A great lineup of discussions around Healthcare in Kansas.

Speakers

  • The Human Side of Change: Balancing People, Process, and Progress

    Mary Messner
    Mary Messner & Highline Creative Group LLC

    Mary’s professional experiences created a canvas to explore the power of imagination, resilience, and collaboration in the workplace. Her career as a health care executive, fostered a deep appreciation for breaking down limitations and encouraging innovative solutions. Mary’s leadership roles solidified her willingness to take strategic risks and explore new frontiers in business. Her career became her case study; analyzing her process for navigation success. The result: a deep appreciation of the importance of creativity in the workplace and a framework for guiding others towards their dreams. Mary believes if we allow for the freedom to be creative, we can find paths we never thought possible.

  • Zero Trust On a Budget and Your Threat Landscape

    Jason Rogers
    CEO, Invary

    This session will focus on the Jason is a native Kansan and the Chief Executive Officer of Invary, a cybersecurity company that ensures the security and confidentiality of critical systems by verifying their runtime integrity with NSA-licensed technology, enabling organizations to uncover hidden threats and reinforce confidence in their existing security posture. Prior to joining Invary, Jason served as the Vice President of Platform at Matterport, which included a stint as interium CISO. Jason has also successfully launched a consumer-facing IoT platform for Lowe's and developed numerous IoT and network security software products for Motorola.

  • Strategic Vision for Helping Rural Communities Thrive

    Jessica Hunt
    VP, Programs & Strategy, Patterson Family Foundation

    As Vice President of Programs & Strategy, Jessica Hunt plays a critical role in shaping and executing the Patterson Family Foundation’s vision for thriving rural communities. She provides executive leadership for the Foundation’s program, insights, and operations teams, directing the development and implementation of its multi-million dollar grantmaking portfolio. Jessica ensures that resources are strategically deployed to address complex rural challenges, leveraging data-driven insights and cross-sector collaborations to amplify the Foundation’s ability to create meaningful and measurable impact. Jessica is a member of the Harper County Health Foundation board and the Zero KC Task Force on homelessness and a past member of the WE Kansas Women’s Economic Development Task Force. Jessica’s connection to rural communities is deeply personal - rooted in family ties and strengthened by years of listening, learning, and working alongside those who call them home.

  • Building a New Hospital in Rural Community – a Story of Overcoming Obstacles, Perseverance and Success

    Tina Gillespie, MBA
    CEO, Harrison County Community Hospital

    Tina Gillespie brings over two decades of dedicated service in healthcare as the Chief Executive Officer of Harrison County Community Hospital in rural Northwest Missouri. Her career journey began in financial services, managing her own investment firm before transitioning into healthcare finance. Tina’s thirteen-year tenure as Chief Financial Officer at HCCH laid a solid foundation, overseeing critical financial strategies that ensured the hospital’s stability and growth. Driven by a passion for holistic healthcare management, Tina briefly served as Chief of Operations, gaining invaluable insights into patient care delivery, which prepared her for her current role. As CEO for the past seven years, Tina has led HCCH with vision and resilience, expanding its capabilities with the establishment of HCCH Medical Clinic. Currently, she is spearheading the construction of a new hospital, demonstrating her commitment to enhancing healthcare accessibility in rural Missouri.

Panel Discussion // Powering Progress: Strengthening Kansas’
Health Care Workforce through Collaboration

  • Jaron Caffrey

    Director of Workforce and Health Care Policy, Kansas Hospital Association

    Jaron serves as the Director of Workforce and Health Care Policy for the Kansas Hospital Association. In this role, he is responsible for the association’s federal policy and advocacy efforts to ensure proper implementation and understanding of KHA’s member needs to Kansas policymakers, federal agencies, and other stakeholders. This includes overseeing various aspects of health care financial policy through directing KHA’s responses to rulemaking from CMS, position development on issues involving financing of health care services, and analyzing and providing expertise for new financial models of care. Additionally, he oversees KHA’s workforce portfolio to increase the supply of health care workers in Kansas, while also strengthening the capacity of the current workforce. He is passionate about creating a health care infrastructure and ecosystem that is robust, resilient, and adaptive to the evolving needs of our communities. Caffrey received a Master of Health Services Administration from the University of Kansas School of Medicine and undergraduate degrees with honors in Economics and Political Science from Washburn University.

  • Robert Mangold

    Chief Nursing and Operations Officer, Logan County Health Services

    This rural healthcare system includes a 25-bed Critical Access Hospital, a Rural Health Clinic, and an Urgent Care Clinic. In his role as CNOO, Robert is responsible for the daily operations and oversight of all clinical aspects of the organization, ensuring high-quality patient care and operational efficiency.  Robert earned his Associate Degree in Nursing from Barton Community College, his Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Wichita State University, and his Master of Science in Nursing in Leadership and Management from Western Governors University. His career in healthcare began as a Certified Nurse Aide, after which he became a Registered Nurse. Over the years, Robert has gained diverse experience in several roles, including acute care nurse, emergency department nurse, nursing education coordinator, operating room nurse and supervisor, and Director of Nursing. 

     

    Robert has held the position of CNOO since April 2022, and will be the President for the Kansas Organization of Nurse Leaders in April 2025. With more than a decade of healthcare experience, Robert is deeply committed to fostering positive work environments and providing high-quality, evidence-based care. His leadership philosophy emphasizes the importance of innovative approaches and teamwork in delivering excellent patient outcomes.

  • Jeff Briggs

    Dean, College of Health and Behavioral Sciences, Fort Hays State University, Hays, Kansas

    Jeff Briggs is currently the dean of the College of Health and Behavioral Sciences at Fort Hays State University.  Briggs served as the interim provost and vice president for academic affairs at Fort Hays State University from March 2017 through June 2019.  Prior to the appointment as interim provost, Briggs served for 14 years as the dean of the College of Health and Life Sciences and then the College of Health and Behavioral Sciences, beginning in 2003.  Briggs has also served in various capacities at Stephen F. Austin State University (TX), the University of Arkansas, Western Michigan University, and Chadron State College (NE)

  • Jonna Struble

    Director Critical Care & Organizational Development, Salina Regional Health Center

  • Dr. Karen Weis

    Christine A. Hartley Rural Nursing Professor at the University of Kansas School of Nursing and the Dean of the Salina

    Karen Weis is a 29-year veteran of the United States Air Force and has led inpatient obstetrical units, medical aircrew training and led two of DoD’s largest educational institutions as the Dean at the United States Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine and as the Dean of the Medical Education and Training Campus. During her military career she deployed five times, twice to Afghanistan, and once to Saudi Arabia, Croatia, and Oman. She has maintained continual funding for over 20 years for her research focused on maternal anxiety and depression to birth outcomes. This work led to the development of the Mentors Offering Maternal Support program and biopsychosocial models of the intervention’s effectiveness. She was born in Salina and raised on a farm and ranch northwest of Salina. She is a graduate of Ell-Saline High School.