(June 7, 2024) – The Kansas Hospital Association's Heart of Health Care Worker Award highlights hospital employees who have made a significant contribution to the betterment of their hospital. These individuals are nominated for this award because they routinely go above and beyond the call of duty.
Spending nearly a decade in the U.S. Army Reserve shaped Allan Thomas in ways that benefit all those around him, especially his team members. The Army culture promotes loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity and personal courage. These values and standards characterize the culture he has created in Via Christi Wichita Respiratory Services.
Thomas has spent his entire health care career (32 years) at Ascension Via Christi Hospitals Wichita. He started as a staff practitioner and quickly rose to leadership positions. For the past 20 years, he has led Via Christi Wichita Respiratory Services.
Thomas has developed a reputation for putting the needs of others first. Whether it's through the career exposure programs he's created for high school students through the MedEd Academy or starting the "Honor Walk" to support families as their loved one is wheeled to surgery to donate their organs, Thomas finds ways to go above and beyond.
Growing up in an underserved community in Wichita, Thomas understands how access to resources impacts the success of students and the community at large. He firmly believes that education is the way up, especially for those who feel marginalized or overlooked.
This is why he started MedEd Academy, an opportunity for Wichita High School students to learn what working in health care is like. This day-long experience exposes them to a variety of health care careers, creating opportunities for personal, academic and career growth.
Thomas, and other Heart of Health Care Worker Award nominees, will be recognized during the KHA Awards Luncheon at the 2024 KHA Annual Convention on Sept. 5, 2024, at Sheraton Overland Park/Overland Park Convention Center, Overland Park.
--Shelby Stacy