Each month, Eagle Radio in Great Bend will recognize groups or individuals that make a big impact on our community. This Appreciation Month is highlighting the Barton County Health Department.
By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
Working within the public health industry was not Shannon
Royer’s first job, but she always wanted to be involved with something that had
outreach into the community. She has seen and helped a lot with that outreach
serving as the financial officer for the Barton County Health Department the past
six years.
“I have been able to learn just what the health department does,” said Royer. “There
is so much more to it than meets the eye.”
Royer’s main responsibilities at the health department are to track monies that
come into the department via grants and services. She also serves as the
clerical supervisor.
“We all work together and support each other to make sure we get the job done,”
said Royer.
Royer acknowledged being a financial officer for a health department was crazy enough
with all the grants to keep tabs of, but the craziness went to a new level with
the recent COVID-19 funding.
“Thankfully, I was not on the end that had to apply for these COVID-19 grants…we
have great support from the administrative office in Barton County,” said
Royer. “Once you do get this, trying to get the products was difficult because
everyone else was trying to get the same thing we were.”
Royer grew up in Great Bend but moved with her family when she was a teenager.
She started her financial background at Wichita East High School taking office
education classes. Royer was able to start working as a bookkeeper for an oil
company in Wichita that had a division in Great Bend.
“They transferred me to Great Bend in the 1980s as a bookkeeping troubleshooter,”
said Royer. “We had the bust in the field back then, but luckily I met my
husband and was able to stay here.”
Following the oil bust, Royer worked for her husband’s family business, Ochs
Inc. in Otis.
“I stayed at Ochs, Inc. for many years but after we adopted our daughter, I
went to work for Community Bank while she was in school,” said Royer.
Royer’s daughter is now 29 years old and there are two grandsons in the picture for
Shannon.
“Being able to adopt our daughter was a true blessing,” said Royer. “We had
wonderful people in the Great Bend area that helped us get the word where it
needed to be. The rest was left up to the good Lord that sent her to us.”
It turns out, Royer’s daughter also works in the health industry as a local RN.
While she admits that her childhood in Great Bend was much different than one
for her two grandsons, Royer was fortunate to come back to Great Bend after
graduating from her high school in Wichita that had more than 700 students in
her class.
“I had experiences that when I came back to Great Bend as an adult, I knew this
is where I wanted to stay,” said Royer. “I wanted to live in a small town and
raise my daughter in a small town.”
Even though she loves the Great Bend community, Royer still enjoys getting out
of town from time to time while participating with Quilts of Valor Foundation groups
in Hays and Wichita. Quilts of Valor awards a handmade quilt to a service
member or veteran who has been touched by war.
“My mom and my best friend’s mom were close friends,” said Royer. “When our
moms passed away, we were determined to do something to keep us together.
Quilts of Valor was a way we could make it happen.”
Once a month, Royer and her friend get together to sew a quilt to honor the
service men and women that have done so much for our country. Royer guessed it
takes roughly 20 hours from start to finish to complete one quilt.
Whether it’s honoring a veteran with a quilt, chasing her grandkids from
activity to activity or working at the Barton County Health Department, Royer
is always looking to help.
“I hope I can make everyone’s job in the facility run a little bit smoother,”
said Royer. “It is also nice to know that we are doing so much for the
community. The health department has added different programs and we’re a big
part of keeping this community healthy.”
Read the previous Appreciation Month stories by clicking HERE.