Medical Center (HaysMed) is a private, not-for-profit, 200+ bed hospital providing the only tertiary-level services in the region. As the premier provider in western Kansas for specialized care, HaysMed offers a wide variety of specialty programs including cardiology, orthopedics, cancer, surgery (general, minimally invasive and robotic), ENT, pulmonology, critical care and women’s services. HaysMed is a Level III Trauma Center and a certified Primary Stroke Center. In addition, HaysMed has earned advanced certification in Infection Prevention.

Other services include rehabilitation, hospice, neonatal, intensive care and diagnostic imaging, as well as a Wound Healing and Hyperbaric Center and a Sleep and Neurodiagnostic Center. HaysMed is proud to be one of only 20 U.S. hospitals recognized by Vizient in 2023 as a Top Performer in the Complex Care Medical Center cohort. In 2022, HaysMed was named as one of the top 20 rural and community hospitals in the country by the National Rural Health Association. Learn more at haysmed.com.

 

About Walk with a Doc

Walk with a Doc (WWAD) is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to inspire communities through movement and conversation with physician-led walking groups. Walk with a Doc was started in 2005 by David Sabgir, MD, a board-certified cardiologist in Columbus, Ohio. To learn more, go to the Walk with a Doc website.

Hays Medical Center, in collaboration with the Hays Medical Center Foundation, was pleased to extend an invitation to healthcare professionals from HaysMed and regional Critical Access hospitals to attend a training event focused on identifying and intervening in cases of human trafficking.

Heidi Olson, RN, MSN, CPN, SANE-P, and Founder & President, Paradigm Shift Training and Consulting presented three two-hour sessions on “Recognizing and Responding to Human Trafficking: Practical Identification and Interventions for Healthcare Workers.” The sessions took place on Thursday, February 29, and Friday, March 1, 2024, offering both in-person and virtual attendance options via Zoom.

Over 150 healthcare professionals from HaysMed and regional Critical Access Hospitals participated in the training, with additional remote registrants joining from six different states. Attendees had the opportunity to deepen their understanding of human trafficking and its implications for healthcare settings, as well as to learn practical strategies for identifying and responding to cases effectively.

Human trafficking is a pressing issue that requires a collective effort to address effectively. Olson stated, “While being trafficked, 90% of victims interact with healthcare workers, but they are only identified 5% of the time.” This program was designed to increase the identification of human trafficking and exploitation victims and examine response by hospital staff, forensic nurses, advocates, forensic interviewers, and other professionals.

Following this training, the objectives included to apply techniques to identify a trafficking victim in the healthcare setting, apply ways to build rapport with trafficking victims in the healthcare setting, identify exploitation situations in the healthcare setting, and examine opportunities to ensure facilities are equipped to handle difficult situations.

Topics from the training also covered the identifying the different types of trafficking victims, social media exploitation, and the ideation that victims often choose the “path of least assault”.

HaysMed acknowledges the critical role of community support in raising awareness and identifying instances of human trafficking. This recognition is particularly vital in rural Kansas, where access to resources may be limited. By fostering collaboration, education, and training opportunities like this one within the community, HaysMed aims to continue to combat human trafficking and provide support to victims in need.

One notable aspect of the training was the availability of Continuing Education Credits for attendees, enabling them to enhance their professional development while contributing to the fight against human trafficking in healthcare. By hosting this educational initiative, HaysMed demonstrates its commitment to not only the ongoing education of its staff but also to supporting regional Critical Access hospital networks in addressing this pressing issue.

HaysMed extends its gratitude to Heidi Olson for sharing her expertise and insights, as well as to all participants for their active engagement and dedication to improving healthcare responses to human trafficking.

For more information on Heidi Olson’s Paradigm Shift Training and Consulting, please visit her website at paradigmshifttc.com.

For more information about future educational opportunities and initiatives at HaysMed, please contact the Education Department at 785-623-5500.

 

The HaysMed Human Trafficking Committee includes the following:

Trisha Haskell, BSN, RN, SANE-A, SANE-P – Forensic Program Coordinator

Jaylea Black, LSCSW – Oncology Social Worker

Amy Braun, LSCSW – Continuing Care Social Worker

Jeff Brull, Executive Director of the Hays Medical Center Foundation

Amy George, MSN, RN – Emergency Room Supervisor

Shawn Hoss – Safety and Security Manager

Debbie McLaren- Education Course Coordinator

Doris Rack, RN – Nursing NICU

Chris Schumacher, MSN, MS, RN, NPD-BC – Acute Care RN

Jessica Seib, MSN, RN, IBCLC, RNC-OB – Birthing Center Development Coordinator

Leanna Swart, Director of Marketing

Michelle Yohe – HaysMed Office Manager

 

About HaysMed

Hays Medical Center (HaysMed) is a private, not-for-profit, 200+ bed hospital providing the only tertiary-level services in the region. As the premier provider in western Kansas for specialized care, HaysMed offers a wide variety of specialty programs including cardiology, orthopedics, cancer, surgery (general, minimally invasive and robotic), ENT, pulmonology, critical care and women’s services. HaysMed is a Level III Trauma Center and a certified Primary Stroke Center. In addition, HaysMed has earned advanced certification in Infection Prevention.

About HaysMed Foundation

The HaysMed Foundation plays a vital role in supporting the mission of Hays Medical Center by securing philanthropic contributions to advance healthcare services, education, and community well-being.