The Dr. Ronald D. Mace Rural Medicine Education Program was introduced during a press conference at Geary Community Hospital on Monday.
The Hospital is expanding and dedication their preceptorship program in partnership with the KU Medical Center, and naming that program after the late Dr. Ron Mace, who practiced medicine at Geary Community Hospital for approximately 38 years. During 17 of those years Mace oversaw a rural residency program at GCH.
Dr. Michael Kennedy, Associate Dean, McCain Professor for Rural Education at the KU Medical Center, said the student program in Junction City is a step into a new world in community collaboration in medical education. “That’s not to say there hasn’t been this kind of collaboration in the past, and as a matter of fact we’ve had medical students rotating here for years.” Kennedy said the new program will build on that and reinvigorate a tradition, but with a little bit different emphasis on the collaboration between communities and KU Med.
The expansion will allow more KU Medical School students to learn about rural healthcare at Geary Community Hospital. The expansion entails a housing area on the GCH campus where students can stay at no cost. They will spend anywhere from two up to six weeks in Junction City studying under various physicians throughout their stay.
Dr. Mace’s wife, Andrea Mace, said her husband loved the hospital. “He loved this staff. He loved taking care of his patients and he loved working with his family practice residents. ” She noted that before the KU residency program started he had worked with approximately 50 preceptees. Many of them lived with the Mace family.
Dr. Mace’s daughter, Dr. Rhonda Mace, will help coordinate the rural medicine education program. During the press conference she thanked officials and colleagues at the hospital and Geary Community Healthcare Foundation. “And of course Dr. Lynley Holman who has been instrumental in getting a lot of the leg work done.”
The Geary Community Healthcare Foundation will use the memorial gift for Dr. Ron Mace to support the rural medicine education program.