Catalyst Award: Senator Jerry Moran

Jerry Moran: I was in the state legislature as we began the change to a private, not state owned and operated hospital. I watched the personnel changes that have occurred here and along the way, I've seen so much progress.

What's the solution?

Dan Peters: When you go talk about very specific things that are super detailed and complicated, it's just in a minute, he's up to speed and gets the key issues. And so that's what is really great about his ability to find the most important things to raise and to focus on and have his team focus on for us.

Kenny Wilk: He's always cared deeply about what's happened here and you see that translate into his interest and what goes on here.

Tammy Peterman: Jerry knows how important healthcare is to our state. I think that's another reason he's been so connected to our place, because we're focusing on that as well. We certainly want to improve the health of Kansas.

Bob Page: It's not always as simple as what's the healthcare issue. There are political issues in those communities, but at the end of the day, we both have a common vision.

Jerry Moran: We have this top rated, high quality healthcare delivery system in Kansas City. It makes a world of difference for our ability to attract and retain people and to care for those who are here.

Greg Graves: Jerry has been an untired advocate for what we're doing here at The University of Kansas Health System. Just take organ allocation, for example. We need someone who will fight for this.

Jerry Moran: Part of that is the understanding that those organs are going to be available for your family, your friends and neighbors, people within your community.

Bob Page: He's got a thousand things on his plate, I'm sure, but he knows this is a big issue and he knows how important it is, not just The University of Kansas Health System, but to Kansans.

Jerry Moran: I will continue to work to protect our hospitals, our doctors, and particularly our patients.

We're fully engaged in trying to make certain different decisions are made, reverse bad decisions that have been made, and make certain that when a Kansas or a Missourian donate one of their organs, it will go to somebody who lives in the neighborhood.

Dan Peters: He's not ever been bashful about how important that is and has been recruiting some of his friends on the Hill to join that effort and be more active. And that's been really important to us as a hospital and as a transplant community.

Kenny Wilk: I think for those patients and the staff that work in that critical area, knowing that there's people that are influential, that one, understand the issue, two, care, and three, continue to try to do something about, it means the world to all of us.

Dan Peters: Senator Moran is really a great candidate for our Catalyst Award because of the continued and long term interest he's taken, not just in the health of our organization and what's important to us, but also just the improved health of Kansans.

Bob Page: Senator Moran has been a catalyst for us on really just his embracing the issues that we face as a healthcare provider. And he's probably done more that we're even aware of.

Tammy Peterman: When he gets involved, things happen. I think that's a great example of a catalyst. When he jumps in, he works tirelessly to make the right things happen. That's a catalyst.

Jerry Moran: Clearly I'm honored by this. It is somebody else who's made this possible for me. It is really all the people here who've educated me and I've worked beside that have allowed me to do things on behalf of the hospital, so while I'm pleased to be recognized in this way, I'm a Kansan who we do everything we can to pass off a compliment. I suppose the answer to what I'm supposed to say is just thank you.