From Imaging to Peace of Mind: Girard Medical Center's Radiology Team Provides Advanced Care Close to Home
Launch the media gallery 1 playerRadiology Department – Girard Medical Center
At Girard Medical Center, exceptional healthcare begins with people who know the community because they are part of it. Through the Our Roots. Our People. initiative, part of the hospital's Rooted in Rural campaign, GMC is highlighting the departments and caregivers whose dedication helps strengthen the health of the communities they call home.
This month, the spotlight shines on the Radiology Department, represented by Kelly Schultz, RT(R), Director of Diagnostic Imaging. A Girard native and longtime advocate for rural healthcare, Kelly exemplifies the compassionate, patient-centered approach that defines diagnostic imaging at Girard Medical Center.
For more than three and a half years at GMC—and with over two decades of experience in rural healthcare—Kelly has helped lead a department committed to providing high-quality imaging services and ensuring every patient feels comfortable and cared for.
"Our Radiology team strives to be familiar faces for our patients," Kelly said. "When people come through our doors, we want them to know they're receiving compassionate care from people who genuinely care about them."
The Radiology Department provides essential diagnostic imaging services that help physicians diagnose injuries, illnesses, and other medical conditions quickly and accurately. Over the past several years, the department has invested in updating nearly all of its imaging equipment, ensuring patients throughout Southeast Kansas have access to advanced technology without having to travel far from home.
As Director of Diagnostic Imaging, Kelly's days are anything but routine. She may be greeting patients and answering phones at the front desk, performing imaging studies alongside her team, or managing the administrative responsibilities that keep the department running smoothly.
"I enjoy having the best of both worlds," Kelly said. "I still get to work directly with patients and my coworkers while also helping lead the department. Every day is a little different, and that's something I really enjoy."
For Kelly, one experience perfectly captures the value of community healthcare.
"I was called into the Emergency Department very early one morning for a patient experiencing stroke-like symptoms," she recalled. "When I walked into the room, the patient's daughter recognized me as one of her former students. I could immediately see the relief on her face. She told me it was comforting to see a familiar face and that she knew her parent would be well cared for. Moments like that remind me why rural healthcare is so special."
That connection is at the heart of GMC's mission.
Kelly has spent her entire career working in rural hospitals because she believes local healthcare matters.
"Rural hospitals are my passion," she said. "I'm proud to work in the same community where I grew up, where my family still lives, and where I know the people we're caring for. It's rewarding to know we provide high-quality care promptly while treating our patients like neighbors—not numbers."
Beyond advanced technology and clinical expertise, the Radiology Department is committed to continually learning and growing in an ever-changing healthcare environment.
"Our technologists truly care about the work we do," Kelly said. "Healthcare is constantly evolving, and we're always looking for ways to improve so we can continue providing safe, consistent, high-quality care for every patient."
Outside of work, Kelly enjoys cheering on baseball and Pittsburg State Athletics—spending time outdoors with her family, and looking forward to the day she becomes a grandmother. She also has a creative side and enjoys learning DIY beauty techniques, saying that if she weren't in healthcare, she'd love to be an esthetician or cosmetologist.
Whether patients visit for a routine X-ray or advanced diagnostic imaging, they can count on the Radiology team to deliver expert care with compassion. It's another example of how Girard Medical Center remains Rooted in Rural—providing advanced healthcare through the people who live, work, and care for the communities they proudly call home.