Kathryn McKinley, SHIIP/SMP Counselor with Buena Vista Regional Medical Center will receive a Governor’s Volunteer Award. Governor Kim Reynolds will personally announce 2026 awardees during a special recognition ceremony held on July 14 at 1:00pm at the Urbandale High School Performing Arts Center.
McKinley will be honored with a five-year service award by Senior Health Insurance Information Program (SHIIP) and Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP). Since 2021, McKinley has completed 850 appointments and spent more than 1,216 hours providing guidance to individuals, families and caregivers on how to navigate their Medicare and identify plans and resources that work for them.
“Iowans take great pride in their deep and rich commitment for serving others—it’s in our DNA,” Gov. Reynolds said. “Iowa nice is the foundation of our state–you see it everywhere you turn– Iowans volunteering their time to help others and improve their communities and our state. It truly is an honor to be able to recognize these individuals for their meaningful acts of generosity through the Governor’s Volunteer Awards and inspire others to do the same.”
Kristin Griffith, SHIIP-SMP Director, shares “SHIIP-SMP Counselors are some of the best volunteers and people you could ever work with. They care deeply about their community members, and consistently go above and beyond to provide unbiased and trustworthy information helping individuals and their families navigate the complexity of Medicare.”
“Kathryn has made a meaningful difference for hundreds of individuals and families by providing trusted guidance through the Medicare process. We’re incredibly grateful for her commitment to serving our community, and this recognition is a wonderful way to celebrate her years of volunteer service,” said Danielle Schlenger, BVRMC Education/Resource Coordinator.
Coordinated by Volunteer Iowa, the Governor’s Volunteer Award program provides an easy way for Iowa nonprofits, charitable organizations, and government entities to honor their volunteers with a prestigious, state-level award. A complete list of award recipients and an electronic copy of this news release are available at https://volunteer.iowa.gov/.
If you are interested in helping local Iowans understand their Medicare options and would like to learn more about becoming a SHIIP/SMP volunteer, visit https://shiip.iowa.gov/get-involved.