Media Releases

Stormont Vail Health has named Aaron Wootton as the new Vice President, IT, and Chief Information Officer for the regional integrated healthcare system that includes acute care hospitals in Topeka and Junction City, and multiple primary and specialty care centers and clinics across eastern Kansas. Wootton will begin his new duties Feb. 23, 2026. Wootton…

Stormont Vail Health invites community members to join Walk With An APP, a free event designed to encourage movement, connection, and meaningful conversations about healthy living. This month’s walk will feature Christina Guhr, APRN, Weight Management Specialist at Stormont Vail Manhattan Campus. Christina will share facts on what really affects weight, how to build habits…

Cynthia Hornberger, Ph.D., APRN-CNS, was elected chair of the Stormont Vail Health Board of Directors at the board’s recent annual meeting. Longtime board members Pamela Johnson-Betts and Brenda Mills retired from the board. The board is made up of community volunteers providing oversight to Stormont Vail Health, an independent, Topeka-based integrated healthcare network. Stormont Vail…

Stormont Vail Health welcomes Dawn Peterson, M.D., a board‑certified family physician with more than 20 years of experience in primary and urgent care, to its Express Care team in Topeka. Dr. Peterson earned her undergraduate degree in psychology at the University of Iowa, completed medical school at The University of Kansas School of Medicine, and…

Stormont Vail Health is bringing new hope to patients living with atrial fibrillation (AFib) by introducing the Affera™ Mapping and Ablation System with Sphere-9™ Catheter at Stormont Vail Hospital in Topeka. This advanced technology, recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), represents a major step forward in heart care. “This system allows…

Stormont Vail Health welcomed the first baby in Geary County of 2026 on Jan. 2, 2026, at 9:44 a.m. Baby boy Maverick Epp weighs 6 lbs. and 13 oz. and measures 20 inches long. He was born to Ashley and Anthony Epp. Stormont Vail’s Birthplace offers compassionate, high-quality care for expectant mothers. The nurses and…

Stormont Vail Health is proud to announce that Kelsey Meyer has been appointed as the Emporia Campus Director. In this role, Meyer will serve as the campus’s primary leader, overseeing daily operations and driving strategic growth through program development, service expansion, and integration. She will also lead management teams in Emporia while collaborating with providers…

Beginning Jan. 2, 2026, the South Tower entrance, Surgical Parking Garage entrance door, and Endoscopy/Pulmonary entrance at the Stormont Vail Hospital in Topeka will be open from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday to enhance patient experience and improve ease of access to services in the South Tower area. Outside of these hours,…