2025 Golden Wheat Award

Burlington, CO — June 18, 2025 — Kit Carson County Memorial Hospital (KCCMH) is proud to announce that Grace Anne Seikman, a pioneer in rural healthcare, has been awarded the Golden Wheat Award, the highest local honor recognizing individuals who have made a lasting impact through healthcare in our community.

Grace Anne’s journey in medicine began in 1972 after graduating from LPN school. Over the next several decades, she dedicated her life to caring for others across rural Colorado—working in ICU, long-term care, med-surg departments, and later in home health, hospice, and emergency services. She earned her RN in 1986, her BSN in 1992, and eventually, her Physician Assistant degree in 1998 from the University of North Dakota School of Medicine.

After moving to Stratton in 1988, Grace Anne joined the KCCMH team and served in nearly every corner of the hospital—from the OB department to the OR and ER. At the same time, she served on the Stratton Volunteer Ambulance Squad for 16 years, teaching CPR and EMT courses through Morgan Community College, and helped secure funding for an ambulance headquarters expansion at the Stratton Fire Department. But her most enduring legacy was still to come.

Witnessing firsthand the challenges of healthcare access in her small town, Grace Anne dreamed of building a medical clinic in Stratton. With encouragement from the CEO of KCCMH and support from the hospital board, she pursued her PA degree with one goal in mind: to open a rural clinic that would serve the center of the county. That dream became a reality in 1998.

Together with her husband, Dana, Grace Anne led a community-wide effort to fund and build the Stratton Medical Clinic. With local donations, a grant from the Cooper Clark Foundation, and a repurposed construction trailer donated by St. Anthony Central, the clinic took shape, piece by piece. Volunteers from across the region pitched in, and used medical equipment and furniture were donated from Denver-area hospitals.

On July 6, 1998, the Stratton Medical Clinic opened its doors.

From day one, it was busy, serving patients from up to 60 miles away. It offered walk-ins, appointments, OB care, well-child checks through KCC Public Health, and was the only clinic in the county with a female provider offering obstetric services. Grace Anne also continued covering the Emergency Room in Burlington while running the clinic full-time for nine years.

“The Golden Wheat Award honors those whose work has deep roots in compassion and community,” said Bryan Bogle, CEO of KCCMH. “Grace Anne’s commitment not only changed the face of rural healthcare in Kit Carson County, but it also gave people access, dignity, and the ability to heal close to home. Her work planted seeds that will grow for generations.”

The clinic’s founding remains one of Grace Anne’s proudest achievements, symbolizing what’s possible when vision, service, and community come together.

Established in 1993, the Golden Wheat Award recognizes individuals who have made enduring contributions to healthcare in Kit Carson County and beyond. Like the wheat that defines our region, the award symbolizes resilience, growth, and a deep-rooted commitment to serving others.