Kansas Insurance Commissioner Vicki Schmidt takes the oath of office on Jan. 9, 2023, for her second term. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)
Kansas Insurance Commissioner Vicki Schmidt has been diagnosed with breast cancer and expects to make a full recovery, she announced Wednesday.
Schmidt said her doctor discovered the disease after a routine mammogram. She plans to continue her work at the Insurance Department and undergo treatment in the coming weeks at the University of Kansas Cancer Center.
“I am encouraged by the support of my friends and family, but what I ask is that you schedule your yearly mammogram or encourage the women in your life to do so,” Schmidt said. “While uncomfortable, awkward and let’s be honest, painful, I am proof this preventative procedure can save lives.”
Schmidt, a Republican from Topeka, was reelected to a second four-year term as insurance commissioner in November. The 67-year-old pharmacist previously served in the Kansas Senate from 2005 to 2019.
In a statement released on social media, Schmidt said she has often played a supporting role in Kansans’ fight against cancer through her work as a pharmacist and as insurance commissioner.
“Now that I’m on the other side, their stories, their determination and their strength are the foundation on which I face this fight,” she said.
She requested prayers for her husband.
“I’m not a very good patient,” Schmidt said.
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