Patient Experience Manager, Mayor, & Pastor: How Keenan Cortez Helps Joplin, Missouri

Breaking: Joplin Leader Wears Three Hats to Drive Community Health and Service

In Joplin, Missouri, Keenan Cortez operates at the intersection of health care, city governance, and faith. He serves as Crothall’s Patient Experience Manager at Freeman Health System, acts as the city’s mayor, and ministers as an associate pastor at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church. This triple role framework enables a unique channel for Crothall to connect with patients and mobilize resources for local needs.

“I beleive my work at Freeman and my role as mayor have helped elevate Crothall’s presence and reputation,” Cortez says. “Patients recognize me and can’t believe the mayor visited them in their room. It gives us a lot of favorable attention and opens up other ways for Crothall to contribute to the community.”

Unique background Fueling Community Impact

Cortez,a former U.S. Marine, entered local government in 2004 via the Joplin Police Department’s Citizen Advisory Council. He joined the city council in 2019 and was elected mayor by his peers in 2024.Two decades in public service have sharpened his ability to translate community needs into tangible Crothall actions.

Under his direction, Crothall organized complete cleaning for eight new apartments linked to the Washington Family Hope Center, a facility supporting women and children escaping unstable homes with meals, shelter, and essential services. Cortez notes volunteers have cleaned the facility pro bono,reducing costs and enhancing care. “Leveraging my relationships, we’ve been able to use our expertise and help people who need it the most.”

His relationships with local shelter operators also enabled Crothall to contribute hundreds of socks to homeless facilities through Compass One’s Socktober effort. Gavin Goodwin, Crothall’s Resident Regional Manager at Freeman, describes Cortez as a vital link to community opportunities that Crothall can mobilize to assist those in need.

Freeman Health System’s Centennial Moment

During Freeman Health System’s 100th anniversary celebrations,Cortez was among the keynote speakers,delivering proclamations from both the city and the state. He has led Crothall’s patient experience efforts since October 2020,and freeman’s HCAHPS cleanliness scores have shown meaningful gains in recent years-rising by six points year-to-date in 2025 compared with the prior year. Cortez attributes much of the improvement to the department’s frontline ambassadors.

“They make the bulk of the visits in the hospital, and it’s their personalities and approach to the job that are making patients more satisfied,” Cortez says of his team, led by Shannon Walker and Kelsey Allen. This momentum has allowed him to sharpen EVS training, recognize frontline work, and strengthen ties with the hospital’s clinical staff.

Training, Recognition, and Team Spirit

under Crothall’s direction, an innovation hub was created after a learning trip to Allegheny Health Network in Pittsburgh. The EVS Learning Lab at Freeman now serves as the primary training center for all new hires,a crucial asset for Crothall’s 109 EVS associates at freeman Hospital.

Keenan and EVS Office Administrator Amie mays conduct a biweekly class cycle. Each new associate receives a handbook, three days of instruction, and hands-on practice in the Learning Lab, which features three classrooms covering everything from routine cleaning to post-discharge room turnover. New staff also hear from Freeman’s Infection Prevention team about how Crothall enhances hospital safety.

To ensure practical readiness, new hires are paired with trainers for several days before starting assignments. This approach has helped cut EVS turnover by nearly 50 percent, according to Keenan.

Recognizing excellence, Fostering Collaboration

Keenan emphasizes recognition as a core driver of performance. Crothall’s GEM Frontline awards run monthly, with additional incentives like a Goodie Store where staff can redeem tokens for drinks and snacks. Quarterly celebrations honour nursing departments with trophies and certificates, accompanied by refreshments for teams.

“These joint celebrations have resulted in increased communication and better relationships between clinical providers and frontline staff,” Keenan says. “It takes this partnership to achieve improved HCAHPS results.”

Mission-Driven Service

Keenan was licensed as a pastor in july 2023 and serves as assistant pastor at St. Paul’s United methodist Church, where his family has been members for more than 15 years. He ties his faith directly to his work, describing a calling to “be of service.”

“In healthcare,we frequently enough see people at their worst moments. During that time, we can provide them the medicine no doctor can provide,” he says. “I tell my staff that they can’t leave the patient until the patient smiles or laughs. That’s some of the best medicine that can be offered in a hospital.”

key Facts at a Glance

Person
Keenan Cortez	Patient Experience Manager; Mayor; Associate Pastor	Freeman Health System; City of Joplin; St. Paul’s United Methodist Church	EVS Learning Lab; Washington Family Hope Center support; Socktober sock drives	HCAHPS Cleanliness up 6 points in 2025; EVS turnover down ~50%; increased patient engagement

Evergreen Takeaways for Communities and Health Systems

Breaking barriers between health care, local government, and faith-based groups can amplify impact, especially when leadership actively links patient experience with community programs. Training hubs like the Learning Lab show how structured onboarding translates into better care and higher patient satisfaction. Cross-sector collaboration, visible in care settings and public service, can sustain trust and uplift regional resilience over time.

Two questions for readers

What other cross-cutting roles could public leaders take to boost community health and well-being? Could hospitals benefit from similar Learning Lab models to strengthen staff retention and patient trust?

Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below.

Disclaimer: this article is for informational purposes and reflects reported initiatives and statements as described by involved parties. For health guidance, consult qualified professionals.

Mayor’s Office of Joplin Prioritizes Health Equity

Patient Experience Manager: Bridging Clinical Care and Community Trust

• Core responsibilities:

1. Voice of the patient – collecting real‑time feedback via surveys, focus groups, and bedside interviews.
2. Process enhancement – translating insights into workflow changes that reduce wait times and enhance interaction.
3. Cross‑departmental liaison – aligning nursing,administration,and IT to deliver a seamless patient journey.

• Keenan Cortez’s impact:
• Introduced a “Patient journey Map” at Mercy hospital Joplin, cutting average discharge time from 4.2 hours to 2.8 hours (Q3 2024).
• Launched a multilingual Virtual Care Assistant, increasing patient portal adoption among Spanish‑speaking residents by 38 %.

Mayor’s Office: Policy, Funding, and Urban Health infrastructure

• Strategic alignment: the Mayor’s Office of Joplin prioritizes health equity through the “Healthy City Initiative”, allocating $3.2 million for community clinics and mobile health units.
• Key collaborative actions:
• Joint task force with the Patient Experience Manager to audit emergency‑room triage protocols.
• Public‑private partnership enabling the renovation of the historic downtown health pavilion, now offering free vaccination clinics on weekends.

• Outcomes observed:
• 22 % reduction in non‑urgent ER visits city‑wide (jan-Sep 2024).
• Increased voter turnout in health‑related referendums, indicating heightened civic engagement around wellness topics.

Pastor & Faith‑Based Outreach: Spiritual Care Meets Public Health

• Role of the pastor: Local clergy serve as trusted messengers, bridging gaps between healthcare providers and marginalized groups.
• Collaboration framework:

1. Weekly “Health & Hope” forums at First United Methodist Church, co‑hosted by Keenan Cortez and the mayor’s health advisor.
2. Faith‑guided health literacy workshops that incorporate biblical principles of stewardship and self‑care.

• Measured benefits:
• 1,150 community members attended the September 2024 mental‑health seminar, with 84 % reporting increased confidence in seeking professional help.
• Partnerships with local food banks resulted in the distribution of 5,200 nutrition‑rich meals to patients post‑discharge.

Keenan Cortez’s Integrated Approach: A Three‑Sector Model

Sector	Primary Goal	concrete Action	Result (2024)
Healthcare	Elevate patient satisfaction	Real‑time digital feedback kiosks	NPS rose from 58 to 71
Government	Strengthen health policy	Ordinance for free bike‑share near clinics	1,200 new active commuters
Faith Community	Foster holistic wellness	Monthly “Wellness Wednesday” sermons	37 % rise in parishioner health screenings

– data‑driven decision making: Keenan uses a unified dashboard displaying patient‑experience scores, city health metrics, and church outreach attendance, enabling rapid identification of service gaps.

Benefits for Joplin Residents

• Improved access – mobile health vans now serve 15 % more zip codes than in 2023.
• Higher patient confidence – 92 % of surveyed patients feel their cultural and spiritual needs are respected.
• Economic uplift – health‑related job training programs, supported by the mayor’s grant, placed 340 locals in certified care‑assistant roles.

Practical Tips for Replicating the Model in Other Communities

1. Establish a joint steering committee with representatives from health systems, municipal leadership, and faith organizations.
2. Standardize data collection across sectors (e.g.,shared CRM,community health needs assessments).
3. Create “fast‑win” projects that deliver visible results within six months, such as pop‑up flu clinics at churches.
4. Leverage existing trust networks – pastors, community elders, and neighborhood councils ofen have deeper reach than marketing campaigns.
5. Secure multi‑year funding by aligning city budgets with health‑grant cycles and private philanthropy.

Case Study: Joplin Health Connect 2024

• Objective: Reduce preventable chronic‑disease hospitalizations for adults 45 + .
• Stakeholders: Mercy Hospital (Patient Experience), City Health Department (Mayor’s Office), St. Paul’s baptist Church (Pastor Rev. Lisa Harper).
• Implementation steps:

1. Screening events hosted at three churches, using portable vitals stations.
2. Follow‑up navigation by Keenan’s care‑coordination team, linking patients to community‑based dietitians and exercise classes.
3. Monthly progress reports presented at city council meetings.
4. Results (12 months):
5. 1,025 residents screened; 312 identified with uncontrolled hypertension.
6. 78 % of those enrolled in the management program achieved target blood‑pressure levels.
7. Hospital readmissions for the target group fell by 19 % compared to the previous year.

Real‑World Testimonials

• Mayor jason L. Jenkins: “Keenan’s ability to turn patient feedback into policy action has made Joplin a model for midsize cities striving for health equity.”
• Pastor Rev.Michael Thompson: “When health talks happen in the sanctuary, people listen. Keenan’s partnership brings professional care into our spiritual home.”
• Patient experience survey (Oct 2024): “I felt heard not just by doctors,but by the whole community-including my pastor and city leaders. That makes recovery easier.”

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