President's Perspective – Mission Accomplished: Board and Convention Take-Aways
(Sept. 12, 2025) – Last week was the Kansas Hospital Association's 2025 Annual Convention and Trade Show in Wichita. KHA's 2025 Annual Convention and Trade Show was last week in Wichita. The event brought together nearly 1,150 attendees statewide and was filled with excitement, education and excellent networking. The convention theme was Mission: Possible. And based on the feedback we received from attendees, I would describe the event as a Mission: Accomplished. I want to reiterate my appreciation to the KHA Convention Planning Committee for their guidance, the entire KHA staff for their hard work and KHA's Hayley Finch-Genschorck for her outstanding leadership. Everyone worked together to ensure this year's convention was a success. Thank you to all attendees, trade show exhibitors and sponsors.
Before the convention kick-off, the KHA Board of Directors met in person to discuss several emerging and pertinent topics, including the latest information on the Rural Health Transformation Program. The KHA team provided background information regarding the RHTP, as well as the results of the KHA-initiated member survey to obtain recommendations and priorities. In addition, the KHA Board reviewed and adopted a series of guiding principles to assist KHA as ideas and recommendations are presented. The document KHA Principles for a Sustainable Kansas Health Delivery System is online. More information on the RHTP, including information shared during our Sept. 9 member webinar, is available online. Kansas Department of Health and Environment Secretary Janet Stanek joined last week's KHA Board meeting and our member webinar to share additional information on the RHTP and to gather feedback. It is anticipated the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will be releasing the formal application in the near future. In addition, more information is expected to be provided by Governor Laura Kelly's office as additional guidance is made available.
Additional highlights of the September board meeting include:
- Welcomed Sandy Dickerson, administrator and CEO, Greenwood County Hospital, Eureka as a new director of the KHA Board
- Appointed Sarah Teaff, CEO, Patterson Health Center, Anthony, to fulfill a vacant position on the KHA Board of Directors
- Approved the KHA associate membership applications for Beeler Consulting and Amergis Healthcare Staffing
- Reviewed the KHA Governance Committee's recommendations for the slate of directors that was presented to the KHA membership during the annual meeting
- Adopted the KHA finance and investment report
- Highlighted the KHA state and federal advocacy efforts for the remainder of 2025
- Discussed the workforce strategies recommendations that were developed during the KHA Board retreat
- Reviewed the 2025-2027 KHA Strategic Plan dashboard and recent KHA initiatives
- Presented the latest initiatives surrounding health care finance and reimbursement, including a study on the area wage index
- Provided a status update on the fundraising progress of KHA's Political Advocacy Committee.
As always, please don't hesitate to let us know if you have any questions or need assistance with any matters affecting your hospital. Your team at KHA is readily available to assist you!
--Chad Austin