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Hays, Kansas (March 1, 2017) Hays, KS—John Jeter, MD, has announced plans to retire from his role as President and CEO of HaysMed, part of The University of Kansas Health System, effective January 1, 2018. Dr. Jeter joined HaysMed  in 1996.

In the last 21 years, Dr. Jeter has facilitated growth in services and locations, and has contributed to the health of the community through his leadership at the hospital and in Hays.

“My focus is to have HaysMed be the best tertiary care center in rural America,” explains Dr. Jeter.   “We want to create a state-of-the- art medical center because it is the right thing to do for our community and the region.”

An innovative and proactive leader, Dr. Jeter has helped HaysMed distinguish itself in a number of areas:

• Fostering health and wellness of Hays residents by creating The Center for Health Improvement, a medical fitness center on the HaysMed campus, along with walking trails, classes and other health enhancement opportunities
• Partnering with The University of Kansas Hospital on The Kansas Heart and Stroke Collaborative, a $12.5M Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation Center award to improve heart and stroke care in Western Kansas
• Establishing the DeBakey Heart Institute to bring cardiovascular surgery and services to western Kansas
• Creating the partnership with Pawnee Valley Community Hospital and the St. Rose Health Center joint venture.

But some might say his biggest achievement was his vision for the future—a future where more Kansans had access to a higher level of care.

“One of my personal objectives was to contribute to the creation of a ‘system of care’ for Kansas,” says Jeter, “but I always knew it was going to require a partner.” He’s pleased HaysMed was able to find a partner in The University of Kansas Health System, which had a similar objective. (HaysMed became a part of The University of Kansas Health System effective January 1, with the goal of improving access to patient care and extending the commitment of high quality care shared by both hospitals throughout the state of Kansas.)

“John has always been committed to the people of Kansas, just like we are,” says Bob Page, president and CEO of The University of Kansas Health System. “We are grateful for his commitment and for his collaboration over the last four years as we built this partnership.”

Dr. Jeter’s retirement doesn’t come as a surprise to everyone. “We knew John wanted to move into the next phase of his life,” says HaysMed Board Chair Alan Moore. “It was important to him to complete the partnership agreement with The University of Kansas Health System, so he could retire knowing the residents of Hays and western Kansas would have access to a broader range of care-from common to complex. I speak for the entire Board when I say that we have admired, appreciated and supported Dr. Jeter’s vision and his leadership.”

The HaysMed Board of Directors will conduct a search for Dr. Jeter’s replacement. They anticipate a successor to be named late this year.

“I am confident the Board will find the right candidate to move the organization forward, and the organization will continue to be committed to outstanding patient care,” says Jeter. “I want to offer my thanks to the physicians, Associates, board and the community of Hays for their continued support of HaysMed throughout my tenure. Hays is a fantastic community to both live and work in.”