Since the 1990s, Heart of Kansas Family Health Care Inc. has been serving the Golden Belt. Today, in addition to its office at 1905 19th St. in Great Bend, there are offices in Larned. Stafford and St. John. Its motto is, “We care about your health.”
Heart of Kansas CEO Brett Middleton spoke when the non-profit health center hosted the Dec. 11 Great Bend Chamber of Commerce Coffee. He noted that Heart of Kansas was created to provide health-care services to people who weren’t receiving help. It has grown over time.
“We received our first federal funding in ’99 and state funding shortly thereafter,” he said. “We are a community health center. Our mission is to provide primary health care, behavioral health care and dental care to all patients, regardless of their ability to pay. We are the safety net clinic for this area.”
Heart of Kansas sees a little over 7,000 patients a year and had 35,000 encounters last year, he said. “Last year we provided over $700,000 in uncompensated care. For our community, that’s huge.”
They are led by a volunteer board of directors and are required to have 51% of the board members be users of Heart of Kansas services. “They’re giving directly back to the community,” he said. “We appreciate their involvement and dedication.”
Flor Sanchez, a community health worker at Heart of Kansas, reminded everyone that they will host the Heart Walk in February.
Announcements
• Happy Girl Flower Shop, 2102 Kansas Ave., will donate flowers to local nursing homes and accepts donations for its Pedal It Forward program.
• Great Bend Public Library’s Winter Events Calendar is out; copies are available at the library, 1905 Williams St. Monday, Dec. 15, will be the Christmas in Narnia event, from 6:30-8 p.m. Come join the quest to find Aslan, solve challenges, enjoy food and meet Father Christmas, who will read, “The Night Before Christmas.”
• Eagle Radio’s $20,000 Christmas Cash Giveaway will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Crest Theater.
• Move Your Mountain Coaching will offer a Tranquil Summit at an AirBNB in Claflin Jan. 16-17, 2026.
• The next Chamber Coffee will start at 9 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 18, at the Prince of Peace Parish Center (see below). It will be followed by a ribbon cutting at 10:30 a.m. at the Velvet Bookmark, located inside The Beauty Bar at 1409 Main.
The Great Charity Giveback
Next week’s chamber coffee will feature “The Great Charity Giveback” at 9:30 a.m. on Dec. 18 at the Prince of Peace Parish Center.
Sponsors at the Golden Belt Community Foundation are calling this “The Super Bowl of Giving Tuesday!”
Join Team Golden Belt as they:
• Reveal the final “score” of this year’s Giving Tuesday
• Announce the Top Ten All-Stars
• Present the MGC (Most Generous City) Award
• Enjoy breakfast and coffee
• Hand out dollars, prizes, shirts, trophies, and surprises
• Celebrate the teamwork of all five counties
“It’s the biggest celebration of generosity we host all year – and we want you on the field with us,” sponsors stated. “Let’s huddle up, cheer loudly, and celebrate another winning season for our communities. Thank you for being part of this team and for making Giving Tuesday 2025 one to remember.”
