Children's Mercy Hospital

During the pandemic, a mass exodus of employees left the medical field. Hospital leaders say they're finally starting to fill open positions with permanent workers instead of contract employees, but higher COVID cases have sent many medical workers home sick.

Children's Mercy Hospital has launched a new clinic aimed at treating children ages 12 to 17 with anxiety and depression. The collaborative program is one of fourteen Children's Mercy projects targeting the pediatric mental health crisis.

In the Kansas City area, 40% to 50% of children who need mental health services go untreated. Children’s Mercy announced a $150 million project to bridge that gap.

In January, a Parkville family learned their 8-year-old daughter had a rare illness. Though there is no cure, there is a drug that could help slow the disease. The problem? It costs more than $200,000 a year. Plus: Kansas politicians make bold claims about how to stop population declines in rural communities. Their efforts may not be enough to reverse the trend.

In January, the Anstaett family learned their eight-year-old daughter had Batten disease, a rare condition with a difficult — and eventually terminal — prognosis. The drug showing promise in slowing the disease isn't covered by their insurance because it's still in clinical trials.

Mayors, senators, hospitals, zoos — everyone’s getting into the mix, with cheesesteaks, barbecue, and Poor Richard’s Almanack at stake.

COVID-19, RSV and the flu cases are filling up emergency rooms in the metropolitan area. Many area hospitals are at capacity, with some even putting beds in the hallways. All of this is overwhelming nurses already stretched thin.

Influenza cases continue to rise even as RSV and COVID-19 case numbers are plateauing across the Kansas City area. Children's Mercy staffers are picking up extra shifts as they treat more patients than the hospital can handle.

Mo Hive KC has helped create nearly a dozen beehives in Kansas City community gardens and rooftops over the last two years. Now they've expanded their hives to Jefferson City in the hopes of educating the public about conservation and exposing youth to urban agriculture.

The FDA and CDC recently approved COVID-19 vaccines for children between the ages of six months to five years old. Vaccines are available through your pediatrician, some local pharmacies and hospitals.

Although many parents are excited about the prospect of a vaccine for children under the age of 5, not many kids in the older age group have gotten their own vaccine yet.

Children's Mercy Hospital says the supplier of a re-agent needed for its PCR testing did not send its shipment this week. As a result, the hospital will suspend COVID testing at emergency departments and urgent care facilities.