Ingram's October 2022

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STEVEN STARR North Kansas City Hospital/Meritas Health

GEORGE WRIGHT Stormont Vail Health

A thriving burg of 2,800 souls, Girard, Kan., is none theless not exactly a hotbed of health-care delivery. But it was active enough to give Steven Starr an idea of what a medical career could entail. “My mother worked for one of the local physicians,” he recalls. “At an early age, I was exposed to general medicine. I saw how the communi ty was dependent on the two physicians in town. They lived to serve their community, and I was impressed by their commitment.” A few years of working in the hay fields around Crawford County further cemented that impression, and he was off to the University of Kansas for the full slate of medical education—his M.D., resi dency, and fellowship—and there he made the call that

Working on the grunt side of health care—an orderly in a sizeable medical center—did not dissuade George Wright from the potential of a career in medicine. Just the opposite. “I vol unteered as an orderly at St. Margaret’s hospital, and this led to my first job,” he recalls. “I was able to see what medical care was like, and while working with and learning from nurses, I was able to appreciate the care they provided and how hard

they worked.” A native of Kan sas City, Kan., who also learned about hard work and commit ment on his way to earning his Eagle Scout rank, Wright also showed early promise when he earned a slot in a summer schol arship program in a virology lab at Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City. The lab was run by Herbert Wenner, who had partic ipated in the polio research that led to the vaccine in the 1950s. From there, Wright landed a re

cardiology would be the way forward. “It was a field that my brain understood,” Starr says. “If not for the cardiol ogy rotation, my plan was to become a family practitioner in a small town.” Well, some small town’s loss was Kan sas City’s gain—and vice ver sa for Starr. “Kansas City is an ideal city for me. It is close to my roots but also allows me to enjoy the amenities of a larger city,” he says. “A lot

search assistant job, then moved on to medical school and vari ous rotations before deciding on family medicine and serving in the military. Following that service, he found his new home at the Cotton-O’Neil Clinic and Stormont Vail Hospital in Topeka. His career took an unexpected turn over the past two years with the unprecedented challenge of COVID-19. “That challenge has confronted me as a primary-care provider and leader,” he says, but “it has served as a catalyst. Early in the pandemic, I took the step from being the Medical Director of Family Medicine to Vice President of Primary Care Services. I was able to work with my outstanding multispecialty and multidisciplinary colleagues at our facility to develop our Enhanced Primary Care program. This program enabled us to expand our care through telemedi cine and education of providers.” As a physician leader, he says, “the best thing I can do is to empower my colleagues, not just primary care providers, but specialists, nursing, really all of our team to provide the best care to all. I look forward to a time when we are able to reach those we don’t currently, including those who are uncomfortable entering our facilities, who can’t afford medical care, and those who are out of our reach.” His career, he says, has been marked by “incredible opportunities.” “While I can’t single out a single defining moment or patient that crystallized my purpose in medicine, I’ve been honored that my patients have trusted me to provide their health care,” Wright says. “I’ve cared for multiple generations of families and deliv ered babies of those I delivered. I’ve shared patients’ highs and lows, private worries and special joys, early mornings and late nights, first breaths, and the last ones. I’ve watched my patients play sports, enjoyed their activities, and been hugged at the grocery store. I’ve been honored and humbled that my patients have trusted me to provide their health care and considered me a friend and part of their family.”

of my patients are from rural areas, which makes it easy for me to relate. I have been fortunate to practice with the same group of cardiologists since leaving my fellow ship. North Kansas City Hospital is a top-quality hospital, and the leadership is supportive. I can’t imagine working anywhere else.” Nearly 30 years have passed since he completed his residency, but in the past two or so, his view of health-care delivery has changed a bit. “There is no doubt the pandemic has been a worldwide scourge,” Starr says. “I sympathize with all those who have lost someone due to COVID-19. The pandemic humbled me. I realized there is so much more we need to learn in treating diseases. There will always be a new disease to research and study. It also reaffirmed why I became a physician and reminded me of the oath I took to put my own health at risk to help others.” One other way to help patients, he suggests, would be to make medication more affordable. “I struggle on a daily basis to optimally treat patients who may not be able to afford top-tier medica tion but would benefit greatly from it,” he says. But many days also offer a brighter experience that validates his career choice. “There is nothing more rewarding than seeing patients who have had a heart attack walk out of the hospital days later,” Starr says. “In years past, many of these people would have died, but now we have the ability to save so many lives.”

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October 2022

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