Dr. Deborah Kroeker recognized for her medical work around the world
Dr. Deborah Kroeker, daughter of Wes and Elaine Kroeker of Bingham Lake, and a graduate of Mountain Lake Public High School, was recognized as an International Outreach “Health Care Hero” during a Tuesday, September 1 awards dinner at the Hyatt Regency in Wichita, Kansas.
“Health Care Heroes” honors companies, individuals, and organizations for their contributions to improving health care in the Wichita and surrounding area. The recognition is sponsored by Larksfield Place, Wesley Medical Center and Wichita State University, along with the Wichita Business Journal.
The 2015 “Health Care Heroes” were honored in the categories of Administrative Excellence, Community Outreach, Health Care Innovation, Physicians, Nurses, Health Care Educators, Health Care Volunteers, Lifetime Achievement and Dr. Kroeker’s area – International Outreach.
Dr. Kroeker doubles as a member of the University of Kansas (KU)-Wichita Pediatrics faculty – and as a specialist in spreading better health care internationally.
Her commitment to international health goes beyond providing just clinical care. In addition, the education and ideas she provides help the countries in which she works develop sustainable impacts from international programs of support.
In addition to Dr. Kroeker’s work around the world, she has also had a significant effect at home in the Wichita area. She has developed the Global Health Rotation, an elective opportunity for pediatric and internal medicine/pediatrics residents at KU-Wichita.
Her interest in international outreach has its roots back to when she was a freshman at Tabor College in Hillsboro, Kansas (where she completed her undergraduate study).
“I went to Mexico for a class as a freshman,” Dr. Kroeker recalls, “and I’ve been hooked ever since.
“I love meeting new people and experiencing new cultures and getting to see the world through the eyes of people who have vastly different experiences from me,” she adds. “I also feel that part of my life’s calling is to reach out to support people in need, and being involved in medical education in developing countries has been a great way to do that.”
Dr. Kroeker is also a participant in Wichita State University’s (WSU) physician assistant (PA) program. She fills a need for a provider to lead a group of Wichita State PA students in Bolivia.
“Since I speak some Spanish and could teach the PA students in English,” explains Dr. Kroeker, “it sounded like a great fit. I went in 2011, had a great time working with the WSU students and the children in Bolivia – so it has become a recurrent trip.”
Dr. Kroeker is also a supporter of Hospital of Hope (HOH), formed by Wichita PA Mike Wawrzewski, which sponsors the Bolivia trips.
“The HOH site is a good one for students to visit because the hospital employs and is run by Bolivians,” says Dr. Kroeker. “It’s good for our WSU PA students to work alongside physicians trained in the Bolivian health care system so they can learn about medicine in a developing country.”
It is work that provides a broad range of gratification for Dr. Kroeker.
She enthuses, “I love being part of and watching providers develop and grow as professionals who care for others in need.”
Dr. Kroeker states that these trips also help her work in Wichita as a pediatrician.
“The most gratifying experience I had was when I went to Mongolia in 2013 with Medical Education International. Our team provided a continuing medical education conference on congenital malformations for faculty and students – and they were really grateful.”
Dr. Kroeker received her medical degree and completed her residency training in pediatrics at the University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita. She is board-certified in General Pediatrics, with her area of interest that of newborns.