For vaccination rates, Kansas and Missouri fall in lower half of states
With measles making a comeback in the United States after it was thought to have been eradicated 15 years ago, a new analysis finds that fewer than 90 percent of preschoolers nationwide have received the recommended vaccination against measles, mumps and rubella. Both Kansas and Missouri fell below the 90 percent threshold for preschooler vaccinations, the baseline goal set by Healthy People 2020, a federal interagency task force.
New cancer center planned for eastern Jackson County
HCA Midwest Health, the region’s largest health system, announced Wednesday that it plans to open a comprehensive cancer center near Centerpoint Medical Center, the company’s hospital in Independence, Mo. HCA will house the center in a 17,000-square-foot building near Centerpoint, according to a system spokeswoman. HCA purchased the building, a former furniture store, in 2012.
Better or worse, for Latinos: The Caudillo Family, Part 3
Continue the conversation about race, immigration and the American Dream with the Caudillo family around the dinner table of Mac and Velia Salazar. Grandchildren Julian, Sophia, and Olivia all identify as Mexican-American, even though they don’t speak Spanish and don’t have firm roots to the Latino culture.
Savings accounts for children with disabilities could be impacted by Kansas budget struggles
A Kansas House committee unanimously passed a bill Tuesday to allow for tax-free savings accounts for children with disabilities. But even as they sent the bill to the full House, committee members expressed concerns that cost could keep it from coming up for a vote there.
Attention, ‘Serial’ fans: is objectivity important in law and journalism?
Host Mike Rugnetta devoted two episodes of the PBS Digital Studios YouTube series to discussing issues of objectivity in law and objectivity in journalism, all in relation to “Serial,” which many have billed as the most successful podcast of all time. Note: If you haven’t listened to all 12 episodes of the podcast, these videos…
Here’s what Brownback’s budget plan could do to the Kansas safety net
Gov. Sam Brownback’s plan for plugging a $325 million-plus hole in the current fiscal year’s budget includes a $254,000 cut in state-funded grants for safety net clinics that provide care for the poor and uninsured.
Local composer chats with Bach
A local composer has spoken with famous 18th century German composer Johann Sebastian Bach — in his imagination. The work that resulted from this imagined conversation, a concerto piece titled “Dialogue,” will premiere Saturday, Feb. 7, at Village Presbyterian Church in Prairie Village, Kansas. The Bach Aria Soloists, a Kansas City–based chamber music ensemble, commissioned a…
St. Luke’s and Liberty hospitals join forces on cancer care
Saint Luke’s and Liberty hospitals on Monday announced an agreement to partner on the provision of cancer care.
‘A Path Appears: Breaking the Cycle of Poverty’
Poverty. Teen pregnancy. Abuse. What is being done to address these issues affecting our communities? From the team behind the groundbreaking “Half the Sky,” “A Path Appears” goes to locations throughout the United States, plus Colombia, Haiti, and Kenya to uncover the harshest forms of gender-based oppression and human rights violations, and solutions being implemented…
How ‘organic’ are organic fish?
When it comes to organic certification, there are strict guidelines for food producers to follow. For an organic steak, the cow it came from has to be raised on organic feed and the feed mix can’t be produced with pesticides, chemical fertilizers or genetic engineering. Now, the U.S. Department of Agriculture in considering a set of rules for organic farmed fish. Several consumer groups, though, say the recommended rules don’t go far enough to meet the strict standards of other organic foods.
President Obama proposes boost in funding to fight superbugs
In the budget President Obama is sending to Congress he’s asking for more than $1 billion to combat antibiotic resistance, and some of that money would focus on animal agriculture. Antibiotic resistance can make common medications ineffective, meaning sick people don’t get better and doctors have fewer options to treat bacterial infections.
Olathe Medical Center Unveils $100 Million Expansion Project
Olathe Medical Center on Friday announced the largest expansion in the hospital’s six-decade history, a cradle-to-grave project that calls for new buildings for obstetrics and for patients with dementia.
New KS education commissioner tours state for talkback sessions
Randy Watson, the incoming Kansas Commissioner of Education, is starting work even before he officially takes office in July. Watson is touring the state of Kansas to speak with parents, students, educators, legislators and business leaders about education in the state. The series of town hall–style meetings, dubbed “Kansas Children, Kansas’ Future,” will stop in…
How big of a problem do you think concussions are in football?
For football fans everywhere, the NFL’s concussion crisis has raised some uncomfortable questions about what it means to love a sport that’s been shown to cause lasting harm to its players. The league’s ratings continue to enjoy near-record highs, yet at the same time, scientific research increasingly suggests that football can lead to a wide…