PharmD student Kara Graves receives the inaugural interprofessional Lyle L. Vandenberg Rural Health Scholarship, honoring an alumnus whose career was committed to rural healthcare

By Katie Ginder-Vogel

As a child, Brian Vandenberg spent a lot of time in the pharmacy, watching his dad, Lyle Vandenberg (BS ’59) care for the Kaukauna, Wis., community.

“At the time, I didn’t fully appreciate the opportunity to see my dad at work and how he engaged with people, who were sometimes in really difficult situations,” Brian says. “I learned empathy and listening from him.”

After his father passed away in 2021, Brian began exploring ways to honor his legacy of improving the health and well-being of his small town and neighboring communities. With the American Medical Association Foundation (AMAF) and the Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association, Brian Vandenberg, Homeward general counsel and chief administrative officer, has established a new rural health scholarship.

The Lyle L. Vandenberg Rural Health Scholarship will be awarded annually to students in the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, School of Nursing, or School of Pharmacy, who demonstrate a commitment to improving healthcare access and reducing healthcare disparities in small towns and rural communities.

“With this scholarship, I have the unique opportunity to honor my dad, who worked for most of his career in a small town, in and around rural communities, in conjunction with UW–Madison, a place he held dear.”
—Brian Vandenberg

“My father’s influence helped shape my own priorities,” says Brian. “Being from a small town, I appreciate the challenges that may exist in terms of access to care. My desire to help address the rural health crisis in this country all connects back to being a kid in a small town, deeply involved in the healthcare ecosystem.”

The inaugural recipient of the scholarship, third-year PharmD student Kara Graves, is following in Lyle’s footsteps as a UW–Madison School of Pharmacy student pursuing a career in rural practice.

“With this scholarship, I have the unique opportunity to honor my dad, who worked for most of his career in a small town, in and around rural communities, in conjunction with UW–Madison, a place he held dear,” says Brian.

A rural health legacy

Born and raised in Kaukauna, the majority of Lyle Vandenberg’s life and career took place in rural areas. His passion for pharmacy began when he was still a junior at Kaukauna High School, working at Look Drug Stores, Inc. After graduating from UW–Madison and basic training in the U.S. Army Reserve, he returned to Kaukauna and Look Drug as a pharmacist — and eventual owner.

While operating the Look Drug retail stores, Lyle launched a long-term care program that provided pharmacy services to hundreds of nursing home beds in the Kaukauna area. He also served as a pharmacist at Kaukauna Community Hospital. In the 1970s, Vandenberg and his business partner and fellow School of Pharmacy alum Mark Kobin (BS ’76) built another business, IV-a-Care, to provide intravenous therapies to patients in their homes, throughout Northeast Wisconsin.

“He was thinking about health equity before it was called that, listening to people, recognizing where the needs were, and then doing something about it,” says Brian. “He was innovative — he thought of ways to bring coordinated care, with physicians, nurses, and pharmacists, to nursing homes. He developed medication distribution techniques to ensure accuracy and efficiency for patients on many medications.”

But his concern for the community extended well beyond healthcare. He also served as president of the local Chamber of Commerce, a member of The Elks and Lions Clubs, and president and chairman of the board of the Kaukauna High School Alumni Foundation. The Lyle Vandenberg Health Scholarship was established in his name at Kaukauna High School.

His passion for the health of his community inspired his children.

“I’m one of five kids and, directly or indirectly, all of us have wound up in healthcare,” he says. “Three of my four sisters are UW grads, one from the School of Pharmacy. My sister, Jill Vandenberg Jest (BS ‘86) is a UW pharmacy grad, as is her husband, Jon Jest (BS ‘84). And my nephew, Kellen Brush (PharmD ’22) is a School of Pharmacy grad, too. We have Badger blood in three generations.”

Future rural pharmacist

Raised in Rusk County in northern Wisconsin, Kara Graves — the scholarship’s inaugural recipient — grew up traveling with her family to nearby towns to access healthcare and pick up medications.

With the hope of giving back in her community, Graves has chosen to participate in the School of Pharmacy’s Rural Health Named Option in the PharmD program, which gives student pharmacists specialized experience to prepare them to thrive with the unique challenges and opportunities of rural practice.

Graves is very close to her grandparents, who live two miles from her family home. They make two to three trips a week to their doctor appointments and pharmacy, anywhere from nine miles to 60 miles away.

“Sometimes, they don’t feel well afterward due to some of their medications,” Graves says. “Thankfully, they can call me and ask for explanations. I wish resources were more accessible for them.” 

This spring, Graves will begin the year-long Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience-Residency Track (APPE-RT) program at Mayo Clinic Health System in Eau Claire, which will immerse Graves in a rural health system. She completed a clinical rotation there last summer, and her experience was so positive that she decided to apply for the APPE-RT program.

“I absolutely loved it there,” she says. “They’re great, supportive people, and it’s well-run. I like the feel of a smaller hospital.”

Graves is looking forward to building her relationships at the clinic and completing a research project as part of the program. After graduation, she plans to complete a residency and then is considering a breadth of options for her rural health career — ranging from owning her own pharmacy to working in an ambulatory care setting. Graves, whose mother is a member of the Lac Courte Oreilles band of Lake Superior Ojibwe, also has a special interest in working with Indian Health Services.

“Having family that are members of the tribe and being a descendant, I care about the tribe and want to help out and be a trusted health care provider,” she says. “I have to get my feet under me before establishing myself as a provider, but I already help my family. There’s so much I’ve learned in pharmacy school, and my family and community need somebody to be there to answer their health questions.” 

Whatever path she chooses, she feels prepared by her experience at the School of Pharmacy.

“The School offers so many tracks, like the rural health program, the global health certificate, the antimicrobial stewardship program, and electives, clubs, and talks,” Graves says. “We’re encouraged to go out and explore different settings, and the faculty really care and will connect you to other people they know working in different settings.”

The $10,000 Lyle L. Vandenberg Rural Health Scholarship is intended to cover tuition costs, which can be a barrier that prevents providers from practicing in rural areas. Graves is grateful for the support, which she says will reduce her stress over finances and allow her to study and work at her part-time job without distractions.

“The financial part of school is always a stressor, so having this and not having to take out loans lifts a lot of tension,” says Graves. “I was so excited when I learned that I was chosen for the scholarship, and I loved telling my family and seeing how excited they got.”

“[Kara is] the ideal inaugural recipient and representative of everything this scholarship stands for. I couldn’t be more pleased.”
—Brian Vandenberg

Brian says he is delighted that a student pharmacist is the first scholarship recipient. 

“I’ve had the opportunity to talk with Kara about her inspiration for pursuing pharmacy and her commitment to rural health, based on her own experience,” he says. “She’s the ideal inaugural recipient and representative of everything this scholarship stands for. I couldn’t be more pleased.”