A program and a goal of increasing the number of advanced nursing practitioners in rural Kansas communities have helped the Department of Nursing at Fort Hays State University win the largest individual grant ever at Fort Hays State University.
The program is called the BSN to DNP track. It is a pathway for nurses who have the Bachelor of Science in Nursing to earn the Doctor of Nursing Practice, an advanced practice family nurse practitioner degree without having to leave home. The grant is $2,796,398 from the Health Resources and Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Dr. Jenny Manry, chair of FHSU’s Department of Nursing, said the project has two goals: to increase the number and quality of nurse practitioners in rural areas of the state, and to increase collaboration with clinical sites and on-site professional mentors (called preceptors) to recruit, train and educate the program’s students.
“The BSN to DNP program at FHSU focuses on preparing students to care for populations from the newborn to the elderly,” she said. “Students perform clinicals with both physicians and family nurse practitioners across Kansas, with many students coming from rural and frontier areas.”
The grant covers four years. The program requires 75 credit hours of coursework and, over two years, 900 clinical hours. About half of the grant will go to students as stipends. The aim, said Manry, is to cut down on the hours students have to work to sustain themselves and to provide travel money. “I have some students who drive an hour or an hour and a half every day to go to their clinical sites,” she said.
Jayda Edgar, who is in her third year of the DNP program, has a passion for rural America,
“I hope to continue working in small, rural areas as these are the communities that are struggling to find providers,” she said. “I love the personal connection with the patients and communities.”
The stipend, she said, has been very welcome.
“This stipend has lightened my financial burden tremendously and allows me to focus on my schoolwork,” she said. “I do not think I can put into words my gratitude for this.”
Manry said Edgar is just one of the students who has been positively impacted by the grant. She said she hopes that the funding will impact rural communities by giving students a slight reprieve from financial burdens and allow them to complete the DNP program, which may not otherwise have been possible.
About 50 students are currently working toward their degrees in the BSN to DNP track.
About the grant:
This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of an award totaling $2,796,398 with zero percentage financed with non-governmental sources. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.
WASHINGTON — It’s vaping week on capitol hill. House Committee on Oversight and Reform heard from officials at the CDC Tuesday.
KDHE Secretary Dr. Lee Norman during Wednesday’s testimony image courtesy Energy and Commerce Committee
On Wednesday, Kansas Department of Health and Environment Secretary Dr. Lee Norman addressed the subcommittee in Washington. The hearing “Sounding the Alarm: The Public Health Threats of E-Cigarettes.” Kansas has had two confirmed deaths related to vaping.
Chair DeGette, Ranking Member Guthrie, and distinguished subcommittee members thank you for the opportunity to appear before the House Energy and Commerce Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee today to discuss the need to the public health emergency regarding e-cigarettes, or as the industry has termed it, vaping.
We greatly appreciate your attention to this issue of critical importance to the health of the population. As the State Health Officer of Kansas, a US Army Lieutenant Colonel and the State Surgeon of Kansas, and as a recently-deployed 35th Infantry theater medical commander in the Middle East, I have personally witnessed the deleterious impact addiction to any substance, whether it be nicotine, alcohol or illicit substances has on the citizens of Kansas and the economic costs to our entire health care system. I am now witnessing an outbreak of lung diseases impacting our state and recently claim the life of one Kansan. Our youth were poised to be the generation that ended smoking.
That legacy is now in jeopardy. Youth usage of e-cigarettes, along with outbreak of lung diseases that continue to be investigated, is alarming. As a physician, public servant, military serviceman, father and grandfather,
I owe it to the troops I work with, the staff I support and the Kansans I serve, to do what I can to win this battle for our youth. In Kansas, we currently have eight probable/confirmed vaping related cases with one of those being a death. Of the cases, four are male and four are female and range in age from 17-57 years old. All were hospitalized, five have been released from the hospital and two remain hospitalized. Regarding the types of vaping products used, three of the patients reported using only nicotine, two reported only THC, one reported using CBD, and two reported using both THC and nicotine.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) e-cigarettes typically contain nicotine, most also contain flavorings and other chemicals, and some may contain marijuana or other substances. They are known by many different names and come in many shapes, sizes and device types. E-cigarettes can contain harmful or potentially harmful substances, including nicotine, heavy metals (e.g., lead), volatile organic compounds, and cancer-causing chemicals.
Additionally, some e-cigarette products are used to deliver illicit substances; may be acquired from unknown or unauthorized (i.e., “street”) sources; and may be modified for uses that could increase their potential for harm to the user.
Youth, young adults, pregnant women, as well as adults who do not currently use tobacco products should not use e-cigarettes. E-cigarettes containing nicotine have the potential to help some individual adult smokers reduce their use of and transition away from cigarettes.
However, e-cigarettes are not currently approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a quit smoking aid, and the available science is inconclusive on whether e-cigarettes are effective for quitting smoking.1 E-cigarettes are the most commonly used tobacco product among youth.
Forty-four percent of Kansas high school youth who use e-cigarettes also currently use conventional cigarettes. Nationally, 96.1 percent of youth who initiated e-cigarette use between 2016 and 2017 did so with a flavored e-cigarette product. Preliminary findings from the 2019 National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS) were reported. They found over one quarter of U.S. high school students report using an e-cigarette product in the past 30 days, an increase from 2018 when the rate of past 30-day use was 20.8 percent. Most teens who are vaping never smoked cigarettes.
Vaping is how they are initiating inhaling substances into their lungs. In Kansas, the top reasons why youth report using e-cigarettes include: a friend or family member uses, its availability in different flavors; and they perceive it as being less harmful than other forms of tobacco. We must work diligently to stop youth from acquiring and using e-cigarettes or vaping devices.
States are taking a leading role in implementing strong action to protect consumers from the harms of ecigarette product use. New York has also banned most flavored vaping products but will allow mint and menthol flavorings to remain on the shelves. California announced a crackdown on illegal and counterfeit vaping products and allocated funds into a public awareness campaign on vaping harms. Kansas is committed to combating the issue.
We are actively reviewing policy options to address this epidemic, which includes options to ban of flavored e-cigarette products through executive action or passing of legislation as the federal government moves ahead with its own regulatory plan. To increase education regarding e-cigarettes and what the tobacco industry has termed as “vaping,”
KDHE and the Kansas Department of Education partnered to develop a Vape-Free Schools kit. Schools are urged to adopt the kit and parents and caretakers are encouraged to have conversations with their children. I recognize this to be a public health emergency of considerable importance. As Chief Medical Officer of large health systems for over 25 years,
I have served as incident commander for H1N1 pandemic influenza, Ebola, the ongoing opioid epidemic, and now this. We are currently losing the battle against e-cigarettes and vaping, and we do not even understand the cause. We need a diligent and consistent approach to solving this, including thoughtful policy-making and regulatory changes, in the name of consumer protection and the public’s health. I am happy to participate in the effort.
Preliminary autopsy results indicate Norton Correctional Facility Central Unit offender Jeremy J. Palmer died as a result of a cardiac event on Sept. 16.
MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — The trial of a Kansas man charged in an infant’s death ended in a hung jury.
The jury on Tuesday could not reach a unanimous verdict in the first-degree murder and child abuse trial of D’Khari Lyons of Manhattan. Lyons was charged after 2½-month-old Michael Calver Jr. died in November 2018 while Lyons was watching him.
When Michael’s mother returned home, the boy was having trouble breathing and was bruised. He died three days later at a Kansas City hospital.
Officials ruled Michael died from head trauma after sustaining severe internal injuries.
Prosecutors alleged Lyons hurt the child to stop him from crying. Lyons testified he wouldn’t hurt a child and didn’t know what caused Michael’s injuries.
Judge Meryl Wilson set a hearing for Oct. 7 to determine how to proceed.
Dr. Jerry Lynn Gallentine, beloved son of Ivan and Thelma (Tapp) Gallentine, was born on November 3, 1940 at his family home in Clayton, Kansas, and peacefully passed away with his loving family by his side, September 24, 2019, at Whispering Pines in Norton, at the age of 78.
Jerry grew up on a farm northwest of Clayton and graduated from Clayton High School. He went on to receive his Bachelor of Science from Fort Hays State University and his Masters of Science, Masters of Education, and Doctorate of Philosophy from The University of Toledo, all by the age of 24.
On September 18, 1961, Jerry married the love of his life, Shirley Brooks in Hays, Kansas and to this union two wonderful children were born. Both Jerry and Shirley were baptized at Clayton United Methodist Church. Upon graduation Jerry taught college biology and microbiology in Fremont, Nebraska until 1968. He thought he could affect the greatest change in higher education by pursing administrative roles.
From 1968 until 1980, Jerry held many and varied administrative roles culminating in the presidency of Labette Community College in 1980 in Parsons, Kansas. Jerry was President of Peru State College in Peru, Nebraska from 1983-1990; Western New Mexico University in Silver City, New Mexico from 1990-1993; lastly at National American University in Rapid City, South Dakota from 1993-2016. After his retirement in 2016, Dr. Jerry Gallentine remained as Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chairman of the Board of Governors until 2018. He served 23 years as President of NAU. During his time at NAU, he served on Board of Directors of Salem University and Schiller International University and Board of Trustees at Salem University. Jerry began his own consulting firm, Gallentine Higher Education Consulting to assist colleges and universities become accredited for many years. Jerry and Shirley moved to Norton, Kansas in 2018.
Aside for his work, which he thoroughly loved, Jerry enjoyed being outside exploring nature and was also an avid reader. His greatest love was his family, especially his wife, children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchild.
Survivors include: his loving wife, Shirley, Norton, Ks.; one daughter, Kim Gallentine; one son, Jerry Jr., and wife, Lynette Gallentine; one brother, John, and wife, Ann Gallentine, Clayton, Ks.; seven grandchildren, Ashley, and husband, Doug Weston; Zachary, and wife, Izzi Farran; Stephen Gallentine; Brooke Gallentine; Taryn, and husband, Jack Mitchell; Gannon Radenberg; Timmy Milliman Jr.; six great-grandchildren, Caleb and Hannah Hurlbut; Shelby, and husband, Jake Sleeth; Mason, Blake, and Cameron Weston; one great-grandchild, Soren Sleeth; several other relatives and friends.
Jerry was preceded in death by his parents and sister, Delores Slipke.
FUNERAL SERVICE – Saturday, September 28, 2019 – 10:30 A.M.
PLACE – Enfield Funeral Home – Norton, Kansas
VISITATION – Friday, September 27, 2019 from 5:00 PM until 7:00 PM at Enfield Funeral Home in Norton.
INTERMENT – Clayton Cemetery – Clayton, Kansas
MEMORIALS – Clayton Cemetery, Norcatur Alliance, Whispering Pines, or Peru State College Foundation
Deborah Ann (Detmer) Debes, age 63, from Hays, Kansas died Tuesday, September 24, 2019, at Hays Medical Center, Hays, Kansas.
She was born May 14, 1956, in Great Bend, Kansas to Andrew L. and Marjorie M. (Ziegler) Detmer. She married Kenneth R. Debes on October 6, 1979, in Great Bend, Kansas.
She was an accounting specialist at Brungart-Hower-Ward-Elliott & Pfeifer, LC for 21 years and retired in 2018. She grew up in Great Bend, and a was a 1974 graduate of Great Bend High School, attended Barton County Community College and Fort Hays State University. Deborah lived in Great Bend, Ellinwood, and Lincoln before moving to Hays in 1993. She was a member of Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church, Hays.
She enjoyed crocheting blankets and flower gardening.
Survivors include her husband, Kenneth Debes, of the home; one son, Stephen Debes, and wife, Rose, Hoisington, KS; two daughters, Anna Debes, Hays, KS; Rachel Debes and husband, Jarod Hart, Shawnee, KS; two sisters, Vicki Haselhorst and husband, Dan, Great Bend, KS; Linda Ille and husband, Mark, Great Bend, KS; four grandchildren, Peter Debes, Andrew Debes, Charles Hart and Isaac Hart.
She was preceded in death by her parents.
Services will be at 10:00 A.M. Friday, September 27, 2019, at Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church, 18 & Vine, Hays, Kansas. Burial in St. Joseph Cemetery, Hays, Kansas.
Visitation is from 6:00 to 8:00 P.M. Thursday, at Cline-Keithley Mortuary of Hays, and from 9:00 to 10:00 A.M. Friday, at the Church. Family suggests memorials to Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church or Capuchin Province of Mid-America.
Services are entrusted to Cline’s-Keithley Mortuary of Hays, 1919 E. 22nd Street, Hays, Kansas 67601.
Condolences can be sent via e-mail to [email protected] or can be left by guestbook at www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com
MERRIAM, Kan. (AP) — A dog that spent more than 400 days at a suburban Kansas City animal shelter has found a home after a man moved into a kennel with the terrier mix and posted videos of the experience on Facebook.
Staff with the Great Plains SPCA shelter in Merriam, Kansas, cheered as the 3-year-old dog, named Queen, left the shelter with her new owner, Tony Puluso. He said that Queen is a “perfectly sweet dog.” He said he didn’t even know she was at the center of a viral campaign to find her a home.
The man behind the campaign was Scott Poore, of Mission Driven Goods, which creates fundraisers for shelters. He moved in with Queen on Sept. 18, bringing with him a laptop, desk and a small twin mattress.
Jerry Scott Thomsen of Clay Center passed away September 24, 2019 in Clay Center. He was born July 10, 1931 in Oberlin, Kansas, the son of Clarice (Scott) Thomsen and Andy J. Thomsen D.D.S. He graduated from Decatur County High School with the class of 1949 and from Kansas State University. After serving in the United States Air Force as a navigator, he attended and graduated from University of Missouri at Kansas City School of Dentistry.
He practiced general dentistry in Clay Center, Kansas from 1962-1995. After retirement, he returned to Kansas State, earning a bachelor’s degree in fine arts, focusing on ceramics. His family and friends benefited from this passion.
Jerry enjoyed traveling the world, often with the Roads Scholar. The program often included having dinner with local residents. He would take a piece of his pottery in his duffel bag as a hostess gift.
Sailing the area lakes or the Caribbean was also a passion; starting with a Sailfish and working up to a Cal 27. Later with his crew of special lady, Claire Bowers, Jean and Jack Mohler and Bob and Amy Dodson, he frequently set sails in the British Virgin Islands.
He lived life to the fullest.
He is survived by his sister, Amy Dodson and husband, Bob, Abilene, Kansas; niece, Lesley Dodson Shuler (Alan), Salina, Kansas; nephew, Andrew Dodson, Lees Summit, Missouri; grandnieces: Genna Shuler Bickford (Austen), Blair Shuler Erb (Wyatt), Abbey Dodson, Aeriel Dodson Feeback (Brooks), all of Johnson County, Kansas and great grandnephews: Harrison Erb and Jack Bickford.
Jerry was preceded in death by his parents.
Graveside services and internment will be at the Oberlin City Cemetery, Saturday, September 24, 2019 at 3:00 pm. Memorials may be given to the Clay Center Carnegie Library, 706 Sixth Street, Clay Center, KS 67432, the Oberlin City Library, 104 E. Oak, Oberlin, KS 67749 or the Decatur County Health Systems, 810 W. Columbia, Oberlin, KS 67749. Condolences may be left at www.paulsfh.com
SHAWNEE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a weekend shooting and asking the public for help to locate individuals who might have information.
During the early morning hours of Sept. 21, deputies responded to a shooting in the parking lot at the Topeka Sports Cabaret, 4216 NE Seward Ave. in Topeka, according to Sgt. Todd Stallbaumer.
James BoatrightDustin Dawdy
The victim — a man in his 20s — was seriously injured and transported to the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City.
The Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office is seeking the public’s assistance in locating five individuals who may have information about this incident or may have information on the shooting, according to Stallbaumer.
Pamela S. Babcock, age 61, passed away on Tuesday, September 24, 2019 at the Hays Medical Center in Hays, Kansas.
She was born on September 15, 1958 in Tribune, Kansas, the daughter of Glen A. and Dessa Faye Crittenden Doty. A resident of Scott City, Kansas since 2000 moving from Leoti, Kansas where she lived for over 20 years. Pam worked for several newspapers doing printing and for JF Beaver Advertising in Scott City, Kansas.
In 1976 she graduated from Greeley County High School in Tribune, Kansas and the in 1978 she graduated from Goodland Community College.
Survivors include her Husband – Phil Yost of Scott City, Kansas, One Step Son – Cody Yost of Scott City, Kansas, One Brother – Gary Doty of Nickerson, Kansas, Two Sisters – Dessa Woods of Tribune, Kansas, Glenna Fogo of Larned, Kansas, One Sister In Law – Charlotte & Bob Minninger of Campbellsburg, Indiana, Several Nieces, Nephews, Aunts & Uncles.
She was preceded in death by her parents & grandparents.
Funeral Services will be held at a later date and time.
Memorials can be made out to the Pamela S. Babcock Memorial Fund in care of Price & Sons Funeral Homes.
