20 Under 40: Dr. Jennifer Harader

Photo by Nathan Ham

Education: Bachelor of Arts in Biology and Chemistry from Ottawa University Doctor of Medicine from the University of Kansas School of Medicine

Hometown: Colby, Kansas Spouse: Matt Harader Kids: Jackson (8), Blake (5)

Age: 37

3 Words: Compassionate Motivated Insightful

Role Model: My mother, Becky, is my role model. She is the hardest working individual I know and has willingly given her time and talents to her job and her community involvements for years. She loves the Lord and sees the good in all.  Her sacrificial nature is truly that – she has given part of herself away for my sister and me, another part for her students in her education career, a third part for those in need that she encounters. Her life is a simple but powerful testimony of working hard and following the golden rule.

Best Advice Received: I have had the privilege of many mentors in various stages of life, and my interpretation of their advice, in culmination, is: Work hard, expect much from yourself and others, serve and love people.

Superpower: Listening. I understand the importance of really being heard by your spouse, your parent, your doctor. I work hard at being an excellent listener. I learned long ago to let the other person speak first, listen and respond sincerely. In my interactions with patients, I give them my ear and my attention in order to make the best recommendations for their care.

Accomplishments Most Proud Of:

Personal: My husband and I recently celebrated our 15th anniversary, and in a time when healthy marriages are difficult to maintain, I am really proud that we are still going strong. It is one of the best gifts we can give our sons.

Career: Leaving traditional medical practice and taking control of my professional life is my most significant career accomplishment. My previous work setting was a traditional medical practice, with emphasis on quantity over quality, numbers over names, and protocols over patients. This was not compatible with my style of patient care.  I worked hard advocating for change, leading by example and trying to “be the change” but the energy spent felt like it never bore fruit. The system didn’t budge. Recognizing that I had the power to change my circumstances instead of accepting the status quo took time, but I finally educated myself about the options and took a leap of faith.  In my work at Oasis Family Medicine, I have a significantly increased level of professional satisfaction. More importantly, I am taking better care of patients and participating in a viable solution to the broad and overwhelming problem with healthcare delivery.

At this point in your life, what do you know for sure? That there is a LOT more to learn.

“My high respect for Dr. Harader only elevated when I learned of her decision to develop a new type of clinical practice in the community, Oasis Family Medicine. To leave the security of employment and develop an independently owned and operated primary care clinic in this environment is beyond risky from a financial perspective. However, in her entrepreneurial spirit and her desire to spend even more time with her patients, she researched and developed a model that not only challenges the status quo but fits her vision for delivering the very highest level of personalized care directly for her patients.” - Robert J. Erickson, St. Joseph Medical Center

“To say that she has “good bedside manner” is insufficient. Everyone with whom she speaks has her undivided attention. You feel like the most important person in the world when you’re talking to her, and I envy her ability to be so attentive to people even in the midst of high stress in her own life. Dr. Harader’s care for the whole person does not stay at her office; she does it wherever she goes.” - Corey S. Fields