Keynote Speaker - Kelly Barnes, MS
Exercise Physiologist - Cotton-O'Neil Heart Center
(Division of Stormont-Vail HealthCare)
Kelly Barnes is an exercise physiologist and works with heart patients at the Cotton-O’Neil Heart Center cardiac rehabilitation center. Kelly received a Bachelor’s of Arts degree from Washburn University with a concentration in exercise physiology. She completed a Master’s degree in Health and Exercise Science from Emporia State University. She is a member of the American College of Sports Medicine and has been affiliated with the Cotton-O’Neil Heart Center almost 5 years.
As an exercise physiologist, Kelly provides individual and group counseling and education on lifestyle modifications in the area of exercise and physical activity for cardiac rehab patients and their families. In her spare time, she speaks to various community groups, such as Healthwise 55 and the Shawnee County Sheriff SWAT team, about heart disease risk factors, nutrition, benefits of exercise and recommendations for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. She is an internship coordinator for Exercise Physiology students from colleges around the state. In the spring, Kelly will teach at Washburn University’s Department of Kinesiology as an adjunct professor.
On a personal note, Kelly graduated from Shawnee Heights High School where she was a member of the high school softball team. She also played softball at the college level for Bemidji State University in Bemidji, MN. She stays active by being involved in city athletics, organizing charity events, and coaching girl’s softball. She is a mother of two daughters, Trysten, age seven, and Kaydence, age 5.
Our Survivor - Deidre Barnett
Deidre Barnett has been affiliated with Stormont-Vail HealthCare since 2001 when she accepted a position as a perioperative staff nurse in Single Day Surgery. Over the years, she has transitioned from being a nurse in a surgical environment to a one in clinical documentation improvement, and her dedication to quality health care remains.
Deidre received a nursing degree from Meramec Community College, St. Louis, in 1981. She later completed a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing at South University, Savannah, Ga., in 2010. Deidre is currently a graduate student at Friends University studying to earn a Master of Health Care Leadership degree.
Deidre stays active within the community and is affiliated with the Junior League of Topeka, the American Nursing Association, Sigma Theta Tau, an international honor society of nursing, and Midwest Nursing Research Society, where she presented the results of her own nursing research. She also currently serves on the Shunganunga Drainage District Board of Directors. As an avid tennis player, Deidre plays tennis regularly at Wood Valley Racquet Club and Kossover Tennis Center. Her teams have competed at the national level during the United States Tennis Association (USTA) championships.
In 2011, she experienced a stroke. At the luncheon she will compassionately talk about her experience and share details about her road back to recovery.
