St. Catherine Hospital and Kansas Health Science Center Announce Partnership to Further Medical Education

GARDEN CITY, Kan., Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- St. Catherine Hospital, in its commitment to providing the community with whole-person care, is pleased to announce it is partnering with the proposed Kansas Health Science Center – Kansas College of Osteopathic Medicine (KHSC-KansasCOM) to develop a training site for third-year medical students.

The partnership will result in nine core rotations each year, providing third-year medical students with the opportunity to live in and experience the Garden City community while growing in the mission driven, integrated health care systems at St. Catherine Hospital.

"At a time when the nation is struggling to find health care providers, this partnership opens new doors for St. Catherine Hospital and Garden City," says Jeff Carrier, chief executive officer for St. Catherine Hospital. "It has been shown that medical students who have clinical rotations in rural settings are much more likely to establish a practice in that community. This partnership is an important tool in recruiting the next generation of physicians to our rural community."

In 2017, a Kansas state task force found 161 primary care Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) in Kansas. Of the state's 105 counties, 92 are considered partially or wholly underserved and parts of Kansas need 83 new primary care physicians each year. This partnership will help fill that void with a new educational hub in Garden City, where medical providers will train and support the osteopathic medical students.

The proposed KHSC-KansasCOM is currently under construction in downtown Wichita and is working through the accreditation process with the goal of opening this forward-thinking medical school, that becomes a world-class training hub for osteopathic physicians, in 2022.

"We are excited about this partnership and what it means for both our future medical students and rural Kansans. Shortages of medical care exist in much of rural Kansas and that's a driving force behind the proposed KHSC-KansasCOM. The college aspires to ease this shortage in primary care and specialty care for our state by training the physicians of tomorrow, many of whom may make rural Kansas – including Garden City – their home," says Dasa Gangadhar, MD, assistant dean for clinical education at the proposed KHSC-KansasCOM.

The proposed KHSC-KansasCOM is part of TCS Education System, an integrated, nonprofit system that works collaboratively to advance institutional sustainability, student success, and community impact.

ABOUT CENTURA HEALTH
Centura Health connects individuals, families and neighborhoods across Colorado and western Kansas with more than 6,000 physicians and 21,000 of the best hearts and minds in health care. Through our 17 hospitals, two senior living communities, neighborhood health centers, physician practices and clinics, home care and hospice services, and Flight For Life® Colorado, our caregivers make the region's best health care accessible. We're on a mission to build flourishing communities and whole person care. We're Centura Health, and we're your dedicated health partner for life. For information on Centura Health or any of the facilities in our network, please visit the Centura Health website.

ABOUT KANSAS HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER
Kansas Health Science Center is a nonprofit organization committed to training well-prepared physicians and health care leaders who will positively contribute to the overall well-being of our communities. With the goal of opening the proposed Kansas Health Science Center - Kansas College of Osteopathic Medicine in 2022, KHSC strives to positively impact the health landscape in Wichita and the state of Kansas through directly addressing the disparity in access to healthcare. Learn more at kansashsc.org.

SOURCE Centura Health; Kansas Health Science Center