By Jennifer Stultz
Tri-County Tribune Editor
jstultz@cherryroad.com
While in college, Morgan Allison, Kiowa County Memorial Hospital CEO had a great idea. She conducted a research project for her master’s degree program on meeting rural health care and came up with the idea of a mobile health care unit. That was in 2021, in October 2024, Allison’s great idea became a reality as KCMH launched a mobile health clinic in partnership with Mission Mobile Medical.
“We’ve only been in operation a full week and already we are having two and three people stop in each day wherever we park our unit,” Allision said. “This is rural Kansas so even those kind of numbers are very exciting. We are just thrilled with this opportunity to deliver essential health care in places that just hasn’t been possible for a while.”
A five-year lease with Mission Mobile Medical makes it possible for KCMH to staff the mobile clinic and visit communities where medical facilities have been shut down or locals may never have had access to basic medical options nearby. On Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, the mobile clinic which is built into an RV parks on Main Street in Bucklin where patients may come in for blood pressure checks, wellness visits, required school and KDOT physicals or any kind of medical procedure that does not require medication. Every Friday, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. the mobile clinic is parked on the Northwest side of Hoskett Gymnasium on the Barclay College campus in Haviland. Changes to this schedule are posted on the Kiowa County Memorial Hospital Facebook page.
“Anyone can stop in,” Allison said. “We do not have any medication on board, but we do have licensed, certified, and knowledgeable medical staff willing to find out what kind of help is needed always on board.”
Allison said the mobile clinic was a positive hospital investment with low overhead and vital community connections.
“Everyone has been really supportive of the idea so far, and those coming aboard are very thankful for the services we offer,” she said.
Kiowa County Memorial Hospital has also recently rolled out a new partnership with @Avel eCare to expand access to virtual emergency health services. Avel is a telemedicine provider specializing in delivering clinician-to-clinician support when and where it is needed.
