Cultivating Healthy Communities

Sep 14, 2023

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The second installment of the Radcliff Lecture Series on Rural Health, hosted in conjunction with William Newton Healthcare Foundation’s Beats Go On community wellness initiative, was held last month at the Physicians Pavilion in Winfield.

Benjamin Anderson, MBA, MHCDS, past CEO of rural Kansas hospitals Kearny County Hospital and Ashland Health Center, connected the challenges of today's rural healthcare climate to the USDA’s four principles of soil health, citing the importance of a healthy environment to thrive both at work and home.

In his presentation, titled “Cultivating the Soil for Rural Communities to Thrive,” Anderson likened improving the health and wellness of a community to having an accurate medical diagnosis, “Any time your diagnosis is wrong, your attempt to help can be harmful.”

Anderson urged attendees who engage in public health to ask the right questions and seek out those with lived experiences. “People closest to the problem often have the most pragmatic solutions. We just have to listen.”

Anderson provides leadership and direction in the development and execution of rural healthcare strategies and advocates on behalf of rural hospitals and health systems. He has 20 years of experience in healthcare and non-profit administration and is a nationally recognized leader in health equity and transforming rural healthcare.

The Radcliff Lecture Series on Rural Health was made possible through generous funding from Paula Radcliff, with lunch provided by Union State Bank. Radcliff is co-chair of the Beats Go On initiative aimed at providing wellness education and fostering collaborative partnerships throughout our service area.

Learn more about the Beats Go On community wellness initiative