Mary Kitchell is running for re-election for the Mary Greeley hospital trustee seat.

Kitchell has lived in Ames for 42 years.

For 8 years, Kitchell worked as a psychological consultant for the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. After moving to Ames, she volunteered at Mary Greeley for over 30 years. She then served as a medical director of the Ames Free Medical Clinic for roughly 17 years.

She has volunteered for most of her life and has lived in Ames since 1979. 

She aims to have the best possible fiscal policy as hospitals act as businesses. It is important hospitals seek profit as they do not receive government funding. Kitchell’s other goals are to have good workplace practice and to be as financially effective as possible.  

“Some of our strategic goals are to maintain the highest possible quality and safety as well as satisfaction for our patients,” Kitchell said in an interview. 

One of Kitchell’s goals is for the hospital workforce to maintain resilience as there has been a shortage of healthcare workers. Kitchell’s plan long term is to recruit as many new healthcare workers through getting students involved in volunteering and setting up new programs as well. 

Improving on remodeling the health units to be state of the art is something Mary would like to improve on. Alongside that she wants to focus on the unknowns of the pandemic and to be well prepared for its changing tides of the pandemic.