Speaker Directory

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Benjamin Anderson, MBA, MHCDS
Vice President of Rural Health Hospitals, Colorado Hospital Association

The Long View: Addressing Structural Drivers of Physician Retention

Friday, 8:45 a.m.

Benjamin Anderson is the Vice President of Rural Health and Hospitals for Colorado Hospital Association. He provides leadership and direction in the development and execution of the Association’s rural strategies, advocates on behalf of rural hospitals and health systems and works to develop strategic partnerships with organizations that affect the health of rural Coloradans. Benjamin has 20 years of experience in health care and non-profit administration, and is a nationally-recognized leader in health equity and transforming rural health care through an innovative approach to attracting physicians to diverse, underserved areas with a generous paid time off package to be used for international volunteer work. He is co-author of the nationally-released playbook: “Reimagining Leadership: A Pathway for Rural Health to Thrive in a COVID-19 World.” Prior to joining CHA, he spent six years serving as the CEO of Kearny County Hospital in Lakin, Kan. Benjamin earned a Bachelor of Arts in English and an MBA from Drury University as well as a Master’s of Health Care Delivery Science from Dartmouth College.

Jennifer Bacani McKenney, MD, FAAFP
Family Physician, Fredonia Family Care

Welcome Address & Legislative Issues Impacting Rural Family Medicine

Thursday, 11:30 a.m.

Jennifer Bacani McKenney, MD, FAAFP, is a family physician in her hometown of Fredonia, Kansas, a community of approximately 2,500 people. She has owned and managed her practice alongside her father for the last 12 years. McKenney was named the 2021 Rural Health Practitioner of the Year by the National Rural Health Association.

She earned her medical degree at the University of Kansas Medical Center and KU School of Medicine-Wichita and completed her residency at Via Christi Family Medicine Residency in Wichita. She serves as the Wilson County health officer as well as the Fredonia city health officer. She is a member of the USD 484 school board and served as the president for two years.

She is the Associate Dean of the Office of Rural Medical Education at the University of Kansas Medical Center. She is the President of the Kansas Academy of Family Physicians and serves on the board of directors for the Kansas Health Foundation and Kansas Medical Society. She is a member of the Kansas Patients and Providers Engaged in Prevention Research (KPPEPR) board and was the co-chair of the Governor’s Safer Classrooms Workgroup. Previously, she served on the national Board of Directors of the American Academy of Family Physicians and the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine.

Sage Bauer
Director of Political Affairs and Member Engagement, AAFP

Grassroots Advocacy: How to Get Involved

Thursday, 12:30 p.m.

Sage Bauer comes to the AAFP having dedicated her 20 year career to enabling physicians, patients and others to influence their elected leaders. She began her career advocating for improved policies for domestic violence survivors before transitioning to federal health care policy. Sage worked for a U.S. Senator as the Affordable Care Act was being written before finding her passion assisting physicians advocate for improved health care policies. In addition to working for the AAFP, Sage has also worked for the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the American Psychiatric Association.

Ryan Biehle, MPH, MPA, CAE
Executive Vice President & CEO, Colorado Academy of Family Physicians

Legislative Issues Impacting Rural Family Medicine

Thursday, 11:30 a.m.

Ryan is the CEO and Executive Vice President at the Colorado Academy of Family Physicians. He joined the CAFP staff in July 2015 and assumed this position in October 2020. Ryan holds a Dual Master of Public Health and Public Administration through the University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz. He received his B.A. in Political Science and English from the University of Colorado at Boulder. He is a Certified Association Executive (CAE) through the American Society of Association Executives. Prior to joining CAFP, Ryan worked as the Policy and Legislative Associate for a Colorado consumer advocacy organization to advance equitable access to health care. In previous roles, he served in U.S. Senator Mark Udall’s Washington, D.C. office where he worked in constituent correspondence and communications on issues including health care and education. Ryan grew up on the Western Slope of Colorado and enjoys road cycling, skiing and golf. He currently lives in Denver with his daughter, Laila, and partner Stephanie, who is a family physician practicing in Aurora.

Jeffery Curtis, MD, FACC, FACP
Medical Director of Health and Wellness Services, Fort Hays State University

Engaging with other Specialties to Improve Patient Care

Thursday, 8:45 a.m.

Born: March 24, 1955. Hays, KS
High School: Hays High School 1973
Fort Hays State University BS General Science 1977
University of Kansas School of Medicine, MD 1981
Internship Internal Medicine, Univ of Kansas Medical Center 1981-82
Resident, Internal Medicine, Univ of Kansas Medical Center 1982-84
Chief Resident, Internal Medicine, KUMC 1984-85, Norton Greenberger, MD , Chairman
Fellow, Cardiovascular Disease, Univ of North Carolina, Chapel Hill 1985-88; L Gettes, Chair

Stacy Dashiell, MD, FAAFP

Physician Wellness: Combating Burnout When You’re the Only Game in Town

Thursday, 1:30 p.m.

Stacy Dashiell, MD FAAFP practices full-scope rural family medicine in central Kansas. She is a graduate of the University of Kansas School of Medicine and the Research Family Medicine Residency Program where she served as Chief Resident. In 2020, Dr. Dashiell was named the KAFP Family Physician of the Year. In 2018, she was the Community Volunteer Faculty of the Year for the Department of Family Medicine, KU School of Medicine, Wichita. She is currently an AAFP Leading Physician Well-being 2022 Scholar. Dr. Dashiell founded and leads the Employee Wellness Committee at Rice Community Healthcare and is passionate about improving healthcare workers’ well-being through individual education and organizational change. Her other loves include her husband, Christian, their four children (ages 5-16), and the family rescue dog, Chloe.

Christine Donnelly, MD, FAAFP
Santana District Hospital

Rural Health Quirks

Thursday, 3:45 p.m.

Medical school- Penn State College of Medicine. Training- University of AZ Family & Community Medicine dept. Practiced in rural Wyoming – practice that included obstetrics, then changed it up to inter-city Tucson for numerous years and also tried out upper-level management- became Chief Medical officer for 120 physician group for 5 years- this was enough and decided to return to practicing real medicine and came to rural Kansas where I practice in a town of less than 1,000 people.

Bethany Enoch, MD, FAAFP
Family Physician, Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas

The Future of Family Medicine

Friday, 11 a.m.

Bethany Enoch graduated from the University of Kansas School of Medicine and completed Family Medicine Residency at the KU Family Medicine Residency. She then moved to the Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas, an FQHC, with plans to ultimately begin a residency in Pittsburg, KS. Through several years, this process unfolded, and CHCSEK received a 3 year rural residency planning grant from HRSA  in 2019 which culminated with the matriculation of the inaugural class in July 2022. Dr. Enoch also works as the medical director for the Pittsburg Extended Rural Clerkship Option for third and fourth year medical students at KUSOM, and the director of student medical education for the Pittsburg site of ATSU Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine as well as the director of the southeastern Kansas rural medical education network. She continues to practice Family Medicine including inpatient, outpatient and obstetrical care.

Lynn Fisher, MD, FAAFP
Assistant Professor of Family & Community Medicine, KUMC-SOM Wichita

The Future of Family Medicine

Friday, 8:45 a.m.

Lynn Fisher, M.D., received his undergraduate degree in human biology from the University of Kansas in 1996 and his medical degree from KU School of Medicine-Wichita in 2001. He completed a family medicine residency at North Colorado Medical Center in 2004 in Greeley, Colorado. He practiced full-spectrum rural family medicine for 15 years in the towns of Great Bend and Plainville before joining the Department of Family and Community Medicine in 2019. He is currently the fourth-year director for the rural preceptorship, subinternships, and electives.

Jennifer Findley
Executive Director, Healthworks

The Future of Family Medicine –  Sustaining Rural Health Care: The Rural Emergency Hospital

Friday, 11 a.m.

Jennifer Findley serves as the vice president of education and special projects for the Kansas Hospital Association. Her primary responsibilities at KHA include development, management and oversight of education programs and services. She provides leadership to the KHA Annual Convention and leadership development programming and. She is also the executive director of Healthworks, KHA”s foundation. In her role with Healthworks, she provides leadership to grant projects many with a focus on rural and Critical Access Hospitals. Jennifer serves as a liaison to the Kansas Healthcare Engineers Association and Kansas Healthcare Environmental Services Association. She serves on a number of committees dedicated to education, technology, and advocacy and is a former board member of the Kansas Society of Association Executives. Jennifer has a bachelor’s degree in political science and speech communication from Wichita State University and a training and development certificate from Southwest Missouri State University College of Business Administration.

John Fitzpatrick
Consultant & Community Health Strategist, KC Digital Drive

Telehealth & Patient Care Resources in Your Community

Thursday, 10 a.m.

John Fitzpatrick serves as Consultant and Community Health Strategist for KC Digital Drive, a non-profit in the Kansas City metropolitan area that strives to make the region a digital leader to secure economic prosperity and improve the quality of life by: 1) closing the digital divide; 2) driving digital innovation; and 3) building up the region’s reputation for civic innovation, including thoughtful adoption of technology. He helps to organize research, events, and projects for the Health Innovation Team, leading initiatives in learning, collaboration, and program management for in-community digital health strategies, including writing and executing grants.

Steeped in both the not-for-profit and commercial worlds, John has been involved in delivering services electronically over distance and time on a global scale since 1986, and specifically within health since 1991. Including nearly 15 years with Cerner Corporation, this has involved engaging and advising community, regional, and national decision-makers, including multi-lateral organizations like the World Bank, for large-scale software solutions including some in which the term “telehealth” was first used. He is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame.

Aline Hansen-Guzman, MD

Addressing Health Disparities of Marginalized Persons in Rural Communities

Thursday, 4:30 p.m.

Aline Hansen-Guzman was born and raised in Colorado and served in the Peace Corps in El Salvador prior to obtaining her MD at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. She completed her residency training in the Family Medicine/Obstetrics program at the University of California at Davis in Sacramento and then returned to Colorado. Dr. Hansen-Guzman has practiced family medicine with obstetrics at an FQHC in rural northeast Colorado for 13 years. She helped to create the University of Colorado Morgan County Rural Training Track and is currently the Site Director and a Senior Clinical Instructor. In 2021, she was chosen to represent the AAFP in the Women’s Equity and Leadership Project that aims to create more equitable work experiences and leadership opportunities for women physician. In addition, Dr. Hansen-Guzman has helped provide antiracist trainings through the University of Colorado Department of Family Medicine.

Chad Johanning, MD, FAAFP
Family Physician, Lawrence Family Practice Center

Grassroots Advocacy 101

Thursday, 12:30 p.m.

  • University of Kansas School of Medicine 2004
  • Via Christi Family Medicine Residency, 2004-2007
  • Private Practice, Atchison, KS 2007-2014
  • Private Practice, Lawrence Family Practice Center, 2014- present
  • Governmental Advocacy Chairperson, KAFP, 2015- present
  • President, KAFP 2020-2021

David Jordan, MPA
President and CEO, United Methodist Health Ministry Fund

Telehealth & Patient Care Resources in Your Community

Thursday, 10 a.m.

The Future of Family Medicine

Friday, 11 a.m.

David Jordan is the President of the United Methodist Health Ministry Fund (Health Fund). David leads the statewide health foundation’s grantmaking, relationship building, policy development, and advocacy. David represents the Health Fund on local, state and national boards and committees, serving as a member of the Governor’s Commission on Racial Equity and Justice, Kansas’ Vaccine Equity Commission, and Kansas’ Healthy 2030 Committee.

Before joining the Health Fund, David served as the executive director of the Alliance for a Healthy Kansas, a coalition of over 100 organizations working to improve health and access to health care in Kansas. David joined the Alliance after spending nearly seven years at Community Catalyst, where he led a national campaign to expand access to dental care by initiating and supporting state campaigns to establish the practice of dental therapists.

David holds a Masters in Public Administration from the University of Kansas and Bachelors of Science in Speech Communication from Emerson College.

Michael Kennedy, MD FAAFP
Prof. Emeritus in Family Medicine, Retired KUMC-SOM Kansas City

What’s Unique to the Rural Physician Toolbox

Thursday, 3:30 p.m.

Michael Kennedy was a physician in Kansas for 30 years. Prior to that he was a respiratory therapist for 10 years. He did all of his healthcare education at KUMC in Kansas City. He did his residency in family medicine at KUMC in Kansas City. He practiced full-spectrum family medicine in a rural setting for 9 years in Coffee County. He then returned to a faculty position at KUMC-SOM in Kansas City. He became the associate Dean for rural health education. The majority of his career was advocating for rural medicine and helping to support rural medical education and create new rural programs at KU. He taught medical students and residents across the spectrum of medical education.

Katie McGarry, DNP, AGPCNP-BC
Director of Clinical Operations, RubiconMD, Inc

Bridging Access Gaps to Specialty Care with eConsults

Thursday, 11 a.m.

Katie received BA in Biology and Psychology from Colby College in 2011. Upon graduation from Colby College, pursued her bachelor ‘12, masters ‘14, and doctorate ’16 in Nursing from Columbia University. During her tenure, Katie found her passion to help empower patients and clinicians to optimize chronic illness care.

Katie practiced as an Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner and Bariatric Surgery Coordination for Mount Sinai Department of Surgery in New York, New York. Building on her experience and passion for those managing chronic diseases, Katie joined Mount Sinai Faculty Practice Primary Care as their Clinical Program Manager. Dr. McGarry led her team during the pandemic navigating through the transition to virtual care, re-opening, and vaccine distribution while maintaining quality care and meeting revenue goals.

During the pandemic, Dr. McGarry was exposed to eConsults and found the tremendous impact they had on facilitating access to care and clinician collaboration in a time that highlighted the need the most. For Katie, when the opportunity to join RubiconMD there was no hesitation! Katie is now the Director of Clinical Operations and Program Development leading the team dedicated to clinical quality, delivery, and advisory across the platform.

Outside of work, Dr. McGarry resides in Atlanta, GA with her husband and puppy Walter. She loves to travel around the world to learn recipes to cook while at home!

Cooper Nickel, MD, CPC, CPB, CRHCP

Practice Management for the Rural Family Physician

Friday, 9:15 a.m.

Dr. Cooper Nickel is a 2nd-generation Family Physician. He completed his undergraduate and medical training at the University of Kansas School of Medicine – Kansas City and Wichita. He headed north to Salina to complete his residency at Smoky Hill in 2020. He began in urban underserved at an FQHC at Heartland, but his heart was in rural medicine. In 2021, he left to join Phillips County Health Systems in Phillipsburg, KS. He is a Certified Rural Health Clinic Professional and a Certified Professional Coder. Seeing a need for better billing education for family docs, especially within rural areas, he has also co-founded Limestone Healthcare Consultants. Limestone focuses on bolstering the bottom line of Family Physicians through education on better billing practices.

Beth Oller, MD, FAAFP
Family Physician, Solomon Valley Family Medicine

Engaging with other Specialties to Improve Patient Care

Thursday, 8:45 a.m.

Dr. Beth Oller is physician co-owner of Solomon Valley Family Medicine in the rural community of Stockton, KS where she practices with her husband. She graduated from the University of Kansas with a degree in Nursing in 2002, and with a degree in Medicine in 2008. Dr. Oller completed her residency training at Wesley Family Medicine Residency in Wichita, KS in 2011. After being exposed to rural Family Medicine in medical school she decided this was the population she wanted to serve and found a community in need in which to open a practice. She practices full scope Family Medicine including clinic, inpatient, emergency room, nursing home and obstetric care including surgical obstetrics. Her areas of interest are women’s health, pediatrics and maternal healthcare, and gender affirming care. Dr. Oller is actively involved in the Kansas Academy of Family Physicians, chairing the Professional Development Committee. She has been involved in national leadership as well, serving in various capacities including the student member on the AAFP Board of Directors and the resident AAFP representative to the AMA. Dr. Oller is very involved in teaching, serving as a preceptor for pre-medical students, medical students and residents and is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine for the University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita. Outside of medicine Dr. Oller enjoys spending time with her husband, their 9-year-old daughter Lyla, 5-year-old twins Maya and Merrick, 3-year-old Noble, and their German Shepard, cats, goats, rabbits and chickens. She enjoys reading and singing, and she and her husband are very active in their local community.

Erica Pike, MS
Director of Policy & Government Relations, Colorado Academy of Family Physicians

 

Advocacy 101

Thursday, 12:30 p.m.

Erica Pike is a curious solution-seeker who is particularly motivated by efforts to build a more equitable future. She graduated from Drexel University in 2013 with a Bachelors in Dance/Movement Therapy and from Northeastern University in 2015 with a Masters in Applied Nutrition. As a former direct service provider, Erica develops deep connections across backgrounds and identities to help build power and the promise of creating system-level change. She currently serves as the Director of Policy and Government Relations with the Colorado Academy of Family Physicians. With over nine years working in public health advocacy in Massachusetts and Colorado, Erica has sparked movements to improve maternal & child health outcomes, promoted collaboration and coordination across sectors, and led teams engaged in changing the landscape of municipal and state leaders. Erica lives in Denver, CO where she spends her free time gardening, riding bicycles with her partner, and helping out at the family record shop: Wax Trax.

Jeremy Presley, MD, FAAFP
Family Physician, Family Practice Associates of Western Kansas LLC

There’s No I in Team: Innovation and Collaboration in Rural Health

Thursday, 8 a.m.

Jeremy Presley, MD FAAFP graduated from Baker University in 2000 and then KU School of Medicine in 2007. He completed Family Medicine residency at Via Christi Family Medicine Residency in Wichita, KS in 2010. He has been practicing full spectrum family medicine in his home town of Dodge City, KS since 2010 at Family Practice Associates of Western Kansas. He is co-owner of this practice along with Dr R.C. Trotter and has 2 APP Staff and just recently joined by 2 new physician graduates.

Currently Jeremy practices full spectrum endoscopy, pre/post natal care after delivering babies for the first 9 years of practice and daily “cradle to grave” clinical practice. FPA joined an ACO in 2016 and Jeremy has been the practice champion for this since that time. He has enjoyed learning and growing the value based care strategy greatly throughout that time and now also works as a local medical director for that ACO.

Dr. Presley’s experiences growing up in rural western Kansas ranged from working at the local pharmacy throughout high school, working on the farm, and even still running the combine for wheat harvest every year as his “vacation” from his practice. His experiences have helped him support and understand his patient base and the lifestyle they live everyday as well as giving him the credentials to be trusted by his peers and patients alike.

Dr. Presley has also served as President of the KAFP in 2018-19 and is currently an alternate delegate to the AAFP COD. Years of working with family physicians and now getting to help guide practices through the value based care strategies has given him great insight into the trials and tribulations of making such a significant practice mentality change. The days of the physician being the only person to deliver medical care are long gone but the physician leading a team of skilled staff now makes the increasing demand more successful for our patients and more satisfying for us as physicians.

Anna Rempel, MD
Family Physician, Bluestem Medical

Breaking Down Barriers for OB/GYN Care in Rural Communities

Thursday, 2:45 p.m.

Anna Rempel, MD is a family physician practicing full spectrum family medicine in Quinter, Kansas as part of a private practice along with four physicians, including her husband, Scott Rempel, MD. She obtained her undergraduate degree in biology and sociology from Newman University before going to the University of Kansas Medical Center were she met her husband. They went on to complete their residency at Smoky Hill Family Medicine Residency in Salina, Kansas. Anna enjoys her full spectrum practice, including surgical obstetrics, in a small Northwest Kansas rural community where she lives with her husband and their 18 month old daughter. Working at a critical access hospital that offers full obstetrical services with no OB/GYN on staff allows unique opportunities and challenges that highlight the need for collaboration between family physicians and OB/GYN providers.

Jenna Sloan, MD, FACOG
OB/GYN, Hays Medical Center

Breaking Down Barriers for OB/GYN Care in Rural Communities

Thursday, 2:45 p.m.

As a native of northwest Kansas, Dr. Jenna Sloan enjoys practicing general obstetrics and gynecology in the rural area in which she was raised. Her primary goal is providing exceptional health care to women and girls throughout their life, starting with adolescence, through childbearing and into menopause. Beyond well-woman care and general obstetrics, her particular practice interests include laparoscopic/minimally invasive surgery, fertility care, colposcopy and abnormal Pap smear follow-up, diagnosis and treatment of vulvar dermatoses, and menopausal treatment and hormone therapy. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Kansas State University, her medical doctorate from the University of Kansas, and completed her residency training at Baylor Scott and White in Temple, TX. She is board certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Her interests outside of work include helping her husband on their family farm, spending time with their three children, and running.