A cardiothoracic and vascular surgeon is one of the newest members on the team of specialists available to local and area residents. Elizabeth Ashworth, M.D., F.A.C.S., sees patients once a month in Great Bend.

          Dr. Ashworth’s home base is the DeBakey Heart Institute at Hays Medical Center where she performs a wide range of heart, lung, vein and artery procedures.

          Her local clinic currently is located at the Great Bend Healthcare Center, 1400 Polk, where she cares for patients on the second Tuesday of the month. She and other specialists will move into St. Rose Health Center later this year.

          HaysMed and Centura Health co-own St. Rose.

          “I am really pleased to be part of this outreach effort,” Dr. Ashworth said. “HaysMed is doing everything it can to help provide excellent service and medical care in central Kansas. We have greatly increased our number of specialists here in Great Bend and I am just one of them.

          “Our goal is to offer more convenience and to reduce the stress that comes with traveling for pre-op and post-op appointments,” she continued. “Instead of taking a day off work, you can now just stop by for a consultation or post-op visit and get on with your day. This helps people so much.”

          A few of Dr. Ashworth’s more common procedures include: open-heart surgery that bypasses blocked arteries; heart-valve repair and replacement; abdominal aortic aneurysm treatment; blocked carotid artery surgery; lung-cancer-related surgeries; and treatment of lung infections.

          In addition, she performs blocked artery bypass procedures in the leg; procedures for aortic aneurysms in the chest; treatment of aortic dissection; and lung surgeries that require a scope.

          Dr. Ashworth has been at HaysMed for five years; she is now seeing seven to 10 patients during each Great Bend visit.

          The surgeon completed medical school at Indiana University School of Medicine at Indianapolis. She then completed residencies in general surgery at Indiana University Medical Center and cardiothoracic surgery at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee.

          Dr. Ashworth has held positions in cardiothoracic and vascular surgery at hospitals in Indiana and Kansas. She is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, and a member of the Society of Thoracic Surgery and Women in Thoracic Surgery. She is widely published in medical journals and health-related publications.

          “All of us at HaysMed are happy to bring our specialties to the Great Bend clinic,” Dr. Ashworth commented. “We are hearing good things from the folks in central Kansas. They are glad we are here and so available to them. And we are glad to accommodate.”

          To make an appointment with Dr. Ashworth call 1-888-832-7138.

          St. Rose specializes in primary care, prevention and wellness. Services include St. Rose Family Medicine, Convenient Care Walk-in Clinic, Great Bend Internists, imaging, infusion clinic, WellnessWorks, one-day surgical procedures, Golden Belt Home Health & Hospice and a comprehensive Specialty Clinic. St. Rose is co-owned by Hays Medical Center and Centura Health.