Newman Regional Health Awarded $485,000 Grant from Patterson Family Foundation to Expand Telehealth Access for Rural Communities
(EMPORIA, KS) — Newman Regional Health is honored to announce the award of a $485,000 grant from The Patterson Family Foundation, dedicated to expanding and modernizing its telemedicine capabilities for both inpatient and outpatient care. This generous support reflects a commitment to advancing healthcare access for rural communities and ensuring patients can receive the care they need—close to home.
With this transformative investment, Newman Regional Health is launching Telehealth for Rural Health Equity: Expanding Specialty Access through Infrastructure Innovation, a two-year initiative designed to close critical gaps in specialty care access for residents across seven East Central Kansas counties. Specialty providers shortages, lower income rates, long travel distances, and limited transportation have created barriers in rural areas that delay diagnoses and treatment and deepen health disparities.
“This project is supported in part by a 2025 grant from The Patterson Family Foundation,” said Cathy Pimple, CEO of Newman Regional Health. “We are incredibly grateful for this financial support. It allows us to continue living out our mission—100% committed to the communities we serve—by breaking down geographic and logistical barriers to care. With this expanded telehealth infrastructure, we’re ensuring high-quality specialty care is not a matter of distance, but of access and equity.”
The initiative will modernize telehealth capabilities across the Emergency Department, Outpatient Observation Department, and outpatient clinics—including primary care, cardiology, and OB/GYN. Infrastructure upgrades will include secure EMR integration, mobile telehealth carts, updated telehealth rooms, and strengthened connectivity to support real-time specialty consultations.
The project targets the highest-priority needs identified in the 2025 Community Health Needs Assessment: high-risk obstetrics, behavioral health, advanced cardiology, endocrinology, and infectious disease. By expanding access to these services, Newman Regional Health aims to improve maternal health outcomes, strengthen chronic disease management, address mental health crises, and reduce the need for costly transfers or delays in care.
Additionally, the initiative will enhance the hospital’s tele-hospitalist program, ensuring continuity of inpatient coverage during nights and weekends while alleviating provider fatigue.
By the end of 2026, Newman Regional Health will:
- Build the telehealth infrastructure needed for high-quality specialty access across multiple departments.
- Train and prepare staff with standardized workflows to ensure confident, consistent use of telehealth tools.
- Provide outpatient telehealth services in cardiology, endocrinology, infectious disease, high-risk obstetrics, and behavioral health.
- Improve disease management outcomes for patients with acute and chronic conditions engaged in telehealth.
- Increase patient satisfaction with accessible, timely telehealth services.
- Enhance clinical team satisfaction with expanded tele-hospitalist coverage and support.
About Newman Regional Health: Newman Regional Health is a community hospital owned by the citizens of Lyon County, Kansas. Recognized as a Level IV Trauma Center, Newman Regional Health provides a full range of emergency, surgical, orthopedic, cardiac, PCI accredited Cath Lab, obstetrics, gynecology, laboratory, and primary care. There is a well-respected inpatient acute and medical rehabilitation services department with a simulated life-style training apartment. With a mission to improve health in the community by providing high quality care and a vision to be a valued, trusted partner and regional provider of exemplary services, Newman Regional Health is considered a top community hospital in Kansas.
For more information contact: Kacie Hastings Director of Marketing & Public Relations
(620) 343-6800 x22614