Munden, Fischer appointed to PVCH Foundation Board of Trustees
The two new members of the Pawnee Valley Community Hospital (PVCH) Foundation Board of Trustees each brings to the table a desire to support the hospital, a varied background and close ties to the Larned area.
Julie Munden and Shannon Fischer, both of Larned, were recently appointed to the board.
“I volunteered to serve as trustee because we are very fortunate to have high-quality healthcare in Pawnee County and anything I can do to make it better for future generations is vitally important,” Munden said. “I want to ensure the hospital grows and provides more opportunities for local healthcare services.
“We need accessible healthcare in our smaller communities,” she continued. “This plays a vital role in ensuring our well-being and quality of life. PVCH has a great team in place and offers quality services.”
In addition, Munden noted, the hospital is a major employer, creating job opportunities for healthcare providers, as well as administrative and support personnel.
Munden grew up on a farm near Colby and graduated from Golden Plains High School but has lived in Larned for 20 years. “I’m so fortunate to have grown up on a Kansas farm,” she commented, noting her mother, Joann Reedy, and husband, Tom, now live in Larned. Her father is deceased.
Munden graduated from Cloud County Community College; she played basketball and softball there and at Friends University. Munden also has a degree in communications from Fort Hays State University.
Her professional background includes 10 years as a news anchor/photojournalist/reporter for KSN, an NBC affiliate. Munden also worked as an admissions representative and in public relations/marketing for Barton Community College for 22 years. Most recently, she started teaching video production classes to Larned High School and Larned Middle School students.
Munden and her husband, Rob, have three childen – Mia, a sophomore at LHS; Maverick, a senior at LHS; and Dallas, elementary school teacher at Valley Center. They have one grandchild, Roman.
Munden also volunteers with Sacred Heart Catholic Church and is a former board member of Dress It Up.
Her background also includes “meeting people through volunteering. It challenges me to step out of my comfort zone. There is always something to learn about this place I call home.”
Shannon Fischer
Shannon Fischer, Larned, said she is “honored to serve on the PVCH Foundation Board of Trustees. The hospital is so vital to our local and area community. I want to do what I can to help the hospital continue to succeed and grow.
“I have first-hand experience that helped me realize just how important our hospital is to the central Kansas community,” she added. “When my mother-in-law spent a significant amount of time at PVCH, it was such a relief to have her near all of us in a top-notch facility.”
In addition, Fischer noted, “the outpatient services provided by PVCH are a huge asset to the entire community. I am eager to be a part of supporting efforts to enhance services right here at home.”
Fischer, a life-long resident of Larned, graduated from LHS and Kansas State University with a degree in sociology. She worked for more than 10 years as an activity therapist at Larned State Hospital and 10 years as a business development coordinator at First State Bank.
Currently, Fischer is a Realtor with Clock Realty and Insurance.
She and her husband, Bryan, own and operate a farm west of Larned, with irrigated and dryland crops and a cow-calf operation.
Her daughter, Katie, recently graduated from K-State, and son, Luke, will be a senior at LHS.
Fischer also serves as president of Prairie Arts Unlimited; she previously served on the Pawnee County Economic Development board and Santa Fe Trail Center Board and as a Larned Area Chamber of Commerce Ambassador.
“I will use this background to support the hospital and my community,” Fischer commented. “I have lived here my entire life. This community and our hospital mean a lot to me; I want to help both succeed and prosper.”
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, 713 W. 11th, 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.
