Author: Jamie Stoskopf

The Evelyn Hendren Cassat Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic at Wichita State offers free hearing evaluations to faculty and staff. During the evaluation, a graduate student — under the direct supervision of a licensed audiologist — will test the patient’s hearing to determine if there is hearing loss and the type and severity of the loss. Hearing evaluations will last approximately one to two hours. If a patient does appear to have hearing loss, the appointment may last longer.

To schedule an appointment, call 316-978-3289. The clinic is located at the Hughes Metropolitan Complex at the intersection of 29th and Oliver streets.

The Evelyn Hendren Cassat Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic at Wichita State offers free hearing evaluations to faculty and staff. During the evaluations, an audiologist will test the patient’s hearing to determine if there is hearing loss and the type and severity of the loss. Hearing evaluations will last approximately one to two hours. If a patient does appear to have hearing loss, the appointment may last longer.

To schedule an appointment, call 316-978-3289. The clinic is located at the Hughes Metropolitan Complex at the intersection of 29th and Oliver Streets.

The Kansas Center for the Advancement of Healthcare (KCAH), a statewide collaborative managed through KUMC and WSU and dedicated to transforming healthcare through data science, convened a pivotal retreat recently in Kansas City bringing together leaders from across the healthcare ecosystem. The event marked a significant step toward achieving KCAH’s vision: to improve the health of all Kansans through data science.

The retreat gathered representatives from hospitals, higher education institutions, health-focused foundations, insurance and biotech industry leaders, government agencies, and national consultants. This cross-sector collaboration is at the heart of KCAH’s mission to advance healthcare by aligning expertise, sharing data and driving systemic change through evidence-based approaches.

Discussions at the retreat focused on pressing healthcare challenges as well as innovative approaches to the use of health data analytics. Participants worked together to identify key priorities for the coming year, including expanding data-sharing initiatives, supporting workforce development in health analytics and launching pilot projects to improve health in Kansas.

KCAH’s statewide approach ensures that the voices of Kansans — urban and rural alike — are represented in shaping the future of healthcare in the state. The retreat concluded with a renewed commitment from all participants to work collaboratively toward a strong collaborative and a healthier Kansas.

KCAH is a groundbreaking collaborative designed to meet the need for a systematic, statewide approach to health data management and analytics across Kansas. By leveraging advanced data science techniques, KCAH will support a wide range of healthcare activities — from generating new ideas and evaluating clinical practices, to disseminating information that leads to improved patient care and enhanced disease prevention at both individual and population levels. This transformative initiative has been in development since 2022, and the recent leadership retreat marks a pivotal step toward building a healthier Kansas.

The Wichita presence of KCAH will be in the Wichita Biomedical Campus building, with other locations across the state.

The College of Health Professions is pleased to announce Jason Ladner as the new chair of the Dean’s Advisory Council, effective April 25. The college extends its heartfelt gratitude to Pamela Clancy Ammar for her leadership as chair over the past four years. Her vision, dedication and unwavering support have made a lasting impact on the college, and her service is deeply appreciated.

Ladner is a Wichita State and College of Health Professions alumnus, graduating in 2001 with his degree in healthcare services and organizations and policies. He has worked in several high-profile roles and businesses throughout his career, including medical sales for Covidien, Johnson & Johnson and other top medical device companies. He later joined IMA Wealth as vice president of customer relationships. His work in business development, strategy and relationship building brought him to his current role as a business development executive at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas.

A proud Shocker, Ladner has remained actively involved with his alma mater. He continues to advocate for Wichita State and the College of Health Professions through ongoing projects focused on philanthropy, workforce development and strategic partnerships.

WSU General Dentistry is open to the public and accepting new patients. WSU General Dentistry offers a full range of services, including cleanings, fillings, teeth whitening and dental implants.

Specialized care in periodontics, endodontics, oral surgery and prosthodontics is also available. The clinic offers a discount for dental care to WSU students and their spouses and children. Call 316-978-8350 or visit wichita.edu/WSUdentalclinic to schedule an appointment.

The College of Health Professions and Delta Gamma are proud to sponsor motivational speaker and Wichita State alumnus Jared Estes for his presentation, “Fire Back,” at 6:30 p.m. Monday, April 28 at the CAC Theater. The event is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be provided.

“Fire Back” is a motivational talk that ignites positive changes in the listeners and equips them to combat life’s toughest challenges.

Jared Estes graduated from Wichita State in 2002 with a Bachelor of Arts in integrated marketing communication. In 2005, Estes barely survived a devastating car accident caused by a drunk driver, which tragically took the life of his wife after only six months of marriage. Now, Estes travels around the country to share his inspiring story about overcoming tragedy and loss.

The Evelyn Hendren Cassat Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic provides speech-language and hearing services to people of all ages. The clinic faculty specialize in speaking, hearing, swallowing, and spoken and written language impairments. The clinic offers specialized programs and support groups for aphasia, autism, fluency, literacy and more, along with fluency and literacy summer camps for children.

The clinic also provides comprehensive audiology services, including hearing aid fittings and hearing aid repairs for all makes and models.

To schedule an appointment, call 316-978-3289. Visit wichita.edu/SLHclinic to learn more.

The Dental Hygiene Clinic at Wichita State is open to the public and accepting new patients. The clinic offers a wide range of low-cost preventative, therapeutic and educational services, including cleanings, dental sealants, X-rays, individualized oral health instruction and more.

Call 316-978-3603 to schedule an appointment. For more information, visit wichita.edu/DHclinic.

The Advanced Education in General Dentistry program at Wichita State will undergo national accreditation renewal by the Commission on Dental Accreditation May 20.

Part of the accreditation renewal requires the program to solicit third-party comments to communities of interest and the public including faculty, students, program administrators, dental-related organizations, patients and consumers. There is a deadline of 60 days prior to the site visit for receipt of third-party comments to the commission’s office.

Both signed and unsigned comments will be accepted, and names and signatures will be removed from comments before forwarding to the program. Comments must pertain only to the standards for the particular program or policies and procedures used in the commission’s accreditation process. A copy of the appropriate accreditation standard and the commission’s policy on third-party comments may be obtained by contacting the Commission by calling 312-440-4653 or by email. Individuals who are interested in submitting third party comments may contact the Commission office for submission guidance.

The deadline for receipt of comments is Friday, March 21.

Wichita State faculty, researchers and students are invited to Human Factors Tea Time by Dr. Yuanyuan Gao, assistant professor in biomedical engineering. Dr. Gao will present on functional neuroimaging methods and their applications in research from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 26 in 102 McKinley Hall. The event is free and open to all.  

Neuroimaging is a powerful tool for understanding brain function, neuroergonomics and clinical disorders. Dr. Gao’s presentation will introduce functional neuroimaging technologies, discuss best practices for designing a functional neuroimaging study and highlight available campus resources to support collaborative neuroimaging studies.