HaysMed continues to advance cardiac care in western Kansas with the establishment of its comprehensive ablate-and-close concomitant procedure service for patients with Atrial Fibrillation (A-Fib). Since performing the first procedure in July 2025, the program has grown into a regularly offered treatment option.

Led by Dr. Jacob Morgan, cardiac electrophysiologist at the HaysMed DeBakey Heart Institute, with support from interventional cardiologist Dr. Travis Haneke and the Cath Lab team, the service reflects HaysMed’s ongoing commitment to providing cutting-edge, coordinated cardiac therapies close to home.

This procedure combines two advanced therapies into a single session: catheter ablation, which corrects abnormal heart rhythms, and implantation of the Watchman device, which helps prevent stroke by closing off the left atrial appendage. Known as a concomitant procedure, this approach offers patients fewer procedures, reduced anesthesia exposure, and a faster recovery in one coordinated treatment.

Traditionally, patients with A-Fib might undergo these two procedures separately, requiring multiple hospital visits, two rounds of anesthesia, and longer recovery times. This “ablate and close” concomitant procedure streamlines care by performing both treatments in a single session, offering several key benefits.

“This is a game-changer for our patients,” said Dr. Morgan. “By combining these procedures, we’re not only improving convenience and comfort, but also enhancing safety and long-term outcomes.”

Ablate‑and‑close care team members, including the HaysMed DeBakey Heart Institute and Cath Lab teams

The DeBakey Heart Institute at HaysMed is one of the only providers between Kansas City and Denver offering this advanced treatment option, making it a vital resource for patients across Western Kansas and surrounding regions. Combining these advanced therapies joins a growing list of innovative cardiac treatments available at the DeBakey Heart Institute, including:

• Pulse Field Ablation (PFA)
• Combined PFA Ablation with Watchman – a leading-edge approach offering both rhythm control and stroke protection for A-Fib patients
• Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacements (TAVRs)
• Shockwave Javelin procedure
• Patent Foramen Ovale (PFO) closure

HaysMed has a dedicated electrophysiology (EP) service within the DeBakey Heart Institute, led by Dr. Morgan. While this level of specialty care is uncommon in a rural hospital setting, it ensures that patients throughout western Kansas have access to advanced cardiac treatment without needing to travel far from home.

Dr. Morgan and the care team who performed HaysMed’s first pulse field ablation

Electrophysiology focuses on the heart’s electrical system and treats conditions such as irregular heartbeats and atrial fibrillation. Supported by a state-of-the-art hybrid operating room, HaysMed is equipped to perform complex procedures, including cardiac ablations and pacemaker or defibrillator implantations, with both advanced imaging and surgical capabilities integrated into one environment.

Related articles:
2025 HaysMed Cardiovascular Symposium a Success
HaysMed Recognized by U.S. News & World Report as a 2025–2026 Best Hospital for Heart Failure Care
HaysMed Showcases Shockwave Javelin Procedure in State-of-the-Art Hybrid OR
HaysMed Performs First Pulse Field Ablation Procedure
HaysMed Celebrates First Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) in New Hybrid Operating Room

HaysMed is proud to be your trusted partner for specialized healthcare, bringing advanced expertise close to home for Great Bend, Barton County, and the surrounding communities. Our team is committed to providing exceptional care in Urology, Cardiology, and Pulmonology, right where you need it most.

Rose vial signed by hospital to be included on OneLegacy Donate Life float

For 23 years, the OneLegacy Donate Life Rose Parade® float has inspired people across the country to save and enhance lives with the powerful message of organ, eye and tissue donation. The 2026 Rose Parade® theme, The Magic in Teamwork, celebrates the power of collaboration and collective achievement. It emphasizes that exceptional results come from a willingness to work together. Organ donation and transplantation would not be possible without the help of a team of people, working together to make the gift of life possible.

HaysMed is proud to partner with Midwest Transplant Network in dedicating a rose vial that will be placed on the OneLegacy Donate Life Rose Parade® float, Treasure Every Moment Together. The float is decorated as a lush paradise island with a treasure chest at the center. It’s meant as a reminder that registered organ, eye and tissue donors offer the greatest treasure: the gift of life.

The OneLegacy Donate Life float has great hornbill birds, monarch butterflies and two traditional canoes that will carry organ recipients. Like donation and transplantation, great hornbills have a crucial role in sustaining the circle of life in their communities. Monarch butterflies represent transformation and rebirth and are often used as symbols of donation and transplantation. The treasure chest is open and overflowing with flowers, pearls and floragraphs – portraits of donor heroes made from organic materials.

All Rose Parade® floats must be covered with flowers or other natural materials, such as leaves, seeds or bark. The OneLegacy Donate Life Rose Parade® float features numerous floragraphs, which replicate photographs but are made entirely of organic materials, remembering donor heroes from across the country.

Featured in the HaysMed photo front row left to right: Kali Debey, Ashley Jacobs, Bobby Matter, Andrea Legleiter, Nikki Dixon, Heidi Gohl, Kelly Cole. Back row left to right: Chad Pritchett, Kaylyn Bustillos, Janine Kisner, and Steve Schulze.

Donor Hero Floragraph Honoree
Midwest Transplant Network is a co-sponsor of the OneLegacy Donate Life Rose Parade® float, which will include a floragraph portrait of tissue donor Chad Stacy of Olathe, Kansas.

Chad, 34, is a son, brother, uncle, friend and father to daughters Faith and Payton. His active life involved being outdoors, spending time with family and friends and working in construction. As a kid, he loved to play Wiffle® ball. He joined the U.S. Marines after high school, served as Military Police and experienced two tours of duty in Iraq. He wanted to become a police officer in his hometown, Olathe. He passed away after a car accident in 2017. He was texting while driving.

His mother, Linda Isaac, said he was known for his kindness, giving nature and willingness to help people. He was a registered organ, eye and tissue donor. Chad gave tissue, tendons, heart valves and both corneas, enhancing the lives of 157 people. Linda is an MTN Ambassador who shares her son’s story and advocates for donation.

In his spirit, Linda hosts the Chad Stacy Wiffle® Ball Tournament to recognize donor heroes and celebrate organ, eye and tissue recipients. It’s held the first Saturday in October in Olathe.

The Isaacs will travel to Pasadena, Calif., for parade events hosted by OneLegacy, the organ procurement organization of southern California.

Rose Vial Dedications
The OneLegacy Donate Life Rose Parade® float includes individual roses encased in vials with unique messages from some of Midwest Transplant Network’s hospital and community partners.

HaysMed works closely with Midwest Transplant Network to facilitate organ, eye and tissue donation, and are honored to dedicate a rose vial to donors of HaysMed.

Watch the Parade, Float Rendering
Watch the 137th Rose Parade® on Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026, 10 a.m.-12 p.m. CST. Please check local TV listings for stations.

A rendering of the OneLegacy Donate Life Rose Parade® float, Treasure Every Moment Together, follows:

About Midwest Transplant Network
Midwest Transplant Network has been saving lives in Kansas and western Missouri since 1973. As a federally certified, not-for-profit organ procurement organization, Midwest Transplant Network works with organ, eye and tissue donors, their families, hospitals, and other professional partners to extend legacies, provide hope and give life. Midwest Transplant Network serves the state of Kansas and two-thirds of western Missouri. Its central office is in Westwood, Kansas, with satellite offices in Wichita, Kansas, and Columbia and Joplin, Missouri. Midwest Transplant Network commemorated 50 years in 2023.

Generous organ donor heroes from Midwest Transplant Network’s service area saved the lives of 13 people with an organ transplant in 1972. In 2024, Midwest Transplant Network recovered 1,075 organs for transplant from 399 donor heroes, illustrating the thoughtfulness of people in Kansas and western Missouri, the strong support from hospital and community partners, and Midwest Transplant Network’s commitment to continual improvement and saving more lives.

For more than 14 months, Garry Allen bravely battled bladder cancer, undergoing treatments with unwavering determination. Throughout this journey, Garry and his wife, Lauri, made countless trips from their home in Garden City, Kansas to HaysMed to receive care from our Urology specialists and team members. Their resilience and positivity have been an inspiration to everyone who had the privilege of supporting them.

In a gesture that speaks volumes about their generosity and spirit, Garry and Lauri donated a beautiful new bell to our Urology department. This bell, inscribed with the words “You are a survivor. Final treatment.”, will serve as a powerful symbol of hope and triumph for patients completing their treatment journey.

Recently, Garry had the honor of ringing this bell himself, marking the end of his treatments and celebrating his strength. Surrounded by the HaysMed team including Dr. Ernesto Lopez-Corona, Christina Schmidt, APRN, Caitlin Gabel, APRN, and Danielle VonFeldt, APRN who stood by him every step of the way, it was a moment filled with joy, gratitude, and inspiration.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to the Allen family for this incredible gift. Your kindness ensures that many patients and families will share in the joy of ringing the bell and celebrating milestones for years to come.

Enjoy these photos and video of Garry’s special moment and join us in honoring his courage and generosity.

Photo includes from left to right Dr. Ernesto Lopez-Corona, Christina Schmidt, APRN, Caitlin Gabel, APRN, Danielle VonFeldt, APRN, Lauri Allen, and Garry Allen.