ELLY GRIMM

   • Leader & Times

Janeth Vazquez has held multiple positions that have helped many people in the Liberal community and now she is sharing those talents with the state.

Vazquez was recently named the Southwest Kansas Regional Manager for the Kansas Health Foundation, and she said she is very excited to step into the role.

“This is a new position the Kansas Health Foundation just implemented to try to have a broader impact across the state, and so I'm really excited to step into this role with the Kansas Health Foundation,” Vazquez said. “Having worked in healthcare, local government, and journalism, I see how important it is to listen to people, to build relationships, and to bring communities together. So I'm looking forward to working alongside communities through Southwest Kansas to better understand their priorities and to help them connect them with opportunities to improve their health.”

Vazquez said the journey to this new role was slightly winding.

“I actually had several people recommend me for the position, but I honestly was not really aware the foundation had created it. I had several of my friends in Wichita reach out to me through social media, and I also had a former past coworker call me and tell me about this amazing opening, and my contacts knew I was already in Southwest Kansas, so they thought I was a really good fit for it, they sent it to me and encouraged me to apply,” Vazquez said. “Once I read through the job description, I contacted the foundation and got a little bit more information, and I thought it really aligned with all of the work I do already. The process started back this past summer, it was in June or July when I submitted my application. I didn't hear from them again until a month or a month and a half later. The first interview was over the phone, and then after that, I believe there was another phone interview, and then I had another interview in person, and then my final interview. Once they selected the top three candidates, I had my final interview in Wichita. Overall, it was about a two-month process, and they were not in a hurry to pick the person because they wanted to assure themselves first of all, that they interviewed every single person, which I thought was really good because it gave everybody a fair opportunity to apply. Not a lot of businesses will give every single person who applied the time of day, so I think that just speaks volumes on the foundation itself.”

Since the position is new, Vazquez said her initial focus will be fully learning her duties.

“It is still a new position, and we are still kind of navigating what the true objectives are. This position is important because it's about building relationships and making sure Southwest Kansas has a strong voice,” Vazquez said. “I believe every community has its own strengths and challenges, and I want to help connect people and local organizations with resources and opportunities to make a difference, and so it's really just a bridge. I want to say I'm a connector, building bridges, and so my job will be to basically go on a listening tour throughout my whole region to have conversations, to listen to what the barriers and needs are of each community, and then come back and inform the foundation, and then find ways that we can either connect them with resources or educational training. A lot of this job will be finding ways to better improve our communities and helping implement long-term solutions.”

Vazquez added it is an honor to be the first person in the position.

“I'm most excited about the opportunity to build relationships and help create a stronger connection between the Kansas Health Foundation and the communities of Southwest Kansas. Being the first person in this role is a special opportunity because I get to help lay the groundwork for those relationships for years to come,” Vazquez said. “I'm excited to listen, to learn from communities, to elevate their voices, and help connect people and resources to make a big difference in health in our region. I take strong pride in this because anytime you've ever heard me, whether it was through my journalism career, my work at the hospital or local politics, I always say we must put Liberal on the map. I'm more than just a Liberal girl. I've always advocated for all of Southwest Kansas my entire life, so I feel like this just gives me a bigger opportunity to be able to put Southwest Kansas on the map and advocate for our needs. I know throughout Southwest Kansas, there are a lot of people who say ‘If you’re west of Wichita, they always forget about us,’ whether it's in regard to funding, education, or a variety of other different sectors. I'm excited to continue pushing the work I've already been doing and bring a seat to the table for Southwest Kansas.”

Vazquez added there are many issues to be dealt with.

“I'm very aware of what some of our biggest challenges in this region are, which are access to care, behavioral health care, transportation, and food security, among others. All of these are very important issues that need to be understood, but I want to hear directly from communities about their priorities and recognize there's already great work already happening throughout Southwest Kansas,” Vazquez said. “But the question is, how can we elevate that and make all of these people who are already at work better? The foundation also works in collaboration with the Kansas Health Institute and Kansas Leadership Center, and one of my biggest priorities has always been to develop more leaders. We have to have multiple leaders to be able to accomplish things, so something else I'm excited about is to be able to bring more of that leadership education to our region and people in our communities.”

Having worked at Southwest Medical Center for multiple years, Vazquez said that experience should fit in nicely with her new role.

“My time at the hospital has given me a firsthand understanding of how important healthcare is to the overall well-being of our communities, so I have personally seen the challenges people face,” Vazquez said. “I've also seen the dedication of healthcare professionals and community partners who work every day to help people, so one of the biggest things I've learned is health goes beyond the walls of a hospital – it includes access to resources, education, prevention, and the partnerships that help people live healthier lives. That experience will help me bring a practical perspective to this role and building lasting and meaningful relationships while connect the Kansas Health Foundation's mission with the needs and priorities of Southwest Kansas. One big example I can give is Southwest Kansas has one of the highest uninsured rates in the whole state. The reason I have that perspective is through my work at the hospital, and one of my largest projects was always healthcare, so I always saw the impact and how it saved a lot of people's lives. Having worked at a healthcare institution for so many years has given me a firsthand perspective of those issues we face in our region.”

Vazquez also offered encouragement for contacting her with any questions or concerns.

“I would highly recommend that they reach out to me directly. For this first year, my primary role will be to go and visit nearby communities, talk to residents, and listen,” Vazquez said. “I would be more than happy to meet with anyone – whether it's an organization or a community resident who has some issues, I will be more than happy to meet with anybody.”

Overall, Vazquez said, she is ready to take on her new role.

“I am incredibly honored and excited to have taken off this role. Southwest Kansas is a special place, and we have so many people who care deeply about their communities and want to see them thrive,” Vazquez said. “I'm really looking forward to listening, learning, building relationships, and finding ways to work together so we can improve the health and well-being of our region. I may be the first in this role, but I know this role will take all of us working together, so I'm really excited to get started and see what we can all accomplish together.”