Specializing in Your Health
HaysMed is a private, not-for-profit, 200+ bed hospital, and the only tertiary care center in our region. Across our expansive network of care, we share a common mission, vision and set of values that guide everything we do, both for our patients and the communities we serve.
Our Mission: To help people be healthy
Our Vision: To be the best tertiary care center in rural America
Our Values: Respect, Compassion, Spirituality, Trustworthiness, Excellence and Professionalism
Our unwavering commitment to quality care, outcomes, and experiences has consistently earned HaysMed national recognition. In 2022, we were honored as the only Kansas hospital to be named a Top 20 Rural and Community Hospital by the National Rural Health Association, alongside receiving Healthgrades’ Outstanding Patient Experience Award. In 2023, Vizient recognized us as a Top Performer in the Complex Care Medical Center cohort. Most recently, HaysMed earned the prestigious five-star designation in the 2024 CMS Overall Hospital Quality Star Ratings, a reflection of the hard work and commitment to excellence demonstrated by all HaysMed Associates.
With our longstanding legacy of healthcare excellence, HaysMed offers advanced specialization and excellence in primary care across a complete range of healthcare services. We are NIAHO® accredited by DNV Healthcare and ISO-certified, both of which are testaments to our dedication to the highest standards of excellence in care and operations.
We are also a Level III Trauma Center and a certified Primary Stroke Center. Additionally, HaysMed serves as the supporting regional hospital for the Northwest Kansas Alliance, collaborating with critical access hospitals across the region on outreach services in more than 30 locations.
From our mission-driven care teams in Hays and our surrounding communities – to the collaborative care and support we provide for and with our alliance members – we are creating a model of rural healthcare that will be sustainable for generations to come. Your health is very important to us, and we’re giving you every reason to choose HaysMed.
HaysMed Partners
As HaysMed partners, Pawnee Valley Community Hospital (PVCH) and Gove County Medical Center (GCMC) are managed by HaysMed, collaborating with our health system to improve lives through shared resources, advanced technology, and expanded clinical services.
HaysMed partners retain their local leadership, mission, and community identity while gaining operational benefits and vital support from HaysMed as the region’s only tertiary care center. These affiliations reflect our mutual commitment to keeping care local, supporting long-term sustainability, and thriving through the challenges of rural healthcare.
Altogether, our entire alliance network of critical access hospitals includes the following:
- Clara Barton Hospital
- Cheyenne County Hospital
- Minneola District Hospital
- Decatur Health
- Edwards County Hospital and Healthcare Center
- Gove County Medical Center
- Lane County Hospital
- Logan County Hospital
- Grisell Memorial Hospital
- Ness County Hospital
- Norton County Hospital
- Pawnee Valley Community Hospital
- Phillips County Health Systems
- Rawlins County Health Center
- Rooks County Health Center
- Rush County Memorial Hospital
- Russell Regional Hospital
- Scott County Hospital
- Sheridan County Health Complex
- Smith County Memorial Hospital
- Citizens Medical Center
- Trego County Lemke Memorial Hospital
HaysMed Foundation
The HaysMed Foundation is dedicated to support, assist and promote the interest and welfare of HaysMed, its programs and activities. The Foundation is governed by a board of community volunteers.
Generous support from individuals, families, organizations, foundations and corporations, has assisted HaysMed in meeting the demands for physical growth and modernization, proactive educational programming, and recruitment and retention of superior clinical and administrative professionals.
Gifts to the HaysMed Foundation help provide enhanced health care services for the entire region. To learn more or make a donation, click below.
Accreditations and Awards
Accreditation and recognition by professional organizations are the foundation of quality assurance in healthcare.
HaysMed is NIAHO-accredited by DNV Healthcare and ISO Certified. DNV Healthcare is the only hospital accreditation program approved by the US Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) that integrates the ISO 9001 Quality Management System with the Medicare Conditions of Participation. DNV’s NIAHO accreditation program requires hospitals to evaluate the continuum of patient care throughout its facilities and take measured steps to improve when it is warranted.
If you have a patient care or safety concern, you are encouraged to contact Patient Quality Services at 785-623-5297.
In addition to the NIAHO accreditation and ISO certification, HaysMed’s other accrediting recognitions include:
Hospital-Wide Accreditations
DNV Healthcare/NIAHO Hospital Accreditation & ISO Accreditation
Level III Trauma Center
Cardiology & Stroke Care Accreditations
American Association for Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation Accreditation
DNV Primary Stroke Center Certification
Orthopedic Accreditations
Medical Fitness Association Certified Medical Fitness Facility
Durable Medical Equipment (DME) Accredited Facility – HQAA Accredited
Cancer Care Accreditation
Quality Oncology Practice Initiative (QOPI®) Certified Program, an affiliate of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO)
Imaging Accreditations
American College of Radiology Accreditation for Mammography, Ultrasound and MRI
American Society of Radiologic Technologists Certification
Miscellaneous Accreditations
Diabetes Solutions Accredited Education program through the American Diabetes Association
American Academy of Sleep Medicine Accreditation
Blue Distinction® Centers+ (BDC+) Designation for Maternity Care
CHI-Medical Fitness Association Accreditation
Baby Friendly Certification
Edward Herrman
President/Chief Executive Officer
Edward Herrman serves as President/Chief Executive Officer of HaysMed. Previously, he served as the president of INTEGRIS Bass Baptist Health Center in Enid, Oklahoma. Eddie received a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from Oklahoma City University and a Master of Business Administration/Healthcare Administration from the University of Phoenix.
He served on the board of directors for numerous community organizations in Enid, including United Way of Enid and Northwest Oklahoma, Northwest Oklahoma Blood Institute, Denny Price YMCA, Vance Development Authority and Enid High Education Council.
He is past-president of the Oklahoma Organization for Nurse Executives, and a fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives.
Joannah Applequist
Chief Legal Officer
As Chief Legal Officer, Joannah is responsible for providing and directing legal services for the Corporation. She is also responsible for the Corporate Compliance, Human Resources, and Risk Management departments at HaysMed.
Prior to joining the Corporation in January of 1996, Joannah was an attorney in private practice. She graduated from Fort Hays State University Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science and a minor in French, and received her Juris Doctor (JD) degree from the University Of Oklahoma College Of Law. Joannah is a member of the American Health Lawyers’ Association, Association of Corporate Counsel, Health Care Compliance Association, Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics, Kansas Association of Hospital Attorneys, Kansas Bar Association, and the Ellis County Bar Association.
Shae C. Veach
Vice President Regional Operations
Shae Veach, is the Vice President of Regional Operations at Hays Medical Center. He also serves as the Network Director for the Northwest Kansas Critical Access Hospital Health Alliance. Mr. Veach oversees the outreach strategies for the Northwest Kansas Health Alliance, 25 Critical Access Hospitals in Western Kansas. He collaborates on operations and strategy with Pawnee Valley Community Hospital a HaysMed Partner, Larned KS. He is also responsible for BioMed, the Center for Health Improvement, Dietary, Environmental Services, Lab, Maintenance, Materials Management, Marketing and Communications departments at HaysMed as well as strategy and new building construction.
Mr. Veach belongs to the Kansas Hospital Association Rural Health Visioning Committee and the Kansas Hospital Association Policy and Advocacy Committee where he advocates in Washington DC and Topeka for rural health care. Mr. Veach serves as a board member on the Downtown Hays Development Corporation, Heart of America Development Corporation, and the Imagine Ellis County Committee Taskforce.
Mr. Veach came to HaysMed from Stanton County Hospital and LTCU in Johnson, Kansas where he served as the CEO/Administrator from 2003-2010. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Emporia State University. Shae is a life-long Kansan growing up in rural Kansas and is passionate about the delivery of health care in Kansas and maintaining access to quality of healthcare for ALL Kansans.
Heather Harris, MD
Medical Director
Dr. Harris is the Medical Director at HaysMed. She was born and raised in Garden City, Kansas, and completed her undergraduate degree at Kansas State University. She attended osteopathic medical school in Des Moines, Iowa, and completed her family practice residency in Botsford, Michigan. She relocated to Hays in 2003 with her husband to become closer to family, the K-State wildcats, and to begin working at Hays Family Medicine. Dr. Harris’s special interests in her practice are women’s health and child and adolescent medicine.
Bryan Brady
Vice President of Physician Practice Administration & Ancillary Services
Bryan is Vice President of Physician Practice Administration & Ancillary Services. His primary role is oversight of Hays Medical Group and Physician Practice Administration. He has more than 15 years of healthcare experience in physician practice administration. Prior to joining HaysMed, he served as the CEO of the First Care Clinic in Hays from 2009 to 2022.
Bryan earned a bachelor’s degree in business and a master’s degree in business administration from Emporia State University in Emporia. He currently serves as a board member for The Hays Chamber of Commerce, The ARC of Central Plains, Hays Catholic Schools Finance Advisory Council and Kansas Clinical Improvement Collaborative.
Michelle M. Beckner, MA, CPA
Chief Financial Officer
Michelle M. Beckner, MA, CPA, serves as Chief Financial Officer for HaysMed, which includes Hays Medical Center, in Hays, Kansas and Pawnee Valley Community Hospital, in Larned, Kansas. Prior to coming to HaysMed she served as the Chief Financial Officer at Littleton Adventist Hospital in Littleton, Colorado.
Michelle has over 15 years of experience in healthcare accounting, data analytics, acute care and decision support. While with Adventist Hospitals, she participated in a prestigious leadership residency program, as well as an intensive executive leadership program designed to develop future leaders of healthcare. Her background also includes strategic planning, financial operations, financial planning and analysis, regulatory compliance and project management.
Michelle holds a Bachelor of Business Administration, Accounting from Walla Walla University and Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership from Gonzaga University. In addition, she is a Certified Public Accountant. Organizational involvements include the Healthcare Financial Management Association and Reach Out and Read.
Community Benefit
Community benefits are programs or activities that provide treatment or promote health and healing as a response to identified community needs in such a way as to:
- Improve residents’ access to healthcare services
- Enhance the health of the community
- Advance medical or health knowledge
- Relieve/reduce the burden on government or other community effort
HaysMed’s community benefits include education, charity care, subsidized health services, community health improvement activities and more.
Community Benefit Reports
2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017
Annual Reports
Community Health Needs Assessment
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act set forth requirements that hospitals perform a Community Health Needs assessment every three years to determine health needs of the community. The needs assessment is a primary tool used to determine our community benefit plan, which outlines how we will give back to the community in the form of healthcare and other community services to address unmet community health needs. This report presents a summary that highlights the data findings, presents key needs and opportunities for action. These reports present a summary that highlights the data findings, present key needs and opportunities for action
2024 Community Health Needs Assessment
2024 Community Health Needs Assessment Implementation Plan
2021 Community Health Needs Assessment
2021 Community Health Needs Assessment Implementation Plan
2018 Community Health Needs Assessment
2018 Community Health Needs Assessment Implementation Plan
Comments/Feedback
If you have comments or feedback regarding our Community Health Needs Assessment, please fill out the Contact Us form.
Advocates for a Healthy Community
HaysMed is a strong advocate for state healthcare and supports KanCare expansion. As part of our commitment to a vision where every Kansan has access to the healthcare they need, HaysMed has always been an advocate for the uninsured and underinsured.
Media Contact
Here at HaysMed, we are always happy to help media representatives with stories, arrange interviews, and provide information about HaysMed.
Media Contact
Please contact Marketing at 785-623-5523. She is available Monday through Friday between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.
Release of Information Guidelines
Privacy regulations established through the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 strictly govern the use and release of a patient’s personal health information. HaysMed follows HIPAA and American Hospital Association guidelines.
Kansas High Value Network
HaysMed is proud to be a founding member of the Kansas High Value Network (KS-HVN), a collaboration among seven independent rural hospitals working together to strengthen healthcare across our state. Together, these hospitals serve nearly 190,000 patients throughout Kansas — and every one of them remains locally owned and locally led.
Kansas is home to 92 rural hospitals, the second-most of any state in the nation. That independence is worth protecting, and it’s exactly what this network was built to do. By joining forces, HaysMed and its partner hospitals can share best practices, coordinate on quality of care, and combine purchasing power to hold down costs — all without giving up the local decision-making that keeps care personal and close to home.
As board chair of KS-HVN, HaysMed President and CEO Edward Herrman put it best: “The communities we serve want to keep rural healthcare rural, and close to home. This collaboration helps us ensure that decisions about care in our communities are designed for our communities.” HaysMed looks forward to working alongside partner hospitals across Kansas to strengthen rural healthcare and improve access for the communities they serve.
Learn more about the KS-HVN here
FAQs
What is the Kansas High Value Network?
Seven rural independent hospitals make up the Kansas High Value Network collaborating on clinical and business initiatives to strengthen healthcare in rural communities across the state. HaysMed is a founding member of this growing network.
The network’s foundation is a clinically integrated network (CIN) caring for a population of approximately 190,000 patients. The CIN will drive KS-HVN’s quality enhancement initiatives and care coordination efforts and reduce administrative burdens for providers.
Why is our hospital joining the KS-HVN?
Many of the toughest challenges in healthcare have pushed hospitals and physician groups to combine into larger health systems, because economies of size and scale are crucial to building the capabilities needed to meet these challenges.
That said, patients in our community are best served by preserving our hospital’s dedicated focus on serving the needs of patients and providers in our community. KSHVN helps our members gain the benefits of size and scale without giving up the ability to tailor decisions to the needs of their local communities.
Will you still accept my health insurance?
Yes, joining KS-HVN has no immediate impact on our contracts with health insurers. As the collaboration deepens among members, the network will be a strong partner with insurers on value-based insurance products that improve quality, reduce cost, and enhance patient and provider experience.
Which hospitals are the charter members of the network?
The network is starting with seven founding hospitals across Kansas. We are actively welcoming other Kansas hospitals to join us. The charter members are:
- Hays Medical Center in Hays
- Gove County Medical Center in Quinter
- Pawnee Valley Community Hospital in Larned
- NMC Health in Newton
- Clara Barton in Hoisington
- Patterson Health Center in Anthony
- Scott County Hospital in Scott City
Seven Kansas rural hospitals formed the Kansas High Value Network, following similar affiliations in other states. (Adobe stock/Modern Healthcare illustration/Cibolo Health)
What are some specific benefits patients will see from our hospital joining this network?
Sustaining high-quality care in our community for the long term is great news for patients. Here are some specific benefits that patients will see from our hospital’s membership in the Kansas High Value Network:
- Clinical initiatives through the KS-HVN will enable members to benchmark their performance and find areas to further enhance clinical quality, while Care Coordination initiatives close care gaps and reduce unnecessary ER visits while improving overall community health.
- The data platform members will participate in enables better care coordination for patients who need treatment at multiple locations.
- Reducing administrative burdens on clinicians leaves them more time to focus on patients, and over time, can help reduce burnout. That helps us retain excellent physicians and other providers in our community.
- The members can work together with payers on value-based arrangements that an individual member may not be able to do on its own. Patients benefit when insurers and hospitals develop these win-win relationships.
- The members will bolster their ability to control costs for equipment and contracted services by negotiating a group, and controlling these costs helps maintain affordability for patients.
Is our hospital being sold to a big health system?
No. HaysMed, like every member of KS-HVN, remains an independent hospital that can focus on the needs of our community. KS-HVN is more like a farmer’s cooperative: A cooperative fosters collaboration and handles some tasks jointly for its members, who continue to otherwise operate independently.
How will decisions about healthcare in our community be made after joining the KS-HVN?
Exactly the same way that they are now: Our board and hospital leaders who live and work in our community will continue to make those decisions. We are joining KS-HVN to accomplish things that we cannot do on our own. Making decisions about healthcare in our community is not one of those things.
What does joining the KS-HVN mean for local patients?
By working together with other independent rural hospitals, we will pool our clinical and business know-how to ensure continued access to high-quality care that strengthens our community. These efforts will improve care coordination, support medical practitioners and promote more efficient operations.
How are medical practitioners, nurses, and employees of the hospital affected by joining the KS-HVN?
KS-HVN will promote greater stability and success for its members through its clinical and business initiatives. When our hospitals and clinics thrive, our medical practitioners, nurses, and employees benefit, too. For medical practitioners, the KS-HVN Clinical Integration Committee will be a supportive peer community, nurses and quality coordinators will have the Care Coordination Committee. Business and operational leaders will have a similar peer group.
Quality care for Kansans
At HaysMed and across our western Kansas alliance, we bring a shared commitment to high-quality care, outcomes and experiences. Our mission is deeply rooted in our role as a resource and partner for every patient and every community we serve.
