Pittsburgh – Today, Governor Laura Kelly toured the John Parolo Education Center on the campus of Southeast Kansas Regional Health Center in Pittsburgh. Governor Kelly joined the health center's leadership team and members of the Board of Directors on a tour of the educational facility and discussed how expanding Medicaid will help address Kansas' healthcare worker shortage.
“Expanding Medicaid will provide better benefits for hardworking Kansans and end the health care worker shortage.” Governor Laura Kelly said: “Ensuring adequate staffing in hospitals and clinics is critical to increasing access to needed care. The Kansas Legislature has a debate on Medicaid expansion when it reopens on April 26th. And we have a responsibility to move our state forward by allowing people to vote.”
The John Parolo Education Center is designed to develop the next generation of health care professionals. The facility provides training for student doctors, nurses, and other health care professionals, as well as hands-on educational experiences for K-12 students. Medicaid expansion will equip centers with additional tools to train and grow the health care workforce.
“The vision of the John Parolo Education Center is to inspire people of all ages to pursue health professions, create learning opportunities and support educational initiatives.” said Jason Wesco, founder of the John Parolo Education Center. “We are pleased that Governor Kelly shares our goals of improving health outcomes in rural Kansas, promoting sustainable communities, and strengthening our health care workforce.”
The failure to expand Medicaid has taken a particularly high toll on southeastern Kansas, including the closure of several nearby hospitals and clinics and, most recently, the Fort Scott emergency department. The region's neighboring state, Missouri, has already expanded Medicaid, allowing it to offer higher wages to health care workers, further exacerbating Kansas' labor shortages.
“We are grateful that Governor Kelly recognizes our efforts to inspire, motivate and support the pursuit of medical education for children, especially in some of the most economically challenged regions of the state. ” said Krista Postai, CEO of Southeast Kansas Regional Health Center. “Governor Kelly came to tour our new education center, but her visit was much more than just a building visit. It demonstrated her understanding and appreciation of the challenges that exist and what Medicaid expansion can do to address them.”
Lawmakers representing Crawford County and surrounding areas were invited to tour. Kansans can find contact information here to ask their local legislators to support Medicaid expansion.
Photos from today's event are available for media below.
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