New Keeper statue dedicated to medical community

The Medical Society of Sedgwick County dedicated the city’s newest Keeper statue on April 28, a mosaic ode to the heroic work of the medical community in battling COVID-19 over the past year.

The statue, designed and painted by Wichita artist John Pirtle, features a collage of physicians and nurses in a variety of faces patterned in different skin tones with blue scrub and mask hues.

“Many physicians, nurses and other medical staff have risked their own health to care for our community,” MSSC President Stephen Grindel, DO, said at the dedication ceremony. “Those who work in hospital ICUs and emergency departments have been particularly at risk, working day and night to care for patients. We hope this Keeper will be a lasting tribute to their dedication and sacrifice.”

The statue is displayed as part of the landscape at the MSSC offices, 1102 S. Hillside.

Wichita Mayor aBrandon Whipple, Sedgwick County Commission Chairman Pete Meitzner and county public health officer Garold Minns, MD, were some of the Wichita dignitaries, physicians and healthcare workers who attended the event.

MSSC and Medical Provider Resources worked with Together Wichita and the Blackbear Bosin Foundation to commission the statue.

“I can never imagine what you guys went through, but I do know you have our eternal gratitude,” Whipple said. “I can’t thank you enough for helping us get through this; for your honor, commitment and sacrifice.”