Our Story


Providing compassionate care since 2003.

In 1903 Mother Mary Bernard Sheridan, a Sister of Saint Joseph, brought healthcare to the poorest in our region, building a hospital on donated land and providing care for all. She told her staff to “Do all the good that you can, for all the people you can, in all the ways that you can, for just as long as you can.” 

 

At the Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas (CHC/SEK), we live by this mission every day. It’s at the heart of all we do.

From humble beginnings to a trusted healthcare provider for all.


CHC/SEK opened its doors in 1997 on the second floor of a 90-year-old elementary school building as a community outreach of Mt. Carmel Regional Medical Center, the hospital Mother Sheridan founded in 1903. Our purpose was to ensure that all children were “ready to learn” by providing physicals and immunizations, no matter their parents’ ability to pay. It was a mission of love in an area of critical need – a community that continues to have some of the highest rates of childhood poverty in Kansas.

We quickly realized these children’s parents and grandparents needed care too. We expanded our services and facility to provide quality, affordable healthcare to patients of all ages. By 2003, we had become an independent organization with 11 employees that cared for 3,300 patients.

Happier, healthier communities.

Today, more than 1000 employees care for more than 70,000 patients every year, providing medical, dental, behavioral health, pharmacy, and support services across eastern Kansas and northeast Oklahoma – still regardless of the ability to pay. We are making our communities happier, healthier, and more prosperous places to live and raise a family.

Health outcomes are improving. Lives are being changed.

We are not different because of the services we provide, or the number of clinics we have, or the technology we use. We are different because of our approach. Because of what we believe. Because of our purpose. We are making an impact.

 

How we do it.


We transform healthcare by addressing and removing barriers we all face in finding quality healthcare. We are driven by the simple desire to provide compassionate care for everyone who comes to us regardless of circumstances.

Our growth has come from listening to our communities and providing healthcare services that truly make a difference. Over the years we’ve added dental care, behavioral health and addiction treatment services, mammography, women’s health services and more.

CHC/SEK is a federally qualified health center (FQHC) and Kansas not-for-profit corporation.

Whatever your need, the answer is “yes” at CHC/SEK

Our team draws their commitment from Mother Sheridan’s simple motto to “do all the good that you can, for all the people you can, in all the ways that you can, for just as long as you can.” Our vision of what healthcare should be is guided by the core principle of, quality healthcare for all.

Board of Directors


The board of directors is representative of the communities in which CHC/SEK serves.

Community Health Center Dawn Flores Board of Directors Southeast Kansas

Dawn Flores – Crawford County

Nancy Haire – Allen County

Community Health Center Brian Jones Board of Directors Southeast Kansas

Brian Jones – Crawford County

Sandra Cobos – Crawford County

Community Health Center Daniel Minnis Board of Directors Southeast Kansas

Daniel Minnis, DDS – Crawford County

Shawn Naccarato – Crawford County

Patrick O'Bryan – Crawford County

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David Shepherd – Bourbon County

Community Health Center Judy Westhoff Board of Directors Southeast Kansas

Judy Westhoff – Crawford County

Jake Letner – Cherokee County

Community Health Center John Wyrick Board of Directors Southeast Kansas

John Wyrick – Labette County

Ginger Nance – Bourbon County

Rachel Ruiz – Crawford County

Travis Wilson – Anderson County

Alysia Johnston – Labette County

Letter from the Chairman


Throughout the history of the Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas, countless individuals have dedicated their time and talents to ensure that all individuals have access to quality, affordable and culturally appropriate healthcare services. As a patient-led board, we are committed to transforming lives, sustaining communities and providing great jobs.

It is critical to CHC/SEK that we help ensure that our friends and neighbors have the healthcare resources they need to live healthier lives regardless of ability to pay so that together we can build stronger communities.

Our mission has always been to do all the good that we can, for all the people we can, in all the ways that we can, for as long as we can. Everyone at CHC/SEK strives to live these values every day. Making a difference makes a difference to us.

On behalf of the Board of Directors, I invite you to come experience healthcare the way it should be.


Patrick O’Bryan
Board Chairman

Did you know…


These are a few of the services you may not know we provide:

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Workplace Health

Focused on improving community health by working with employers to help ensure their teams are healthy and productive on-the-job. Services can be offered on-site or through our clinic where we offer medical, behavioral health, dental and pharmacy services.

For more information contact us at workplacehealth@chcesk.org, or call us at (620)240-5667.

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School Health

A link between education and healthcare designed to improve the physical, social and emotional health and educational development of students. We have on-site providers who offer school nursing, screenings, medical and dental care, immunizations and flu shots, behavioral services and much more.

For more information contact us at schoolhealth@chcsek.org; or call us at (620)240-5061.

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SEK Smiles

Our pediatric dental program is an active dental outreach program that provides screenings, fluoride varnish applications, sealants, cleanings, and restorative work in schools, and Head Starts throughout southeast Kansas. In fact, we employ the only pediatric dentist in rural Kansas.

For more information visit our website at SEK Smiles.

Accreditations


Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas CHC/SEK works diligently to provide the highest quality healthcare.

Our recognitions include the National Quality Award from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). This award recognizes the highest performing health centers as well as health centers that have made significant quality improvement gains from the previous year.
CHC/SEK also meets the standards of the
National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) Level III Patient Centered Medical Home. The patient-centered medical home puts patients at the forefront of care. PCMHs build better relationships between patients and their clinical care team while improving quality and the patient experience, as well as reducing health care costs. Practices that earn recognition have committed to continuous quality improvement and a patient-centered approach to care.

 

CHCSEK HRSA 2023