Issue link: https://kusm-wichita.uberflip.com/i/1545861
CREATING A MAJOR COMMUNITY- BASED HUB FOR HEALTHCARE LEARNING As a longtime faculty member who has worked with several of those partners already, including the Greater Wichita Partnership that is an economic development agency, Tatpati doesn't have the challenge of a learning curve in becoming the KUSM-Wichita dean, particularly as the school transitions to the much larger Wichita Biomedical Campus in fall 2027. The $215 million, 350,000 square foot, eight-story facility will house both the KUSM-Wichita medical and pharmacy programs, as well as health professions programs offered by Wichita State University and WSU Tech. "We are doing great with our medical education programs at both the UME (undergraduate medical education) and GME (graduate medical education) levels … but we're also looking to the future with the growth the new facility will provide," Tatpati said. The campus will allow the school to expand education and training, add more faculty and increase the research capacity. All of that will help address the healthcare challenges in Kansas and other rural areas, including a shortage of providers and less access to quality care as rural hospitals are increasingly shuttered. During the groundbreaking ceremony for the campus in May 2024, leaders from KU, WSU and the state lauded the expected outcomes. KU Chancellor Douglas A. Girod, M.D., called it "a game changer for the state in terms of synergies and efficient use of resources." WSU President Rick Muma, who has master's degrees in physician assistant studies and public health, said, "This campus will be at the forefront of transforming healthcare, ultimately improving the lives of countless individuals." Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly said it would "put Wichita on the map as a hub for healthcare and innovative scientific research. The ripple effects of this campus include better health outcomes for everyday Kansans and, for the people in the region, access to superb healthcare in their own backyard." Tatpati said she's particularly excited about how the campus will provide significant changes in the school's enrollment numbers and program structure. Once it moves into the new facility, KUSM-Wichita will more than double its current enrollment of first- and second-year students with an increase from 28 students in each class to 70 students in each class. Also, KUSM-Wichita will become a true four-year campus, with all students completing four years of their medical training in Wichita. In the past, another 45 KUSM students from Kansas City would join those 28 students to complete their final two years in Wichita. That change "will really increase the connection to the community for all the students training here," Tatpati said. The community connections have a domino effect, Tatpati pointed out. Many KUSM-Wichita graduates end up choosing residency programs offered in Kansas. For example, 45.8% of the Class of 2026 graduates stayed in Kansas for their residency and 41.7% matched into primary care specialties. The Wichita campus has been adding more openings to its residency and fellowship programs in recent years. The school plans to also onboard new programs. Statistics show that many residents — like Tatpati — choose to stay in the communities where they train. Turi McNamee, M.D., KUSM-Wichita associate dean for graduate medical education, says 76% of the physicians — essentially three of every four doctors — who finish their training at the campus will stay in Kansas. "I'm really excited about that," said Tatpati about the growth opportunities. "It will give them more opportunities to find out that Wichita is a hidden gem, like I did." ADDRESSING A CRISIS KUSM-Wichita plays a vital role in addressing what Tatpati calls "a crisis of hospitals and healthcare in middle America … with a special focus on rural health. So, we're really looking to make sure that we can find ways to partner in education that helps rural Kansas, both with getting more doctors to practice in rural Kansas and other opportunities." The opportunities include bridging the geographical gap and limited access challenge through telehealth and creating more learning options in rural communities. KUSM-Wichita leaders also hope to see expansion of the eligible specialties covered by the Kansas Medical Student Loan program. The state-funded KMSL program provides financial assistance to students who agree to set up their practices in Kansas, particularly in areas that are underserved. Initially, the program was available to students 6