Health on the Plains

podcast

Rural Health Podcast

Health on the Plains is a Kansas Health Institute podcast, hosted by Wyatt Beckman, KHI senior analyst & portfolio strategist. The podcast was launched in 2023, with a focus on health and well-being in rural Kansas. Episodes include engaging and nuanced conversations around topics impacting the health of individuals in less populated parts of the state.

Episodes include guests representing a wide range of backgrounds who are focused on improving health for Kansans. Although conversation is focused on Kansas, topics are relevant to anyone living in rural America. The podcast is also available as a webcast on YouTube.

Latest Episode

Eat Well, Be Well, with Chef Steve Smith, episode 16

In episode 16 of Health on the Plains, Wyatt Beckman sits down with Chef Steve Smith, who shares how he’s transforming hospital dining at Smith County Memorial Hospital in rural Kansas. Chef Steve creates customized, nutritious meals designed to support patient health — a model rooted in the belief that food is medicine. Learn how his work extends beyond the hospital doors.

Play the Episode

Wyatt Beckman with KHI is on the left. Logan Intergenerational Family Education (LIFE) Center leaders, David Kirkendall (right) and Teresa McComb (middle).
All In for All Ages, with the Logan LIFE Center

Episode 15

A man and woman stand smiling in front of a red interactive display kiosk that reads “Visit Abilene Kansas,” with an image of a train and longhorn cattle in the background. The man wears a gray polo shirt and navy pants, and the woman wears a denim jacket over a colorful floral skirt.
What’s There To Do in Abilene? with Julie Roller Weeks

Episode 14

Photo of Wyatt Beckman, Brandon Skidmore and Elizabeth Burger
Being a Catalyst for Health – Investing in hopes and dreams, with the Sunflower Foundation

Episode 13

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About the Host

In a modern office with potted plants and city views, a cheerful man sits relaxed in a gray chair, crossing his legs to reveal bold, colorful socks. A “Health Policy” pamphlet lies on a small round table in front of him.

 

Wyatt J. Beckman, M.P.H., Senior Analyst & Portfolio Strategist, has a leading role in KHI’s activities and projects focused on rural health. Born and raised in Ness City, Kansas, Wyatt grew up thinking about the intersection of health and rural life – with one parent serving as an EMT and director of EMS, and the other as a rural route carrier for the United States Postal Service. He has seen both the challenges and the successes of rural health, and the often unseen, untold and unappreciated sacrifices of those working to serve their communities.

Like the challenges and opportunities facing rural communities, Wyatt’s work at KHI has been varied. He has contributed to KHI studies on social isolation, e-cigarettes, suicide prevention, telehealth, prescription drugs, and the response of local governments to COVID-19.

 

Wyatt also provided research support to the Center for Sharing Public Health Services, a national initiative formerly managed by KHI and funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which focuses on resource sharing arrangements as a strategy to improve public health effectiveness and efficiency.

Wyatt has long known and appreciated the power of storytelling in its many forms. As a radio show host in college, he loved finding out the meaning behind the songs and artists he was playing and sharing that with his audience. Through this podcast, Wyatt hopes to create a space for the rich, nuanced and meaningful conversations about health in rural Kansas. Along the way, he hopes listeners will smile, laugh, ponder and gain new insights into the people working to make Kansas a healthier and more vibrant place to call home.

Health on the Plains Production Team

Wyatt J. Beckman, M.P.H., Host 

Cathy McNorton, Website Lead 

Stewart Cole, Editor, Graphic Designer 

Karsen DeWeese, M.P.H., Accessibility and Evaluation Lead 

Cathy McNorton, Website Lead 

Theresa Freed, M.A., Producer, Editor 

Emma Uridge, M.P.H., Field Producer, Coordinator