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Walmart celebrates more than 40,000 veterans hires; more than 650 in Kansas
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Updated: May 23, 2014, 12:24 PM
Published: May 23, 2014, 12:25 PM

  TOPEKA – During the first year of Walmart’s Veterans Welcome Home Commitment it hired more than 42,000 veterans; of those, more than 650 were hired in Kansas. The commitment, launched last Memorial Day, guarantees a job offer to any honorably discharged veteran within his or her first 12 months off active duty. Walmart projects it will hire more than 100,000 veterans in five years.
The Walmart Foundation also announced it is doubling down on its commitment to veterans by pledging an additional $20 million through 2019 to support veteran employment and transition programs. In 2011, the Walmart Foundation pledged $20 million through 2015 to help veterans and their families get through those challenges with assistance from programs that provide job training, transition support and education. It met that goal one year early.
“We have a generation of veterans who have built a legacy of incredible service and sacrifice to our nation,” said Bill Simon, Walmart U.S. president and CEO and U.S. Navy veteran. “We have hired veterans at every career stage and in every part of our company, from stores and distribution centers to the home office and Walmart.com. Veterans bring invaluable skills including leadership, commitment and hard work, which make our workforce even stronger.”
“In addition to the good jobs we offer, our Foundation’s commitment is helping even more veterans build the skills they need to succeed in their careers,” Simon added.
“Walmart provides a great opportunity for veterans to transition from military to civilian life,” said Casey Mormen, an Army veteran who was hired in January 2014, in the Warren, Mich., store. “People don’t realize how hard it is for veterans to find employment, and I received a call almost immediately after applying. I started as a fitting room associate and have already been promoted to a department manager. I truly believe that you can go as far as your hard work will take you at Walmart, and the leadership team supports you along the way.”
More than one million service members are due to exit the military in the next five years, and many of them will face significant challenges with unemployment and transition back to civilian life. To help address those challenges, the Walmart Foundation is increasing its support for veterans and military families.
Pawnee Valley Community Hospital now offers proven PAD treatment
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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.