Colby, KS (Aug. 12, 2026) – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran today joined leaders from Citizens Health, The University of Kansas Health System and The University of Kansas Cancer Center to announce a new collaboration bringing expanded access to specialized cancer care to Colby, KS, and the surrounding area.
“Cancer touches all of us in some way, and fighting it requires access to effective treatment, screening and prevention,” said Sen. Moran. “Earlier this year, I secured the final $46 million of the $115 million in federal funding to build and equip the new state-of-the-art KU Cancer Center. The partnership announced today, made possible in part through the Rural Health Transformation Program, will help to make certain the breakthroughs in research and treatments at the new KU Cancer Center translate directly into care for patients in northwest Kansas under the leadership of Citizens Health. I am grateful to the leadership of Citizens Health, The University of Kansas Cancer Center and The University of Kansas Health System for their efforts in bringing specialty cancer care services close to home for rural Kansans.”
The new collaboration will offer access to specialty cancer care in collaboration with the current cancer care program, starting first with 2 physicians who specialize in melanoma and genitourinary cancers, such as prostate cancer. This will expand in the coming months to include physicians who specialize in lung, head and neck cancers and malignant hematology followed by breast and gastrointestinal cancers.
“Today, Citizens Medical Center provides quality general cancer care to the region and this will continue. This new collaboration will allow expanded access to specialty cancer care through The University of Kansas Cancer Center and allow for our teams working together, keeping care close to home for patients and their families,” said David McCorkle, CEO of Citizens Health. “This is critical for rural communities throughout Kansas as we continue to identify new ways of delivering care in a changing healthcare landscape.”
Physicians from The University of Kansas Cancer Center have joined the medical staff of Citizens Medical Center, providing a seamless approach to care supported by an experienced APP and nurse navigators on site and leveraging telehealth capabilities.
The collaboration is unique in several ways, including those critical components of a cancer care plan for specialty care needs – imaging, infusion and other aspects of treatment plans – will happen in Colby rather than requiring patients to travel long distances for these needs. In addition, treatment plans coordinated by The University of Kansas Cancer Center physicians have been built in Citizen Health’s electronic health record which are based on current standards of care and evidence-based research.
“Cancer is a deeply personal and life changing diagnosis for patients and their loved ones,” said Jack Beal, senior vice president of cancer services for The University of Kansas Health System. “Kansans should be able to navigate their cancer journey close to home, with access to the state’s most advanced specialty care resources at The University of Kansas Cancer Center. We believe this collaboration with Citizens Health, made possible by their leaders’ commitment and infrastructure investments, will change cancer care in the region and become a model for rural health.”
To support this collaboration, Citizens Health and The University of Kansas Cancer Center identified infrastructure needs to ensure a seamless patient experience. These include investments in construction to ensure necessary space, lab expansion, changes to electronic records programs to work seamlessly across both organizations and hiring an experienced APP and nurse navigators to support this care on a daily basis.
Grant funding from the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) helped support growth of oncology care at Citizens Health, including updated diagnostics tools, support for community health workers and advancements to the medical record and pharmacy platforms needs to support patients.
Speakers at today’s announcement (listed in order of appearance):
- Bob Standage, chair, Citizens Health Board of Trustees
- S. Senator Jerry Moran (Kansas)
- David McCorkle, CEO, Citizens Health
- Jack Beal, senior vice president, The University of Kansas Cancer Center and chief administration officer, The University of Kansas Health System
- Gary Doolittle, MD, The University of Kansas Cancer Center
About Citizens Health
Citizens Health is a community-based, private, not-for-profit health care organization serving northwest Kansas. Based in Colby, Kansas, Citizens Health provides a continuum of care through Citizens Medical Center, Family Center for Health Care, Prairie Senior, Citizens Medical Equipment and Palace Drug Store. Guided by its mission of enhancing the lives of those it serves, Citizens Health is committed to providing compassionate, high-quality care close to home.
About The University of Kansas Cancer Center
The University of Kansas Cancer Center is transforming cancer research and clinical care by linking an innovative approach to drug discovery, delivery and development to a nationally accredited patient care program. It is one of fewer than 60 National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer centers in the country. The cancer center partners with cancer research and healthcare professionals associated with the University of Kansas Medical Center and The University of Kansas Health System in Kansas City, Kansas, the University of Kansas in Lawrence, the University of Kansas School of Medicine in Wichita and Salina, and the members of the Midwest Cancer Alliance. The cancer center’s NCI consortium partners include The Stowers Institute for Medical Research and Children’s Mercy in Kansas City, Missouri. For more information on The University of Kansas Cancer Center’s research, outreach programs and patient care, visit kucancercenter.org.