A song and dance for patients at the end of chemo treatment
Karen Finkbiner is an oncology pharmacist, but her patients often refer to her as a bartender. “I think a lot of patients try to have fun with the thought of coming in for chemotherapy because, of course, it’s a pretty awful thing to think about,” she said. “So a lot of people refer to (the…
Catharsis and community in standup comedy — for parents of kids with autism
Parenting is a tough job for anyone, but raising children with autism, who often have behavioral or communication problems, can be especially demanding. Research has shown that parents of children with autism are at increased risk of depression. But in Kansas City, some of these mothers and fathers are finding a measure of respite, and sympathetic ears, through comedy.
My own private Islam: The Malek Family, Part 4
In this final visit with the Malek family, they discuss Islam and explain their frustrations with the common misconceptions that they feel are perpetuated in the media here in the U.S.
Preview new Ken Burns doc at KCPT screening
“Cancer: the Emperor of All Maladies,” a new Ken Burns documentary based on a book by the same name, will air on KCPT beginning March 30. The six-hour doc, which will air on three consecutive nights, delves deeply into the topic of cancer in America: treatment options, the business behind the disease and the healthcare…
Listeria outbreak traced to Texas ice cream plant
“KDHE (Kansas Department of Health and Environment) has already done our own look-back at the people who have gotten listeria in Kansas within the last year, and we know only those five cases relate to this outbreak,” said Sara Belfry, a KDHE spokeswoman. The illnesses and deaths were first reported by KDHE on Friday, when…
The Kansas summer-meals program isn’t reaching enough children. Some advocates are working to change that.
The state of Kansas and four nonprofit organizations are seeking federal approval to conduct an experiment that they hope will boost participation in a summer meals program that now is serving only a fraction of eligible children. Led by the Kansas State Department of Education, the coalition is asking the U.S. Department of Agriculture to temporarily waive some rules so that it can conduct a demonstration project to feed needy children in rural parts of the state when school is out for the summer.
How committed is the VA to the Veterans Choice program? A U.S. senator from Kansas wants to know.
Millions of veterans nationwide now have a card that’s supposed to improve their access to health care. But a Kansas senator and some other members of Congress doubt the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is really serious about the new Veterans Choice Program.
KC public housing residents get spring break visit from health providers
Yahye Mohamed wants to be a surgeon when he grows up, but the shoe was on the other foot Monday when he attended a health fair at his public housing complex in Kansas City, Mo. Or, to be more precise, some hands were in his mouth. Shortly after he hopped aboard Truman Medical Centers’ mobile…
Show Me | Gimme Some Oven
Blogger Shares Life, Food and Love For KC On most weekday mornings, you can find food blogger Ali Ebright at Quay Coffee in Kansas City’s River Market. She edits photos, replies to emails and schedules social media posts, all while sipping her favorite iced pour-over coffee. She’s usually there with a handful of other entrepreneurs,…
In the Margins: A KC place for putting lives back together
And at a time when basic stability is most important, many felons have a difficult time finding necessities like work, health care and housing: People are notoriously reluctant to offer a job or rent an apartment to a former felon. Because of this, research shows that offenders without support systems can end up relying on a patchwork group of underfunded services including public mental health or rehab facilities, transitional housing and vocational assistance. A KC program aims to help.
Serving KC’s Homeless Students
All public schools in the U.S. are required by federal law to designate a liaison for homeless students. The McKinney-Vento Act, passed in 1987, spells out what schools are required to provide students in order to minimize barriers to education created by homelessness. Under the act, the definition of “homeless” is rather broad, and can…
KC couple to open Brookside home for Heirloom Bakery & Hearth
As the City Market lunch crowd wanes on a recent Wednesday, Scott Meinke chops chives on a green cutting board while his wife Kate methodically cubes butter on a perpendicular stainless steel prep table. This is the Heirloom Bakery & Hearth two-step, where the couple preps and shifts and washes and mixes and watches and…
As deep-red states expand Medicaid, Nixon says Missouri is leaving money on the table
As other deep-red states agree to expand Medicaid within their borders, Gov. Jay Nixon says Missouri is leaving federal health care dollars on the table.
Hidden Beauty: The Malek Family, Part 3
Altaf and Shaheen Malek immigrated to the United States in 2007 from Gujarat, India. They came at the insistence of Altaf’s sister, who sponsored their immigration. Altaf, then the owner of a well-established electronics shop, and Shaheen, a pharmacist, did not jump at the opportunity to leave their well-established life. After discussing it heavily, and seeking feedback from others in their community, they decided to leave everything behind and start over in the United States for the sake of their children, Tanzeem (then 11) and Ayan (then 7).
A double whammy for KC safety-net providers
Samuel U. Rodgers is one of Kansas City’s largest safety net health clinics, and the doctors and nurses here take pride in offering care to all. That means learning to expect the unexpected. But cuts in funding are something else, according to CEO Hilda Fuentes, who recently got a letter explaining that the money she gets from the city would be cut this fiscal year by more than 10 percent, or about $167,000.