OSBORNE, KS - Osborne County Memorial Hospital welcomes two new providers to serve patients at Goad Medical Clinic and in the emergency department. Dr. Jerad Rogers, MD and James Parker, APRN-C, joined the practice in September and are already making a difference for patients and their families.
“We’re pleased to add both Dr. Rogers and James,” Doris Brown, CEO of the hospital said. “They come to the clinic with a passion for helping people and putting patients first. Both are interested in rural medicine and providing healthcare at every stage of life.”
Rogers comes to OCMH from Wichita, Kansas. He earned a bachelor's degree in biomedical engineering from Wichita State University. Upon graduation, Dr. Rogers taught math at a tutoring center and then entered the Peace Corps where he served as a community health volunteer in Belize. Dr. Rogers earned a Doctor of Medicine from the University of Kansas. Prior to coming to Goad Medical Clinic, he served as a senior resident physician practicing family medicine at Via Christi where he managed high volume clinics while instructing junior residents and medical students.
Rogers chose family medicine specifically because of the broad scope of practice and patient demographics he can reach through it. He is interested in seeing patients no matter what age or stage of life.
“Family medicine is special in regard to the capacity it has to establish medical care around a longitudinal fashion where the physician-patient relationship is the backbone of the medical care and that relationship can be therapeutic in its own right,” he said.
Rogers passion for medicine and people’s health was reinforced by his work in Belize during a stint in the Peace Corps. He set a goal to volunteer abroad while in the second grade when his teacher’s son visited his class to share his story. When he finished his undergraduate degree, Rogers took the opportunity to make that dream a reality. He believes his medical practice is the better for it.
“I spent over two years in the southernmost district of Belize in a small Mayan Village of around 250 people working as a community health educator which had a wide variety of roles,” he said. “I learned an innumerous amount of skills while abroad however I think what translates the best to the medical setting is a sense of adaptability and cross-cultural training. Rural hospitals also have resource limiting factors and being able to function as a physician without many of the same resources you would have in a major metropolitan hospital is an experience that transfers well from Belize.”
Like Rogers, James Parker has a passion for serving patients and meeting needs through building relationships.
Parker comes is a family nurse practitioner with more than 10 years of experience in clinical and emergency settings. Having spent most of his career in busy emergency departments, he is eager to come to Osborne to serve in an urgent care and same day appointment role in the clinic as well as serving in the emergency room. Parker earned a bachelor's degree in nursing from Capella University and went on to complete a Master of Science in Nursing from Maryville University.
“Rural family medicine also appeals to me because it requires versatility, clinical judgment, and a broad scope of practice,” Parker said. “I enjoy the challenge of caring for patients across different ages, conditions, and levels of acuity, and I want to continue developing the skills necessary to serve patients effectively when resources may be more limited.”
Parker has the specific challenge of helping patients who need same-day care. Parker’s role was developed to help meet the needs of patients between scheduled appointments with their primary care provider.
“As we’ve grown since opening the new facility in 2020, our providers and clinic team have noticed an increase in patients that need same-day care,” Brown said. “We don’t want patients with a chronic illness or a sick child to have to wait for an appointment, so James’ role will be critical as we work to see more patients and provide medical assistance sooner.”
In addition to his clinic and emergency department role, Parker is caring for the next generation of healthcare professionals as a clinical instructor for Cloud County Community College in Concordia and provides recertification classes for nurses focusing on emergency and trauma instruction.
Parker’s passion for education and instruction pairs well with his attitude about patient care. He finds his role as an instructor is to bridge the gap between formal education and practice and that is often the same when educating patients.
“My practice style is definitely patient-centered,” Parker said. “I'm here to help guide you through your healthcare journey, but not force anything upon you. I want to ensure that you are fully informed about the situation and that you feel supported in making whatever decision you believe is best for you.”
Both Rogers and Parker come to healthcare with a passion for rural healthcare, patient education and making the communities and people they serve stronger.
“The new providers add to our trusted team of medical professionals and are eager to work with the clinic staff to ensure patients have care long into the future,” Brown said. “We couldn’t ask for a better addition to the team in Dr. Rogers and James.”