Newsworthy

Dear Community Partners,

Here are today’s updates:

• Celebrating our Physicians on Doctor’s Day, March 30
• Stormont Vail Health Pulmonary Care Welcomes Amanda Gudgell, D.O.
• Blood Drive, Health Information at Event April 6
• “To Your Health” on WIBW-TV Tonight

Celebrating our Physicians on Doctor’s Day, March 30

This Saturday, March 30, is Doctor’s Day, a time to celebrate our hardworking physicians. We are fortunate at Stormont Vail Health to have many wonderful doctors who share their expertise and skills in caring for our patients and communities. We have more than 280 employed physicians as well as additional physicians on our medical staff who contribute to patient care and our organization. If you have the opportunity, please reach out and show your appreciation. Thank you for your dedication and commitment to improving the health of our communities.

Stormont Vail Health Pulmonary Care Welcomes Amanda Gudgell, D.O.

Stormont Vail Health proudly welcomes Dr. Amanda Gudgell, a board-certified pulmonologist, to the Stormont Vail Pulmonary Care team. Dr. Gudgell provides care for various lung and respiratory disorders at the Cotton O’Neil Pulmonary Care clinic, 823 SW Mulvane St., in Topeka.

“So many people have pulmonary diseases, and many of these are lifelong,” Dr. Gudgell said. “To help them feel better, do the activities they want to do – go to their grandkids’ graduation, that vacation they want to do – that’s what makes me feel successful at my job.”

As a child, Dr. Gudgell’s mother often brought her to Carnegie Tri-County Municipal Hospital, where she worked as a hospital administrator. During these visits, young Dr. Gudgell became familiar with the healthcare teams and the various environments in which they worked. This early exposure to the healthcare field and her lifelong interest in science strongly influenced her path to physicianship.

Dr. Gudgell found her niche as an undergrad pursuing her Bachelor of Science in microbiology at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater. After earning her medical degree at Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences in Tulsa, Dr. Gudgell completed her Internal Medicine residency and Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine fellowship at the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City, Kansas. Even after over a decade of practice, Dr. Gudgell remains as passionate about the medical field as she was when she started her career – something she attributes to her patients.

“You have a unique opportunity to get to know your patients. You have to understand their lifestyle, family dynamics, jobs, hobbies, and health goals to be able to provide the best care for them,” she said.  Dr. Gudgell is accepting new patients at the Cotton O’Neil Pulmonary Care clinic – call (785) 354-9591 to schedule an appointment.

Blood Drive, Health Information at Event April 6

The Dr. Charles R. Drew Memorial Blood Drive is from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 6, at the Hillcrest Community Center, 1800 S.E. 21^st. The sponsors of the event are Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc., Delta Phi and Delta Rho Chapters. Stormont Vail Health is also participating in the event and will offer tours of the mobile clinic, provide information about the Stop the Bleed program, distribute gun locks and encourage people to participate in the Shawnee County Community Health Needs Assessment survey.

Community Blood Center will conduct the blood drive. Appointments are preferred and can be made at savealifenow.org/group, enter Group Code: EI3C. For medical eligibility questions, call 1-800-688-0900.

“To Your Health” on WIBW-TV Tonight

A patient of Dr. Joy Henderson with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) shares on tonight’s WIBW “To Your Health” how she was able to begin singing after getting Dr. Henderson’s advice, and how her lungs became stronger and she was experiencing less illness. The patient documented her journey on social media and has gained national attention. The segment will air at 10 p.m. on WIBW-TV, Channel 13. The segment will typically repeat at 5 a.m. and 6 a.m. Fridays on 13 News This Morning and be posted on wibw.com.

We together,
Dr. Kenagy