Newsworthy
Our source for news, updates, and press releases for our community
Stormont Vail Health Community News
Upcoming Community Events
- Walk with a Doc focuses on birth choices
- Join the Cancer Prevention Block Party
- Welcome Baby Jubilee returns this fall
- Trauma Symposium registration available
- Rehab career mixer planned in Lawrence
Care Close to Home
- Meet Dr. Keirthana Aedma
- Meet Dr. Christopher Koo
- A simpler approach to heart failure care
Recognizing Care Excellence
- Cooper Rickel named Person of the Moment
- Celebrate our newest DAISY winners
- Celebrate our newest Sunflower winner
In the Community
- Love’s Travel Stops supports local kids
Health News You Can Use
- To Your Health highlights refreshed Mother’s Room
Join Our Team
- Share these featured job openings
Explore Birth Choices | Next Walk with a Doc
- 9–10 a.m.
- Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026
- Washburn University Lee Arena
This month’s Walk with a Doc focuses on VBACs and birth choices with Dr. Kimberly Brey.
If you or someone you know have had a previous C-section or are exploring future pregnancy options, please consider attending!
A New Way to Learn About Cancer Prevention
Join the Cancer Center team for our first-ever Cancer Prevention Block Party!
Enjoy a morning of healthy snacks, music, games, and giveaways while exploring cancer prevention and screening resources.
Know someone who could benefit? Help us spread the word.
Welcome Baby Jubilee Returns Oct. 25
Are you or someone you know expecting a baby? Help spread the word about Welcome Baby Jubilee.
This free community event will feature an Ask a Mom panel, Birthplace tours, VBAC resources, Tdap vaccinations, and more.
Register for the Trauma and Critical Care Symposium
- 8:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m.
- Friday, Oct. 23, 2026
- Pozez Education Center
Stormont Vail Hospital
Stormont Vail Health will host the 2026 Trauma and Critical Care Symposium, bringing healthcare professionals together to explore the decisions that shape trauma care from emergency response through recovery.
The event will focus on trauma care in rural communities and feature experts from Mayo Clinic, regional healthcare organizations, and Stormont Vail.
Stormont Vail Health Rehab Pizza and Career Mixer
- 5–7 p.m.
- Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026
- Morningstar’s Pizza
7931 W. 6th St., Lawrence, KS 66049
Stormont Vail Health’s Rehabilitation Services and Talent Acquisition teams invite PTs, PTAs, OTs, COTAs, and SLPs to a casual evening of pizza and conversation.
Join us to:
- Meet members of our Rehabilitation Services leadership team
- Learn about current and upcoming rehab career opportunities
- Connect with fellow rehabilitation professionals in the region
- Take home a complimentary large one-topping pizza
Bring a colleague or classmate who’s interested in learning more about careers in rehabilitation services.
Meet Our Newest Hospitalist
Welcome Keirthana Aedma, M.D., our new hospitalist at Stormont Vail Hospital in Topeka.
As a research fellow with Mayo Clinic Health System, Dr. Aedma was drawn to Stormont Vail Health for our welcoming, team-oriented culture.
Visit MyChart Provider Finder to learn more:
Get to Know Christopher Koo, M.D.
Dr. Christopher Koo believes one of the most important parts of his job is helping patients and families make sense of an unexpected situation.
Whether explaining a diagnosis, outlining a treatment plan, or answering difficult questions, he aims to be clear and honest every step of the way.
Visit MyChart Provider Finder to learn more:
Heart Failure Monitoring From Home
Our Heart Failure team is expanding the use of CardioMEMS™, a remote monitoring option that allows patients to track their condition from home.
This device helps detect fluid buildup early, so care teams can adjust treatment sooner, often without patients needing to visit the clinic.
Read more about CardioMEMS™ on our website or watch the WIBW To Your Health feature:
July 2026 Person of the Moment: Cooper Rickel
Recognition doesn’t have to be complicated to make a difference.
Critical Care Unit Pavilion charge nurse Cooper Rickel turned a simple moment in the morning huddle into an opportunity for team members to recognize one another’s contributions.
By making appreciation part of the everyday routine, Cooper shows how small actions can have a lasting impact on team culture.
Celebrate Lillian Darveaux, DAISY Award Winner
Some nurses make a difference through what they do. Others through how they make people feel. For one family, Lillian Darveaux, RN, did both.
During a difficult hospital stay, she took time to listen, answer questions, and help the family through an important care concern, all while managing a busy patient assignment.
That steady, compassionate approach is why Lillian is our latest DAISY Award recipient.
Community Partnership Benefits Local Families
A huge thank you to Love’s Travel Stops for a $5,000 donation to Children’s Miracle Network at Stormont Vail Health during the grand reopening of Store #175 in Topeka on July 23, 2026.
A longtime supporter of CMN, Love’s has helped local kids and families get the care they need close to home.
Learn more about Children’s Miracle Network at Stormont Vail Health:
More Than a Mural
The space provides nursing mothers with a private, comfortable area to care for their babies while enjoying events at the venue.
To Your Health airs at 10 p.m. Thursdays on WIBW-TV (Channel 13). Rebroadcasts air on Friday mornings at 5 a.m. and 6 a.m. on 13 News This Morning and on wibw.com.
Know Someone Looking for Their Next Opportunity?
Interested in helping shape the future of healthcare? Share these opportunities with your network.
- Ambulatory LPN – Express Care – FT – Day
- Surgical Technology Apprenticeship Program Coordinator (RN or CST) – Clinical Education – FT – Day
- Speech Language Pathologist – Speech – PT – Day
You are our greatest referral source!
Help us spread the word on the best place to work, train, and grow!
