regional health

A Wichita family physician is trying to make primary care more affordable and accessible through a subscription-based model called direct primary care.

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.

Recent data from the Commonwealth Fund illustrates stark differences in the health care system in Kansas for white people and people of color.

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 vast majority of liver transplants still use organs from a deceased donor, but that’s starting to change. Lindsee Wilson, a 41-year-old speech language pathologist in southwest Kansas, tells the story of donating part of her liver.

Hospital systems are merging in deals bring facilities hundreds of miles apart under the same parent company, like St. Luke's and BJC HealthCare. That typically means higher prices for the patients they serve — but federal regulators haven't stepped in to stop consolidation.

An updated COVID-19 vaccine will be in Kansas City in the next few weeks. The shot combats newer variants more effectively and comes as case numbers creep up across the metro.

Americans are becoming less and less likely to believe our fellow citizens are trying to do the right thing, and that has added to the crisis facing rural health care. Plus: Are Midwest homes prepared for more scorching summer days?

New Growth Transit connects Missouri's rural residents who can't get to their medical and health care appointments with a network of volunteer drivers.

COVID has been having a "summer surge." Dr. Marvia Jones, director of the Kansas City Health Department, says that the increase in new cases could be linked to a new variant and more travel.

Mortality rates for Kansas City mothers and infants, especially in Black and brown communities, are well above the national average. So local groups are stepping outside the traditional health care system to bridge the gap. Plus: The leaders of a small southeast Kansas hospital say the only way to keep it from closing is to cut back on services.

Cerner, the city's largest private employer, is closing its world headquarters in North Kansas City and Realization Campus in South Kansas City. The moves come just months after the company was acquired by Oracle in a multi-billion-dollar deal.