By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
CKCC welcomes new administrator
biz_lbp_ckcnewadminpic
COURTESY PHOTO Former Principal and School Administrator Dottie Dozier, serving Central Kansas Christian Academy for over nine years, poses with incoming Principal and School Administrator Sherry Pruter, who recently took over the role.
Published: Jun 12, 2023, 6:32 PM

Central Kansas Christian Academy (CKCA), a K-8 grade Christian school in Great Bend, announced this week the hiring of Sherry Pruter as the new school principal and school administrator. 

“I am excited to work with a Christian staff and help our students to understand not only the importance of a good education, but even more important are the values and Christian principles that they learn here at CKCA,” said Pruter. “My long-range vision is to have CKCA accredited as a K-12 building.”

Pruter has nearly three decades of experience in education, as she taught for 16 years between the Great Bend and Nickerson school districts. After that, she spent the last 13 years as a school counselor in Lyons and Larned. 

She earned a bachelor’s degree in education from McPherson College and a master’s degree from Fort Hays State University before earning a certification as a licensed professional counselor (LPC) in 2015 and then clinical licensure in 2018 (LCPC). Additionally, while working as a counselor, she worked as a part-time therapist at Healing Hearts Ranch and HHR Therapeutic Service LLC from 2014 until 2022 when the agency closed. Recently she also received her administrative certification through Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI).

“My vision for CKCA is to continue to lead a Christ-centered school that not only teaches a rigorous academic curriculum, but provides a Biblical world view in every subject and area of instruction. With my school counseling background, I would also like to incorporate more social, emotional and character development lessons,” said Pruter. 

“This would allow students who complete the CKCA curriculum to be academically, spiritually, socially and emotionally equipped to transfer and successfully transition to whatever high school they choose to attend,” she said.

Pruter will continue on-boarding throughout the summer, preparing for the upcoming 2023-2024 school year. She will be handling the day-to-day operations of the school and providing leadership and communication with staff, parents and students. Additional responsibilities include public relations, academic oversight, administrative and operational management, and serving as a liaison between staff, parents, board members and teachers. 

Outside of work, Pruter enjoys reading, biking and family gatherings. She also enjoys spending time with her grandchildren. Sherry lives outside of Great Bend with her husband, Dale. 

Anyone interested in learning more about CKCA or enrolling their child (K-8) for the 2023-2024 school year can visit www.ckcacademy.comor contact the school office weekdays when school is in session. Call 620-792-3477 or send email to office@ckcacademy.com. During the summer, callers may leave a message and their call will be returned. 

CKCA will host its annual come-and-go Enrollment Day on Aug. 3. 

Central Kansas Christian Academy also has a Facebook page for followers to keep up with school news and events.
Pawnee Valley Community Hospital now offers proven PAD treatment
pvch-set-pad
Sayra Santacruz, respiratory therapist, and Dusty Thacker, director of Cardiopulmonary Services at Pawnee Valley Community Hospital, demonstrate supervised exercise therapy for patients with peripheral artery disease.
Published: Apr 3, 2025, 1:50 PM

Anyone who has a diagnosis of peripheral artery disease (PAD) now has access to a “proven, effective treatment” at Pawnee Valley Community Hospital (PVCH), said Dusty Thacker, director of Cardiopulmonary Services.

The treatment is called supervised exercise therapy (SET) and is specifically tailored to PAD, a condition in which blood vessels to the legs and feet become narrowed or blocked. This is due to a build-up of fatty deposits inside the arteries that limits blood flow.

“SET is a structured workout program designed to help people improve their physical health under the guidance of a trained professional,” Thacker said. “Sessions are tailored to the person’s needs and focus on improving strength, endurance and mobility.

“The treatment also helps improve circulation, which can reduce or eliminate pain while walking.”

Exercise sessions typically involve a combination of aerobics, strength training and stretching. This includes walking on a treadmill at a moderate pace, with an incline, until the patient begins to feel mild to moderate leg pain.

The patient then rests until the pain subsides before resuming the exercise during up to 36 sessions with a registered respiratory therapist.

“SET is a key treatment approach that focuses on improving blood flow, reducing leg pain and enhancing overall mobility,” Thacker summarized.

Smoking and diabetes are the strongest risk factors for PAD, Thacker noted. Other factors include being over 75; high blood pressure and/or cholesterol; not enough physical activity; stress; diets high in saturated fats; obesity; chronic kidney disease; and family history.

“A few classic symptoms of PAD are pain, burning or cramping in your legs and feet during an activity that improve with rest,” Thacker said.

Others are leg and foot pain at night or while lying down, as well as coldness or numbness in the legs or feet. Additional possibilities are leg weakness or heaviness, slow-healing sores on feet or legs, discolored skin and leg-hair loss.

The therapist offers education about smoking cessation, a heart-healthy diet, weight management, blood pressure control and increasing physical activity.

“We are pleased that we now offer this important exercise therapy,” Thacker commented. “Many of our patients have benefited from our Cardiac Rehab and Pulmonary Rehab services by gaining control of their symptoms, improving their quality of life and reducing the risk of future hospitalizations.

“SET is a similar service. Patients with PAD now have a treatment that can help them manage symptoms and improve overall vascular health.

“We are excited to expand our cardiopulmonary services and incredibly fortunate to partner with HaysMed and the DeBakey Heart Institute. This collaboration connects our Larned community with any necessary advanced services and direct access to cardiologists. It allows us to offer specialized care close to home, significantly enhancing the quality of care and positively impacting our patients’ health and well-being.”


Pawnee Valley Community Hospital, 923 Carroll in Larned, is a 25-bed facility, offering many services not typically available in a smaller facility. Included are 24/7 emergency care; acute, skilled and specialized nursing; surgery; high-tech imaging and laboratory tests; wound care; rehabilitation; and sleep and diagnostic center. PVCH Family Medicine provides the full range of family-medicine services; physician-assisted weight loss; and women’s health services. The hospital’s number is 620-285-3161; the clinic’s number is 620-804-6007.