State Rep. Kathy Wolfe Moore, D-36th Dist., has been named a 2019 Kansas Hospital Association Distinguished Health Care Advocate.
Lt. Gov. Lynn Rogers also was named a Distinguished Health Care Advocate.
Members of the Kansas Hospital Association honored them at the KHA Annual Convention and Trade Show on Sept. 5 in Wichita.
The Kansas Hospital Association Board of Directors established this award to recognize individuals, organizations or groups who provide exemplary contribution to the health and well-being of the people of Kansas through their leadership in the political or policy arena.
Lt. Gov. Rogers was sworn in as Lieutenant Governor of Kansas on Jan. 14, 2019. He is a former State Senator and former Wichita Board of Education president. He spent more than 30 years traveling Kansas as an agriculture banker assisting farmers and ranchers with financial and investment planning. This experience helped him understand the challenges facing Kansans in rural communities.
As lieutenant governor, Rogers heads the newly created Office of Rural Prosperity. In that role, he has been a tireless advocate for KanCare expansion. He also has crisscrossed the state repeatedly, visiting with Kansas hospitals about the issues affecting their continued ability to provide access to care. During his entire time in the legislature and now as lieutenant governor, he has been a constant supporter of health care.
Rep. Wolfe Moore is in her fifth consecutive term as state representative from Wyandotte County. She is the ranking minority member on the House Appropriations Committee and serves on the Taxation Committee. She currently serves as a board member of Wyandotte Economic Development Council and the Wyandot Center (Community Mental Health Center for Wyandotte County). Outside of the Kansas Legislature, she serves as the external liaison for the University of Kansas Health System.
Rep. Wolfe Moore has played an instrumental leadership role on numerous issues that are important to Kansas hospitals, including KanCare expansion; the restoration of Medicaid reimbursement reductions; providing choice to public hospitals regarding concealed carry; creating guardrails for the operation of the KanCare managed care organizations; and modifying the provider assessment program in a positive manner.
Both Lt. Gov. Lynn Rogers and Rep. Kathy Wolfe Moore have been tireless advocates for measures to improve the Kansas health care system, a spokesman for the Kansas Hospital Association stated. They have steadfastly stood up for what is best for patients and providers, the spokesman stated.
The Kansas Hospital Association is a voluntary, nonprofit organization existing to be the leading advocate and resource for members. KHA membership includes 222 member facilities, of which 125 are full-service, community hospitals. Founded in 1910, KHA’s vision is “Optimal Health for Kansas.”