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  • Karen Weis, PhD, RNC-OB, FAAN, dean of the KU Medical Center’s School of Nursing-Salina Campus
    2025/08/14

    Ep. 30: Karen L. Weis, PhD, RNC-OB, FAAN, is a decorated U.S. Air Force veteran and noted researcher who serves as the dean of KU Medical Center’s School of Nursing-Salina Campus, as well as the associate director of research for the Kansas Center for Rural Health. She also holds the Christine A. Hartley Rural Nursing Professorship. She is a native of the Salina area, working with and focusing on research of various health disparities.

    In this episode, Karen discusses growing up on a farm in Kansas before graduating from nursing school and joining the Air Force for 30 years.

    She shares about her time as a military nurse, including overseeing some of the U.S. Department of Defense’s largest maternal child units and serving as a flight nurse.

    She also discusses her role and the efforts of the School of Nursing-Salina Campus and recent research she has conducted on rural and maternal health.

    Listen now, and learn how Karen is a pioneering leader in health care in Kansas.

    For more about the Health Fund: https://healthfund.org/

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    44 分
  • Johnathan Sublet, Founder and Executive Director, SENT Inc.
    2025/07/31

    Ep. 29: Johnathan Sublet is the founder and executive director of SENT Inc. in Topeka. He is a visionary leader with a wealth of experience in driving community-focused initiatives and organizational growth.

    As executive director of SENT Inc., he has been instrumental in guiding the organization through critical transitions. Under his leadership, SENT is on track to see a projected $2.5 million in revenue for 2025 and has served thousands of individuals through mental health services, housing initiatives, education, and health and wellness programs.

    He is passionate about holistic community development and has played a pivotal role in launching and scaling key projects, such as SENT Prep Academy in 2021, Mental Health Services in 2022, the Southside Filling Station in 2023, the Southside Wellness Clinic in 2025, the Fremont Hill Development beginning in 2025, and a workforce development program aimed at at-risk populations planned for 2025. He spearheaded the successful completion of 29 affordable housing units and led the development of the first new homes in the Hi-Crest area in over 60 years. His leadership has earned SENT Inc. the 2024 Topeka Center for Justice and Peace Organization of the Year Award, and the organization has been recognized as one of 30 grassroots leaders in health equity by the Kansas Health Foundation.

    With a blend of leadership, strategic foresight, and a deep passion for social equity, he continues to influence positive change in Topeka and beyond. He has been recognized as one of Topeka’s Top 20 Under 40 and received the prestigious Living the Dream MLK Jr. Wayne L. Franklin Religion Award.

    Johnathan’s impact continues to be felt in every project he leads, as he works tirelessly to build sustainable and inclusive communities.

    Listen now, and learn how Johnathan is a pioneering leader in improving the health and lives of Kansans.


    For more about the Health Fund: https://healthfund.org/

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    51 分
  • Dr. Beth Oller, M.D., Family Medicine Physician, Rooks County Health Center
    2025/07/18

    Dr. Beth Oller, M.D., Family Medicine Physician, Rooks County Health Center


    Ep. 28: Dr. Beth Oller is a family medicine physician at Rooks County Health Center in Plainville, Kansas.


    She graduated from Wesley Family Medicine Residency in Wichita and has pursued clinical interests in maternal and child care, quality improvement, and rural medicine/access to care.


    In this episode, she discusses her journey into health care and the decision to become a physician after working as a nurse.


    She also discusses her decision to practice in a rural area and the challenges that face rural health care and rural providers, plus much more!


    Listen now, and learn how Dr. Oller is a pioneering leader in rural health care.


    Forw more about the Health Fund: https://healthfund.org/

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    44 分
  • Audé Negrete, Executive Director, Kansas Latino Community Network
    2025/07/03

    Audé Negrete, Executive Director, Kansas Latino Community Network


    Audé Negrete serves as the executive director of the Kansas Latino Community Network, an organization that works to improve health equity by empowering Latinos through nonpartisan civic engagement, leadership development and coalition building.


    Audé’s passion for civic engagement began at her grandmother’s kitchen table when she was 7 years old. The moment Audé learned to read, her grandmother started asking her to read the newspaper every Sunday while cooking and eating breakfast. Current events, politics and even sad news articles were part of her weekend routine with her grandmother, where she began to understand the importance of civic engagement and how it impacts our communities.


    She has carried that passion throughout her career, first interning in college for the Honorable Delia Garcia at the Kansas State House in 2007. She helped promote Latino civic engagement, assisted with policy at the Kansas Legislature and helped with Latina Leadership events at the Capitol.

    After graduating from college, she began working in political campaigns in Kansas. She even went on to serve as the Kansas state director for a presidential campaign, where she led statewide campaign operations and achieved significant success through strategic planning and effective team management.

    In between her roles on political campaigns, she gained experience as a community organizer, working for CASA de Maryland. She recruited and trained volunteers, as well as advanced community advocacy efforts.

    ​Upon leaving campaign work, Audé began a position at El Centro Inc., where she expanded office operations, developed outreach programs and managed volunteers.

    She then joined the private sector, where she managed a bilingual team providing online content and online marketing services to Latino businesses.

    ​She then became executive director of the Kansas Hispanic and Latino American Affairs Commission, serving as a vital liaison between the Hispanic community and the governor’s office. They addressed health needs during the COVID-19 pandemic and implemented culturally relevant programs. She then served as a community partnerships and engagement consultant at the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, enhancing community-led health initiatives before launching the Kansas Latino Community Network.

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    34 分
  • Mike Matson
    2025/06/20

    Mike Matson is a lifelong Kansan whose career has touched various aspects of communications: radio and TV news, press secretary to a governor, systems advocacy, newspaper columnist, deejay and podcast/radio talk show host.

    He also has authored two books that center on alcoholism – one a family memoir of growing up in an alcoholic home and one about his own story of addiction.

    In this episode, he discusses his journey into broadcasting and the various paths his career has taken – including as the press secretary for former Kansas Gov. Bill Graves.

    Today, he is semi-retired but hosts a live daily radio talk show/podcast created to foster critical thinking and writes a column for his local newspaper, The Manhattan Mercury.

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    49 分
  • Haley Kottler KS Appleseed
    2025/06/06

    Haley Kottler serves as the thriving and integrated voter engagement director at Kansas Appleseed.

    Haley, a proud Kansas native born in Wichita, oversees Kansas Appleseed’s anti-hunger advocacy and economic justice work across the state.

    She engages with Kansans in anti-hunger advocacy, leading grassroots campaigns and making the case for change through policy and legislative action. Her fight for justice is rooted in a devotion to equity and fairness for all.

    In this episode, she discusses what food insecurity means and food-assistance programs that are available.

    She highlights the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as food stamps, and how it’s the most effective way to address food insecurity in Kansas and across the country.

    She shares how current proposed legislation poses substantial threats to the program and could terminate benefits for millions of people and further strain state budgets.

    Listen now, and learn more about Haley’s journey into advocacy and her efforts to improve access to food for Kansas families.

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    25 分
  • Becca Graves, Executive Director, Perigee Fund
    2025/05/22

    Pioneers in Health Episode 24, May 22, 2025 – Becca Graves, Executive Director, Perigee
    Fund
    Becca Graves serves as the executive director of the Perigee Fund based in Seattle,
    Washington.
    The Perigee Fund is a philanthropy deeply committed to equity and compelled by the urgent
    need to increase support for families impacted by trauma. It invests in systems change to
    ensure that during pregnancy and early childhood, more families receive healing programs,
    services and resources that protect and nurture their unfolding relationships
    Prior to Perigee Fund, Becca spent more than 15 years at FSG, a global nonprofit consulting
    firm that partners with foundations and corporations to create equitable systems change. There,
    she served as a managing director focused on community-driven philanthropy and the design of
    social change initiatives.
    She also has experience working within grassroots social justice organizations and serving as a
    consultant to advance the growth and sustainability of large social-sector organizations,
    corporations and public-sector entities.

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    34 分
  • Brenda Sharpe, President & CEO, REACH Healthcare Foundation
    2025/05/08

    Pioneers in Health Episode 23, May 8, 2025 – Brenda Sharpe, President & CEO, REACH Healthcare Foundation

    Brenda Sharpe has more than 30 years of experience in the nonprofit sector and has served as President and CEO of the REACH Healthcare Foundation since 2004. As the Foundation’s first CEO, she helped define the organization’s grantmaking priorities and processes and established an effective governance structure. Brenda’s extensive experience allows her to leverage her skills to strengthen the leadership and governance capacity of organizations, institutions, and systems to support resilient people and communities. Since 2005, REACH has awarded a total of $83.5M to bridge the health insurance coverage divide, close the health equity gap, and strengthen the region’s health and human services safety net.

    Brenda’s unwavering commitment to the community is most evident in her tireless efforts to ensure all individuals have access to affordable and equitable healthcare services. This dedication has led her to take on key roles supporting Kansas Governor Laura Kelly’s efforts to expand Medicaid in that state, as well as supporting its implementation in Missouri. Brenda serves as an appointee to the Kansas State Board of Nursing, charged with assuring safe and competent practice by the state’s 70,000+ nurses and mental health practitioners. Over the course of her career, she has accepted numerous state and local appointments and served on national and local Boards, including Grantmakers in Health, MOSAIC Life Care, and the United Way.

    Brenda’s recent appointment to the Kansas City Federal Reserve Community Development Advisory Council is a testament to her ongoing commitment to equitable growth and development opportunities for marginalized communities. In this role, she provides insights into the economic development challenges faced by low- to moderate-income communities. She also remains active in civic life, serving as a Trustee with both the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce and the Johnson County Community College Foundation. In 2021, at the height of the pandemic, Brenda was appointed to the Johnson County, KS, Charter Commission, tasked with reviewing and making recommendations to voters on county government operations once a decade.

    Brenda is most proud of her high-performing team of diverse professionals and thought leaders who provide best practice stewardship of the foundation’s approximately $150 million in assets. She credits this currently all-woman staff and a talented and passionate Board of Directors with making REACH a great place to work and knowing that their collective work makes a difference. Together, they are on a mission to create more just and equitable systems of healthcare for all people.

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    32 分