Newsworthy

Dear Community Partners,

Here are today’s updates:

• Topeka Twins Want to “Help and Care” for Others
• Welcome to Dr. Christopher Wilson
• Stormont Vail Health Blog: The Dynamic Visuals Duo in Marketing
• AARP Smart Driver Course on May 15
• Celebrate Better Speech and Hearing Month
• “To Your Health” on WIBW-TV Tonight

Topeka Twins Want to “Help and Care” for Others

For longtime Stormont Vail Health nurse Steve Peterson, seeing his high school daughters pursue a health care career has been gratifying.

Though there was no pressure for them to go into health care, his daughters, twins Emily and Bethany, recently completed the Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) program at TCALC. TCALC is the Topeka Center for Advanced Learning and Careers, which Stormont Vail Health has partnered with in training young people to enter the health care workforce.
Emily and Bethany are no strangers to Stormont Vail. Born prematurely, they spent their first weeks of life in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Stormont Vail, where Steve worked as a nurse at the time. They are part of a photo display of infants and children that still hangs in the NICU entrance hallway. Besides their dad, their maternal grandmother, Nancy Pheasant, was a nurse in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit before she retired several years ago. Steve is now a Rapid Response nurse in Stormont Vail’s Topeka hospital.

Steve said he has encouraged the twins in their CNA program because it not only provides them with training for a job upon completion, but it can be used as a “stepping stone” to explore many health care career pathways – from respiratory therapy, radiology technology and nursing. It also offers the opportunity to work in a variety of settings. As seniors at Hope Street Academy, they are graduating and completing their CNA certification all in May.

“They both passed their CNA certification exams so they will be looking for jobs very soon. They are excited to have a job and have meaningful work to do,” Steve says.

Steve said the TCALC CNA program has been special to him because it is taught by LeAnn Edington, RN in Learning and Talent Development. Steve and LeAnn worked together years ago in the NICU. He believes that the program is giving the twins and other students a great foundation in health care and nursing. “It all stems from the CNA program, building from there,” Steve says.

“I told them both it is hard to get bored in nursing. There are so many options, remote at home, or in the thick of it. It’s nice to have those opportunities,” Steve says.

Emily is interested in working someday as a nurse in pediatrics or with newborns. Bethany has interest in becoming an emergency medical technician, paramedic or nurse.

“They like to help people, they like to help and give. And nursing is one way to live that out,” says Steve.

Welcome to Dr. Christopher Wilson

Join us in welcoming Dr. Christopher Wilson to the Stormont Vail Health family.

Dr. Wilson received his medical degree from Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine and completed his psychiatry residency while on active duty with the Army in Hawaii.

Working with Behavioral Health, Dr. Wilson will be working in both Topeka and Manhattan to deliver the best care possible to our patients. Be sure to wish him a warm welcome to the team!

Stormont Vail Health Blog: The Dynamic Visuals Duo in Marketing

What does a love for design and 35+ years of combined experience get you? An outstanding duo within the Marketing and Communications team, John Collins and Ryan Bishop. If you’ve ever wanted a peek behind the scenes into the visual side of marketing, here’s your chance to get the facts from two outstanding professionals in the field. Read this week’s blog on stormontvail.org here.

AARP Smart Driver Course on May 15

Mark your calendars for Monday, May 15, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. for the AARP Smart Driver Course at 4505 N.W. Fielding Road in Topeka. Join the millions of safer drivers on the road with the award-winning AARP Smart Driver course – the latest from AARP Driver Safety. The course is $20 for AARP members and $25 for non-members. Please call (785) 233-5885 register.

Celebrate Better Speech and Hearing Month

May is Better Speech and Hearing Month. We value our inpatient and outpatient speech-language pathologists who help our patients with various communication and swallowing needs. Speech-language pathologists serve diverse populations with many in the community unaware of their roles, such as dysphagia, until it is relevant to them or their family. Thank you to all of the speech-language pathologists who serve the Stormont Vail community.

 “To Your Health” on WIBW-TV Tonight

Tonight’s WIBW-TV “To Your Health” will showcase Dr. Hailey Avila about the upcoming sports physical day on Saturday. Cotton O’Neil Orthopedics and Sports Medicine will host the sports physical day from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at Cotton O’Neil Kanza Park, 2660 S.W. 3^rd St., Topeka. The sports physicals given at this clinic will be valid for the 2023/2024 sports season. The event is open to all middle school and high school student athletes. Each physical will cost $20 by cash, check or card.

The WIBW “To Your Health” segment will air at 10 p.m. on WIBW-TV, Channel 13. The segment will typically repeat at 5 a.m. and 6 a.m. Fridays on 13 News This Morning and be posted on wibw.com.

We together,

Dr. Kenagy