Wanda Kneen has joined Allen County Regional Hospital as the new Senior Life Solutions program director. The group therapy program is for adults age 65 and older struggling with depression, anxiety and other issues often related to aging.
Kneen will be responsible for providing patient care, ensuring the program operates within all regulations, and providing community education for the program.
There are times in our lives that a little direction, answers and support are helpful, and I am excited to be a part of the team that helps improve the quality of life for those we serve, Kneen said.
Kneen received training with Rhonda McGraw. McGraw was Allen Countys program director for two and a half years until she became regional director for Psychiatric Medical Care, which manages Senior Life Solutions programs nationally.
Kneen received her diploma in nursing at St. Margarets School of Nursing in Kansas City, Kansas, and her bachelors degree in nursing from Pittsburg State University. Kneen first came to Allen County Hospital in 1978 as an ICU nurse and has worked in various staff and management positions through the years.
Kneen has also been involved with the SAFE BASE after-school program in Iola since it began in 2000.
In her first week on the job, Kneen brought forward the idea of sponsoring Hoodie-Hoo Day Wednesday for Senior Life Solutions patients and the community at large. Hoodie-Hoo Day is celebrated in the northern hemisphere on Feb. 20. On this day, Wanda invites everyone to step outside, wave their hands (or a blanket) in the air, and shout Hoodie-Hoo! as a way chase away the winter blahs and make way for spring which is only one month away. The goal of this local celebration is simply to encourage silliness and make it contagious as a way to promote good mental health for all.
For information on Allen County Regional Hospitals program, call Wanda at 620-365-1280 or visit allencountyregional.com.
