A new logo was unveiled Friday for the Flint Hills Community Health Center/Lyon County Health Department at an open house held to celebrate National Health Center Week.
Liz Conrade, executive director of the health center, spoke at the open house, which was held for health center week, which is a national effort to highlight community health centers around the country. Conrade unveiled the new logo, which pictures logos from the health center and the health department under the same roof. Conrade said the concept for the new logo was drawn up with the “medical home” model in mind.
“The new model of health care is to become a medical home,” Conrade said.
The health center has applied for medical-home status.
“As we move to certify as a medical home, we want to become a medical home to our patients,” Conrade said.
The logo also helps educate people in the community about the health center and health department.
“So often people don’t understand that there are two entities here,” she said. “There are two different entities with some bridge in medical care.”
Conrade said although the entities are separate, services do overlap at times, saving the taxpayers money and saving federal money as well.
Also during the open house, Connie Hubbell, director of governmental affairs for the Kansas Association of the Medically Underserved, or KAMU, presented Emporia Rep. Don Hill a “Community Champion” award.
“KAMU has chosen to honor legislators that have been able to attend events with a cash donation to the clinic,” Hubbell said.
Hubbell said $50 was donated to the primary care clinic at the health center in Hill’s honor.
Hill also was given a certificate to commemorate his award.
“The idea of the gift is exceptional,” Hill said after he accepted his award. “I affirm and compliment all of you for the work you do. The relationship our legislative delegation has had with this organization is easy.”
Hill, a pharmacist who owns the Medicine Shoppes in Emporia, said he has worked with the health department since 1972. He said he remembers when the health department was downstairs in the old Lyon County Courthouse, which is now the Lyon County Annex. At that time it had three rooms, Hill said. Now, the outreach into the community is far-reaching.
“You all take a holistic approach,” he said.
The Emporia community as a whole is growing, Hill said.
“I like to look around and call it the ‘crane and cone’ approach,” he said. “Are there any cranes and cones around?”
There are plenty of cranes and cones to be had in Emporia, signifying growth and development.
“It’s all very worthwhile to note and important to note,” Hill said.
- For more information on the Lyon County Health Department or the Flint Hills Community Health Center, 420 W. 15th Ave., call 342-4864.