pediatric

Rare diseases are hard to diagnose and often require costly genetic testing and visits to specialists. The testing can be hard to access, especially for people who live in rural areas. Researchers at the Genomic Medicine Center at Children’s Mercy Kansas City are trying to close the gap.

Missouri has removed roughly 136,000 kids from its Medicaid rolls since June 2023. But the state's worst-in-nation processing delays make it difficult to re-enroll — causing many to miss doctor’s appointments and critical prescriptions.

Infant mortality in Missouri went up 16% between 2021 and 2022, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Missouri was one of only four states that showed a significant rise.

The number of pediatric ER visits for mental health reasons has increased by an average of 8% each year. But Kansas City hospitals warn they aren't able to keep pace — and already, about half of kids are going untreated.

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.

Facing shortages of critical care beds, medication and frontline staff amid the onslaught of RSV, COVID-19 and the flu, hospitals serving Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska are collaborating to get children with acute conditions the treatment they need.