A Great Bend woman who has attended several of the Cancer Center Kitchen Therapy sessions is hoping for a big turnout at the next presentation. It will be the last one of the year.

          The event is scheduled for noon, Thursday, Oct. 16 in the St. Dominic Room at St. Rose Ambulatory & Surgery Center. There is no charge.

          Rosalyn Borchers has attended several of the nine earlier one-hour presentations at St. Rose and has noticed benefits in her daily life.

          “I was interested in learning about ways to eat a healthier diet,” Borchers said. “Because of Kitchen Therapy, I am choosing some healthier items to eat and to cook with.

          “I prepared one of the recipes recently and shared the results with several groups,” she added. “People seemed to like it.”

          Borchers also noted that she enjoyed sampling some of the recipes at the sessions and learning about alternative ingredients.

          Two dietitians at The University of Kansas Medical Center lead the Kitchen Therapy discussion via interactive televideo (ITV). They prepare recipes and interact with the audience.

“The dietitians explain the value of the foods they are cooking and help us learn the best way to prepare them,” Borchers said. “And since it is interactive, we can ask questions and make comments; it is like they are right there with us.”

Borchers also noted that she has enjoyed many other ITV presentations at St. Rose.

“Whether it is Kitchen Therapy, yoga, Tai Chi or another topic, St. Rose has helped us connect with people and information that in the past was offered only in bigger cities,” she said.

The Midwest Cancer Alliance (MCA) sponsors the ITV sessions; St. Rose is a member of MCA, which is the outreach arm of The University of Kansas Cancer Center.

Even though the presentations are designed with cancer patients in mind, the general public can benefit too.

          St. Rose is part of Centura Health, which connects individuals and families across western Kansas and Colorado with more than 6,000 physicians, 15 hospitals, seven senior-living communities, physician practices and clinics, and home-care and hospice services.