Lawrence Memorial Hospital added four physicians to its staff this week. They are, from left, Martha Allen, Blake Conklin, Jared Konie and Jennifer Schrimsher.

The Lawrence Memorial Hospital medical staff welcomed four physicians this week, including a doctor who was one of only two internal medicine physicians finishing residency at Kansas University Medical Center to choose primary care as a practice focus.

Dr. Martha Allen completed her internal medicine residency at KU this summer. She is joining The Internal Medicine Group. Dr. Allen attended Central Methodist University in Fayette, Mo., for her undergraduate education. She earned her doctorate of medicine at KU and headed to the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis to complete her internship in internal medicine and pediatrics. Dr. Allen is married with two children and enjoys outdoor activities with her family.

Also joining The Internal Medicine Group is Dr. Jennifer Schrimsher, who specializes in infectious diseases. Dr. Schrimsher completed her undergraduate degree at Emporia State University, where she played basketball for the Lady Hornets. She completed medical school at KU, where she also earned a master’s degree in public health. Both her residency in internal medicine and fellowship in infectious diseases were completed at KU Medical Center. She has worked has a clinical microbiologist since 2000. She is board-certified in internal medicine and board-eligible in infectious disease medicine. Dr. Schrimsher’s interests include art, music and photography.

Two new general surgeons joined Lawrence General Surgery yesterday: Dr. Jared Konie and Dr. Blake Conklin. An Eagle Scout, Dr. Konie grew up in the Kansas City area and attended Lake Forest College in Illinois for undergraduate studies. He earned his doctorate of medicine degree at KU and completed a five-year general surgery residency at the University of Missouri School of Medicine’s University Hospital in Columbia. He specializes in advanced minimally invasive surgery. Dr. Konie is married with two children and enjoys spending time with his family. He counts photography and scuba diving among his hobbies.

Dr. Conklin, a Topeka native, earned his bachelor’s degree at KU and completed medical school at the Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences. His general surgery residency was completed at Ohio Health’s Doctors Hospital/Grant Medical Center in Columbus, Ohio. Dr. Conklin completed his fellowship in advanced laparoscopic and robotic surgery at Sinai Hospital/Northwest Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. He is married with a 15-month-old son and enjoys travel, exercise, and spending time with his family and two dogs.

Dr. Sherri Vaughn, a family practice physician at Total Family Care, has coordinated physician recruitment activities at LMH for many years. Dr. Vaughn said the competition for top physician candidates, especially in the area of primary care, is intense across the country. “We are so fortunate to have such exceptional physicians choosing to practice in Lawrence,” she said.

For more information about these or any of the providers on the LMH Medical Staff, visit lmh.org/providers.

— Janice Early, MBA, is vice president of marketing and communications at Lawrence Memorial Hospital, which is a major sponsor of WellCommons. She can be reached at janice.early@lmh.org.