January 2023

TOP DOCTORS 2023

Dr. Rebecca Chain

Together against

As a member of the MD Anderson Cancer Network®, a program of MD Anderson Cancer Center, AdventHealth brings together clinical excellence and whole-person cancer care close to home. Our network of specialists provides access to the latest treatments for common and rare cancers. With leading-edge technology in our hands and compassion in our hearts, we’re moving cancer care forward in Kansas City.

Learn more at CancerCareKC.com.

cancer.

PUBLISHER Kathy Boos k athy@ kansascitymag.com

EDITOR IN CHIEF Martin Cizmar martin@ kansascitymag.com

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR, STYLE & EVENTS Molly Higgins m olly@ kansascitymag.com

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Dawyna Bartsch dawyna@ kansascitymag.com

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR, FOOD Tyler Shane tyler@ kansascitymag.com

EDITORIAL INTERNS Taylor Drummond Isabella Ferrentino

ART DIRECTOR Kevin Goodbar kevin@ kansascitymag.com

COPY EDITOR Kelsie Schrader

WEB COORDINATOR Madison Russell

SALES Angie Henshaw angie@kansascitymag.com

Our commitment to do more for kids is at the heart of everything we do, down to each strand of DNA sequenced for genetic research. Together, we can help kids overcome whatever’s standing in their way. Learn more at childrensmercy.org/imagine.

Imagine the Potential

DOCTOR IS IN

Our annual list of the top doctors in Kansas City, by specialty.

66

On the Hunt

An outdoorsy couple builds their dream home on a large plot in the Northland.

Still Singing

KC-based jazz singer Marilyn Maye preps for a 95th birthday blowout in NYC

104

Roses and Thorns

There’s a lot to like about Wild Rose in Waldo, but it could use a little pruning.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEREMEY THERON KIRBY

Dr. Evelina Swartzman

Explore America’s Best Aquarium this year with a two day ticket! Journey around the world as you get up close with wildlife like never before.

the

Seeing Stars

Rose All Day

In the Weeds

Fish Story

What gives you hope? That’s a simple question, but a big question. It’s a topic that feels especially timely at the start of another new year.

It’s the question we posed to the five doctors profiled in this year’s feature, our annual list of the best doctors in Kansas City. When we picked these five doctors from among the six hundred and twenty you’ll find listed by specialty starting on page 50, we warned them this question was coming. And yet they tended to pause before answering, carefully considering their response before offering it.

That’s understandable, I think. The last three years have conditioned us to be measured about our hopefulness and to contemplate potential snags in any statement that sounds overly optimistic. Doctors, I suspect, have learned to temper their expectations even more than most average people.

But in each case they offered an answer. I won’t try to paraphrase them here, but there is a thread that runs throughout: faith in their fellow man. These doctors who’ve practiced through a once-a-century pandemic are left hopeful by what they see in their patients, colleagues, students and community. When I stop to think about it, that’s sort of a soft theme connecting dots in a diverse assortment of stories spread throughout this issue. This is an issue full of survivors with bold ideas and faith in the future.

Also in the Top Doctors feature, you’ll learn about a groundbreaking new blood test that finally gets results like the ones Elizabeth Holmes infamously faked (page 61). Meanwhile, state invasive species experts think that the key to controlling a problem fish could come down to getting fishermen to catch and eat them (page 22). In Pendleton Heights, a barista with twenty-odd years of experience has started a novel class to teach you how to make cafe-quality drinks at home (page 28). A blacksmith who survived a nearfatal accident while doing his trade shares his hard-won knowledge and helps couples forge their own wedding rings (page 32). This month’s barbecue story is about the rise of Wyandot Barbeque II from the ashes and the rabid response the reborn pit was met with after a year off (page 107).

Patrick Moore WRITER

This month’s issue features a news story about the surprisingly liberal rules for legal cannabis in Missouri by, ahem, subject matter expert Patrick Moore.

Isabella Ferrentino INTERN

Our Top Doctors package includes a story about a local effort to conduct the type of hyper-efficient blood tests that were promised by Elizabeth Holmes. It’s written by intern Isabella Ferrentino, a student at the University of Missouri–Columbia

Martin Cizmar EDITOR IN CHIEF MARTIN@KANSASCITYMAG.COM

So happy New Year, Kansas City. I hope 2023 finds you feeling rested and hopeful, if a bit wizened. And if it doesn’t, check out what five of the best doctors in the city have to say about the things that brighten their view. Or flip to page 66 for a profile of KC-based jazz singer Marilyn Maye, who is about to celebrate turning ninety-five with a big blowout in Midtown Manhattan. Few things are quite as inspiring to me as seeing a woman in her mid-nineties planning a massive birthday bash where she’s the headliner.

Kevin Goodbar

ART DIRECTOR

This is the first full issue designed by our new art director, Kevin Goodbar. Goodbar is a Jayhawk who previously served as art director of 5280 in Denver, Austin Monthly and D Magazine in Dallas.

BY JOANNA GORHAM AND CHRISTIAN BLAZA

For me, it’s not just... ‘I’m the doctor and you’re the patient.’ We’re partners.”

- Raed Al-Rajabi, MD Physician Medicine Clinical Oncology

I don’t know any other way to treat my cancer patients than to become their partner. To be available to them whenever they need me. And that’s not just when they’re sitting across from me at an appointment. Cancer is a unique journey. And for me and all of my team, the only way to undertake it is together.

To schedule an appointment, call 913-588-1227 or visit KUCancerCenter.org to learn more.

BEHIND THE SCENES

NUMBERS

FROM THIS ISSUE

COOKING LESSONS

Ounces of recreational marijuana that can be legally possessed by Missourians— more than any other state in the country.

PAGE 20

Our December issue featured the first full refresh of our list of the top forty restaurants in Kansas City since before the pandemic. The article racked up thousands of comments within a few days and set a new record for our site’s web traffic. Here is a small sampling of the comments, with extra space allotted to the small handful of people who loudly disagreed with our choices.

Fellow foodies, here’s your restaurant week guide! If it’s on this list and on the restaurant week list, make your reservations now. I’ve always wanted to check out The Antler Room and Fox and Pearl, but so many good places listed!

—Tiffany Marie Beam

Mercury is in retrograde through January 18, in case you have bad luck between now and then. We explain the increasingly common phrase.

PAGE 34

$1,226

Amount the average American spends on prescription drugs each year.

PAGE 64

Cafe de Amis sucks. Pizza Tascio is not a top 40 restaurant in this city and I love pizza. (What a joke.) Lotus Hot Pot is good but not a top 40. Farina isn’t on this list but Extra Virgin is. Extra Virgin has gone downhill over the last few years. Acre is a top ten in my book. I sense some biased selections in this publication.

—Brandon Dunn

Love seeing Cafe de Amis… an underrated spot!

—Luke Menn

The Frog’s [Le Fou Frog] not on there and the 1900 at 38th place? Oh bullshit. That’s some hipster masturbation party, and the worst of those lists I’ve ever seen. Hacks hacks hacks.

This was a great read for a newcomer to the city… I guess I’ll have to work my way through this list!

—Daniel Barwick

We had Acre in Parkville last month and it was pretty fantastic. Fox & Pearl & Town Company are great. If you go to Town Company, go to Nighthawk for post-dinner drinks in the basement of Hotel KC. Michael Smith is a fantastic chef and both Extra Virgin and Farina are super too.

—Bill Hurrelbrink

Been waiting for a list like this. I see a lot of familiar places I love on here. Excited to check some of these out. Great job putting this together!

—Alecks Cruz

If you’re like me you had no clue that half of these restaurants exist. New list for gift cards this Christmas!

—Douglas L. Freeman

MudBug Cajun PoBoy’s should be on that list, nevertheless a good list.

—Gary Shelby

Sampling the new cocktail menu at Westport Cafe to identify the latest drink trends. You can see what we found on page 110.

SHOUT OUT

Thanks to Janus Films/The Criterion Collection for sending over a stunning high-resolution image for this month’s Beat opener so fast that it made our heads spin.

CONTACT US Kansas City P.O. Box 26823

Overland Park, KS 66225-6823 (913) 469-6700

EMAIL: editor@kansascitymag.com

— Angela Sokolowski, an ecologist who specializes in invasive species for the Missouri Department of Natural Resources

“What we buy in the store now as orange roughy used to be called slimehead.”

NOWOPEN!

Santa Fe Ridge at Tallgrass Creek

The newest residence building at Tallgrass Creek,® Overland Park’s premier senior living community, is now open! Santa Fe Ridge boasts a variety of brand-new apartment homes with high-end standard finishes, many of which feature patios, balconies, or screened-in porches.

The new building brings an array of brand-new amenities to our already bustling campus, including a new restaurant with outdoor seating, a pickleball court, and more!

Overland Park TallgrassCreek.com

LEADING THE CONVERSATION IN KANSAS CITY

STUCK BETWEEN STATIONS

High-stakes development projects along the new streetcar route are moving slowly but surely.

BY DAWNYA BARTSCH

BACK IN OCTOBER, the KCMO city council voted unanimously to put four Midtown buildings under historic protection. It was a “novel approach” by city officials because the building’s owner said he wanted to demolish them. It was only the second time the city has made such a move. The first time was in the eighties when Union Station was being restored.

It’s the latest in a series of interesting power plays by public and private groups to shape development along the expanded KC Streetcar route. The high-stakes game will have major implications for the future of the central city.

Since the federal government granted $174 million to fully fund Kansas City’s public transportation project along Main Street in 2020, the city has seen a land rush of sorts as developers grab what they can, positioning themselves to take advantage of an anticipated economic boom along the route once it’s complete.

“There is great opportunity along the corridor to create something dynamic for the city,” says Vincent Gauthier, president of developer Authenticity and former director of the Port Authority of Kansas City.

Gauthier, who works as an urban development planning consultant, sees the streetcar as a way to showcase the unique neighborhoods lining the expanded route. Advocates view the streetcar as something much larger than just a way to move people from one part of the city to another—it’s also a way to revitalize Midtown.

Like other developers, Doug Price purchased the buildings on the corner of 31st and Main streets in the Union Hill neighborhood with the future in mind. Price was planning to demolish the structures, calling them unsalvageable, and presented potential plans for a high-rise apartment building with a front that mimics the historical structures. He’s said he doesn’t plan on producing specific plans until the streetcar route is complete in early 2025. (Price could not be reached for comment.)

Price’s plans upset neighbors who argued the historic buildings that front the busy Main Street thoroughfare serve as a “gateway” to the Union Hill Neighborhood. That’s when councilmembers Katheryn Shields and Eric Bunch, who represent the area, applied to designate the buildings, including the 1888 Victorian-era Jeserich Building, as historic, preventing Price from demolishing the structures for three years.

Gauthier, who was asked by the city to offer his opinion on the state of the buildings, does not think it would be difficult to renovate them. Removing the buildings would be “going against the absolute principle of why the streetcar line was put in,” Gauthier says.

The battle over Price’s now-historic buildings are just one of the bubbling projects along the future streetcar route. In the last several years, a slew of multi-million dollar developments have been proposed along the Main Street expansion route, and several are in the works.

KC-based VanTrust Real Estate is another developer planning to play the waiting game. The developer recently purchased a two-acre lot along Main and Linwood that houses the McGilley Funeral Home. The company has said it has no immediate plans for the property but thinks it’s in a “great location near two future streetcar stops” and

plans to create specific plans when the route is finished.

Out-of-town real estate developers have been a bit more bullish. Chicago-based Mac properties is proposing to renovate the existing U.S. Bank building at Armour Boulevard and Main Street as an apartment building that spans an entire block. This project is estimated to have more than four hundred apartments and 45,000 square feet of retail space. The company also plans to renovate the historic New Yorker apartment building at 35th and Baltimore. Northpoint Development, which is based locally but operates across the country, is planning a large apartment building project at the former Trinity Lutheran Hospital. St. Louis-based Lux Living plans to keep the historic Katz Drug Store building at Westport Road and Main Street while adding almost two hundred units, each multifamily.

Exact Partners, the company that owns the Wonder Building in a rehabbed former bread bakery on Troost, has also embarked on several streetcar route projects.

“We think Main Street is going to be the vibrant corner of Kansas City, connecting universities, our Plaza, research hospitals, downtown sports and the riverfront,” says Caleb Buland, an architect and partner at Exact, which is working on both new infill and renovating historic buildings. “Main Street has not seen reinvestment in some decades, so we’re excited that the community is coming together and bringing vibrancy to midtown.”

The company completed the renovation of the historic Netherlands Hotel and turned the Monarch Storage buildings on Main into apartments in 2020. Exact is looking to redevelop the ABC storage building on Main to create apartments and also wants to create another boutique hotel in the former National Guard Armory on Main.

Buland says that the renovation of the Netherlands Hotel has been one of Exact’s favorite projects. “The views all across the city from its rooftop bar make developing along Main Street as easy as pointing over the railing and planning new projects,” he says. “On the preservation side, this building was slated for demolition after being vacant nearly two decades. Now it’s home to thirty-plus jobs and nearly two hundred residents.”

A land rush along the new streetcar route could remake Midtown KC.

LISA

TYLER RILES VP, Private Client Services 816.883.3379 tyler.riles@nbhbank.com

GRASS IS GREENER

The Show Me State now has the nation’s most liberal cannabis laws—here are six somewhat surprising stats about Missouri marijuana.

BY PATRICK MOORE

2/2023

Recreational marijuana will be available in Missouri starting sometime in “early February.” That’s just three months after legalization. When Colorado and Washington state legalized it a decade ago, it took them nearly two years to get recreational dispensaries up and running.

168

The number of midsized joints a Missourian can legally possess. That’s based on a typical jazz cigarette weighing in at about a half gram and Missourians being able to possess three ounces. The Missouri law is the nation’s most relaxed: Missourians can possess three times as much pot as conservative California, Colorado or Oregon (one ounce each).

6 (BUT REALLY 13)

A six percent tax on the retail price of marijuana is put toward legal fees for expungements of people convicted of nonviolent marijuana offenses. The remaining tax revenue will go toward substance abuse treatment programs, veterans’ health care and the public defender system.

Local governments can add on an additional three percent tax, and

state sales taxes will also be charged, making the tax package more than thirteen percent. This is still among the lowest rates in the country— half what’s charged in less progressive places like Illinois, Vermont and Oregon.

6

(BUT REALLY 18)

Missourians are allowed to have six mature, flowering pot plants if they buy a $100 home cultivation license card. The specifics get complicated, but they can have eighteen plants in total.

78

Percent of KCMO voters that supported the legalization measure— more than apparently conservative St. Louis City (seventy-three percent) or any individual county. Jackson County also approved, by sixty-eight to thirty-two percent. The only part of the KC metro area to not approve was Lafayette County, homeland of Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo.

21

Missouri becomes lucky number twenty-one. The state technically legalized cannabis on December 8, 2022, eighty-nine years and three days after the 21st Amendment repealed alcohol prohibition in 1933.

Now, a new fish is flopping its way onto the menu.

Asian carp are sometimes called “silent invaders” of the fishery world. The mas sive fish are known for enthusiastically leaping from the rivers. Unlike the com mon carp, they’re plankton feeders, with cleaner, sweeter flesh than their bot tom-feeding cousins.

Now, they’re being rebranded by state game departments to have a more palatable name: copi. The name is short for “copi ous,” a word that means “abundant in supply”—the perfect description of this highly populated species of fish.

“Asian carp” is a collective name for the various species of carp, including the big head, black, grass and silver carp, which were imported in the 1970’s to control algae blooms primarily in wastewater treatment plants. Soon, the leaping fish escaped from the treatment plants into local waterways and were labeled an inva sive species as they rapidly overpopulated their surroundings.

“They outcompete native fishes,” says Angela Sokolowski, an ecologist who specializes in invasive species for the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. “This has had a negative impact on anglers and the local industries that bring in anglers. It is also believed they can decrease water quality, which can negatively affect native mussels.”

They’re also dangerous in their own way: “Silver carp are notorious for jump ing out of the water, which can injure boat ers and others recreating on the water.”

Following their silent invasion of the Missouri and Mississippi rivers, copi have been seen jumping overzealously from the surface of the water that is agitated by boats. Many rivergoers share the same story of leisurely boating down the river

COPI-OUS CARP

when, out of nowhere, they are violently struck in the face by these sizable fish. Safe to say these individuals may be the most eager to see Asian carp on the menu.

Common carp are generally shunned by American fishermen, though they are popular in other parts of the world. The species we call Asian carp are very different fish, prompting the rebranding effort to hopefully encourage the public to catch and eat them. The state departments found that the public had a misconception about the copi, believing that these bottom-dwelling water foragers are “dirty” and “uneatable”—but it is quite

Those who have had the opportunity to have a bite—whether broiled, baked, fried, blackened or sauteed—tend to agree that copi are worthy of appearing on restaurant menus.

“the time I had it, it was deepfried and I thought it had a much nicer flavor than a deep-fried sucker,” says Sokolowski. “It was delicious. It wasn’t fishy. It was very mild. It was on par for me with fried catfish for pleasantness.”

Attendees of the Missouri State Fair also approved when served bighead and silver carp, Sokolowski says.

Rob Connoley, a chef at Bulrush St. Louis, which serves an Ozark-inspired menu, has developed a go-to method for cooking copi. “The few times I have worked with it, we’ve smoked it,” Connoley says. “I treated it like New York’s

Copi was officially rebranded in early 2021 and got a push last year. It may seem silly, but copi is not the first fish to be made more appetizing by a new name.

“What we buy in the store now as orange roughy used to be called slimehead,” says Sokolowski. “They renamed Patagonia toothfish to Chilean sea bass. If people like eating orange roughy or copi, they increase the demand, and that incentivizes the market. The hope with copi is to increase the demand to make it profitable for commercial fisherman to target.”

Conservationists are rebranding a problem fish to encourage anglers to contain them.

BY TAYLOR DRUMMOND

IMAGINE Game DayOUTSIDE

Create a game plan for your backyard at DECKORATORS.COM

WHERE YOU WANT TO BE IN JANUARY

January 18

GO: Leningrad Cowboys Go America will be screened on Wednesday, January 18 and Saturday, January 21 at Stray Cat Film Center, 1662 Broadway Boulevard, KCMO.

COWBOY SONGS

Digging into the cultural debris of the nineties is a good way to wait out an era when Taylor Swift makes a clean sweep of all top ten spots on the Billboard chart. The more you do, the more you realize that the seeds of the Lollapolized artistic upheaval were sewn in the eighties underground.

Take the most bizarre moment in the history of the MTV music awards (no, not the one involving Swift and that other guy), when a band called the Leningrad Cowboys took the stage with the Red Army Choir to play “Sweet Home Alabama” to a worldwide audience of 250 million people—more than last year’s Super Bowl. The band wore bright yellow-striped suits, comically oversized pompadours and elf shoes with points that protrude a foot from the tips of their toes. Behind them, seventy-odd members of Boris Yeltsin’s army band stood in olive drab, singing along to a Neil Young diss track while one woman in a bright red beehive who appeared to have escaped from a B-52s video danced along.

A thirty-episode podcast about the cultural context behind this moment could exist—it would probably start with Leningrad Cowboys Go America, which screens this month at Stray Cat Film Center. The largely forgotten 1989 film by Finnish director Aki Kaurismäki birthed the Cowboys, who are improbably still touring today. The film is a comedy that actively steps around obvious jokes, instead drawing its humor from surreal imagery, like a group of hungry band members eating onions on a curb or the band’s only fan, the village idiot, coveting a pair of loafers.

Leningrad Cowboys is presented as part of Stray Cat’s Bargain Bin Film School series, where the movie is being billed as “the best Jim Jarmusch movie Jarmusch never made.” This is mostly true. The Ohio-born indie filmmaker didn’t make this particular absurdist deadpan comedy, but he does play a used car salesman in it. The movie is half road trip, half musical interlude with the band learning about “rrrock n rrrrrroll” on their way to accidental stardom in Mexico. —MARTIN

CIZMAR

PHOTO PROVIDED

WHAT YOU WANT TO DO THIS MONTH

Chiefs vs Broncos

January 1, Noon

In spring 2022, the Seahawks traded quarterback Ciara’s Husband to the Broncos after years of his kvetching about getting a chance to operate in an open offense. Ciara’s Husband has been terrible, with his pre-season promotional videos going viral in the bad way. Odds are looking good for the Chiefs, with a hopeful win to lift spirits during the New Year’s Day hangover. January 1. Noon. GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.

Uptown Nights

January

6–8

Guest conductor Byron Stripling has been called a “powerhouse trumpeter gifted with a soulful voice and a charismatic onstage swagger.” In this show, he transports audiences back to the heyday of jazz, performing with nostalgic reverence that mirrors a sound more apt for Harlem clubs with legends like Duke Ellington and Ella Fitzgerald. January 6–7, 8 pm; January 8, 2 pm. The Kauffman Center.

Elvis Birthday Bash

January 7, 8 pm

Come celebrate what would’ve been the King of Rock ‘n Roll’s eighty-eighth birthday with an assortment of impersonators performing all the hits. Grab your avia-

tors, jumpsuit and probiotics and join the rockabilly party. January 7. 8 pm. Knuckleheads.

The Fountains and Pines of Rome

January 13–15

Guest conductor Francesco Lecce-Chong and New Zealand-born violinist Geneva Lewis will take audiences on a tour of the other famous fountain city, Rome, with Mozart’s youthful and joyous concerto, which was written while the composer was still a teenager. January 13–14, 8 pm; January 15, 2 pm. Kauffman Center.

Kansas City Restaurant Week

January 13–22

The fourteenth annual Kansas City Restaurant Week returns this January. This ten-day dining event features special multi-course menus and deals from hundreds of KC’s best restaurants. This provides the perfect opportunity to indulge, with exclusive menus from hot new restaurants and tried-andtrue old favorites. January 13–22.

Chinese Ink Teacher Workshop with Artist Hong Chun Zhang

January 14, 1 pm

Artist Hong Chun Zhang has used gongbi, or Chinese fine style ink painting, to explore topics such as gender, cross-cultural identity and social justice in her work for over twenty years. In this class at the Nelson-Atkins Museum, participants will observe two Chinese ink painting styles used by the artist and try out the techniques themselves. The class will also visit the exhibition, “Found in Translation: Explorations by 8 Contemporary Artists” to view Zhang’s featured piece and learn more about the inspirations and techniques she uses in her work. January 14. 1 pm. Nelson-Atkins Museum.

Bobby Watson Quartet

January 15, 7 pm

KCK native and jazz legend Bobby Watson performs for the “Winterlude” series. Working for nearly thirty years, he has become one of the most sought-after composers and jazz musicians, even composing music for the soundtrack of A Bronx Tale, Robert DeNiro’s 1993 directorial debut. The saxophonist and composer returns to his hometown to play some of his signature modern jazz. January 15. 7 pm. Yardley Hall.

Lauren Quin: My Hellmouth

January 19–June 18

The Atlanta native artist Lauren Quin got her MFA from Yale in 2019 and has been showcasing in exhibits around the U.S. since, appearing alongside other tastemakers in the art world. Her large abstract oil paintings are built from a form that she calls the tube: thick strips of color that take after prisms and overlap to form various patterns. Near the end of her process, she layers paint, quickly carving new abstract forms before the paint can dry to form something completely new. January 19–June 18.

Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art.

Monster Jam

January 14–15

Sometimes you want to go to the opera. Sometimes you just need to watch oversized Matchbox cars tumble over each other in the dirt. And that’s okay. Life is about balance. January 14, 1 pm and 7 pm; January 15, 1 pm. T-Mobile Center.

Hadestown January 17–22

When Hadestown first premiered on Broadway in 2019, it gained widespread critical and commercial acclaim, winning eight Tony Awards. The musical is a modern retelling of the ancient Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, in which two poor lovers escape their nightmarish reality and show others the way to freedom. January 17–20, 7:30 pm; January 21–22, 1 pm and 7:30 pm. Municipal Auditorium Music Hall.

Wagner’s Flying Dutchman

January 20–22

Violinist Maria Ioudenitch was born in Russia but raised in KC. She returns to KC to perform Samuel Barber’s lyric Violin Concerto, a swelling and motion-filled production. Guest conductor Kevin John Edusei leads the

orchestra in the overture to Richard Wagner’s masterpiece story of love and redemption in The Flying Dutchman January 20–21, 8 pm; January 22, 2 pm. Kauffman Center.

Oran Etkin: Open Arms

January 22, 7 pm

Multi-instrumentalist Oran Etkin has started the “open arms” project as a monthly release of singles and music videos recorded around the world with other master musicians in places like Zimbabwe, Brazil and France. He continues to collaborate and form musical connections that showcase the transcendent, communal nature of music. January 22. 7 pm. Polsky Theatre.

Zerograd (Zero City)

January 23, 7 pm

This surrealist satire of communism is hailed as “part Kafka, part Agatha Christie and part Monty Python.” The story follows an everyman engineer who arrives in a remote city where nothing makes sense but everyone acts as if it does. As he tries to get back to familiar Moscow, the film gets more absurdist—he runs into bizarre

characters that seem to be more fitting for a Wes Anderson film than in Soviet-era Russia. January 23. 7 pm. Stray Cat Film Center.

A Voice for Nature

January 24, 7:30 pm

Part of the National Geographic Live series and sponsored by the Kansas City Zoo, Dutch photographer Jasper Doest captures unique stories of wildlife, including a rehabilitated flamingo and hot springs-loving monkeys. Through his unique storytelling images, Doest aims to remind audiences of the beauty and fragility of nature. January 24. 7:30 pm. Kauffman Center.

Black Panther in Concert

January 25–2, 7 pm

Marvel’s Black Panther became an international box-office hit, with audiences connecting to the inspiring messages of Black excellence, tradition and determination set in a superhero world. The film will be shown along with the Kansas City Symphony’s live performance of Ludwig Göransson’s Oscar- and Grammy-winning score. January 25–28. 7 pm. Kauffman Center.

Refuge

January 25—February 12

This unique bilingual show features an original score and dynamic puppetry to tell the story of a young migrant who must travel through the harsh and magical desert in hopes of a new life in America. January 25–February 12. Times vary. Unicorn Theatre.

Angel Olsen

January 27, 8 pm

St. Louis native Angel Olsen is an indie singer-songwriter whose bubblegum voice and emotional lyrics have surprising influences of vintage country and twangy guitar on hits like “Shut Up Kiss Me” and “Unfucktheworld.” January 27. 8 pm. Liberty Hall.

Shen Yun

January 27–29

The performance behind the inescapable fliers is coming to KC. Boasting a dance presentation of “five thousand years of civilization reborn,” the Shen Yun performance includes ornate costuming, high-tech backdrops and a powerful orchestra to tell the story of Chinese tradition and heritage. January 27, 7:30 pm; January 28, 1:30 pm and 7:30 pm; January 29, 1:30 pm. Kauffman Center.

Nick Swardson

January 28, 6 pm

Perhaps best known for his role on Reno 911!, Nick Swardson has become one of those recognizable but not-big-name comedic actors that you have to look up on Wikipedia while you watch. Most notably, he has been a part of Adam Sandler’s production company and is now touring the U.S. with his aptly titled “Make Joke From Face” tour. January 28. 6 pm. Uptown Theater.

Philharmonia Fantastique

January 29, 2 pm

This animated film follows a magical sprite who makes “violin strings vibrate, brass valves slice air and drumheads resonate.” Blending traditional and modern animation styles with orchestral accompaniment, the performances boast the importance of collaboration and diversity. January 29. 2 pm. Kauffman Center.

Flood January 31–February 19

This absurdist tragic-comedy will run its full production and world premiere since the onset of the pandemic cut its first run short. The play centers around an unhappy wife who just wants to have tea with her artist husband who is completely devoted to building his masterpiece. Meanwhile, the waters outside their apartment continue to rise, threatening change and perhaps tragedy. January 31–February 19. Times Vary. KCRep Copaken Stage.

TRIPLE SHOT

Realistic budget “If you are genuinely wanting to make cafe-level quality drinks, I’m sorry but it costs money,” Bastin says. “That’s just how it works. You can do it economically. There’s a big spectrum in there.” She says an Aeropress with a Prismo attachment can make real espresso with crema for $70, but the viscosity of the espresso won’t be quite right and it doesn’t have the versatility to do different drinks. A traditional espresso machine that makes cafe-quality drinks starts north of $500.

Grind, grind, grind “The big thing is the grinder,” Bastin says. “Everyone fixates on the espresso machine cost, and they think of the grinder as an afterthought when the grinder is the thing that’s really going to make or break the cafe quality from the jump.” Espresso is a delicate balance of time, temperature and the particle size of the coffee grounds. Getting it right requires “dialing in” the size of the grind on your home machine. “That’s the main variable that we mess with as professionals—we start with the grind.”

Be prepared to give up After learning how hard it is to make consistently great espresso, you may be inclined to just go pay a professional. “So far, it seems like [Coffee Geek Out attendees] really appreciate what their barista is doing a lot more,” Bastin says.

FEELING PRESSED

BY MARTIN CIZMAR

HAVE YOU EVER DREAMED of finding an open barista job, going through a multiround interview process and completing a rigorous training program—only to quit and return to your regular job, but with the precious knowledge of how to make a professional-quality cup of coffee?

I’ll admit to having this exact fantasy. According to Holly Bastin, I’m not alone, which is why she’s started offering a class called Coffee Geek Out with Holly that’s designed to be like your first day behind the bar at a coffee shop. (Instead of staging an elaborate ruse to apply for a barista job, you pay $65.)

“We spend two hours and I take them through exactly what I would take a professional through as an introductory espresso training,” Bastin says. “It’s done assuming you’ve never made espresso before and starting there. Tasting it and understanding the nuances and how little things make a big impact. Understanding

how easily you can screw up your coffee and how to make it real good.”

Bastin knows all that. She’s a veteran of the barista competition world who started working as a barista way back in the late nineteen-hundreds. Her first gig was at Espresso Vita near JCCC in Overland Park, which was bought by the venerated PT’s in Topeka. PT’s trained Bastin up and brought her into the world of coffee wholesaling.

Early January is the right time to do the classes because it’s a dead time in most coffee shops. In much the same way that the first two weeks of the year are always the busiest at the gym, they are reliably dead at coffee shops.

“Nobody has money and they just made resolutions and they’re giving up coffee altogether,” Bastin says. “That happens every January for the first half of the month—and then they come crawling back.”

Above, Bastin shares three things to consider when it comes to making espresso at home—all covered in greater detail in Bastin’s class. .

GO: Coffee Geek Out with Holly classes are on Friday, January 6 and Friday, January 27 at PH Coffee on Lexington Avenue in the Pendleton Heights neighborhood.

Small, practical handbags with a boxy square shape are seemingly everywhere this season.

Like many bag trends before them, the shape and style of the bag is relatively simple. Designers like Prada released some classics, like a brushed leather handbag from 1995 in their spring 2023 show that quickly became a street-style favorite.

BOX FOR THE BAG

leather designs in bold colors—much like the Prada bags re-released in colors like baby blue and bright olive green. Some favorite hues of the Kate Spade small leather totes are bubble gum pink and burnt orange, which mirror the simple design and colorful pops favored in streetwear style this season.

Late KC native Kate Spade’s namesake brand has followed suit with their new collection of box bags, which mirror the popular style seen in designer shows in Paris, Milan and New York.

The newest line of Kate Spade totes and purses includes simple

Our favorite piece from this trend is the Boxxy Crossbody from Kate Spade ($500), which plays on the geometric style of its square shape with embellished puffed squares in bright red, pink, yellow and orange. It’s definitely a statement piece that has the perfect mix of invogue design with surprising, whimsical elements. —MOLLY HIGGINS

BY KATE SPADE

CURATING A BEAUTIFUL LIFE

The Boxxy Crossbody, $500

RINGS TRUE

Brandon Dearing almost died in a bladesmithing accident. Now, he shares his hard-won knowledge.

BY MOLLY HIGGINS

OR BLACKSMITH BRANDON DEARING, working with his hands is in his blood.

A third-generation craftsman, Dearing grew up in the country and, as a child, worked on small projects like knife making alongside his woodworker father, who makes antique reproductions.

When he was fourteen, Dearing began taking knife making lessons from a local bladesmith, which helped expand and diversify his skillset. As Dearing grew older, he developed skills in woodworking, leatherworking and blacksmithing.

“The people that are in blacksmithing have devoted their lives to it,” Dearing says. “They’re very generous with their time teaching people, and I just think that’s

really cool because I’ve been a beneficiary of that. I love being able to pay that forward with other people as well.”

However, Dearing’s life changed in November of 2019 when he was bladesmithing and nearly lost his shop—and his life.

On a frigid winter day, Dearing made a small fire to keep warm while working in his uninsulated shop. Embers set fire to his clothes, and he was engulfed in flames.

“I had seen my dad lose everything in a shop fire and he had to start his business from scratch,” Dearing says. “So I knew how difficult that was. I was just determined in my mind I was not going to let that happen.”

In the chaos of the fire, Dearing ran into the blade he was sharpening that was locked in a vice. The impact caused the knife to bend. Doctors told him if it had gone in a half-inch above, it would’ve stabbed into Dearing’s heart and killed him. Working with the power of adrenaline in what Dearing calls a “really intense minute and a half of my life,” he pulled the blade out of his chest and continued trying to put out the fire with water from a nearby frozen pond. Luckily, Dearing’s neighbor saw the fire and rushed him to the hospital, where he later underwent two skin-graft surgeries.

After that traumatic event, Dearing switched focus and began learning how to hand-make the tools that blacksmiths use, like hammers and tongs. His business, Hand and Hammer, was born.

“I love the ability to make things on my own and give them to somebody and put my mark on it,” Dearing says. “I just really like being able to create a product that is greater than the sum of its parts.”

Dearing now teaches blacksmithing classes. He says it’s exciting to be able to pass on knowledge like his teachers did for him. Recently, he began working with metals, and he even created his own wedding ring.

Along with his blacksmithing classes, in the summer, Dearing hopes to begin silver and goldwork classes catered to people getting married so they can create their own rings for the big day.

“I just love the idea of being able to make your own ring, have it in your ceremony and what that represents,” Dearing says. “You heat the metals and almost melt them together into one piece. I love the symbolism of that with marriage—two becoming one.”

BLAME IT ON MERCURY

BY NICOLE KINNING

FLAT TIRE? Mercury is in retrograde. Spat with a coworker? Mercury is in retrograde. Computer goes haywire? Mercury is in retrograde.

It’s one of those trendy sayings that’s “popped off” in the past few years—but what does it mean, exactly, when Mercury is in retrograde?

There are a few components to it: Astronomically speaking, when a planet is in retrograde, the planet creates an illusion from the Earth’s perspective that it is moving backward because it is moving faster than the Earth is around the sun. Have you ever driven a car next to a train, faster than the train is going? Visually, it looks like the train is moving backward, but in reality you’re just moving faster than it.

Although Mercury’s retrograde (and retrograde of all planets, for that matter) is a term spreading like wildfire through Gen Z and younger Millennials, the phenomenon goes back to Mesopotamian times. “People would use landmarks, and they relied on the position of the planets, the stars in the constellation that helped them determine what season it was and what direction to navigate towards,” says astrologer Cindy Mckean.

ON ANOTHER PLANET

Each planet has its own unique astrological qualities, and their retrograde effects on Earth echo these qualities. Here are a few examples and when their next retrogrades are happening:

Mars is the warrior planet. “It has to do with action, passion and moving forward,” McKean says. A Mars retrograde might trigger an exercise slump or issues with passion and drive.

There’s one happening now, October 30, 2022–January 12, 2023

Venus revolves around love and beauty. During a Venus retrograde, you might want to hold off on major physical changes like a life-alerting haircut.

“You might find that things are just not sticking so well with your partner,” Mckean says.

Next one: July 22–September 4, 2023

Jupiter represents wealth, foreign travel and sometimes luck. A Jupiter retrograde might be the best time to buy a Powerball ticket.

Next one: September 4–December 30, 2023

Saturn demands hard work. “When [Saturn is in] retrograde, it kind of gives you a little bit of a reprieve on work, and it allows you to go back and review some of the things that you might have missed or take a look at the devils in the details,” Mckean says. Next one: June 17–November 4, 2023

Mckean, who owns Kansas City Astrology and Tarot LLC, says that retrogrades tend to get a bad rap, but they’re not all negative, even though it seems like Mercury is often the butt of bad-luck jokes—not Venus or Mars. “Mercury retrogrades happen more often than most of the planets,’’

Mckean says. “It also lasts a shorter period of time and is in retrograde over a period of weeks as compared to months with other planets.”

You’re likely basking in a Mercury retrograde as you read this story. According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, Mercury is in retrograde from December 28 to January 18 and is moving through Capricorn.

Every planet has its own astrological qualities, and Mercury’s are around short-distance travel and communication. Mckean suggests that you use this time to take breaks as needed and know where to apply boundaries.

“It’s kind of like giving you a bit of a rest stop in a marathon,” she says. “Ask yourself: ‘Do I need to re-equip myself?’, or ‘What is the new path?’”

OUTSIDE IN

BY DAWNYA BARTSCH PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHRIS MULLINS

AMANDA AND BRIAN BALDWIN are “outdoorsy” people, so when they set out to build their dream home, they made sure they were surrounded by nature both inside and out.

It began with finding an eight-acre plot with mature trees and a pond in the northern reaches of Kansas City, where multi-acre parcels ideal for building family estates can still be found. Next was constructing their approximately six thousand-square-foot house with large open spaces and floor-to-ceiling windows to let the natural light flow in.

“We love the outdoors and wanted to be able to enjoy it even when we’re inside,” Amanda says. “I love sitting in the living room and just looking out into nature.”

Brian, proprietor of Baldwin Properties and a second-generation builder, designed much of the house himself, from the soaring twentysix-foot ceiling in the living room to the intimate and rustic lower-level bar. “This home is designed for entertaining and having lots of family fun,” Amanda says.

Although the Baldwins did much of the home design themselves, toward the end, when it came time to pull it all together, they sought the help of interior designer Jennifer Surface of Surface to Surface Interior Design.

“Clearly, Brian is a seasoned builder,” Surface says. “I was impressed by the finishes they (the Baldwins) chose and overall quality. They called upon me to guide the design and decor process.”

Surface worked with the Baldwins to create a contemporary interior with rustic touches. “Having gotten a good feel for the family’s personality and lifestyle, I mixed natural warm colors with bold black and white.”

Much of Surface’s work in the Baldwin’s home was trying to create an overall cohesive look throughout the large and open house. One of the many ways she ties everything together is through paintings, several of which Surface created herself.

“My artwork has to make things flow,” says Surface, who uses colors from the different spaces in her abstract work. “I try to create paintings that I think the family will enjoy and also bring in elements from other rooms.”

1 GREAT ROOM The crown jewel of the home is the great room with large windows that mimic the cathedral-like ceiling, wood truss beams and massive fireplace. The entire room has been painted white with the exception of the natural-colored wood ceiling beams.

Neutral furniture with classic lines form the foundation of the room. Simple patterned throws, pillows and accessories were added by Surface to create layers, complementing the room without overpowering it, Surface says.

An outdoorsy couple’s dream home on eight acres in the Northland has a contemporary design with rustic touches.

2 ENTRY Surface’s bold choices are evident when you first step through the large double doors and into the cavernous entry. Rather than going the more traditional route of soft and muted colors, bold black and white geometric rugs punctuate the floor. Large custom artwork and a massive mirror fill the expansive walls.

“I always try to add a large mirror,” Surface says, specially when she encounters vast empty walls. “Mirrors can add lots of light and dimension to a space.”

Bold shapes also reappear in the entry’s accent furniture: a round table with a cone-like base and a console with three-dimensional gilt doors surrounded by natural wood and a black metal base.

4 KITCHEN The large living area flows directly into the kitchen. The space is defined by a lower ceiling and large island. The kitchen is another study in combining contemporary elements, as is done with the large island with a quartz top and one waterfall side paired with a rustic natural wood base and support columns on the opposite side.

Old-world choices, such as an oven hood reminiscent of one that could be found in a French country kitchen, are surrounded by clean and contemporary yet classic cabinets.

gone

globe. He designed a room off the basement family entertaining area to highlight those adventures, most of which coincide with wildlife management, he says.

The meat from hunts is always given to local villagers when in foreign countries and professionally butchered and given to food banks such as Harvesters when local, Baldwin says.

In the corner stands a Grandmother clock, a family heirloom.

3 TROPHY ROOM Brian Baldwin is an outdoorsman and bow hunter and has

on hunting expeditions across the

Another

Surface says she used her painting to create an easy transition from the bathroom to the bedroom, using similar colors.

The master bedroom ceiling relief was designed by Brian Baldwin, and Surface recommended painting it a dark brown to add dimension to the room.

5 BUTLER’S PANTRY A glimpse of a large and dramatic butler’s pantry and prep kitchen can be seen through open passageways on either side of the kitchen’s anchor wall, creating a space that calls to be explored. A classic black and white floor and a spa green tile black splash were installed, creating visual interest.

The pantry not only provides storage but also serves as a prep kitchen, housing an additional sink, dishwasher and wine refrigerators, along with open shelving and closed cabinets.

“Having a dishwasher and all the storage really helps keep the open kitchen area clean looking,” Amanda says. She says the space makes it easy to hide the messiness that comes with entertaining lots of guests.

6 MAIN BATH “It’s a very comfortable and calming master bath,” says Amanda, who adds that she’s a “bath girl” and tries to take one most every day.

abstract painting by Surface hangs above the deep stand-alone soaking tub.

7 BAR The Baldwins designed the basement-level bar using bricks to accent one of the walls and a gray and brown veined marble to tie it all together.

A Day to Remember

As your journey begins to plan your wedding, let the experts be your guide. They can help you make every aspect perfect, so you can enjoy the experience and remember every last detail.

Picture Perfect Skin

Diamonds are a girl’s best friend in more ways than one. Experience the DiamondGlow® facial at one of Kansas City’s top med spas, Georgous Aesthetic Bar. The DiamondGlow is a next-level, non-invasive skin-resurfacing treatment that leaves the skin brighter, smoother and a more even skin tone. It’s a 3-in-1 treatment that exfoliates, extracts, and infuses the skin with nourishing skin infusion serums. With continued treatments you may also notice that it improves the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, dryness, and dull, congested skin

Georgous Aesthetic

• georgouskc.com

Engagement Ring Inspiration

The decision to purchase an engagement ring represents a turning point in many people’s lives, so you want to choose a jeweler you can depend on for their expertise. Meierotto Jewelers makes the process as simple as possible with their team of local experts to help you understand the aspects of selecting a diamond and a setting for your engagement ring. With their vast selection of rings and volume buying power, they can offer designer brands at competitive prices. Meierotto Jewelers is locally owned and serving the bridal community in Kansas City for 44 years.

Meierotto Jewelers

• mjewelry.com

Consider a Nontraditional Neckline

The silhouette of a wedding dress is often associated with the shape of the dress (A-line, mermaid, ballgown, etc.), but a crucial part of the silhouette of the dress is the neckline. The neckline of a wedding dress does wonders in framing the bride’s shoulders and face. Traditional necklines include sweetheart and V-neck, but nontraditional necklines will be big in 2023. Think royal-inspired mock necks, asymmetrical necklines, off-the-shoulder sleeves, and shrugs.

Make the most of your special day!

Keep an Eye Out for These Trends in

2023.

Cool Dance Floors

Ditch the traditional wood plank or plain white floor for something more upscale, like a timeless yet trendy black and white checkered floor or LED-light floor that pulses to the DJ’s music.

It's All About the Food

The time has come and gone where food is just about food. Now more than ever, people are paying attention to where their food comes from—even at weddings. Open-concept catering can change the entire experience of dining at a wedding. Whether it’s smoking meat over a flame, stuffing pizzas in a brick oven, or searing fish on a flat-top grill, the immersive experience showcases the talent of the chefs and the hard work going into each dish.

Late-Night Food

There is no better way to thank your guests for being there on your special day than with late-night snacks. Whether it’s catered pizza, a build-your-own snack mix bar or a taco food truck, guests will end the night with full bellies and happy memories.

Digital RSVPs

Save money on postage and opt for digital RSVPs for your guests, which can be made on websites like The Knot and Zola.

Film Photos

Capture memories by handing out disposable cameras to the bridal party and task the members to take photos throughout the night.

Keep it Simple

There will always be a time and a place for neutral florals, but pastels and fluorescent florals are making a comeback. They’re whimsical, eye-catching, and add structure to any arrangement or centerpiece. Look for peach, purple, blues, pinks, and buttery yellows.

Bigger also doesn’t mean better when it comes to flower arrangements. (What bride wants to muscle up a bouquet, anyway?) Understated and smaller bouquets that focus on the quality and color scheme of flowers you’re putting into the bunch won’t swallow the look of the bride.

Residential Decor

Create a comfy, intimate space for guests by incorporating residential decor and furniture into the venue. Think sofas for resting after a night of dancing, warm ambience like chandeliers and lamps, and tabletop tchotchkes like vases and vintage books.

ne of the most important decisions will make as you plan your special day. As you consider ways to create a magical environment, nothing transforms the look

canopy, wall covering, or ceiling installation, draping creates a beautiful setting that elevates your ceremony or reception to the next level. Using airy, fire-retardant fabrics and unique design concepts, AAA Event Rentals can help bring your vision to life.

AAA Event Rental

• aaapartyrental.com

The Venue Experience

Retreat to the Finley River in Ozark, Missouri for an unforgettable wedding experience at Finley Farms. Choose from a variety of venues immersed in nature including the open-air chapel on the banks of the Finley River, the centuryold Riverside Bridge, or the sprawling urban farm. Or, celebrate in spaces rich with history including The Ozark Mill, originally built in 1833, and The Workshop, a 1930s industrial garage that overlooks the property. Visit their website to explore minimalistic, rustic and luxury venues.

Finley Farms

• finleyfarmsmo.com

A Wedding Venue Ide a for Casual and Cozy Nuptials

Cinder Block Brewery’s Reclamation Room

With dark woods, an open floor plan and custom lighting, the event space at Cinder Block Brewery is an ideal location for an intimate celebration. The room comfortably seats 75-80 guests, with a max occupancy of 165. When you incorporate the private patio, it expands the venue for an indoor/outdoor experience.

The Reclamation Room offers a relaxed atmosphere and is the perfect backdrop for a vintage or rustic theme. Along with the basic amenities for seating and serving, you can also incorporate these amenities into your special day.

January or February, 2023. cinderblockbrewery.com/reclamation-room

Retreat to the Finley River in the heart of the Ozarks for an unforgettable wedding experience at Finley Farms. Choose from a variety of venues immersed in nature including the open-air chapel on the banks of the Finley River, the century-old Riverside Bridge or the sprawling urban farm. Or, go back in time and celebrate in spaces rich with history including The Ozark Mill, originally built in 1833, and The Workshop, a 1930s industrial garage that overlooks the property. Visit our website today to explore an array of minimalistic, rustic and luxury venues.

FINLEYFARMSMO.COM | @FINLEYFARMSMO

By

Jeremey Theron Kirby

Dr. Rebecca Chain

DERMATOLOGY

I’m biased: I think dermatology is the best field of medicine. It’s a specialty, but to me, it’s the closest thing to family care. I have patients who are infants, and I have patients who are one hundred years old. I see whole families in what tend to be long-term relationships. What I love to hear is, “Oh, my mother sees you and she just loves you!” or “My daughter told me I have to see you!” This tells me that my patients trust me enough to bring their family members to see me, which is a very special relationship.

When I graduated from residency, there were so many conditions that had no FDA-approved treatments, but just in the past five to ten years, we have had so many breakthroughs in treating very difficult-to-treat diseases such as psoriasis, vitiligo and alopecia areata. In the last year, there have been several FDA approvals for a novel class of medication called JAK inhibitors. We’ve also had amazing success treating melanomas, and these changes give me hope for my patients and as a doctor. People can be given not only quality of life but quantity of life. Unfortunately, because our skin is on the outside, conditions can be very stigmatizing; however, because of new breakthroughs in treatment that are now advertised in the media, people realize that there is hope for treating a condition that they didn’t even know the name of. Another thing that gives me hope is that we’re starting to see success in teaching people about sun safety. Young people in particular are now aware of sun safety and of the danger of tanning beds and sunburns. This awareness means we can really reduce skin cancer numbers, which all dermatologists hope for.

Index to Specialties

Adolescent Medicine 50

Allergy & Immunology 50

Anesthesiology................................... 50

Cardiac Electrophysiology 50

Cardiovascular Disease 50

Child & Adolescent Psychiatry 51

Child Neurology 51

Colon & Rectal Surgery 51

Dermatology 51

Diagnostic Radiology 51

Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism 51

Family Medicine 51

Gastroenterology 52

Geriatric Medicine 52

Gynecologic Oncology 52 Hand Surgery 52

Hemotology........................................ 52

Hospice & Palliative Medicine....................................... 52

Infectious Disease 52

Internal Medicine 52

Interventional Cardiology 52

Maternal & Fetal Medicine 55

Medical Oncology 55

Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine 55

Nephrology 55

Neurological Surgery 55 Neurology 55 Neuroradiology 55 Obstetrics & Gynecology 55 Ophthalmology 56 Orthopaedic Surgery 56 Otolaryngology 56

Otolaryngology/ Facial Plastic Surgery 59

Pain Medicine 59

Pediatric Allergy & Immunology 59

Pediatric Anesthesiology.....................59

Pediatric Cardiology 59

Pediatric Dermatology.........................59

Pediatric Endocrinology 59

Pediatric Gastroenterology..................59

Pediatric Hematology-Oncology 59 Pediatric Nephrology 59 Pediatric Otolaryngology 59 Pediatric Pulmonology 59

Pediatric Rheumatology......................59

Pediatric Surgery 59

Pediatrics 59

Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation 60

Plastic Surgery 60 Psychiatry 60

Pulmonary Disease 60

Radiation Oncology 60

Reproductive Endocrinology/Infertility 60 Rheumatology 60

Sleep Medicine 60 Sports Medicine 60 Surgery 60

Thoracic & Cardiac Surgery 63

Urogynecology/Female Pelvic Medicine & Reconstructive Surgery 63 Urology 63

Vascular & Interventional Radiology 63

ADOLESCENT MEDICINE

Loretta R. Nelson, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 7301 Mission Road, Suite 350 Prairie Village, KS (913) 588-6300

ALLERGY & IMMUNOLOGY

Celina Bernabe, DO

Allergy & Asthma Care 10787 Nall Avenue, Suite 200 Overland Park, KS (913) 491-3300

Khaled R. Girgis, MD/PhD

Overland Park Regional Medical Center 12208 West 87th St., Suite 180 Lenexa, KS (913) 438-2581

H. Terry Levine, MD

Allergy & Asthma Care 10787 Nall Avenue, Suite 200 Overland Park, KS (913) 491-3300

Mark Neustrom, DO

Kansas City Allergy & Asthma Associates 8675 College Boulevard, Suite 200 Overland Park, KS (913) 491-5501

Cori Passer, MD

Allergy & Asthma Care 10787 Nall Avenue, Suite 200 Overland Park, KS (913) 491-3300

Nguyen Pham Tran, MD

Allergy & Asthma Care 10787 Nall Avenue, Suite 200 Overland Park, KS (913) 491-3300

Derrick Ward, MD

Kansas City Allergy & Asthma Associates 8675 College Boulevard, Suite 200 Overland Park, KS (913) 491-5501

ANESTHESIOLOGY

Cheen K. Alkhatib, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 4000 Cambridge St. Kansas City, KS (913) 588-1227

Brian W. Balanoff, MD

Olathe Medical Center 20333 West 151st St. Olathe, KS (913) 791-4220

CARDIAC ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY

Loren David Berenbom, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 4000 Cambridge St. Kansas City, KS (913) 588-9600

Martin Emert, MD

Methodology

Our annual Top Doctors list is compiled by our partners at Castle Connolly, a national health care research and information company. The firm works with hundreds of thousands of physicians as well as academic medical centers, specialty hospitals and regional and community hospitals. Castle Connolly’s physician-led team of researchers follows a screening process to select top doctors on both the national and regional levels. Its online nominations process (castleconnolly.com/nominations) is open to all licensed physicians in America, who are able to nominate physicians in any medical specialty and in any part of the country, as well as indicate whether the nominated physicians is, in their opinion, among the best in their region in their medical specialty or among the best in the nation in their medical specialty. Doctors do not and cannot pay to be selected and profiled as Castle Connolly Top Doctors.

The University of Kansas Health System 4000 Cambridge St. Kansas City, KS (913) 588-9600

Michael Giocondo, MD

Saint Luke’s Cardiovascular Consultants 4330 Wornall Road, Suite 2000 Kansas City, MO (816) 931-1883

Sanjaya K. Gupta, MD

Saint Luke’s Cardiovascular Consultants 4330 Wornall Road, Suite 2000 Kansas City, MO (816) 931-1883

Dhanunjaya Lakkireddy, MD

Kansas City Heart Rhythm Institute 5100 West 110th St, Suite 200 Overland Park, KS (913) 449-1297

Rhea Pimentel, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 4000 Cambridge St. Kansas City, KS (913) 588-9600

Brian Ramza, MD/PhD

Saint Luke’s Cardiovascular Consultants 4330 Wornall Road, Suite 2000 Kansas City, MO (816) 931-1883

Yeruva V. Reddy, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 4000 Cambridge St. Kansas City, KS (913) 588-9600

Daniel A. Steinhaus, MD

Saint Luke’s Cardiovascular Consultants 4330 Wornall Road, Suite 2000 Kansas City, MO (816) 931-1883

Rangarao Tummala, MD

Kansas City Heart Rhythm Institute 5100 West 110th St, Suite 200 Overland Park, KS (913) 449-1297

Alan P. Wimmer, MD

Saint Luke’s Cardiovascular Consultants 4330 Wornall Road, Suite 2000 Kansas City, MO (816) 931-1883

Ravi K. Yarlagadda, MD

Olathe Health Cardiology Services 20805 West 151st St, Suite 400 Olathe, KS (913) 780-4900

Omair K. Yousuf, MD

Saint Luke’s Cardiovascular Consultants 4330 Wornall Road, Suite 2000 Kansas City, MO (816) 931-1883

CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE

Mazhar A. Afaq, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 4000 Cambridge St. Kansas City, KS (913) 588-9600

Suzanne V. Arnold, MD

Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City 4330 Wornall Road, Suite 2000 Kansas City, MO (816) 931-1883

Bethany A. Austin, MD

Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City 4330 Wornall Road, Suite 2000 Kansas City, MO (816) 931-1883

Timothy M. Bateman MD

Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City 4330 Wornall Road, Suite 2000 Kansas City, MO (816) 931-1883

Mazda Biria, MD

AdventHealth Medical Group 9119 West 74th St, Suite 350 Merriam, KS (913) 632-9400

Timothy L. Blackburn, MD

Midwest Heart & Vascular Specialists 17067 South Interstate 49, Suite 200 Belton, MO (816) 348-4281

Steven W. Bormann, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 4000 Cambridge St. Kansas City, KS (913) 588-9600

Matthew C. Bunte, MD

Saint Luke’s East Hospital 20 Northeast Saint Luke’s Boulevard, Suite 240 Lee’s Summit, MO (816) 931-1883

Kevin A. Bybee, MD

Saint Luke’s South Hospital 12330 Metcalf Avenue, Suite 280 Overland Park, KS (816) 931-1883

Paul Chan, MD

Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City 4330 Wornall Road, Suite 2000 Kansas City, MO (816) 931-1883

Matthew Deedy, MD

Saint Luke’s Cardiovascular Consultants 20 Northeast Saint Luke’s Boulevard, Suite 240

Lee’s Summit, MO (816) 931-1883

Michelle L. Dew, MD

Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City 4330 Wornall Road, Suite 2000 Kansas City, MO (816) 931-1883

Mark P. Everley, MD

Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City 4330 Wornall Road, Suite 2000 Kansas City, MO (816) 931-1883

Timothy J. Fendler, MD

Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City 4330 Wornall Road, Suite 2000 Kansas City, MO (816) 931-1883

Jonathan A. Freeman, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 4000 Cambridge St. Kansas City, KS (913) 588-9600

Joseph A. Goeke IV, MD

Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City 5844 Northwest Barry Road, Suite 230 Kansas City, MO (816) 931-1883

Andrew Kao, MD

Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City 4330 Wornall Road, Suite 2000 Kansas City, MO (816) 931-1883

Mikhail Kosiborod, MD

Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City Road, Suite 2000 Kansas City, MO (816) 931-1883

Craig Lundgren, MD

Healient Physician Group 1000 Carondelet Drive Kansas City, MO (913) 956-2250

Anthony Magalski, MD

Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City 4330 Wornall Road, Suite 2000 Kansas City, MO (816) 931-1883

Michael L. Main, MD

Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City 4330 Wornall Road, Suite 2000 Kansas City, MO (816) 931-1883

Justin R. McCrary, MD

Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City 4330 Wornall Road, Suite 2000 Kansas City, MO (816) 931-1883

James H. O’Keefe, MD

Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City 4330 Wornall Road, Suite 2000 Kansas City, MO (816) 931-1883

Steven Owens, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 4000 Cambridge St. Kansas City, KS (913) 588-1227

Charles B. Porter, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 4000 Cambridge St. Kansas City, KS (913) 588-9700

Riaz R. Rabbani, MD

Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City 5844 Northwest Barry Road, Suite 230 Kansas City, MO (816) 931-1883

Mohammed K. Saghir, MD

Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City 4330 Wornall Road, Suite 2000 Kansas City, MO (816) 931-1883

Laura M. Schmidt, MD

Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City 4330 Wornall Road, Suite 2000 Kansas City, MO (816) 931-1883

Ashley R. Simmons, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 4000 Cambridge St. Kansas City, KS (913) 588-1227

David G. Skolnick, MD

Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City 4330 Wornall Road, Suite 2000 Kansas City, MO (816) 931-1883

Dwarakraj Soundarraj, MD

Liberty Cardiovascular Specialists 2521 Glenn Hendren Drive, Suite 306 Liberty, MO (816) 407-5430

Brett W. Sperry, MD

Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City 4330 Wornall Road, Suite 2000 Kansas City, MO (816) 931-1883

Tracy L. Stevens, MD

Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City 4330 Wornall Road, Suite 2000 Kansas City, MO (816) 931-1883

Randall C. Thompson, MD

Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City 4330 Wornall Road, Suite 2000 Kansas City, MO (816) 931-1883

Carrie A. Totta, MD

Midwest Heart & Vascular Specialists 2820 East Rock Haven Road, Suite 205 Harrisonville, MO (816) 380-8088

Brian C. Weiford, MD T

he University of Kansas Health System 4000 Cambridge St. Kansas City, KS (913) 588-9600

Martin H. Zink III, MD

Saint Luke’s South Hospital 12330 Metcalf Avenue, Suite 280 Overland Park, KS (816) 931-1883

CHILD & ADOLESCENT PSYCHIATRY

Man Anand, MD

Psychiatric Care Associates 3515 South 4th St, Suite 100 Leavenworth, KS (913) 651-2202

Sharon E. Cain, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 8000 West 127th St. Overland Park, KS (913) 588-1227

Ram Chettiar, DO

Children’s Mercy Hospital 2401 Gillham Road Kansas City, MO (816) 234-3674

Anne C. Clark, MD The

University of Kansas Health System 4000 Cambridge St. Overland Park, KS (913) 738-9235

Ann C. Genovese, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 2000 Olathe Boulevard Kansas City, KS (913) 588-1300

Poonam Khanna, DO

Minds that Matter 14221 Metcalf Avenue, Suite 123 Overland Park, KS (913) 912-7054

Christopher Van Horn, DO

Psychiatry Associates of Kansas City 8900 State Line Road, Suite 380 Leawood, KS (913) 385-7252

Debra A. Willsie, DO

Children’s Mercy Hospital 2401 Gillham Road Kansas City, MO (816) 234-3674

CHILD NEUROLOGY

Brian M. Aalbers, DO

Overland Park Neurology and Sleep Medicine 10550 Quivira Road, Suite 520 Overland Park, KS (913) 214-8060

Ahmed Abdelmoity, MD

Children’s Mercy Hospital 2401 Gillham Road Kansas City, MO (816) 234-3490

Keith Coffman, MD

Children’s Mercy Hospital 2401 Gillham Road Kansas City, MO (816) 234-3490

Jean-Baptiste Le Pichon, MD/PhD

Children’s Mercy Hospital 2401 Gillham Road Kansas City, MO (816) 234-3490

COLON & RECTAL SURGERY

John H Ashcraft, DO T

he University of Kansas Health System 2650 Shawnee Mission Parkway Westwood, KS (913) 588-1227

Pierre Castera, MD

North Kansas City Hospital 6060 North Oak Trafficway, Suite 101 Gladstone, MO (816) 941-0800

Jeremy Cravens, MD

AdventHealth Shawnee Mission 4370 West 109th St, Suite 350 Overland Park, KS (816) 941-0800

Allen B. Jetmore, MD

Midwest Hemorrhoid Treatment Center 11111 Nall Avenue, Suite 116 Leawood, KS (913) 451-0600

Benjamin M. Martin, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 2650 Shawnee Mission Parkway Westwood, KS (913) 588-1227

Lina M. O’Brien, MD

Menorah Medical Center 4370 West 109th St, Suite 350 Overland Park, KS (816) 941-0800

Darcy D. Shaw, MD

Centerpoint Medical Center 19550 East 39th St. Independence, MO (816) 941-0800

DERMATOLOGY

James V. Allen, MD KMC Dermatology 11301 Nall Avenue, Suite 205 Leawood, KS (913) 451-5934

Rebecca L. Chain, MD

Dermatology Consultants Midwest 10777 Nall Avenue, Suite 220 Overland Park, KS (913) 469-0110

Daniel L. Christiansen, MD Resolute Dermatology 6800 Hilltop Road, Suite 102 Shawnee, KS (913) 901-5001

Mark Fleischman, MD

Dermatology & Skin Cancer Centers 7901 West 135th St. Overland Park, KS (913) 451-7546

Holly V. Fritch, MD

Menorah Medical Center 11201 Nall Ave, Suite 100 Leawood, KS (913) 451-3030

Michael L. Haag, MD

Dermatology & Skin Cancer Centers 7901 West 135th St. Overland Park, KS (913) 451-7546

David L. Kaplan, MD Adult & Pediatric Dermatology 4601 West 109th St, Suite 116 Overland Park, KS (913) 469-1115

Anne H. Kettler, MD

College Park Family Care Center 15101 Glenwood Avenue Stanley, KS (913) 681-8866

Mark A. McCune, MD Epiphany Dermatology 8505 College Boulevard Overland Park, KS (913) 541-3230

Meggan R. Newland, MD Saint Luke’s Dermatology Specialists 4400 Broadway Boulevard, Suite 400 Kansas City, MO (816) 932-4500

Emily Jean Ochoa, MD Saint Luke’s Dermatology Specialists 4400 Broadway Boulevard, Suite 400 Kansas City, MO (816) 932-4500

Trisha A. Prossick, MD Johnson County Dermatology 151 West 151st St. Olathe, KS (913) 764-1125

Braden R. Rance, MD Dermatology Consultants Midwest 10777 Nall Avenue, Suite 220 Overland Park, KS (913) 469-0110

Scott M. Ravis, MD Saint Luke’s Dermatology Specialists 4400 Broadway Boulevard, Suite 400 Kansas City, MO (816) 932-4500

Colin Ruff, MD U.S. Dermatology Partners Leawood 11550 Granada Lane Leawood, KS (913) 451-7546

Allison M. Swanson, MD College Park Family Care Center 10600 Mastin St, Entrance A Overland Park, KS (913) 469-6447

Amanda E. Tauscher, MD

Johnson County Dermatology 151 West 151st St. Olathe, KS (913) 764-1125

Viseslav Tonkovic-Capin, MD

Cass Regional Medical Center 2820 East Rock Haven Road, Suite 150 Harrisonville, MO (816) 887-0312

DIAGNOSTIC RADIOLOGY

Ryan M. Ash, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 4000 Cambridge St. Kansas City, KS (913) 588-6804

Jeffrey F. Brent, MD

Diagnostic Imaging Centers 6650 West 110th St. Overland Park, KS (913) 491-9299

Jennifer H. Crawley, MD

Diagnostic Imaging Centers 6650 West 110th St. Overland Park, KS (913) 491-9299

Shelby J. Fishback, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 4000 Cambridge St. Kansas City, KS (913) 588-6804

Jessica Lea Sanchez, MD

Saint Luke’s Imaging Associates 4401 Wornall Road Kansas City, MO (816) 932-6800

Pauline Sleder, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 4000 Cambridge St. Kansas City, KS (913) 588-6804

Louis H. Wetzel, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 4000 Cambridge St. Kansas City, KS (913) 588-6804

ENDOCRINOLOGY, DIABETES & METABOLISM

Brian T. Allenbrand, MD

Saint Luke’s North Hospital 5844 Northwest Barry Road, Suite 270 Kansas City, MO (816) 880-2600

Leigh M. Eck, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 4000 Cambridge St. Kansas City, KS (913) 588-6022

Leland Graves III, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 4000 Cambridge St. Kansas City, KS (913) 588-6022

Marie L. Griffin, MD

Saint Luke’s South Hospital 4061 Indian Creek Parkway, Suite 300 Overland Park, KS (913) 323-4747

Mitchell S. Hamburg, MD

Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City 4321 Washington St, Suite 6100 Kansas City, MO (816) 932-3470

Jeffrey D. Kallsen, MD

Jacobson & McElliott Diabetes & Endocrinology Center 5405 West 151st St. Leawood, KS (913) 317-3170

Sajeev Menon, MD

Olathe Medical Center 20805 West 151st St, Suite 224 Olathe, KS (913) 355-8400

Candice Rose, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 4000 Cambridge St. Kansas City, KS (913) 588-6022

Renato Sandoval, MD

Saint Luke’s East Hospital 20 Northeast Saint Luke’s Boulevard, Suite 300 Lee’s Summit, MO (816) 347-5200

FAMILY MEDICINE

Craig D. Barbieri, MD

Vein Clinic of Greater Kansas City 4400 West 109th St, Suite 150 Overland Park, KS (913) 541-3377

Jayne Lora Bumgarner, MD

Saint Luke’s Primary Care - Independence 4801 South Cliff Avenue, Suite 300 Independence, MO (816) 251-5200

Louis Christifano, DO

Leawood Family Care 7025 College Boulevard, Suite 200 Overland Park, KS (913) 338-4515

Adrian J. Delaney III, MD

Clay Platte Family Medicine Clinic 5501 North West 62nd Terrace, Suite 100 Kansas City, MO (816) 842-4440

Christopher Ehly, MD Town

Plaza Family Practice 5701 West 119th St, Suite 330 Overland Park, KS (913) 345-3650

M. Kathryn Foos, MD

AdventHealth Shawnee Mission 7450 Kessler St, Suite 300 Shawnee Mission, KS (913) 632-2900

Todd E. Fristo, MD

Saint Luke’s Primary Care - Independence 4801 South Cliff Avenue, Suite 300 Independence, MO (816) 251-5200

Amy M. Holman, MD

Saint Luke’s Primary Care 1001 6th Avenue, Suite 320 Leavenworth, KS (913) 651-6565

John Horton, MD

Leawood Family Care 7025 College Boulevard, Suite 200 Overland Park, KS (913) 338-4515

Frederick C. Keenan IV, MD

Saint Luke’s Primary Care - Barry Road 5844 Northwest Barry Road, Suite 110 Kansas City, MO (816) 880-6100

Susan L. Lee, MD

AdventHealth Shawnee Mission 7840 West 165th St, Suite 160 Overland Park, KS (913) 373-2141

Randy C. Luzania, MD

Town Plaza Family Practice 5701 West 119th St, Suite 330 Overland Park, KS (913) 345-3650

Sharissa Mabry, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 7301 Mission Road, Suite 350 Prairie Village, KS (913) 588-1227

Hannah E. Maxfield, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 2000 Olathe Boulevard, MOB Building, Floor 1 Kansas City, KS (913) 588-1908

James L. Miller, DO

Nursery Street Family Care Clinic 617 West Nursery St. Butler, MO (660) 200-7133

Michael L. Munger, MD

Saint Luke’s Primary Care - Mission Farms 4061 Indian Creek Parkway, Suite 200 Overland Park, KS (913) 317-7990

Nicole Niemann, MD

Town Plaza Family Practice 5701 West 119th St, Suite 330 Overland Park, KS (913) 345-3650

A. Ernest Ojeleye, MD

Ottawa Family Physicians 1418 South Main St, Suite 5 Ottawa, KS (785) 242-1620

Jeffrey T. Parker, MD

Saint Luke’s Primary Care - Barry Road 5844 Northwest Barry Road, Suite 110 Kansas City, MO (816) 880-6100

James Rahto, MD

College Park Family Care Center 11725 West 112th St. Overland Park, KS (913) 469-5579

Kim K. Smith, MD

Saint Luke’s Primary Care - Barry Road 5844 Northwest Barry Road, Suite 110 Kansas City, MO (816) 880-6100

Dennis Spratt, MD

Ottawa Family Physicians

1418 South Main St, Suite 5 Ottawa, KS (785) 242-1620

Jessica D. Yoakam, MD

Saint Luke’s Primary Care - Cushing 1001 6th Avenue, Cushing Medical Plaza, Suite 320 Leavenworth, KS (913) 651-6565

Tahira Zufer, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 2000 Olathe Boulevard, MOB Building, Floor 1 Kansas City, KS (913) 588-1908

GASTROENTEROLOGY

John A. Bonino, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 4000 Cambridge St. Kansas City, KS (913) 588-6019

Daniel Buckles, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 4000 Cambridge St. Kansas City, KS (913) 588-6019

Donald Richberg Campbell, MD

Saint Luke’s GI Specialists 12330 Metcalf Avenue, Suite 420 Overland Park, KS (913) 491-9100

Wendell Clarkston, MD

Saint Luke’s GI Specialists 12330 Metcalf Avenue, Suite 420 Overland Park, KS (913) 491-9100

Ervin Y. Eaker, MD

WestGlen Gastrointestinal Consultants 7230 Renner Road Shawnee, KS (913) 962-2122

Tuba Esfandyari, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 4000 Cambridge St. Kansas City, KS (913) 588-6019

Jonathan P. Horwitz, DO

Consultants in Gastroenterology 2521 Glenn Hendren Drive Liberty, MO (816) 478-4887

Alka Mittal Hudson, MD

WestGlen Gastrointestinal Consultants 7230 Renner Road Shawnee, KS (913) 962-2122

Sreenivasa S. Jonnalagadda, MD

Saint Luke’s GI Specialists

4321 Washington St, Medical Plaza III, Suite 5100 Kansas City, MO (913) 491-9100

Eric C. Molloy, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 7405 Renner Road Shawnee, KS (913) 588-1227

Scott Propeck, MD

WestGlen Gastrointestinal Consultants 16663 Midland Drive, Suite 100 Shawnee, KS (913) 962-2122

Amit Rastogi, MD

The University of Kansas Health System

4000 Cambridge St. Kansas City, KS (913) 588-6019

Prateek Sharma, MD

Kansas City VA Medical Center 4801 East Linwood Boulevard Kansas City, MO (816) 861-4700

Michael F. Thompson, MD

WestGlen Gastrointestinal Consultants 16663 Midland Drive, Suite 100 Shawnee, KS (913) 631-2600

Steven Alan Weinman, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 4000 Cambridge St. Kansas City, KS (913) 588-6183

Jeffrey L. Young, MD

Gastrointestinal Associates 10116 West 105th St. Overland Park, KS (913) 495-9600

GERIATRIC MEDICINE

Shelley B. Bhattacharya, DO

The University of Kansas Health System 3599 Rainbow Boulevard Kansas City, KS (913) 588-1227

Christopher Geha, MD

Ward Parkway Health Services 8800 State Line Road Leawood, KS (913) 383-9099

GYNECOLOGIC ONCOLOGY

Lowell Byers, MD

AdventHealth Shawnee Mission 9301 West 74th St, Suite 100 Shawnee Mission, KS (913) 632-9130

Julia A. Chapman, MD

Sarah Cannon Cancer Institute 10600 Quivira Road, Suite 130 Overland Park, KS (913) 541-5550

Andrea D. Jewell, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 2650 Shawnee Mission Parkway Westwood, KS (913) 588-1227

Jason Knight, MD

Saint Luke’s Cancer Institute 4321 Washington St, Suite 4000 Kansas City, MO (816) 932-3300

Sara S. Lange, MD

AdventHealth Shawnee Mission 9301 West 74th St, Suite 130 Shawnee Mission, KS (913) 632-9130

Brenda L. Shoup, MD

AdventHealth Shawnee Mission 9301 West 74th St, Suite 100

Shawnee Mission, KS (913) 632-9130

Lori A.Spoozak, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 2650 Shawnee Mission Parkway Westwood, KS (913) 588-1227

HAND SURGERY

Christine Cheng, MD

Children’s Mercy Hospital 2401 Gillham Road Kansas City, MO (816) 234-3075

Scott A. Langford, MD

Rockhill Orthopaedic Specialists 120 Northeast Saint Luke’s Boulevard, Suite 200 Lee’s Summit, MO (816) 246-4302

Charles E. Rhoades, MD

Kansas City Orthopedic Alliance 4320 Wornall Road, Medical Plaza Building 1, Suite 610 Kansas City, MO (913) 319-7600

HEMATOLOGY

Raed M. Al-Rajabi, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 2650 Shawnee Mission Parkway Westwood, KS (913) 588-1227

HOSPICE & PALLIATIVE MEDICINE

Kevin P. Hubbard, DO

Saint Luke’s Cancer Institute 4401 Wornall Road, Peet Center Kansas City, MO (816) 932-3300

Karin Porter-Williamson, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 2650 Shawnee Mission Parkway Westwood, KS (913) 588-1227

INFECTIOUS DISEASE

Sarah E. Boyd, MD

Saint Luke’s Infectious Disease Specialists 5844 Northwest Barry Road, Suite 270 Kansas City, MO (816) 880-6238

Lisa A. Clough, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 2000 Olathe Blvd. Kansas City, KS (913) 588-4045

Samir R. Desai, MD

KC Infectious Disease Consultants 7255 Renner Road, Suite 100 Shawnee, KS (913) 631-0405

Albert Eid, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 2000 Olathe Blvd. Kansas City, KS (913) 588-4045

Wissam I. El Atrouni, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 2000 Olathe Blvd. Kansas City, KS (913) 588-4045

Daniel J. Geha, MD

Ward Parkway Health Services 8800 State Line Road Leawood, KS (913) 383-9099

Kassem A. Hammoud, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 2000 Olathe Blvd. Kansas City, KS (913) 588-4045

Dana Hawkinson, MD T

he University of Kansas Health System 2000 Olathe Blvd. Kansas City, KS (913) 588-4045

Daniel Hinthorn, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 2000 Olathe Blvd. Kansas City, KS (913) 588-4045

Apoorv Y. Kalra, MD

Metro Infectious Disease Consultants 4601 West 109th St, Suite 100 Overland Park, KS (913) 942-0540

Michael Luchi, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 2000 Olathe Blvd. Kansas City, KS (913) 588-4045

Fernando Merino, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 2000 Olathe Blvd. Kansas City, KS (913) 588-4045

Stephen C. Waller, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 2000 Olathe Blvd. Kansas City KS, (913) 588-4045

INTERNAL MEDICINE

Thomas J. Alcox, MD

Saint Luke’s East Hospital 20 Northeast Saint Luke’s Boulevard, Suite 200 Lee’s Summit, MO (816) 347-5100

Neal B. Anson, MD

The Liberty Clinic 2609 Glenn Hendren Drive Liberty, MO (816) 781-7730

Matthew S. Barton, MD

Saint Luke’s East Hospital 20 Northeast Saint Luke’s Boulevard, Suite 200 Lee’s Summit, MO (816) 347-5100

Jennifer S. Bequette, MD

Saint Luke’s East Hospital 4061 Indian Creek Parkway, Suite 200 Overland Park, KS (913) 317-7990

Jennifer Brown, MD

AdventHealth Shawnee Mission Primary Care at Deer Creek Overland Park, KS (913) 632-9500

Jane T. Broxterman, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 3901 Rainbow Boulevard Kansas City, KS (913) 588-3974

Marie Brubacher, MD The University of Kansas Health System 2000 Olathe Boulevard Kansas City, KS (913) 588-3974

Cory T. Carpenter, DO

Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City 4321 Washington St, Suite 3000 Kansas City, MO (816) 932-1744

Donald L. Cohen, DO

Menorah Medical Center 5701 West 119th St, Suite 419 Overland Park, KS (913) 498-2123

John L. Dunlap, MD

Menorah Medical Center 5701 West 119th St, Suite 145 Overland Park, KS (913) 491-6633

Jonathan S. Finks, MD

Saint Luke’s South Hospital 12541 Foster St, Suite 300 Overland Park, KS (913) 317-3200

John M. Goldberg, MD

Statland Medical Group 12140 Nall Avenue, Suite 100 Overland Park, KS (913) 345-8500

Rita Hyde, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 2650 Shawnee Mission Parkway, Suite 2201 Westwood, KS (913) 588-9800

Jonathan T. Jacobs, MD

Menorah Medical Center 6240 West 135th St, Suite 150 Overland Park, KS (913) 498-1444

Anne L. Jones, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 7405 Renner Road Shawnee, KS (913) 588-8465

David R. Kennedy, MD

AdventHealth Shawnee Mission 7450 Kessler St, Ste 300 Shawnee Mission, KS (913) 632-2900

Janice K. Langholz, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 2650 Shawnee Mission Parkway, Suite 2201 Westwood, KS (913) 588-1227

Becky N. Lowry, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 3901 Rainbow Boulevard Kansas City, KS (913) 588-3974

Sheila McGreevy, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 2000 Olathe Boulevard Kansas City, KS (913) 588-3974

Michael E. Monaco, MD

Menorah Medical Center 12140 Nall Avenue, Suite 305 Overland Park, KS (913) 948-6400

Timothy Pasowicz, DO

Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City 4061 Indian Creek Parkway, Suite 200 Overland Park, KS (913) 317-7990

Micholee B. Polsak, DO

The University of Kansas Health System 2000 Olathe Boulevard Kansas City, KS (913) 588-3974

Courtney S. Rhudy, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 3901 Rainbow Boulevard Kansas City, KS (913) 588-3974

Bruce Salvaggio, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 10787 Nall Avenue, Suite 310 Overland Park, KS (913) 945-6900

Jennifer Schultz, MD

AdventHealth South Overland Park 7840 West 165th St, Suite 210 Overland Park, KS (913) 373-2230

Danielle R. Stebbins, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 7405 Renner Road Shawnee, KS (913) 588-1227

Sarah M. Stolte, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 10787 Nall Avenue, Building 3, Suite 310 Overland Park, KS (913) 588-3974

Pamela Weinhold, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 7405 Renner Road Shawnee, KS (913) 588-8465

David A. Wilt, MD

Statland Medical Group 12140 Nall Avenue, Suite 100 Overland Park, KS (913) 345-8500

INTERVENTIONAL CARDIOLOGY

Dmitri V. Baklanov, MD

Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City 12330 Metcalf Avenue, Suite 280 Overland Park, KS (816) 931-1883

Adnan Chhatriwalla, MD

Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City 4330 Wornall Road, Suite 2000 Kansas City, MO (816) 931-1883

Daniel H. Dunker, MD

Liberty Cardiovascular Specialists 2521 Glenn Hendren Drive, Suite 306 Liberty, MO (816) 407-5430

Dr. Jayne Opeña Bumgarner

FAMILY MEDICINE

I have worked in family medicine for almost thirteen years. Upon graduating residency in 2010, I began my practice in Savannah, Missouri, a rural town of about five thousand people just north of St. Joseph. In Savannah, I was able to care for my patients both in the clinic and in the hospital, which helps patient care continuity. In 2014, I came to Independence, which has that same small-town feel as Savannah. Because I sometimes see entire families in my practice, some from the moment they are born, I experience so much joy. Treating patients from the time they are little is so exciting, and so is meeting the grandparents, the grandchildren and all the other relatives—it’s really the motivating factor. I occasionally hear, “Hi! You are the doctor of my best friend’s mom!” and then that family joins our practice. Sadly, I also see patients who are end-of-life, but being with the family at that time helps me realize how important it is to be available to provide comfort. I am so touched when a patient brings home-grown tomatoes to my office. Growing up in the Philippines, I remember having one general practitioner who did everything. I have always wanted to be that kind of doctor, and to be there for everyone has given me the greatest joy and hope for the future.

Dr. Victor Perez

PLASTIC SURGERY

A lot of people get confused with what plastic surgery is. We have two different branches in plastic surgery. One is that we do reconstructive surgery, which is where a patient has a problem that is medically necessary to fix. And then we also have the cosmetic part—we just want to improve the aesthetics. There is nothing wrong with the patient; the patient just wants to have something done that makes them feel better. I am very proud of what I am because it’s the most difficult specialty to get into. In my office, I don’t do any reconstructive work, but I have been the plastic surgeon for the Kansas City VA hospital since 2002, so I do the reconstructive part of my practice there. I spend twenty hours a week at the VA. I have a really good balance in my practice.

I came to this country to do my training, and my original plan was to go back to Mexico. I met my wife—she’s from Youngstown, Ohio. My medical school was done in Mexico. I was lucky that my brother was a surgeon there, so I started going into surgeries when I was seventeen years old, during my first year in medical school. That was a long time ago, in 1985.

The University of Kansas has two residents in plastic surgery every year. I’ve been the attending physician, a teacher, for twenty years now. In plastic surgery what gives me hope is the quality of the applicants. The medical students that apply for plastic surgery are the top of the top in medical school. They are doing a lot of stuff that, when I was a resident, we were not doing. They’re doing a lot of research, they’re really smart, and they have intentions of doing the best job possible. Because we get the best medical students, the hope is that plastic surgery will just continue to get better.

J. Aaron Grantham, MD

Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City 4330 Wornall Road, Suite 2000 Kansas City, MO (816) 931-1883

Kamal Gupta, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 4000 Cambridge St. Kansas City, KS (913) 588-9600

Anthony J. Hart, MD

Saint Luke’s North Hospital 5844 Northwest Barry Road, Suite 230 Kansas City, MO (816) 931-1883

Kenneth C. Huber, MD

Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City 4330 Wornall Road, Suite 2000 Kansas City, MO (816) 931-1883

Steven B. Laster, MD

Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City 4330 Wornall Road, Suite 2000 Kansas City, MO (816) 931-1883

David M. Safley, MD

Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City 4330 Wornall Road, Suite 2000 Kansas City, MO (816) 931-1883

Peter N. Tadros, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 4000 Cambridge St. Kansas City, KS (913) 588-9600

Mark A. Wiley, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 4000 Cambridge St. Kansas City, KS (913) 588-9600

MATERNAL & FETAL MEDICINE

Brent E. Finley, MD

Midwest Maternal-Fetal Medicine 12200 West 106th St, Suite 110 Overland Park, KS (913) 599-1396

Karen L. Florio, DO

Saint Luke’s Hospital Maternal Fetal Medicine Specialists 4401 Wornall Road Kansas City, MO (816) 932-3585

MEDICAL ONCOLOGY

Larry R. Corum, MD

Olathe Cancer Center 15123 South OMC Parkway Olathe, KS (913) 355-8000

Gary C. Doolittle, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 2650 Shawnee Mission Parkway Westwood, KS (913) 588-1227

Carol J. Fabian, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 2650 Shawnee Mission Parkway Westwood, KS (913) 588-4821

Chao H. Huang, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 2650 Shawnee Mission Parkway Westwood, KS (913) 588-3671

M. Jameel Kyasa, MD

AdventHealth Medical Group 9301 West 74th St. Shawnee Mission, KS (913) 632-9100

David L. Lee, MD

Olathe Cancer Center 15123 South OMC Parkway Olathe, KS (913) 355-8000

Heather Male, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 4000 Cambridge St. Kansas City, KS (913) 588-1227

Joseph P. McGuirk, DO

The University of Kansas Health System 2650 Shawnee Mission Parkway Westwood, KS (913) 588-3671

Prakash Neupane, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 2650 Shawnee Mission Parkway Westwood, KS (913) 588-3671

Anne P. O’Dea, MD T

he University of Kansas Health System 2650 Shawnee Mission Parkway Westwood, KS (913) 588-1227

Timothy J. Pluard, MD

Saint Luke’s Cancer Specialists 4321 Washington St Suite 4000 Kansas City, MO (816) 932-3300

Shahzad Raza, MD

Saint Luke’s Cancer Specialists 4321 Washington St, Suite 4000 Kansas City, MO (816) 932-3300

Ali

Shwaiki, MD

Saint Luke’s Cancer Specialists

110 Northeast Saint Luke’s Boulevard, Suite 500

Lee’s Summit, MO (816) 932-3300

Jacob P. Smeltzer, MD

Saint Luke’s Cancer Specialists

110 Northeast Saint Luke’s Boulevard, Suite 500 Lee’s Summit, MO (816) 932-3300

Joseph Stilwill, MD

Midwest Oncology Associates 12140 Nall Avenue, Suite 200 Overland Park, KS (913) 498-7409

Weijing Sun, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 2650 Shawnee Mission Parkway Westwood, KS (913) 588-1227

NEONATALPERINATAL MEDICINE

Jessica L. Brunkhorst, MD

Children’s Mercy Hospital 2401 Gillham Road Kansas City, MO (816) 234-3591

John M. Daniel IV, MD

Children’s Mercy Hospital 2401 Gillham Road Kansas City, MO (816) 234-3591

Katherine N. Florendo, MD

Pediatrix Medical Group of Kansas 4401 Wornall Road, Suite 2708 Kansas City, MO (816) 932-2493

Winston M. Manimtim, MD

Children’s Mercy Hospital 2401 Gillham Road Kansas City, MO (816) 234-3591

Steven Olsen, MD

Children’s Mercy Hospital 2401 Gillham Road Kansas City, MO (816) 234-3591

NEPHROLOGY

Arnold M. Chonko, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 3901 Rainbow Boulevard Kansas City, KS (913) 588-6074

Diane M. Cibrik, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 4000 Cambridge St. Kansas City, KS (913) 588-3961

Cassandra Kimber, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 4000 Cambridge St. Kansas City, KS (913) 588-3974

Franz Winklhofer, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 3901 Rainbow Boulevard Kansas City, KS (913) 588-6074

Alan S. L. Yu, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 3901 Rainbow Boulevard Kansas City, KS (913) 588-6074

NEUROLOGICAL SURGERY

Robert M. Beatty, MD

Overland Park Regional Medical Center 10550 Quivira Road, Suite 400 Overland Park, KS (913) 340-7980

Paul J. Camarata, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 4000 Cambridge St. Kansas City, KS (913) 588-6122

Jonathan D. Chilton, MD

Midwest Neurosurgery Associates 2330 East Meyer Boulevard, Suite 411-B Kansas City, MO (816) 363-2500

John A. Clough, MD

Neurosurgery of South Kansas City 5340 College Boulevard Overland Park, KS (816) 942-0200

Clifford M. Gall, MD

Liberty Hospital 2521 Glenn Hendren Drive, Suite 410 Liberty, MO (816) 415-3437

Jules M. Nazzaro, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 4000 Cambridge St. Kansas City, KS (913) 588-6122

Paul L. O’Boynick, MD

AdventHealth Shawnee Mission 7450 Kessler St, Suite 202 Shawnee Mission, KS (913) 632-9480

William S. Rosenberg, MD

Midwest Neurosurgery Associates 2330 East Meyer Boulevard, Suite 411-B Kansas City, MO (816) 363-2500

Timothy E. Stepp, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 4000 Cambridge St. Kansas City, KS (913) 588-6122

NEUROLOGY

Michael G. Abraham, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 4000 Cambridge St. Kansas City, KS (913) 588-1227

Margo L. Block, DO

Midwest Neurology Physicians 19550 East 39th St, Suite 200 Independence, MO (816) 350-4200

Jeffrey M. Burns, MD

The University of Kansas Health System Alzheimer’s Disease Center Fairway, KS (913) 588-6820

John E. Croom, MD

Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City 4400 Broadway Boulevard, Suite 520 Kansas City, MO (816) 960-7600

Mazen M. Dimachkie, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 3599 Rainbow Boulevard Kansas City, KS (913) 588-1227

Alexander Fong, MD

AdventHealth Medical Group 7450 Kessler St, Suite 205 Shawnee Mission, KS (913) 632-9810

Nancy E. Hammond, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 4000 Cambridge St. Kansas City, KS (913) 588-6820

Jeffrey M. Kaplan, MD

College Park Family Care Center 10600 Mastin St. Overland Park, KS (913) 438-0868

Parveen K. Khosla, MD

St. Joseph Neurology Associates 1004 Carondelet Drive, Suite 300 Kansas City, MO (816) 942-4500

Patrick Landazuri, MD

The University of Kansas Health System Comprehensive Epilepsy Clinic Kansas City, KS (913) 588-4580

Coleman O. Martin, MD

Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City 4401 Wornall Road Kansas City, MO (816) 932-2000

Lori Noorollah, MD

Midwest Neurology Physicians 19550 East 39th St, Suite 200 Independence, MO (816) 350-4200

Karin E. Olds, MD

Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City 4400 Broadway Boulevard, Suite 520 Kansas City, MO (816) 960-7600

Rajesh Pahwa, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 3599 Rainbow Boulevard Kansas City, KS (913) 588-6472

Mamatha Pasnoor, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 3599 Rainbow Boulevard Kansas City, KS (913) 588-6820

Robert T. Reddig, MD

Midwest Neurology Physicians 19550 East 39th St, Suite 200 Independence, MO (816) 350-4200

Michael J. Schwartzman, DO

Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City 4400 Broadway Boulevard, Suite 520 Kansas City, MO (816) 960-7600

Russell Swerdlow, MD

The University of Kansas Health System Alzheimer’s Disease Center Fairway, KS (913) 588-6820

Utku Uysal, MD

The University of Kansas Health System Comprehensive Epilepsy Clinic Kansas City, KS (913) 588-4580

NEURORADIOLOGY

Graham K. Lee, MD

Research Medical Center 2316 East Meyer Boulevard Kansas City, MO (816) 276-4141

John D. Leever, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 4000 Cambridge St. Kansas City, KS (913) 588-6804

Alan R. Reeves, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 4000 Cambridge St. Kansas City, KS (913) 588-1030

OBSTETRICS & GYNECOLOGY

Errick Arroyo, MD

Kansas City ObGyn 12200 West 106th St, Suite 230 Overland Park, KS (913) 948-9636

Timothy Billharz, MD

Northland Obstetrics & Gynecology 2529 Glenn Hendren Drive, Medical Plaza East, Suite 200 Liberty, MO (816) 781-7820

Peter J. Caruso, MD

Saint Luke’s Women’s Health South 12330 Metcalf Avenue, Suite 420 Overland Park, KS (913) 323-9000

Rocco J. Florio, DO

Saint Luke’s Women’s Health East 2737 Northeast McBaine Drive Lee’s Summit, MO (816) 251-5780

Amy L. Giedt, MD

AdventHealth Shawnee Mission 9119 West 74th St, Suite 300 Shawnee Mission, KS 913) 677-3113

Carrie A. Grounds, MD

AdventHealth Shawnee Mission 8901 West 74th St, Suite 100 Shawnee Mission, KS (913) 491-4020

Lori A. Kramer, MD

Saint Luke’s Women’s Health North 5844 Northwest Barry Road, Suite 310 Kansas City, MO (816) 880-1025

Frederick B. Lintecum, MD

Lintecum & Nickell 4320 Wornall Road, Suite 720 Kansas City, MO (816) 531-2111

Phaedra A. Lombard, MD

AdventHealth Shawnee Mission 8901 West 74th St, Suite 100 Shawnee Mission, KS (913) 491-4020

Christopher M. Lynch,

Johnson County OB/GYN 7440 West Frontage Road Merriam, KS (913) 236-6455

Michael R. Magee, MD

MD

AdventHealth Shawnee Mission 9301 West 74th St, Suite 325 Shawnee Mission, KS (913) 384-4990

Ana M. Martinez, MD

AdventHealth Shawnee Mission 9119 West 74th St, Suite 300 Shawnee Mission, KS (913) 677-3113

Kimberly D. Matthews, MD

AdventHealth Shawnee Mission 9119 West 74th St, Suite 300 Shawnee Mission, KS (913) 677-3113

Emily S. Minderman, MD

Kansas City ObGyn 12200 West 106th St, Suite 230 Overland Park, KS (913) 948-9636

Crystal Newby, MD

Kansas City ObGyn 12200 West 106th St, Suite 230 Overland Park, KS (913) 948-9636

Sarah E. Newman, MD

Meritas Health Pavilion for Women 2790 Clay Edwards Drive, Suite 530 North Kansas City, MO (816) 452-3300

Kelly B. Nichols, DO

Northland Women’s Health Care 8600 North East 82nd St. Kansas City, MO (816) 741-9122

Ward W. Ohlhausen, MD

Northland Obstetrics & Gynecology 2529 Glenn Hendren Drive, Medical Plaza East, Suite 200 Liberty, MO (816) 781-7820

Madhuri G. Reddy, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 3901 Rainbow Boulevard Kansas City, KS (913) 588-6200

Marilyn R. Richardson, MD

Hormone, Hair & Vein Center 5407 Johnson Drive Mission, KS (913) 631-0277

Leah Ridgway, MD

AdventHealth Shawnee Mission 9119 West 74th St, Suite 300 Shawnee Mission, KS (913) 677-3113

James E. Riojas, MD

Meritas Health Obstetrics and Gynecology 2790 Clay Edwards Drive, Suite 1200 North Kansas City, MO (816) 468-7800

Sharla Shipman, MD

AdventHealth Shawnee Mission 8901 West 74th St, Suite 100 Shawnee Mission, KS (913) 491-4020

Evelina Swartzman, MD

AdventHealth Shawnee Mission 9119 West 74th St, Suite 300 Shawnee Mission, KS (913) 677-3113

Kent E. Tegeler, MD

Northland Obstetrics & Gynecology 2529 Glenn Hendren Drive, Medical Plaza East, Suite 200 Liberty, MO (816) 781-7820

Carrie L. Wieneke, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 3901 Rainbow Boulevard Kansas City, KS (913) 588-6200

Reagan Wittek, MD

AdventHealth Shawnee Mission 9119 West 74th St, Suite 300 Shawnee Mission, KS (913) 677-3113

OPHTHALMOLOGY

Radwan Ajlan, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 7400 State Line Road, Suite 100 Prairie Village, KS (913) 588-1227

David M. Amsterdam, MD

Discover Vision Centers 11500 Granada Lane Leawood, KS (816) 478-1230

Kristin S. Biggerstaff, MD

Kansas City Eye Clinic

7504 Antioch Road Overland Park, KS (913) 341-3100

Fred Bodker, MD

Kansas City Eye Clinic

7504 Antioch Road Overland Park, KS (913) 341-3100

Emily Broxterman, MD

KU Eye Center

7400 State Line Road, Suite 100 Prairie Village, KS (913) 588-6600

Susan Carney, MD

Northland Eye Specialists 1200 Landmark Avenue Liberty, MO (816) 792-1900

Timothy B. Cavanaugh, MD

Cavanaugh Eye Center

6200 West 135th St, Suite 300 Overland Park, KS (913) 897-9200

Mary T. Champion, MD

The University of Kansas Health System

7400 State Line Road, Suite 100 Prairie Village, KS (913) 588-1227

Ryan D. Christensen, MD

Retina Associates

9301 West 74th St, Suite 210 Shawnee Mission, KS (913) 831-7400

Blake A. Cooper, MD

Retina Associates 8600 Quivira Road Lenexa, KS (913) 831-7400

John F. Doane, MD

Discover Vision Centers 4741 South Cochise Drive Independence, MO (816) 478-1230

Gregory M. Fox, MD

Retina Associates 9301 West 74th St, Suite 210 Shawnee Mission, KS (913) 831-7400

Kenneth J. Frank, MD

Frank Eye Center 1401 South Main St Ottawa, KS (785) 242-4242

Milton Grin, MD

Grin Eye Care 21020 West 151st St Olathe, KS (913) 829-5511

Karl D. Hendricks, MD

Medical Surgical Eye Care 8919 Parallel Parkway, Suite 226 Kansas City, KS (913) 299-8800

Andrew Jefferson, MD

Discover Vision Centers 11500 Granada Lane Leawood, KS (816) 478-1230

Christopher S. Ketcherside, MD

Kansas City Eye Clinic 7504 Antioch Road Overland Park, KS (913) 341-3100

Johann G. Ohly, MD

Kansas City Eye Clinic 7504 Antioch Road Overland Park, KS (913) 341-3100

Joseph J. Parelman, MD

Mid America Eye Center 3830 West 75th St

Prairie Village, KS (913) 384-1441

Ajay Singh, MD

Discover Vision Centers 11500 Granada Lane Leawood, KS (816) 478-1230

Jason Aaron Sokol, MD

KU Eye Center

7400 State Line Road, Suite 100 Prairie Village, KS (913) 588-6600

Michael E. Somers, MD

Somers Eye Center

2790 Clay Edwards Drive, Suite 1240 North Kansas City, MO (816) 842-2015

Erin D. Stahl, MD

Children’s Mercy Hospital 3101 Broadway Boulevard Kansas City, MO (816) 960-8000

Jason E. Stahl, MD

Durrie Vision 8300 College Boulevard, Suite 201 Overland Park, KS (913) 491-3330

Stephen U. Stechschulte, MD

Discover Vision Centers 11500 Granada Lane Leawood, KS (816) 478-1230

Beatty G. Suiter, MD

Retina Associates 9301 West 74th St, Suite 210 Shawnee Mission, KS (913) 831-7400

Steven R. Unterman, MD

Mid America Eye Center 3830 West 75th St Prairie Village, KS (913) 384-1441

W. Abraham White, MD KU Eye Center 7400 State Line Road, Suite 100 Prairie Village, KS (913) 588-6600

Thomas J. Whittaker, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 7400 State Line Road, Suite 100 Prairie Village, KS (913) 588-1227

Anne B, Wishna, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 7400 State Line Road, Suite 100 Prairie Village, KS (913) 588-1227

Jeff Wongskhaluang, MD

Grin Eye Care 21020 West 151st St. Olathe, KS (913) 829-5511

ORTHOPAEDIC SURGERY

John T. Anderson, MD

Children’s Mercy Hospital 2401 Gillham Road Kansas City, MO (816) 234-3075

David W. Anderson, MD

Kansas City Joint Replacement and Sports Medicine 5701 West 119th St, Suite 410 Overland Park, KS (913) 345-6901

Michael G. Azzam, MD

Impact Orthopedics & Sports Medicine 5200 West 94th Terrace, Suite 113 Prairie Village, KS (913) 906-8640

Timothy M. Badwey, MD

Kansas City Orthopedic Alliance 4320 Wornall Road, Medical Plaza Building 1, Suite 610 Kansas City, MO (913) 319-7600

Joshua T. Bunch, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 4000 Cambridge St. Kansas City, KS (913) 588-1227

Douglas C. Burton, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 4000 Cambridge St. Kansas City, KS (913) 588-9900

Scott M. Cook, MD

Kansas City Orthopedic Alliance 3651 College Boulevard, Suite 100B Leawood, KS (913) 362-0031

Suzanne Elton, MD

Kansas City Bone & Joint Clinic 10701 Nall Avenue, Corporate Medical Plaza, Building 1 Overland Park, KS (913) 381-5225

Daniel C. Farrell, MD

Overland Park Surgical Specialists and Sports Medicine 12200 West 106th St, Suite 400 Overland Park, KS (913) 541-5500

Archie Heddings, MD The

University of Kansas Health System 4000 Cambridge St. Kansas City, KS (913) 588-6100

Kelly J. Hendricks, MD

Kansas City Joint Replacement and Sports Medicine 5701 West 119th St, Suite 410 Overland Park, KS (913) 345-6901

Kathryn A. Keeler, MD

Children’s Mercy Hospital 2401 Gillham Road Kansas City, MO (816) 234-3075

Vincent H. Key, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 10730 Nall Avenue, Suite 200 Overland Park, KS (913) 588-6100

Jeffrey A. Krempec, MD

Orthopedic Health of Kansas City 1950 Diamond Parkway, Suite 100 Kansas City, MO (816) 561-3003

Kevin H. Latz, MD

Children’s Mercy Hospital 2401 Gillham Road Kansas City, MO (816) 234-3075

Paul F. Nassab, MD

Orthopedic Health of Kansas City 1950 Diamond Parkway, Suite 100 Kansas City, MO (816) 561-3003

Donna M. Pacicca, MD

Children’s Mercy Hospital 2401 Gillham Road Kansas City, MO (816) 234-3075

Andrew C. Palmisano, MD

Rockhill Orthopaedic Specialists 120 Northeast Saint Luke’s Boulevard, Suite 200 Lee’s Summit, MO (816) 246-4302

Nigel J. Price, MD

Children’s Mercy Hospital 2401 Gillham Road Kansas City, MO (816) 234-3075

Mark Rasmussen, MD

Kansas City Orthopedic Alliance 3651 College Boulevard, Suite 100B Leawood, KS (913) 362-0031

Howard Rosenthal, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 10730 Nall Avenue, Suite 201 Overland Park, KS (913) 588-3671

Jonathon K. Salava, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 10730 Nall Avenue, Suite 200 Overland Park, KS (913) 588-1227

C. Craig Satterlee, MD

Orthopedic Health of Kansas City 1950 Diamond Parkway, Suite 100 Kansas City, MO (816) 561-3003

Richard M. Schwend, MD

Children’s Mercy Hospital 2401 Gillham Road Kansas City, MO (816) 234-3075

Aakash A. Shah, MD

Kansas City Joint Replacement and Sports Medicine 5701 West 119th St, Suite 410 Overland Park, KS (913) 345-6901

Shyam Shridharani, MD

Olathe Health Integrity Spine Surgery 20375 West 151st St, Doctor’s Building 1, Suite 105 Olathe, KS (913) 355-8100

Mark R. Sinclair, MD

Children’s Mercy Hospital 2401 Gillham Road Kansas City, MO (816) 234-3075

John M. Sojka, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 2000 Olathe Boulevard Kansas City, KS (913) 574-4878

Jacob Saunders Stueve, MD

Kansas City Orthopedic Alliance 3651 College Boulevard, Suite 100B Leawood, KS (913) 362-0031

Kimberly J. Templeton, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 2000 Olathe Boulevard Kansas City, KS (913) 588-6100

OTOLARYNGOLOGY

Katherine Aberle, MD

Ascentist Ear, Nose & Throat 6815 East Frontage Road Merriam, KS (816) 478-4200

Jill M. Arganbright, MD

Children’s Mercy Hospital 2401 Gillham Road Kansas City, MO (816) 234-3040

Gregory A. Ator, MD The

University of Kansas Health System 2000 Olathe Boulevard, Floor 3 Kansas City, KS (913) 588-6701

Matthew E. Beuerlein, MD

The Ear, Nose and Throat Clinic 2521 Glenn Hendren Drive, Suite 104 Liberty, MO (816) 781-1001

Daniel E. Bruegger, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 2000 Olathe Boulevard, Floor 3 Kansas City, KS (913) 588-6701

Alexander G. Chiu, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 2000 Olathe Boulevard, Floor 3 Kansas City, KS (913) 588-6701

Douglas H. Cowan, MD

Ascentist Ear, Nose & Throat 4801 College Boulevard Leawood, KS (816) 478-4200

Robert D. Cullen, MD

Otologic Center

3100 Broadway St, Suite 509 Kansas City, MO (816) 478-4200

James David Garnett, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 2000 Olathe Boulevard, Floor 3 Kansas City, KS (913) 588-6701

Douglas Girod, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 2000 Olathe Boulevard, Floor 3 Kansas City, KS (913) 588-6701

Larry A. Hoover, MD The University of Kansas Health System 2000 Olathe Boulevard, Floor 3 Kansas City, KS (913) 588-6701

Colleen N. Johnson, MD

Ascentist Ear, Nose & Throat 2300 Hutton Road, Suite 106 Kansas City, KS (816) 478-4200

Dr. Evelina Swartzman

OBSTETRICS & GYNECOLOGY

Born in Moldavia in the former Soviet Union, I came to the United States when I was ten. My father was a Holocaust survivor, and because of détente during the time Brezhnev was in power, we were allowed to emigrate as asylum seekers. Our plane landed in New York City on September 11, 1977. This day is the anniversary of a terrible tragedy for all Americans, yet it is also a day of hope for my family.

As a child I had always wanted to be a physician, but my mother strongly objected. In the Soviet Union, 75 percent of physicians were women, but they were all overworked and underpaid. Once we were in the United States, however, she changed her mind, and I went to Brown University for a combined undergraduate and medical degree and did my residency in New York City. My parents did not have many financial resources, and I paid for my education working in a variety of fields, including computers, banking and waitressing.

I had originally wanted to be a plastic surgeon because I’d had a skin graft as a teenager, and I had always wanted to “make things better.” However, I decided to help women feel better rather than just look better.

My twenty-five-year obstetrics and gynecology practice has enabled me to become a part of my patients’ lives. I’ve treated some patients from their teenage years to motherhood—all the way to hysterectomies. I love educating women about their bodies, and I find such hope knowing that they want to bring new life into this world. I am constantly learning about new techniques and treatments, like minimally invasive robotic surgeries, and I am highly optimistic that scientific advances will keep improving the lives of women and the care I can give them.

Dr. Jane Broxterman

PRIMARY CARE/ INTERNAL MEDICINE

I’m a mom of four and I’ve been practicing primary care since I completed training—that would be in 2006. I’ve been at the University of Kansas Health System since 2007, so almost my whole career. I very much enjoy taking care of adults, knowing their stories over time and helping them obtain their best health. Fifty percent of my job is also with education—educating internal medicine residents in the primary care setting—and that brings a lot of job satisfaction to me.

I take care of adults, eighteen and over, sometimes on very complex issues and multiple systems and many diseases. And sometimes on very simple issues and straight primary care and preventative health measures. So my day can be very varied depending on the patients on the list. But the patients are anywhere from eighteen to my oldest patient, who is one hundred and one.

What gives me hope is that the people I see really are doing the best they can. And that comes all different ways. What often happens is that I have a list of things I want to accomplish for a patient on my list and they have an agenda of things they also want to accomplish, and then magically during the visit, all things get handled—and often even more than was on my list or on their list. I can help them from a human perspective, from a holistic perspective, and that’s what gives me hope. It is so enjoyable when they succeed and they’re able to better themselves in all aspects— mind, body and spirit.

Kiran Kakarala, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 2000 Olathe Boulevard, Floor 3 Kansas City, KS (913) 588-6701

Frank C. Koranda, MD

Midwest Medical Specialists 8490 College Boulevard Overland Park, KS (816) 454-2655

Christopher G. Larsen, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 2000 Olathe Boulevard, Floor 3 Kansas City, KS (913) 588-6701

James Lin, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 2000 Olathe Boulevard, Floor 3 Kansas City, KS (913) 588-6701

Brian A. Metz, MD

Midwest Ear, Nose & Throat 20375 West 151st St, Suite 106 A Olathe, KS (913) 764-2737

David T. Rouse, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 10787 Nall Avenue, Suite 220 Overland Park, KS (913) 588-1227

Yelizaveta (Lisa) Shnayder, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 2000 Olathe Boulevard, Floor 3 Kansas City, KS (913) 588-6701

Hinrich Staecker, MD/PhD

The University of Kansas Health System 2000 Olathe Boulevard, Floor 3 Kansas City, KS (913) 588-6701

OTOLARYNGOLOGY/ FACIAL PLASTIC SURGERY

J. David Kriet, MD The

University of Kansas Health System 2000 Olathe Boulevard, Floor 3 Kansas City, KS (913) 588-6701

PAIN MEDICINE

Mark Bilezikjian, MD

Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City 4321 Washington St, Medical Plaza III, Suite 1200 Kansas City, MO (816) 932-2932

Edward B. Braun, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 4000 Cambridge St. Kansas City, KS (913) 588-9900

Andrea L. Chadwick, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 4000 Cambridge St. Kansas City, KS (913) 588-9900

Mayank Gupta, MD

Kansas Pain Management 10995 Quivira Road Overland Park, KS (913) 339-9437

Raza Jafri, MD

Genesis Pain Clinic 6700 West 121st St, Suite 300 Overland Park, KS (913) 871-9888

Dwayne E. Jones, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 2790 Clay Edwards Drive, Suite 700 North Kansas City, MO (816) 268-6395

Talal W. Khan, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 4000 Cambridge St. Kansas City, KS (913) 588-9900

Smith Manion, MD

AdventHealth Shawnee Mission 9100 West 74th St. Shawnee, KS (913) 676-2370

PEDIATRIC ALLERGY & IMMUNOLOGY

Jay M.Portnoy, MD

Children’s Mercy Hospital 5808 West 110th St. Overland Park, KS (913) 696-8220

PEDIATRIC ANESTHESIOLOGY

Adam C. Booser, MD

Children’s Mercy Hospital 2401 Gillham Road Kansas City, MO (816) 234-3464

PEDIATRIC CARDIOLOGY

Aliessa P. Barnes, MD

Children’s Mercy Hospital 5520 College Boulevard Overland Park, KS (816) 234-3700

Brian F. Birnbaum, MD

Children’s Mercy Hospital 2401 Gillham Road Kansas City, MO (816) 234-3880

Philip M. Chang, MD

Children’s Mercy Hospital 2401 Gillham Road Kansas City, MO (816) 234-3880

Kenneth K. Goertz, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 7301 Mission Road, Suite 350 Prairie Village, KS (913) 588-6300

Stephen F. Kaine, MD

Children’s Mercy Hospital 2401 Gillham Road Kansas City, MO (816) 234-3255

Ryan A. Romans, MD

Children’s Mercy Hospital 2401 Gillham Road Kansas City, MO (816) 234-3880

David Sutcliffe, MD

Children’s Mercy Hospital 2401 Gillham Road Kansas City, MO (816) 234-3880

Luisa F.M. Waitman, MD

Children’s Mercy Hospital 2401 Gillham Road Kansas City, MO (816) 234-3880

PEDIATRIC DERMATOLOGY

Kimberly A. Horii, MD

Children’s Mercy Hospital 3101 Broadway Boulevard Kansas City, MO (816) 234-3700

PEDIATRIC ENDOCRINOLOGY

Tania S. Burgert, MD

Children’s Mercy Hospital 3101 Broadway Boulevard Kansas City, MO (816) 960-8803

Joseph T. Cernich, MD

Children’s Mercy Hospital 3101 Broadway Boulevard Kansas City, MO (816) 960-8803

Mark A. Clements, MD/PhD

Children’s Mercy Hospital 3101 Broadway Boulevard Kansas City, MO (816) 960-8803

Francesco DeLuca, MD

Children’s Mercy Hospital 3101 Broadway Boulevard Kansas City, MO (816) 960-8803

Jill Jacobson, MD

Children’s Mercy Hospital 3101 Broadway Boulevard Kansas City, MO (816) 960-8803

Ryan J. McDonough, DO

Children’s Mercy Hospital 3101 Broadway Boulevard Kansas City, MO (816) 960-8803

Naim G. Mitre, MD

Children’s Mercy Hospital 3101 Broadway Boulevard Kansas City, MO (816) 960-8803

Wayne V. Moore, MD/PhD

Children’s Mercy Hospital 3101 Broadway Boulevard Kansas City, MO (816) 960-8803

Tiffany S. Musick, MD

Children’s Mercy Hospital 3101 Broadway Boulevard Kansas City, MO 816) 960-8803

Angela L. Turpin, MD

Children’s Mercy Hospital 3101 Broadway Boulevard Kansas City, MO (816) 960-8803

PEDIATRIC GASTROENTEROLOGY

Ruba A. Abdelhadi, MD

Children’s Mercy Hospital 2401 Gillham Road Kansas City, MO (816) 234-3066

Julie A. Bass, DO

Children’s Mercy Hospital 2401 Gillham Road Kansas City, MO (816) 234-3066

Jennifer M. Colombo, MD

Children’s Mercy Hospital 2401 Gillham Road Kansas City, MO (816) 234-3066

Sarah T. Edwards, DO

Children’s Mercy Hospital 2401 Gillham Road Kansas City, MO (816) 234-3066

Ryan T. Fischer, MD

Children’s Mercy Hospital 2401 Gillham Road Kansas City, MO (816) 234-3066

Craig A. Friesen, MD

Children’s Mercy Hospital 2401 Gillham Road Kansas City, MO (816) 234-3066

Aileen F. Har, MD

Children’s Mercy Hospital 5808 West 110th St. Overland Park, KS (913) 696-8000

Nadia M. Hijaz, MD

Children’s Mercy Hospital 2401 Gillham Road Kansas City, MO (816) 234-3066

Stephanie Page, MD

Midwest Pediatric Specialists 10550 Quivira Road, Suite 250 Overland Park, KS (913) 310-0482

John M. Rosen, MD

Children’s Mercy Hospital 2401 Gillham Road Kansas City, MO (816) 234-3066

Valentina Shakhnovich, MD

Children’s Mercy Hospital 2401 Gillham Road Kansas City, MO (816) 234-3066

Voytek R. Slowik, MD

Children’s Mercy Hospital 2401 Gillham Road Kansas City, MO (816) 234-3066

PEDIATRIC HEMATOLOGYONCOLOGY

Ibrahim A. Ahmed, MD

Children’s Mercy Hospital 2401 Gillham Road Kansas City, MO (816) 302-6808

Keith J. August, MD

Children’s Mercy Hospital 2401 Gillham Road Kansas City, MO (816) 302-6808

Shannon L. Carpenter, MD

Children’s Mercy Hospital 2401 Gillham Road Kansas City, MO (816) 234-3460

Alan S. Gamis, MD

Children’s Mercy Hospital 2401 Gillham Road Kansas City, MO (816) 234-3700

Maxine Hetherington, MD

Children’s Mercy Hospital 2401 Gillham Road Kansas City, MO (816) 234-3700

Karen B. Lewing, MD

Children’s Mercy Hospital 2401 Gillham Road Kansas City, MO (816) 302-6808

Mukta Sharma, MD

Children’s Mercy Hospital 2401 Gillham Road Kansas City, MO (816) 302-6808

Michael S. Silvey, DO

Children’s Mercy Hospital 2401 Gillham Road Kansas City, MO (816) 302-6808

PEDIATRIC NEPHROLOGY

Douglas Blowey, MD

Children’s Mercy Hospital Kansas 5808 West 110th St. Overland Park, KS (913) 696-8220

Vimal Chadha, MD

Children’s Mercy Hospital 2401 Gillham Road Kansas City, MO (816) 234-3030

Bradley A. Warady, MD

Children’s Mercy Hospital 2401 Gillham Road Kansas City, MO (816) 234-3030

Darcy Weidemann, MD

Children’s Mercy Hospital 2401 Gillham Road Kansas City, MO (816) 234-3030

PEDIATRIC OTOLARYNGOLOGY

Adriane D. Latz, MD

Children’s Mercy Hospital 2401 Gillham Road Kansas City, MO (816) 234-3040

Robert Weatherly, MD

Children’s Mercy Hospital 2401 Gillham Road Kansas City, MO (816) 234-3040

PEDIATRIC PULMONOLOGY

Christopher M. Oermann, MD

Children’s Mercy Hospital 2401 Gillham Road Kansas City, MO (816) 983-6490

PEDIATRIC RHEUMATOLOGY

Ashley M. Cooper, MD

Children’s Mercy Hospital 2401 Gillham Road Kansas City, MO (816) 234-3000

Jordan T. Jones, DO

Children’s Mercy Hospital 2401 Gillham Road Kansas City, MO (816) 234-3000

PEDIATRIC SURGERY

Richard J. Hendrickson, MD

Children’s Mercy Hospital 2401 Gillham Road Kansas City, MO (816) 234-3199

Corey Iqbal, MD

Pediatric Surgical Specialists 12200 West 106th St, Suite 210 Kansas City, KS (913) 752-8500

Kurt P. Schropp, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 3901 Rainbow Boulevard Kansas City, KS (913) 588-6179

PEDIATRICS

Huda Alani, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 7405 Renner Road Shawnee, KS (913) 588-8465

Thomas Attard, MD

Children’s Mercy Hospital 2401 Gillham Road Kansas City, MO (816) 234-3066

Liliane Baraban, MD

Pediatric Professional Association 10600 Quivira Road, Suite 210 Overland Park, KS (913) 541-3300

Lynn Beck, MD

Pediatric Professional Association 10600 Quivira Road, Suite 210 Overland Park, KS (913) 541-3300

Todd E. Bush, MD

Premier Pediatrics 8675 College Boulevard, Suite 100 Overland Park, KS (913) 345-9400

Carolyn T. Davis, MD

Pediatric Care Specialists 12541 Foster St, Suite 260 Overland Park, KS (913) 906-0900

Ann Gassman, MD

Children’s Mercy Cass County Pediatrics 503 North Scott Avenue Belton, MO (816) 322-4769

Lori A. Golon, MD

St. John Hospital 1001 6th Avenue, Suite 210 Leavenworth, KS (913) 682-3920

Christine D. Green, MD

Meritas Health Pediatrics

2700 Clay Edwards Drive, Suite 500 North Kansas City, MO (816) 421-4115

Mary E. Hamm, MD

Leawood Pediatrics 5401 College Boulevard, Suite 101 Leawood, KS (913) 825-3627

Sarah E. Hampl, MD

Children’s Mercy Hospital 3101 Broadway Boulevard Kansas City, MO (816) 234-3700

Allison Hettinger, MD

Preferred Pediatrics 824 West Frontier Lane Olathe, KS (913) 764-7060

Christopher J. Koster, MD AdventHealth Ottawa 1428 South Main St, Suite 3 Ottawa, KS (785) 229-8891

Eve M. Krahn, MD

Meritas Health Pediatrics

2700 Clay Edwards Drive, Suite 500 North Kansas City, MO (816) 421-4115

Stephen J. Lauer, MD Village Office Center 7301 Mission Road, Suite 350 Prairie Village, KS (913) 588-1227

Megan Loeb, MD

Leawood Pediatrics 5401 College Boulevard, Suite 101 Leawood, KS (913) 825-3627

David A. Lowry, DO

Platte County Pediatrics 1104 Platte Falls Road Platte City, MO (816) 858-5253

Janice Martin, MD

Pediatric Care Specialists 12541 Foster St, Suite 260 Overland Park, KS (913) 906-0900

Jennifer Mellick, MD Pediatric Partners 2111 East Kansas City Road Olathe, KS (913) 888-4567

Vernon Mills, MD

St. John Hospital 3550 South 4th St, Suite 120 Leavenworth, KS (913) 772-6046

Rozina Mohiuddin, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 7405 Renner Road Shawnee, KS (913) 588-8465

Charles Moylan, MD

Saint Luke’s East Hospital 4400 Broadway St, Suite 206 Kansas City, MO (816) 561-8100

Mary Nagy, MD

Leawood Pediatrics

5401 College Boulevard, Suite 101 Leawood, KS (913) 825-3627

Kathryn L. Petelin, DO

Village Office Center

7301 Mission Road, Suite 350 Prairie Village, KS (913) 588-1227

Marion S. Pierson, MD

Village Pediatrics

8340 Mission Road, Suite 100 Prairie Village, KS (913) 642-2100

Susan L. Ratliff, MD

Pediatric Partners

7450 West 135th St. Overland Park, KS (913) 888-4567

Stuart G. Shanker, MD

Preferred Pediatrics

824 West Frontier Lane Olathe, KS (913) 764-7060

Aundria Speropoulos, MD

Leawood Pediatrics

5401 College Boulevard, Suite 101 Leawood, KS (913) 825-3627

Amy L. Voelker, MD

Preferred Pediatrics

824 West Frontier Lane Olathe, KS (913) 764-7060

Claire D. White, MD

Pediatric Care Specialists

12541 Foster St, Suite 260 Overland Park, KS (913) 906-0900

Jason Wichman, MD

Pediatric Care Specialists 12541 Foster St, Suite 260 Overland Park, KS (913) 906-0900

Deborah Winburn, MD

Premier Pediatrics 8675 College Boulevard, Suite 100 Overland Park, KS (913) 345-9400

David B. Yu, MD

Sunflower Medical Group 2040 Hutton Road, Suite 102 Kansas City, KS (913) 299-3700

PHYSICAL MEDICINE & REHABILITATION

Terrence Pratt, MD

Rockhill Orthopaedic Specialists

120 Northeast Saint Luke’s Boulevard, Suite 200

Lee’s Summit, MO (816) 246-4302

Neil Segal, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 7405 Renner Road, POD C Shawnee, KS (913) 588-9900

PLASTIC SURGERY

Joseph R. Barnthouse, MD

Menorah Medical Center 1010 Carondelet Drive, Suite 401 Kansas City, MO (816) 943-8004

Richard J. Bene, MD

Jr Monarch Plastic Surgery 4801 West 135th St. Leawood, KS (913) 663-3838

Daniel Bortnick, MD

Bortnick Plastic Surgery 7901 West 135th St. Overland Park, KS (913) 754-4939

James A. Butterworth, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 4000 Cambridge St. Kansas City, KS (913) 588-2000

Joseph Cannova, MD

Associated Plastic Surgeons 11501 Granada St. Leawood, KS (913) 451-3722

J. Douglas Cusick, MD

AdventHealth Shawnee Mission

4601 College Boulevard, Suite 222 Leawood, KS (913) 661-0202

Keith R. Hodge, MD

Monarch Plastic Surgery 4801 West 135th St. Leawood, KS (913) 663-3838

Richard A. Korentager, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 4000 Cambridge St. Kansas City, KS (913) 588-2000

Paul J. Leahy, MD

Monarch Plastic Surgery 4801 West 135th St. Leawood, KS (913) 663-3838

Garry M. Martin, MD

II Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City 4400 Broadway Boulevard, Suite 400 Kansas City, MO (816) 932-0288

Mark McClung, MD

Associated Plastic Surgeons 11501 Granada St. Leawood, KS (913) 451-3722

Thomas W. McEwan, MD

Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City 4400 Broadway Boulevard, Suite 400 Kansas City, MO (816) 932-0288

Barbara A. McGrath, MD

AdventHealth Shawnee Mission 7509 Nall Avenue Prairie Village, KS (913) 381-5544

Thuan B. Nguyen, MD

Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City 4400 Broadway Boulevard, Suite 400 Kansas City, MO (816) 932-0288

Victor Manuel Perez, MD

Renue Aesthetic Surgery 11532 West 119th St. Overland Park, KS (913) 685-1108

John M. Quinn, MD

Quinn Plastic Surgical Center 6920 West 121st St, Suite 102 Overland Park, KS (913) 492-3443

Jon E. Rast, MD

Associated Plastic Surgeons 11501 Granada St. Leawood, KS (913) 451-3722

Bradley Storm, MD Olathe Medical Center 12701 Metcalf Avenue, Suite 103 Overland Park, KS (913) 815-4701

Sheryl L. Young, MD

Associated Plastic Surgeons 11501 Granada St. Leawood, KS (913) 451-3722

PSYCHIATRY

Irfan A. Handoo, MD Interpersonal Psychiatry 1010 Carondelet Drive, Suite 329 Kansas City, MO (816) 441-9875

Norman T. Heisler, MD

Saint Luke’s Behavioral Health Specialists 601 South 169 Highway Smithville, MO (816) 532-7220

Charles Raymond Lake, MD/PhD

Lake’s Consulting 836 West 57th St. Kansas City, MO (816) 678-4848

Colin N. MacKenzie, MD

TelePsychiatry Associates 9393 West 110th, Suite 500 Overland Park, KS (913) 766-7246

Kevin Mays, MD

Psychiatry Associates of Kansas City 8900 State Line Road, Suite 380 Leawood, KS (913) 385-7252

Richard B. Warner, MD

7011 West 121st St, Suite 105 Overland Park, KS (913) 601-5220

Sergio Zaderenko, MD

Heartland Psychiatric 8340 Mission Road, Suite 210 Prairie Village, KS (913) 642-0100

PULMONARY DISEASE

Mario Castro, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 4000 Cambridge St. Kansas City, KS (913) 588-6045

Michael S. Crosser, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 4000 Cambridge St. Kansas City, KS (913) 588-6045

James D. Kaplan, MD

Kansas Pulmonary & Sleep Specialists 10550 Quivira Road, Suite 335 Overland Park, KS (913) 599-3800

Heath Latham, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 4000 Cambridge St. Kansas City, KS (913) 588-6045

Vincent M. Lem, MD

Saint Luke’s Midwest Pulmonary Consultants 4321 Washington St, Suite 6000 Kansas City, MO (816) 756-2255

John Beckwith Nelson, MD

Kansas Pulmonary & Sleep Specialists 10550 Quivira Road, Suite 335 Overland Park, KS (913) 599-3800

Mark Plautz, MD

Kansas City VA Medical Center 4801 East Linwood Boulevard Kansas City, MO (816) 861-4700

Damien R. Stevens, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 4000 Cambridge St. Kansas City, KS (913) 588-6045

Jennifer A. Svetlecic, MD

Saint Luke’s Pulmonary Specialists 5844 Northwest Barry Road, Suite 300 Kansas City, MO (816) 880-6238

Timothy L. Williamson, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 4000 Cambridge St. Kansas City, KS (913) 588-6045

RADIATION ONCOLOGY

Ronald C. Chen, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 4001 Rainbow Boulevard Kansas City, KS (913) 588-1227

Andrew C. Hoover, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 4001 Rainbow Boulevard Kansas City, KS (913) 588-1227

Bradley H. Koffman, MD

Sarah Cannon Cancer Institute 5721 West 119th St, Medical Building 1 Overland Park, KS (913) 498-6270

Kenon S. Qamar, MD

KCUC Urology & Oncology 10701 Nall Avenue, Suite 100 Overland Park, KS (913) 647-4168

Kelly L. Rhodes-Stark, MD

Radiation Oncology Center

15123 South OMC Parkway Olathe, KS (913) 355-8000

Mark A. Thompson, MD

KCUC Urology & Oncology 17525 Medical Center Parkway Independence, MO (816) 994-3157

REPRODUCTIVE ENDOCRINOLOGY/ INFERTILITY

Celeste J. Brabec, MD

Reproductive Resource Center 6650 West 110th St, Suite 320 Overland Park, KS (913) 894-2323

Dan L. Gehlbach, MD

Midwest Reproductive Center 20375 West 151st St,, Suite 403 Olathe, KS (913) 780-4300

Michael L. Lydic, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 10777 Nall Avenue, Suite 200 Overland Park, KS (913) 588-2229

Ryan Riggs, MD

Blue Sky Fertility 14253 Metcalf Avenue Overland Park, KS (913) 218-0162

Gregory C. Starks, MD

Midwest Women’s Healthcare Specialists 2340 East Meyer Boulevard, Building 2, Suite 598 Kansas City, MO (816) 444-6888

RHEUMATOLOGY

Mehrdad Maz, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 4000 Cambridge St. Kansas City, KS (913) 588-3402

Carrie A Mihordin, DO

Mid-America Rheumatology Consultants 5701 West 119th St, Suite 209 Overland Park, KS (913) 661-9980

Paul S. Schmidt, MD The

University of Kansas Health System 4000 Cambridge St. Kansas City, KS (913) 588-3402

Ann E. Warner, MD

Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City 4440 Broadway Boulevard Kansas City, MO (816) 531-0930

SLEEP MEDICINE

Abid Bhat, MD

Sweet Sleep Studio 7410 Switzer Road Shawnee, KS (913) 309-5963

David A. Cocanower, MD

AdventHealth Ottawa Sleep Ceter 1428 South Main St, Suite 4 Ottawa, KS (785) 229-8882

SPORTS MEDICINE

Gregory S. Canty, MD

Children’s Mercy Hospital 1801 North 98th St. Kansas City, KS (816) 701-4878

Alexander W. Schoofs, MD

Liberty Hospital Primary Care 8380 North Tullis Avenue, Suite 300 Kansas City, MO (816) 415-3451

SURGERY

Mazin F. Al-Kasspooles, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 2650 Shawnee Mission Parkway Westwood, KS (913) 588-3671

CHIPS AHOY!

BY ISABELLA FERRENTINO

There have been revolutionary steps toward cancer and stroke-related research at the University of Kansas. The Center of BioModular MultiScale Systems for Precision Medicine (CBM2) research center uses microfluidic chips to perform liquid biopsies. In other words, CBM2 can detect

hard-to-diagnose diseases by analyzing bodily fluids through plastic chips.

Dr. Steven Soper, director of CBM2, wants to commercialize the screening tests for ovarian cancer and make testing a standard part of a yearly physical. “We’ve discovered that certain particles, called extracellular vesicles, are generated from the tumor cells very early, and in the early stages of this disease, we can pick those up by putting the blood through a small little microchip that we develop here,” Soper says. Then they enrich the particles out of the blood sample and count them. From there, CBM2 can detect when someone likely has ovarian cancer.

The microchip technology is from CBM2’s partnership with San Diego-based company BioFluidica. “We make the chips, the reagents and the software and some of the hardware that supports

that core that they use every day,” says BioFluidica COO Judy Mullen-Cohn. “In a sense, [CBM2 is] both a partner and a customer of BioFluidica. The platform is called the LiquidScan, and it can isolate rare cells. So it can be any kind of rare cell from any kind of bodily fluids.”

The company sells to academic institutions for research, pharmaceutical companies doing clinical trials, and nonprofits and research foundations. It focuses on oncology and prenatal screening.

CBM2 research is doing what the infamous Elizabeth Holmes’ Theranos couldn’t: developing a new generation of tests that use only small samples. Among the other areas of medicine being worked on is the early detection of Covid and strokes.

In Kansas City, Dr. Andrew Godwin at the KU Medical Center has targeted tests for ovarian cancer because of the difficulty in catching it early. “We’re doing a lot of work in the areas of early detection because that’s a very important aspect of cancer,” Godwin says. “When women develop the disease, it tends to be late stage and there is no cure at that point.”

Pediatric patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia are the focus of another project. Rather than detecting it first-hand, Soper is looking to test for relapse. Typically a small sample of bone marrow is used, but those are extremely painful and difficult to secure from pediatric patients. With the same microchip technology, Soper and the Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City are testing patients. There’s also hope in stroke research. “We have the blood markers for diagnosing ischemic stroke or clinically verifying them and developing the hardware to do the test,” Soper says. “It has to be very simple to do so even a paramedic can do it.” All it requires is a small drop of blood into a small instrument to automatically report an ischemic or non-ischemic stroke.

After receiving $6.6 million for funding for the next five years, CBM2 has more room to grow and focus on the future of science.

A local university is developing groundbreaking medical tests that use small plastic chips to detect hard-to-diagnose diseases.

CBM2 research is doing what the infamous Elizabeth Holmes’ Theranos couldn’t: developing a new generation of tests that use only small samples.

AIR OF MYSTERY

How the air in your home could be harmful—and how to improve it

BY NICOLE KINNING

As if there weren’t already enough things to worry about, we’re about to let you in on something else: The air in your home might be harming you.

This is not intended to monger fear, but there’s science to back it up: Earlier this year, the Texas A&M School of Public Health conducted a study that found that in a test group, hazardous air particles in the participants’ homes were significantly higher than in their office buildings. With more and more jobs going remote, it’s definitely something to pay attention to.

Dr. James Kaplan, a board-certified pulmonary disease and critical care physician at Overland Park Regional Medical Center, says that over the course of one day, our lungs filter over twelve thousand liters of air—which isn’t always fresh.

“That air contains all sorts of particles,” Kaplan says. Over-exposing yourself to these particles increases the risk of asthma, chronic bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or worse. “It can also lead to things people don’t think of, like cardiovascular disease or stroke that can happen from exposure to carbon monoxide. Also, respiratory cancer can happen from exposure to radon.”

The primary concerns are gas combustion appliances such as stoves, fireplaces, ovens and furnaces. These sources release carbon monoxide and other pollutants into the air, and if your home isn’t adequately ventilated, trouble can ensue.

“If [these appliances] are inadequately ventilated, your body has to process the pollutants, which can lower your oxygen levels available for all of the cells that need it, including your heart, brain and so on,” Kaplan says.

Other sources of air contamination can include tobacco, deteriorating materials (such as asbestos-ridden popcorn ceilings and floor tiles), toxic cleaning and selfcare products, excess moisture, dirty HVAC systems and even the dirt living in your carpets and furniture.

According to Kaplan, poor air quality-related symptoms that would warrant a call to the doctor include chest pain or chest tightness, dizziness or fainting, shortness of breath, wheezing and recurrent episodes of bronchitis or respiratory infections.

“People need to pay attention to the air quality in their homes,” Kaplan says. “People are aware of outdoor irritants and allergens and substances that can impact their breathing, but they tend to overlook what’s going on inside their homes.”

How to Improve the Air Quality in Your Home

There are many ways to help the air quality in your home, and it could be as simple as cracking a window. When it comes to fresh air, more is more.

Call a Pro

When in doubt, call a qualified HVAC engineer to check out your home. They’ll do a performance evaluation to ensure that all air ducts, piping and furnaces are clean and working efficiently.

Replace Filters

The general consensus is to change air filters every ninety days, but more often if you have pets or if anyone living in the home has allergies.

Use Air Purifiers

Air purifiers run the gamut of little tabletop gadgets that look like something you’d shout “Alexa” at or massive whole-house units. Do research on what works best for your home and lifestyle.

Let Air In

Open windows and doors when weather permits—especially if you are doing housework that emits fumes like painting, sanding and welding.

Run Fans

When it’s above seventy degrees, run your attic fans to help prevent any moisture buildup. Also, it might be beneficial to run a window A/C unit with its vents open to circulate in outside air.

Clean Carpets and Rugs

Dust and dirt grip onto carpet and rug fibers. Along with a weekly vacuum session (more often if you have pets), most professionals recommend a professional carpet deep clean once a year.

Michael R. Arroyo, MD

Saint Luke’s Surgical Specialists

120 Northeast Saint Luke’s Boulevard, Suite 220 Lee’s Summit, MO (816) 932-7900

Christa Balanoff, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 10710 Nall Avenue Overland Park, KS (913) 945-9400

Mindi Beahm, MD

Independence Surgical Clinic 19550 East 39th St, Suite 325 Independence, MO (816) 373-4646

Romano Delcore Jr, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 2650 Shawnee Mission Parkway Westwood, KS (913) 588-3671

Bruce C. Gehrke, MD

Dwight D. Eisenhower VA Medical Center 4101 South 4th St. Leavenworth, KS (913) 682-2000

Stanley David Hoehn, MD

The Bariatric Center of Kansas City 23401 Prairie Star Parkway, Suite 300 Lenexa, KS (913) 677-6319

Robert Kenney, DO

Saint Luke’s Surgical Specialists 5844 Northwest Barry Road, Suite 120 Kansas City, MO (816) 932-7900

Heather Klepacz, MD

University Health Truman Medical Center 2301 Holmes St. Kansas City, MO (816) 404-0099

Anne M. Kobbermann, MD

Midwest Breast Care 10600 Quivira Road, Suite 460 Overland Park, KS (913) 227-0565

Sean C. Kumer, MD/PhD

The University of Kansas Health System 4000 Cambridge St. Kansas City, KS (913) 588-6183

Patrick E. McGregor, MD

Meritas Health Surgery & Trauma 2750 Clay Edwards Drive, Suite 600 North Kansas City, MO (816) 453-4000

Megan El Mcnally, MD

Saint Luke’s Surgical Specialists 120 Northeast Saint Luke’s Boulevard, Suite 220 Lee’s Summit, MO (816) 932-7900

B. Todd Moore, MD

Saint Luke’s Surgical Specialists 4320 Wornall Road, Suite 530 Kansas City, MO (816) 932-7900

John M. Price, MD

Saint Luke’s Surgical Specialists 4320 Wornall Road, Suite 530 Kansas City, MO (816) 932-7900

Timothy M. Schmitt, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 4000 Cambridge St. Kansas City, KS (913) 588-6183

John W. Shook, MD

Saint Luke’s Surgical Specialists 4401 Wornall Road, Floor 3 Kansas City, MO (816) 932-7900

Geoffrey C. Slayden, MD

Saint Luke’s Surgical Specialists 12330 Metcalf Avenue, Suite 500B Overland Park, KS (816) 932-7900

Jared B. Smith, MD

Independence Surgical Clinic 19550 East 39th St, Suite 325 Independence, MO (816) 373-4646

THORACIC & CARDIAC SURGERY

Keith B. Allen, MD

Mid America Heart & Lung Surgeons 4320 Wornall Road, Suite 50 Kansas City, MO (816) 931-3312

Emmanuel Daon, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 4000 Cambridge St. Kansas City, KS (913) 945-9378

Jeffrey B. Kramer, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 4000 Cambridge St. Kansas City, KS (913) 588-7743

Gregory Muehlebach, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 4000 Cambridge St. Kansas City, KS (913) 588-7743

Prem K. Samuel, MD

Midwest Heart & Vascular Specialists 19550 East 39th St, Suite 225 Independence, MO (816) 833-0381

George L. Zorn III, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 4000 Cambridge St. Kansas City, KS (913) 945-9378

UROGYNECOLOGY/ FEMALE PELVIC MEDICINE & RECONSTRUCTIVE SURGERY

Charles W. Butrickm MD

Urogynecology of Kansas City 10707 West 87th St. Overland Park, KS (913) 262-3000

Richard F.C. Hill, MD

Saint Luke’s Urogynecology Specialists 4321 Washington St, Suite 5000 Kansas City, MO (816) 932-1785

Ian M. Rosbrugh, MD

North Kansas City Hospital 2790 Clay Edwards Drive, Suite 530 North Kansas City, MO (816) 452-3300

Gary Sutkin, MD

University Health Truman Medical Center 2101 Charlotte St Kansas City, MO (816) 404-7820

Stephen J. Wassinger, MD

Saint Luke’s Urogynecology Specialists

4321 Washington St, Suite 5000 Kansas City, MO (816) 932-1785

UROLOGY

Justin M. Albani, MD

KCUC Urology & Oncology

1950 Diamond Parkway, Suite 200 North Kansas City, MO (816) 781-8400

Jason W. Anast, MD

KCUC Urology & Oncology 10550 Quivira Road Overland Park, KS (913) 780-3388

Marcus Austenfeld, MD

KCUC Urology & Oncology 4321 Washington St, Suite 5300 Kansas City, MO (816) 531-1234

David Bock, MD

KCUC Urology & Oncology 10701 Nall Avenue, Suite 100 Overland Park, KS (913) 338-5585

Joshua A. Broghammer, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 4000 Cambridge St. Kansas City, KS (913) 588-6146

Kenneth P. Collins, MD

KCUC Urology & Oncology 2529 Glenn Hendren Drive, Suite 202 Liberty, MO (816) 781-8400

Bradley E. Davis, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 2000 Olathe Blvd. Kansas City, KS (913) 588-6146

David A. Duchene, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 2000 Olathe Blvd. Kansas City, KS (913) 588-6146

Andrew S. Flum, MD

KCUC Urology & Oncology 10701 Nall Avenue, Suite 100 Overland Park, KS (913) 338-5585

Anton Galich, MD

KCUC Urology & Oncology 10550 Quivira Road Overland Park, KS (913) 780-3388

Tomas L. Griebling, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 2000 Olathe Blvd. Kansas City, KS (913) 588-6146

Thomas B. Herrick, MD

KCUC Urology & Oncology 1950 Diamond Parkway, Suite 200 North Kansas City, MO (816) 842-6717

Lindsay Hertzig, MD

KCUC Urology & Oncology 10701 Nall Avenue, Suite 100 Overland Park, KS (913) 338-5585

Christian Hettinger, MD

KCUC Urology & Oncology 10701 Nall Avenue, Suite 100 Overland Park KS (913) 338-5585

Daniel G. Holmes, MD

KCUC Urology & Oncology 4321 Washington St, Suite 5300 Kansas City, MO (816) 531-1234

Jeffrey M. Holzbeierlei, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 2000 Olathe Blvd. Kansas City, KS (913) 588-6146

Gregoryn Horwitz, MD

KCUC Urology & Oncology 1950 Diamond Parkway, Suite 200 North Kansas City, MO (816) 842-6717

Brandan A. Kramer, MD

KCUC Urology & Oncology 1950 Diamond Parkway, Suite 200 North Kansas City, MO (816) 842-6717

Sam Kuykendall, MD

KCUC Urology & Oncology 4321 Washington St, Suite 5300 Kansas City, MO (816) 531-1234

James Magera, MD

KCUC Urology & Oncology 2529 Glenn Hendren Drive, Suite 202 Liberty, MO (816) 781-8400

Scott A. Montgomery, MD

KCUC Urology & Oncology 7450 Kessler St, Suite 110 Merriam, KS (913) 831-1003

Ajay K. Nangia, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 2000 Olathe Blvd. Kansas City, KS (913) 588-6146

Son T. Nguyen, MD

KCUC Urology & Oncology 7450 Kessler St, Suite 110 Merriam, KS (913) 831-1003

Gerald Park, MD

KCUC Urology & Oncology 1950 Diamond Parkway, Suite 200 North Kansas City, MO (816) 842-6717

Billy B. Perry, MD

AdventHealth Medical Group 1301 South Main St. Ottawa, KS (785) 229-3390

Brandon D. Pomeroy, MD

KCUC Urology & Oncology 4321 Washington St, Suite 5300 Kansas City, MO (816) 531-1234

Susan D. Sweat, MD

KCUC Urology & Oncology 7450 Kessler St, Suite 110 Merriam, KS (913) 831-1003

Douglas N. Tietjen, MD KCUC Urology & Oncology 451 Northwest Murray Road Lee’s Summit, MO (816) 524-1007

VASCULAR & INTERVENTIONAL RADIOLOGY

Zachary S. Collins, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 4000 Cambridge St. Kansas City, KS (913) 588-6804

Philip L. Johnson, MD The University of Kansas Health System 4000 Cambridge St. Kansas City, KS (913) 588-6804

Steven M. Lemons, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 4000 Cambridge St. Kansas City, KS (913) 588-6804

Ellen Yetter, MD

Advanced Radiology Consultants of Kansas City 4901 West 136th St. Leawood, KS (913) 393-9729

VASCULAR SURGERY

Jeffrey W. Cameron, MD

Kansas City Vascular & General Surgery 5100 West 110th St, Suite 300 Overland Park, KS (913) 754-2800

Joe A. Cates, MD

Kansas City Vascular & General Surgery 5100 West 110th St, Suite 300 Overland Park, KS (913) 754-2800

Kirk A. Hance, MD

The University of Kansas Health System 4000 Cambridge St. Kansas City, KS (913) 574-0560

Scott W. Kujath, MD

Midwest Aortic & Vascular Institute 2750 Clay Edwards Drive, Suite 304 North KansasCity, MO (816) 842-5555

Brian L. McCroskey, MD

Kansas City Vascular & General Surgery

5100 West 110th St, Suite 300 Overland Park, KS (913) 754-2800

Karl R. Stark, MD

Midwest Aortic & Vascular Institute 2750 Clay Edwards Drive, Suite 304 North Kansas City, MO (816) 842-5555

Karthik Vamanan, MD

Mid America Heart & Lung Surgeons 4320 Wornall Road, Suite 50 Kansas City, MO (816) 931-3312

1. Inflation

In a typical year, medical costs grow at a rate that outpaces the rest of the economy. That wasn’t true last year—but it doesn’t mean medical care costs haven’t also grown. Inflation stands at 8.5 percent overall for goods and services while medical care costs rose 4.8 percent between July 2021 and July 2022, according to data used by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This includes inpatient services, which rose by 3.9 percent, and outpatient, up 3.5 percent. Overall, inflation is at a four-decade high, which means there’s always upward pressure.

2. Drug Prices

The average American spends approximately $1,226 on prescription drugs in a year, according to the data found by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development—with that number on the rise. What is the main contributor to drug price increases? The lack of competition among drug manufacturers. These companies often have a monopoly on certain drugs and can decide the price without regard for what it costs to make and distribute the drug. Brand-name drugs, in particular, are rising in price

MEDICAL EXPENS-ITIS

Five reasons your medical bill is ‘inflamed’ with rising costs

BY TAYLOR DRUMMOND

4. Quantity not Quality

Insurers are known to pay medical providers through a formula based on the total number of tests and visits for a patient, called a fee-for-service system. According to a study by the International Journal of Health Policy and Management, this approach creates a quantity-over-quality system that leads to uncontrollable health expenditures. Patients are then forced to pay for more than what they need in order for the medical provider to benefit. Overtreatment from increased testing leads to higher medical costs, with no guarantee of better health outcomes—just expensive and unnecessary tests.

3. Price and Cost Disconnect

The relationship between price and the costs of service is increasingly tenuous in American healthcare. Even prices for the same care vary widely even in different parts of the country. A visit to the emergency room costs $150 in rural central Kansas but about $700 in the Kansas City area, according to data found by those at the RAND Corporation.

5. An Insured Price Hike

Approximately fifty-three percent of Kansans received health insurance through their employer, with about fifteen percent getting theirs through Medicaid and another fifteen percent from Medicare, according to data from the Kaiser Family Foundation. For those who are protected, medical providers have been inclined to raise the price of care, knowing that the insured will not directly feel the price increase since most of their expenses are covered by insurance. This has led to a problematic pricing situation for those who aren’t covered. In another study done by the Kaiser Family Foundation, the uninsured were found to be paying over a hundred dollars more for the same medical services compared to those who were covered by private insurance.

BY ANY STRETCH

Stretching is the newest wellness trend in town.

BY NICOLE KINNING

Stretching is the new massage.

Yes, you read that right. We don’t mean simply sitting on your living room floor aiming to touch your toes or doing arm circles when you’re feeling stiff. While those practices can certainly loosen you up, the long-term benefits pale in comparison to the latest wellness trend taking over: assisted stretching.

In assisted stretching, a trained therapist or practitioner uses various techniques to evaluate a client’s range of motion and apply movement and flexibility practices that a client wouldn’t be able to do on their own. Assisted stretching can be done at traditional physical therapy clinics, but lately, there’s been an influx of dedicated flexibility studios popping up across the country, including in KC.

Kelly Harrick owns the five local branches of Stretch Zone. She was a physical therapist for twenty-eight years before opening the first Stretch Zone clinic in Lenexa in June of 2019.

It’s not just your hard-core athletes like triathlon warriors that Harrick sees in her studios. Her clientele runs the gamut from those who’ve gardened their way into lower back pain and dancers who need extra assisted stretching time outside of practice to weekend pickleball players and retired college athletes.

“After age thirty, we lose one percent of our flexibility and range of motion every year,” Harrick says. At Stretch Zone, her team provides an initial evaluation before clients enter a stretching program specific to their needs. “Clients come in and lay on the table—we have special tables with stabilization straps—and we provide a thirty-minute stretch.”

Biagio Mazza, a physical therapist who owns Leawood’s Elite Sports Medicine and Physical Therapy, adds that because we are more sedentary now than ever, it’s imperative that we keep our bodies in motion.

“We essentially have the same bodies that we did ten thousand years ago,” he says. “But they were hunters and gatherers who were moving all day long and doing different activities. In an ideal world, people would be a lot more open and available to preventative-type activity versus reactive activity, which can involve stretching.”

Harrick tells the story of a woman who came into a Stretch Zone studio looking to improve her range of motion and endurance. “She came in before she was going to take her grandkids to Disney World. She’s like, ‘I’m not gonna be able to do this.’” Three months of assisted stretching made all the difference: The client returned after her trip and told Harrick that she did great at Disney World and the family didn’t have to cut any of their days short because of her.

“That quality time that she was able to spend with her grandchildren? This happened all because she added stretching to her life,” Harrick says.

Four common stretching techniques.

Active Stretching: You use your own body weight to create a stretch. For example, lay on your back and lift a leg straight up into the air to stretch your hamstrings.

Passive Stretching: Somebody else or an object, like a prop or a band, dictates the stretch.

Ballistic Stretching: You move back and forth in and out of a stretch without holding it.

Static Stretching: You hold a stretch for a period of time, usually between ten and thirty seconds.

JUST KEEP MOVING

BY NINA CHERRY PHOTOGRAPHY BY KEVIN ALVEY

ULIE TURNER DISTINCTLY recalls the first time she saw vocalist Marilyn Maye perform. It was sometime in the late fifties, at the swank Colony Steakhouse in downtown KC’s Ambassador Hotel. A friend told Turner—a newcomer to the local music scene who had dreams of becoming a singer—that she had to check out Maye.

So on one weeknight, Turner strolled into the dim bar. Maye dazzled the audience with her charisma and crystal clear tone—and the blazing red hair and blue sequins Turner so vividly remembers. “I knew she was going to be good, but I was overwhelmed and awed,” Turner says. “It was just unbelievable.”

Maye is still unbelievable. Now ninety-four years old, she’s one of the last and best of her era. Maye was born in Wichita and raised in Topeka and Des Moines, but she called Kansas City home for nearly seventy years, and it’s where her rise to fame began.

As she prepares for a 95th birthday blowout in Midtown Manhattan, MARILYN MAYE shares the secrets of her longevity and success.

Hailed by her friend Ella Fitzgerald as “the greatest white female singer in the world,” Maye’s career is beyond storied, spanning over eight decades and seven full-orchestra RCA records. She performed on the The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson seventy-six times, a record for any singer. That’s just one of many credits.

In April, she’ll turn ninety-five. As part of her upcoming birthday celebration, she’ll be performing at Carnegie Hall alongside The New York Pops on March 24. “Heaven knows I practiced enough,” Maye quips. Maye will officially ring in her birthday in April at notable Midtown Manhattan cabaret club 54 Below as part of a ten-day residency that has become a birthday tradition.

Eighty-six years after her career began, Maye has never stopped or even slowed down. Show biz is who she is.

Growing up in Kansas amid the Dust Bowl, Maye began entering amateur talent contests at just three years old, and her career was set into motion upon winning one of the competitions. The prize? A thirteen-week radio program on WIBW in Topeka. By the time she was attending East High School in Des Moines, Maye had her own, permanent radio spot for her show, Marilyn Entertains, on KRNT at age fifteen. “I had to skip Spanish class to walk down and catch the streetcar in Des Moines to get to the station,” Maye says. “So I’m not very good at Spanish.”

From there, she spent her early twenties honing her chops as a staff vocalist in Louisville, Kentucky, singing alongside both combos and full orchestras. But then a new opportunity arose.

In the mid-fifties, Maye moved to KC, taking on a gig five nights a week at one of the city’s first upscale steakhouses, the Colony Steakhouse on Broadway, alongside her accompanist, musical director and then-husband, pianist Sammy Tucker. Throughout her eleven-year residency, Maye transformed the hotel restaurant and bar into a venue with world-class entertainment that often only had standing room available.

It was at the Colony where she was discovered by the fifties and sixties late-night talk show host Steve Allen (a contemporary and rival of Ed Sullivan), which led to a plethora of other opportunities, including an RCA contract, a Grammy nomination and frequent features on multiple variety shows. She became a mainstay of Kansas City’s scene and a mentor to many young, up-and-coming musicians.

Turner got her first big break as a singer with the help of Maye. Maye even introduced Turner to her husband, drummer Tommy Ruskin. Soon after Maye and Turner met at the Colony, a friendship and mentorship sparked. Turner began taking lessons from Maye, occasionally sitting in at the Colony as well. “But the real lessons were going into the Colony and watching her perform,” Turner says.

One day, when Turner went over to Maye’s house for a lesson, Maye called up Warren Durrett, the leader of a KC-based dance band that played locally and toured often. He had been looking for a singer for a while. “We think we have the girl,” Maye told Durrett.

Soon after, Maye and Tucker made an appointment with Durrett for Turner to audition—Maye even drove her to the audition. Turner got the call back shortly after, and the rest is history.

“She always gave me the push and confidence I needed,” Turner says.

Today, Maye continues her work as an avid educator and mentor and maintains an exceptionally busy schedule at any age in New York City. “The teaching has been really inspirational to me,” Maye says.

Maye hosts in-person masterclasses and also does more personal coachings, working with students of all ages, from amateurs to aspiring Broadway stars, all with a passion to sing. Her masterclass slots often fill up quickly, with just as many signing up to audit so they can see Maye’s coaching in action. “Some people play bridge, some people play golf, but some people love to sing,” Maye says.

While Maye’s career never had a true lull, she saw a resurgence in her popularity at age seventy-eight, particularly in New York. Her die-hard fans, who range from musical theater fanatics to jazz lovers, fly in from around the country to see her. A lot of them are singers themselves who come to learn just by listening.

“She’s become the queen of New York,” says Rod Fleeman, a longtime guitarist for Maye.

While much of her material is from the Great American Songbook, Maye walks a fine stylistic line that few others can. “She’s a rare blend of two worlds that don’t usually coexist,” Fleeman explains. Maye effortlessly owns powerful, rubato passages in a classic cabaret style just as well as she does jazz standards: “She can swing her ass off,” Fleeman says.

But the “super singer,” as she was frequently dubbed by Johnny Carson in front of millions on national broadcast, has more tricks up her sleeve. She released a soul album in 2005, Maye Sings Ray, a tribute to Ray Charles, and she writes witty parodies and medleys for both herself and students.

Maye does more than sing: She is a classic entertainer, and she has a particular approach when it comes to charming her audiences.

“I sing to the people, not for them,” Maye explains. Whether at the Colony or Carnegie, Maye commands the attention of each and every concertgoer through personal connection—particularly eye contact. “To me, the lyric is conversation,” Maye says. “We don’t talk to each other with our eyes closed. It’s a story that I have to convey, and I have to look everyone in the audience in the eye.”

“I’m amazed at every attention to detail, whether it’s the movement of her hands or the way she understands connecting to a crowd,” Fleeman says.

Although Maye is still KC-based, she rarely performs locally. But if you’re down for a Midwest road trip, Maye has some performances this year within driving distance. On April 21 and 22, immediately following her ten-day birthday celebration at 54 Below, Maye will perform at Feinstein’s at Hotel Carmichael in the Indianapolis suburb of Carmel. On August 2 and 3, she’ll perform two shows in Lake Okoboji, Iowa, at the Pearson Lakes Art Center, where she’s performed every summer since 1956 with the exception of 2020.

“I just keep moving,” Maye says.

Marilyn Maye’s Keys to Longevity

At any age, Maye’s energy, stamina and vocal control is unmatched. And retirement is not a word in her vocabulary.

I called Maye on her way back to her New York apartment from a private performance in Vermont. In the background, I could hear the jolting bumps of the rural road as Maye rode with the rest of her band in the back of a van.

According to Maye, the key to her great health and longevity— and the vibrant, youthful timbre of her voice—lies in endurance.

“I’ve never, ever stopped,” Maye says. “You have to keep moving. I take a lot of vitamins. I don’t take any drugs, and I never smoked. I think that’s one great, big thing in the fact that my voice is hanging in there.”

Maye is an inspiration to her friends, family, students and colleagues—really just about everyone she meets. “How many people are almost ninety-five, still on the road and knocking everyone out at every performance?” vocalist Julie Turner says. KC-based guitarist Rod Fleeman has witnessed Maye’s diligence and artistry since they began playing together in 1972. “Her work ethic is just beyond belief,” Fleeman says.

Although the singing may sound effortless, the work isn’t. “It takes great energy,” Maye says. “I love what I do, but I have to say, it’s not easy.”

don’t talk to each other with our eyes closed. It’s a story that I have to convey, and I have to look everyone in the audience in the eye.”

“We

Someone is accidentally injured every second

That’s why our ER experts stand ready 24/7 to care for you. Unexpected moments happen. When they do, you can trust that AdventHealth’s ER experts are ready to safely care for you at four locations throughout Johnson County. And, we’ve made it easy to schedule a non-life-threatening emergency room visit online so you can wait in the comfort of home and arrive at a time convenient for you.

2023 Healthcare Profiles

INTERPERSONAL PSYCHIATRY

Dr. Irfan Handoo

Kansas City’s Only Deep TMS Provider and Leading Provider of IV Ketamine Treatments

Dr. Handoo has been at the cutting edge of psychiatry and is one of the country’s leading experts in treatment-resistant depression. He is one of the most experienced TMS and ketamine psychiatrists in the country.

Dr. Handoo has performed TMS for hundreds of patients over the years. In 2016, Dr. Handoo was the first doctor to start IV Ketamine treatments in the Kansas City area and has administered thousands of ketamine treatments over the past 6 years.

Deep Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) uses magnetic waves to reach a deep, targeted area of the brain called the limbic system. Advanced research shows that improperly functioning neurons and nerve cells in the limbic system strongly correlate to depression symptoms. Patients who undergo Deep TMS come for 19-minute sessions 5 times per week for 6 weeks in a row for a total of 30 sessions, followed by 6 maintenance sessions over a 2 week period afterwards. Deep TMS is covered by all insurance plans.

IV Ketamine treatments for treatment-resistant depression are “perhaps the most important breakthrough in antidepressant treatment in decades according to Dr. Thomas Insel, the former director of the National Institutes of Mental Health. Patients who receive IV Ketamine treatments come once a week on Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Thursdays for 6 weeks in a row and Dr. Handoo sees all ketamine patients both before and after each treatment.

Dr. Handoo is a member of the American Society of Ketamine Physicians and is in touch with leading ketamine providers across the country to come up with the best treatment for his patients. Both Deep TMS and IV ketamine treatments have shown dramatic results and been breakthroughs for patients with treatment-resistant depression and the benefits for many patients have lasted for many years.

Dr. Handoo was recently featured on the front page of The Kansas City Star on Monday, August 22 discussing Deep TMS and its effectiveness for treatment-resistant depression.

On November 30, Dr. Handoo was also featured on the Fox 4 Morning News show with Matt Stewart discussing Deep TMS.

A recent article in The Journal of Psychiatric Research In 2019 showed Deep TMS to be significantly more effective than rTMS, which only penetrates superifically at 0.7 cm. Deep TMS is covered by all insurance plans. Dr. Handoo is Kansas City’s only Deep TMS provider and is the leading provider of IV Ketamine treatments. He has been recognized as a 2022 and 2023 Top Doctor by Kansas City Magazine

Led by Dr. Irfan Handoo, Clinical Manager Lauren Bamber, Lead TMS Technician Stefanie Sizemore, Director of Ketamine Zac, Patient Coordinator Brett, and therapist Brittany Frazier, Interpersonal Psychiatry Kansas City is committed to providing the highest level of psychiatric care in Kansas City.

For more information or to schedule a consultation, patients may call Dr. Handoo’s office at (816) 441-9875 or send a message through his website www.drhandoo.com

DID YOU KNOW?

Whereas rTMS (superficial TMS)  relies on a figure-8 coil design, which only reaches a depth of 0.7 cm. Deep TMS (Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation) uses a three-dimensional H1-coil design, which encompasses a much broader surface area and stimulates deeper brain structures directly, reaching a significant depth of 4 cm.

A study in the Journal of Psychiatric Research in July 2019 showed that deep TMS was significantly more effective in reducing depression levels and helping achieve remission compared to rTMS (superficial TMS).

Interpersonal Psychiatry 1010 Carondelet Drive, Suite 329 Kansas City, MO 64114 816.441.9875 www.drhandoo.com

Stefanie Sizemore, Lead TMS Technician; Dr. Irfan Handoo, Brett, Patient Coordinator; Brittany Frazier, therapist; Zac, Director of Ketamine, Lauren Bamber, Clinical Manager

ORTHOPEDIC SURGERY

Kansas City Bone & Joint Clinic

John S. Bleazard, DO

Dr. John Bleazard is one of the orthopedic surgeons on staff with Kansas City Bone & Joint Clinic. They provide orthopedic service and compassion for patients with musculoskeletal disorders and injuries. In 2007, KCBJ opened a new facility at 10701 Nall in Overland Park, shortly after, the practice joined Signature Medical Group as a division of Signature Medical Group of K.C., PA. The practice began offering treatment at a second location in 2015 at their Lee’s Summit office.

Prior to joining Kansas City Bone and Joint, Dr. Bleazard practiced at North Kansas City Hospital and St. Luke’s North - Barry Road. His undergraduate studies were performed at Auburn University and University of North Alabama. He graduated from Pikeville College School of Osteopathic Medicine in Pikeville, Kentucky, and completed his Orthopedic Residency in Kansas City at St. Mary’s Medical Center. After residency, he was selected and completed an orthopedic foot and ankle fellowship under GregoryPomeroy, MD at New England Foot and Ankle Specialists.

Dr. Bleazard focuses on the musculoskeletal system, the system of the body that includes bones, joints, muscles, tendons, ligaments, nerves and any structures related to them. While Dr. Bleazard enjoys performing general orthopedic procedures, such as total knee replacements,

carpal tunnel release and trauma, his passion is foot and ankle surgery. In particular, the treatment of complex foot and ankle reconstruction including total ankle replacements (referred to as ankle arthroplasty), flat foot and cavovarus deformities, as well as tendon and ligament rconstructions. As a former collegiate tennis player, he has a passion for sports injuries related to the foot and ankle.

If you are suffering from failed conservative treatments for ankle arthritis such as anti-inflammatory medications, bracing and physical therapy, a consultation with Dr. Bleazard may reveal that you are a viable candidate for total ankle arthroplasty. The benefits include retention of most of your movement and putting the remaining joints of the foot under less stress. It is a more viable option than ankle fusion for maintaining mobility as you age.

To learn more about Kansas City Bone & Joint, visit them online at kcbj.com or call Dr. Bleazard to schedule an appointment. He is currently accepting new patients. He is an active member of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, American Osteopathic Academy of Orthopedics, and American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society.

GET TO KNOW THE DOCTOR

As a former collegiate tennis player, Dr. Bleazard has a passion for sports injuries related to the foot and ankle. In his free time, Dr. Bleazard enjoys playing tennis, mountain biking, golf, hunting, and fishing.

PAIN MANAGEMENT

KANSAS PAIN MANAGEMENT

Kansas Pain Management consists of a team of 8 medical practitioners that give patients access to the medical attention they require so that they can lead a pain-free life. Kansas Pain Management offers comprehensive evaluation and a treatment plan that is individualized for each patient at Overland Park, Leavenworth/ Lansing, Ottawa, Lee’s Summit, Lawrence and Roeland Park areas. The team at Kansas Pain Management are always learning and are updated with the latest advancements in evidence-based medicine to best serve patients. Dr. Mayank Gupta, Dr. Mahoua Ray, Dr. Ian Malburg and Dr. Twinkal Dalal are fellowship-trained anesthesiologists and interventional pain physicians. Dr. Kneeman is board certified in physical medicine and rehabilitation as well as in pain medicine with a special interest in minimally invasive spine and joint procedures. He completed his fellowship from Northwestern University.

Dr. Mahoua Ray is the co-founder of Kansas Pain Management. She graduated valedictorian from medical school and moved to Kansas city after her residency and fellowship training from Cook County hospital, Chicago. Dr. Ray is an executive leader with a unique blend of clinical expertise as well as business acumen. Through careful judgement, clear and strategic planning of treatment she is a thoughtful, pragmatic doctor who provides patients with optimum, utmost care. She has solid experience in clinical treatments relating to management of pain and is always able to meet the demands of the growing medical practice and surgery unit at Kansas Pain Management. Dr. Ray has a passion for advancing pain related healthcare while enhancing patient outcomes. She seeks innovative solutions to obstacles to further maximize positive outcomes in medical practice. Dr. Ray has a special interest in acute pain and currently serves as chief of pain management at Menorah medical Center.

Dr. Mayank Gupta is the co-founder of Kansas Pain Management. He is particularly interested in non or minimally invasive procedures to alleviate pain and enhance the quality of life for patients. His area of expertise is neuromodulation, which is the fastest growing domain in pain management. Recent advancements in neuro-imaging have shown positive responses for circuit based treatments in reducing pain. This procedure has consistently demonstrated efficacy in alleviating chronic pain. Neuromodulation can help with pain relief without opioids. The use of this procedure has revolutionised pain management since it not only is reversible but also low risk. This procedure uses electrical stimulation to interrupt pain impulses carried to the spinal cord. Dr. Gupta serves as faculty for North American Neuroscience Modulation Society, world institute of pain and is currently the president of Kansas Society of Interventional Pain Physicians. https://ksipp.org

At Kansas Pain Management, Dr. Mayank Gupta, is known to have successfully handled the most challenging cases of neuromodulation. With years of extensive experience, he yields superior patient outcomes. Dr. Gupta has conducted extensive research on neuromodulation. He has published an article on “Neuromodulation for Pain Management in the Inpatient Setting: A Narrative Review.” He is invited to the annual conference of North American Neuromodulation Society in January 2023 to present the abstract of the article published in the medical journal.

Kansas Pain Management is performing the length and breadth of pain management procedures available such as:

• Endoscopic Discectomy,

• Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA)

• Spinal Cord Stimulation (SCS)

• Intrathecal Pain Pumps

• Disc Nucleoplasty

• Trigeminal nerve block

• Stem cells/PRP injection

• Minimally invasive interlaminar interspinous fusion

• Minimally invasive Sacro-iliac joint fusions

• Ultrasound guided nerve blocks

• Botox for Spasticity/Cervical Dystonia

• Transforaminal epidural steroid injections

• Intercostal nerve blocks

• Transversus abdominis blocks

• Peripheral nerve stimulator implants

• Kyphoplasty

• Minimally Invasive Lumbar Decompression

New Patient appointments are available within two weeks by emailing kansaspain@gmail.com or through our website https://kansaspainmanagement.com. With two award-winning doctors in more than 8 locations. Kansas Pain Management strives to get the best multidisciplinary treatment close to home.

Patients at Kansas Pain Management can expect to be treated by experienced medical professionals who strive to deliver positive patient outcomes with utmost care.

“The doctors, nurses and staff are kind, thoughtful, and truly listen to understand what I’m going through. They presented several options to treat my chronic pain. I finally have a treatment plan that addresses/eliminates my back pain so I can actually live my life!! They are such a blessing to me and I’m grateful to have found them!”

PATIENT TESTIMONIAL

I have been seeing Dr. Ray for 4 years and felt the best I ever have. Family-oriented, friendly office; seen several doctors and same wonderful demeanour, same relief. I have and will continue recommending it to family and friends. I’ve originally 3 years ago had the epidurals, and after excruciating back pain helped me for 2 years, then had sciatica pain again and returned to Dr. Ray had another epidural but had a pinched nerve and required surgery had 2 more epidurals and got relief and after surgery found out I had diffused arthritis got nerve block which helped and going to have a RFA soon. I am looking forward to eliminating nerve pain and finding relief. Dr. Ray has been my rock through my back pain surgeries

Dr. Gupta Presenting at the World Institute of Pain in Budapest Hungary in 2022.

KU Sports Medicine & Performance Center

Vincent H. Key, MD

Dr. Vincent Key is an Orthopedic Surgery and Sports Medicine Specialist in Overland Park, KS and has more than 28 years of experience in the medical field. He is a graduate of Spring Hill (Kan.) High School and received his undergraduate degree from Kansas State University where he was a track and field athlete (long and triple jump). He completed his MD from the University of Oklahoma, Orthopaedic Residency at Martin Luther King/Charles Drew Medical Center in Los Angeles, California and a Sports Medicine Fellowship at Wellington Orthopaedics and the University of Cincinnati.

Dr. Vincent Key is currently serving as an Associate Professor of Orthopedic Surgery/Sports Medicine at the University of Kansas Health System. He joined the department in 2003 after working in private practice in Independence, MO.

Dr. Key’s primary clinical and surgical focus in sports medicine is knee, shoulder and elbow reconstruction. Knee reconstruction encompasses from the routine (knee arthroscopy) to the complex (ACL Reconstruction and multi-ligament knee reconstruction (ACL/PCL) and cartilage restoration procedures). He also performs total knee replacements. Shoulder procedures include rotator cuff and labral repairs along with complex shoulder reconstructions. In addition, Dr. Key has been recognized as a regional expert in UCL reconstructions of the elbow --- better known as the Tommy John procedure, along with UCL repair and bridge and elbow arthroscopy. Dr. Key also manages athletes with hamstring Injuries.

Dr. Vincent Key is in his 13th season as the Medical Director and Head Team Physician for the Kansas City Royals. During that time, the Royals played in the World Series (2014, 2015) with a World Championship in 2015. Dr. Key is also the President of the Major League Baseball Team Physicians Association for 2022 and previously served on the Medical Advisory Committee for Major League Baseball, while holding a regional consultant position for all 30 MLB teams.

He serves as the associate physician for USA Track & Field and has been an orthopaedic consultant involved in the Big 12 Basketball Tournament for more than10 years. His consultant work extends to the Missouri Valley Chapter of USATF (Youth).

Dr. Key consults with many youth baseball clubs in the area including the Royals Urban Youth Academy. He has given many lectures to youth coaches and parents on the importance of physically preparing to play baseball and the pitfalls of early sport specialization. Dr. Key has designed throwing and hitting protocols specifically for youth athletes.

Dr. Key enjoys family time, fishing and coaching youth sports. He resides in Overland Park, Kan. He has four children: Kaelin, Cameron, Carson and Kaiya. His practice is currently accepting new patients.

GET TO KNOW THE DOCTOR

I have had the distinct honor of taking care of some of the top high school, college and professional athletes in Kansas City. Seeing those athletes, along with my other patients, return to what they love, whether it be high level or recreational sports, their job, hobby or just back to their normal activity, makes me feel really good

Pediatric Dentistry LeBlanc & Associates

Michael LeBlanc, DDS

Dr. Michael LeBlanc, Dr. Kyle Pederson, Dr. Mary Le, Dr. Emily Meyer, Dr. Stefanie Curtis, and Dr. Bryan Henrie are a team of dentists committed to helping children achieve the best possible dental results in the most comfortable and friendly environment possible, complete with child-friendly chairs, TVs, headphones and an overall welcoming environment filled with bright colors and a welcoming staff.

The LeBlanc team uses the latest dental care techniques and the most current and progressive methods supported by accepted research. Dr. LeBlanc actively participates in dental educational research to assure that we remain current at the highest level.

For more than 10 years, Dr. LeBlanc has been recognized by Kansas City Magazine and USATop Dentists as one of the finest pediatric dentists in the entire Kansas City metro area. He has also received the distinct Pierre Fauchard Award for clinical excellence as well as the prestigious Arther Iwerson award for excellence in pediatric dentistry. Throughout his career, he has continued to be active in the dental community. Currently, Dr. LeBlanc is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, a member of the American Dental Association and is a member of the Kansas Dental Association. He speaks fluent Spanish and has volunteered for dental missions in Venezuela and Mexico. Locally, he has participated in volunteer events for the Team Smile organization and the Kansas Special Olympics.

Dr. Emily Meyer, DDS grew up in Pennsylvania and Washington D.C. She earned her undergraduate degree from Pennsylvania State University before attending dental school in Baltimore at the University of Maryland. Dr. Meyer then completed her medical residency at NYU Langone Hospital earning the prestigious title of Chief Resident. She has been a part of the LeBlanc team since 2018.

Dr. Stefanie Curtis grew up in a Northwest suburb of Chicago. She attended the University of Illinois at Champaign Urbana and earned her Bachelor’s degree in Molecular Biology. She later pursued her Doctor of Dental Medicine degree at the University of Southern Illinois School of Dental Medicine. Following the completion of her DMD, she completed a two-year pediatric residency at Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City.

Dr. Kyle Pedersen was born in Elgin, Illinois. After receiving his dental degree from the University of Iowa College of Dentistry, he went on to complete a two year pediatric residency at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. Dr. Pederson is a board certified pediatric dentist and is an active member of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry.

After studying Spanish for one year while living in Costa Rica, he and his family moved to the Dominican Republic where they lived for four years. During that time, he and his wife worked alongside community leaders and pastors to support various ministries focused on community development, medical and dental care. Dr. Pederson joined the LeBlanc & Associated team in 2020.

Dr Mary Le grew up in Kansas City and graduated from the six year B.A/D.D.S. program at UMKC in 2000 afterwards she moved to California for her postdoctoral residency at the University of California at San Francisco and was chosen Chief Resident in her last year there. She graduated in 2003 with both a clinical certificate in pediatric dentistry and a Master’s degree in Oral and Craniofacial Sciences. After living in California for more than 18 years she and her husband relocated to Kansas City to raise their family.

Dr. Le is a board certified Diplomate of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry. Her passion is minimally invasive pediatric dentistry (ART treatment, Hall crowns) and she has personal experience with high needs children.

Dr. Bryan Henrie grew up in Leawood and Atlanta. After 7 years as a practicing attorney, he took an exciting career change and attended the University of Utah where he earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree. Upon discovering his passion for helping children he completed a pediatric dental residency program at the University of Minnesota.

Fluent in Spanish and an active member of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Dr. Henrie has participated in multiple dental missions to Mexico that he organized through his charitable organization.

DENTISTRY

the art of dentistry

Kory Kirkegaard, DMD

AVISIT TO THE DENTIST should be a calming experience - not a stressful one. The philosophy at The Art of Dentistry is simple: every patient deserves excellent dental care and they deserve to be treated with honesty and compassion. “We genuinely appreciate the opportunity to serve you and promise to treat you like family”, says Dr. Kirkegaard.

He and his team chose the field of dentistry to improve the lives of their patients through restoring their self-confidence, their smiles and their overall health. They utilize some incredible forms of technology such as 3D-Printing, 3D CT scans, intra-oral digital scanning, and CEREC 1-visit crowns to give you the highest quality work in the most comfortable way. They can also improve the quality of your life with dental implants, veneers, implant-retained dentures or a full mouth rehabilitation. Among the other unique services offered by Dr. Kirkegaard’s team is their partnership

with a sleep physician. You may not realize this, but there is a strong connection between a good night’s rest, oral health, and your general wellbeing. Sleep apnea can result in, among other things, severe grinding of our teeth, cardiovascular disease, stroke, heart attack, hypertension, and many other life threatening conditions. By working hand-in-hand with the physician, Dr. Kirkegaard’s team can help treat sleep apnea and even snoring. If you have tried and failed a CPAP, inquire about the creation of an oral appliance fitted specifically to you that can drastically change your (and your bed partner’s) life without all the cords!

Dr. Kirkegaard spends hundreds of hours learning the most advanced techniques to provide you with the most beautiful and predictable outcomes possible. Whether it’s a single tooth, an entire smile or getting your best night’s sleep, the “Dream Team” at The Art of Dentistry will exceed your expectations.

Schedule online at theartofdentistryop.com.

“Dr. Kory loves spending time outside of the office with his 2 year old daughter, Khloe and his wife/ business partner, Lauren. He also loves giving back to his community through volunteering with Braden’s Hope!”

AESTHETICS & OPTIMAL WELLNESS

aNu Aesthetics & Optimal Wellness

Cristyn Watkins,

MD

Dr. Cristyn Watkins, owner and visionary of aNu Aesthetics and Optimal Wellness, is board certified in family medicine, integrative, metabolic, and nutrition medicine. She focuses her entire practice on advanced medical aesthetics, regenerative medicine, healthy aging, and personalized wellness medicine, while working alongside her expert medical and aesthetic staff.

After practicing traditional family medicine for more than ten years, Dr. Watkins opened the north KC location of aNu Aesthetics in 2011. She had always had a passion for advanced medical aesthetics, but also wanted to find alternatives to pharmaceuticals after struggling with her own chronic health issues.

After the birth of her twin girls, her health continued declining, and she could not find answers in traditional medicine. That led to a personal search for answers through research and education in functional medicine, which helped heal herself and others. After completing her second board certification, she refocused her practice and it evolved it into what is now aNu Aesthetics and Optimal Wellness.

With the addition of anti-aging and functional medicine, patients benefitted from her expertise in the treatment of IBS/IBS, autoimmune disease, chronic infections (Lyme, mold, EBV etc.), toxins, endocrine issues, infertility, insulin resistance/PCOS, anxiety/depression, medical weight loss, bio-identical hormones and more. She blends traditional and alternative options to identify the root of the problem and develop a comprehensive plan personalized to each individual patient.

GET TO KNOW THE DOCTOR

Dr. Watkins has been successful at helping patients achieve a healthier, happier, and slimmer self! Her goal for everyone is VITALITY through all ages. She invites you to join her on this vision and mission for years to come!

To further treat advanced chronic disease, inflammation, pain, fatigue and immunity issues, Dr. Watkins completed further advanced training in 2008 and added Regenerative Medicine to her practice. These advanced treatments include PRP, ozone, peptides, IV nutritional therapy and advanced biologics. She is fervent in her search for progressive options and is always learning and

searching for the next breakthrough treatments in anti-aging medicine and aesthetics.

She now has three locations to help serve Kansas City and the surrounding community. Her vision is to bring her advanced procedures and medicine to as many people as possible so they may also enjoy wellness and beauty on the inside and the outside!

Center For Nutrition & Preventive Medicine P.A.

DID YOU KNOW?

We all want to be Trim, Fit, Healthy, and Happy! Unfortunately, being overweight, with associated fatigue, medical problems, and loss of self confidence is more often the case! And common weight loss efforts are almost always ineffective. Food cravings, chronic hunger, and a sluggish metabolism can sabotage weight loss efforts, making lasting weight loss impossible. Our powerful, individualized medical treatment plans can be a key to success. Getting started is simple, just call us for a free consultation.

Doctor Rick Tague, M.D., M.P.H. and T.M., specializes in medical approaches to weight loss and nutrition, which are often powerful for improving quality of life. And, with COVID-19 added to the list of common health concerns, weight loss has never been more important. Since founding the Center for Nutrition in 1996, Dr. Tague has assisted over 30,000 patients in losing over 500,000 pounds. Dramatic improvements in self-esteem, energy levels, activity levels and health measures have been typical among his patients while losing 20, 40, 60, 100 pounds or more.

After studying public health, nutrition, and disease prevention, Dr. Tague devoted his career to promoting nutrition and weight loss. Dr. Tague’s clinics offer customized, physician-directed treatment plans using the latest information from nutrition and weight loss research.

Dr. Tague manages common appetite problems such as excessive hunger, food cravings, chronic overeating, “yo-yo” dieting and stress eating. He also manages the common challenges of a “sluggish” metabolism using medical strategies.

Dr. Tague’s team of physicians, nurse practitioners and dietitians design powerful, comprehensive treatment plans that address root causes of weight gain. As a patient, you will receive a plan specifically designed to help you lose weight while taking into account important medical conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes or high cholesterol.

Dr. Tague is an Alpha Omega Alpha honors graduate of Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans. He also holds a master’s degree in Public Health from Tulane and is certified by the American Board of Obesity Medicine and the American Board of Family Medicine. His medical practice has fo-

cused on improving the lives of his patients through weight loss and nutrition since 1996. Dr. Tague’s Center for Nutrition clinics are in Leawood and Topeka. For more information or to schedule an educational, free, no-obligation consultation, contact the Center for Nutrition at 913-814-8222 in Leawood or 785-273-4443 in Topeka, or visit TagueNutrition.com.

PERSONAL CELL THERAPY TREATS DAMAGED JOINTS, TISSUES, AND ORGANS

Kansas Regenerative Medicine Center

Steve Peloquin, M.D., James Sigler, M.D., FAAPMR, PE, and Andrew Pope,

M.D.

Kansas Regenerative Medicine Center (KRMC) is at the forefront of stem cell technology, bringing the future of medicine to their patients NOW. The team’s integrity and quality standards ensure patients feel informed, comfortable, and cared for at every step.

KRMC uses the safest source of stem cells - your OWN - to treat a variety of medical conditions. Serving as an alternative to traditional methods, such as opioids or invasive surgery, this procedure is a same-day, minimally invasive surgery, with little to no downtime. KRMC provides adult adipose (fat)-derived stem cell therapy to help patients find relief from inflammatory and degenerative conditions including damaged joints and muscles, pulmonary, neurological, and some autoimmune disorders.

Treating patients with Personal Cell Therapy for almost 9 years, Kansas Regenerative Medicine Center has become a leader in the industry. Founded in Manhattan, KS in March

of 2014 and opening their 2nd location in Overland Park in 2017, KRMC has treated over 3,000 patients from around the country, and world, for a variety of medical conditions.

Patients consult with one of KRMC’s expert physicians – James Sigler, M.D., FAAPMR, PE, Steve Peloquin, MD or Andrew Pope, MD. During the consultation, the physician will educate the patient on Personal Cell Therapy, how the same-day procedure works, and helping them understand if the treatment is right for them. If it is determined the patient is a good candidate and they choose to move forward, they will schedule their procedure.

The procedure process starts with a KRMC physician collecting a small amount of adipose (fat) tissue from a patient’s waistline, through a mini liposuction. The patient then rests comfortably in their own patient waiting room equipped with Wi-Fi, a flat screen TV, snacks and comfortable seating. After a brief time, your cells will have been separated, isolated and ready for deployment. The physician deploys the patient’s own cells back into their

DID YOU KNOW

KRMC helps people suffering from a variety of inflammatory and degenerative conditions. KRMC treats some of the most common joint pain, arthritis, and chronic conditions, including knees, shoulders, elbows, hips, back and necks, hands and wrists, feet and ankles, autoimmune diseases, neurological, cardiac and pulmonary. Frank Kirby, Retired US Army CW3 Aviator says, “Personal Cell Therapy on my shoulders and spine has drastically reduced my pain and improved my quality of life. I highly recommend the procedure at Kansas Regenerative Medicine Center.”

body using ultrasound or fluoroscopy guided injections or intravenously (IV). This enhances the body’s natural ability to heal itself. Unlike invasive surgical procedures, patients never “go under.” KRMC uses a painless procedure that requires a small amount of local anesthesia. This procedure is usually completed within approximately 4 hours. The recovery time is minimal and there are no opioids prescribed or ongoing physical therapy needed. It is a small investment of time for what a growing number of KRMC patients say leads to amazing results in the months to come.

Kansas Regenerative Medicine Center

6650 W. 110t h St., Suite 210 Overland Park, KS. 913-800-7555 kansasrmc.com

GEHA FAMILY DENTAL

Dr. Joseph Geha, Dr. Doug Watts

Dr. Joseph Geha has taken over the long-standing dental practice at 4601 West 109th Street, Suite 240 in Overland Park, and he couldn’t be happier about working alongside the dentist who founded the practice. The practice formerly known as Watts Family Dental has been helping area families smile for 63 years, and Dr. Geha will continue the tradition of forming relationships of trust with patients and their families. Even though the name on the door now reads “Geha Family Dental,” the two dentists and their staff are working together and continuing their goal of being the most complete dental healthcare resource for Overland Park and the surrounding areas. Ask Dr. Doug Watts, and he’ll tell you that since entrusting the practice to Dr. Geha, he’s seen him go above and beyond to ensure the best outcome and satisfaction for each and every patient. In addition, Dr. Geha has been instrumental in bringing new services and technologies to the practice for an even greater level of patient care.

GET TO KNOW THE DOCTOR

Dr. Geha grew up in Overland Park. He graduated from Washburn University as a student athlete and went on to the Creighton School of Dentistry. He’s well versed in the full scope of preventive and restorative care, as well as esthetic dentistry and prosthodontics.

“When I first met Dr. Geha, I knew immediately that I had found someone I could trust to take over my practice,” said Dr. Watts. “With his vast expertise and phenomenal rapport with patients, I knew he was someone that our patients would trust. Already, he seems like a part of the family, as his values, vision, upbringing, and ties to the Overland Park community make him a perfect fit for our practice.”

Together, Dr. Geha and Dr. Watts continue to serve the community they have both known and admired for decades.

Conveniently located in southern Johnson county, Jordan Psychological Center has recently undergone expansion to bring on more professional clinicians to care for a growing clientele. On staff are licensed psychologists, a social worker, counselors, a speech therapist, executive functioning/ADHD coaches, and academic tutors.

Working with clients ranging in age from toddler through adults, the Center provides stateof-the-art assessments and proven therapeutic interventions to help clients be healthy and navigate any educational, vocational, or life challenges.

Services provided: Jordan Psychological Center provides comprehensive psychological and psychoeducational evaluations for attention and learning problems,

including Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and specific learning disabilities. Evaluations for autism are also provided. Comprehensive evaluations typically involve a thorough diagnostic interview, individualized testing, and a feedback session. Following the evaluation, a detailed and personalized report is provided to the client.

Individual psychotherapy for children, adolescents, and adults and speech therapy for young children, particularly those with autism and other social and language delays, is also available.

There is also an Autism Clinic that provides ongoing support for parents of children newly diagnosed with autism. The support includes assistance with social skills and language programs for toddlers and preschoolers with autism and children with language delays.

Students of all ages facing academic struggles due to dyslexia, dysgraphia, and dyscalculia, as well as students with other learning struggles, receive customized tutoring and coaching to enhance learning and development.

FRONT ROW: Lacey Duffin, Dr. Brooke Carson, Dr. Karen Jordan, Jana Moreno, and Rachel Stritt

BACK ROW: Jeremy Didier, Alexis Davis, Olivia Cowin, and Sara Prince

HERRE HOLISTIC DENTAL

Tim Herre, DDS

Herre Holistic Dental is a health-centered, three- generation family dental practice that has been serving the Johnson County area since 1953. Dr. Tim Herre’s mission is to help your family thrive.

Holistic Dentistry

Dr. Tim Herre is focused on finding the “why” behind dental issues to provide your family with long-term health solutions. His vision of holistic, biological dentistry helps you connect the dots to achieve whole body health. Treatment at Herre Holistic begins with identifying your health goals and then making a plan developed to help you thrive. Our holistic treatment is airway-focused, from Invisalign to tongue tie releases to TMJ treatment.

TMJ Treatment

Dr. Herre works to resolve TMJ issues by focusing on the underlying cause of symptoms, with the goal of conservatively restoring the chewing system back to a state of optimal health and well-being. This type of dentistry isn’t focused on “patch and repair,” but aims to provide an overall better quality of life.

Sleep Apnea

Many cases of sleep apnea are related to the tongue dropping back and obscuring the airway. As a result, patients are in a constant state of interrupted sleep. Customized dental sleep appliances can significantly improve the quality of the airway, allowing one to breathe better, sleep better and thus have a higher quality

DID YOU KNOW?

An imbalance in your temporomandibular joint (TMJ) can cause headaches, dizziness, nausea, teeth grinding, limited jaw movement, muscle soreness and can change the alignment of your jaw. When your jaw alignment is off, the effects can ripple through your entire body. TMJ is often caused by the same underlying issue that causes sleep apnea. Dr. Herre screens all patients for both. HERRE HOLISTIC

of life. Dental appliances are a great alternative to CPAP machines for patients with the goal of breathing better 24 hours a day, not just at night. Kids can also suffer from sleep disorders and Dr. Herre does early intervention with kids to help them sleep, grow and thrive.

Board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Levi Young combines specialized knowledge and training in cosmetic procedures with a passion for artistic results to help patients achieve natural aesthetic outcomes. Dr. Young believes that you deserve the best and he will assess your goals and develop a surgical plan customized to your needs. He performs aesthetic surgery on all parts of the body including face, breast and abdomen.

Dr Levi Young is an accomplished artist with many examples of his work displayed in his office. His artistic ability is an incredible asset in the operating room and enables him to see and create the best aesthetic results. “I am as invested in the final look as the patient because it’s a reflection of my life’s work.”

Dr. Levi Young

Dr. Young earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in chemistry with a pre-med emphasis at Park University where he graduated Summa Cum Laude. While there, he was a proud member of the soccer team where he was an NAIA All-American Scholar-Athlete and served as Captain of the team. In 2006, Dr. Young was awarded his Medical Doctor (MD) degree from the University of Kansas School of Medicine and performed his residency and worked as a member of the clinical faculty in the Surgery Department at the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine.

In 2021, Dr. Young built a beautiful, state-ofthe art Medical Spa in Leawood offering a full suite of non-surgical aesthetics including, lasers, chemical peels, facials, dermal fillers, Botox, Dysport, Kybella and more.

DID YOU KNOW?

Making sure your surgeon is is board certified is really important. It means that they graduated from an accredited medical school and have completed 5 years of surgical and plastic surgery training. They also have to pass written and oral exams every 10 years.

C. LAN FOTOPOULOS, MD

Dr. Fotopoulos is an interventional physiatrist board certified in physical medicine and rehabilitation. He also holds board certifications in sports medicine, pain management and in undersea and hyperbaric medicine. Since 2003 he has specialized in acute and chronic low back and neck pain. Additionally, he specializes in treating vertebral compression fractures, spinal cord stimulation, radio frequency ablations and other minimally invasive procedures for the treatment of low back and neck pain.

He is a graduate of the University of Missouri Kansas City’s six year medical program. The medical field is synonymous with his family as his father was a general surgeon, his mother was one of the first bachelor of science nurses in the state of Missouri. His wife has her master’s

degree in Nursing. His brother is a hospitalist at AdventHealth’s hospital program, his sister-inlaw is a neonatal nurse practitioner, and most recently his son has decided he would like to become an orthopedic surgeon specializing in joint replacement.

When not working at Kansas City Orthopedic Alliance, he is an adjunct instructor at the Police Academy and assists as the medical director of a local SWAT Team.

Dr. Fotopolous enjoys working directly with his patients and enjoys the ability to assist in making healthcare decisions without the interference of a corporate entity.

Dr. Fotopoulos has been seeing great success with a new procedure called Minimally Invasive

Percutaneous Sacroiliac Joint Fusion for the treatment of sciatic pain. This treatment takes a few minutes to perform and requires a small ½ inch incision. There is a small implanted device the size of an almond that prevents the joint from moving as much which is usually the source of pain.

Kansas City Orthopedic Alliance

C. Lan Fotopoulos, MD

3651 College Blvd. Leawood, KS | 913.319.7600 kcorthoalliance.com

Kansas City Orthopedic Alliance

NuLIFE IMPLANT SPECIALISTS

NuLife Dental Implant Practice is home to Dr. James and Dr. Camarata who have a combined 50 years of experience in placing dental implants and transforming people’s smiles and lives, for the better.

Dr. Camarata received his Doctor of Medicine from the University of Nebraska College of Medicine, and his Doctor of Dental Medicine from the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine, graduating from the programs with distinction and honors. He completed residencies in both oral and maxillofacial surgery and plastic and reconstructive surgery, being board-certified in both.

He has maintained his interests in many aspects of both specialties throughout his career, with particular interest in complete dental reconstruction of the upper and lower jaws with dental implants. He specializes in techniques utilizing specialized dental implants that allow for reconstruction of the jaw when minimal bone is present, including zygomatic implants and pterygoid

implants. The unique combination of specialties in plastic surgery and oral surgery allows him to assess and treat vast array of complicated facial and dental abnormalities.

Dr. James received his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree in 2005, graduating with honors, from the University of Oklahoma College of Dentistry. He completed an advanced post graduate program and obtained his certificate in Graduate Prosthodontics from the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio in 2008. Following completion of his training, he moved to the greater Kansas City area and began his private practice.

Dr. James is respected for his work in all aspects of implant, aesthetic and prosthetic dentistry, but his most notable expertise comes from treating patients with the All-on-4 “Teeth in a Day” protocol. It is an implant dentistry option utilizing dentures that are supported by dental implants. These tooth implants work to anchor your new dentures, so they stay in place in a way that traditional dentures do not. The All-on-4 procedure allows you to walk away with new teeth in a single day.

Joseph C. Camarata, MD, DMD; Brandon A. James, DDS

“Excellence is never an accident.’ It is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, intelligent direction and skillful execution; it represents the wise choice of many alternatives.”a mattis risus. Pellente magna rutrum in.

KANSAS CITY FOOT SPECIALISTS

Since founding Kansas City Foot Specialists in 1985, Dr. Laha and his team have worked diligently to provide the best foot care for their patients. Because of this commitment to excellence, Kansas City Foot Specialists has earned the reputation as one of the premier providers of foot care in Johnson County. Since its inception, Kansas City Foot Specialists have used their knowledge, training and experience to treat more than 65,000 patients. They are in the unique position of having a licensed ambulatory surgery center as part of their practice. Surgery Center of Blue Valley is the only facility of its kind in the Kansas City area that specializes solely in foot and ankle surgery, with more than 10,000 procedures having been performed in the facility.

Dr. David Laha is board certified in foot and ankle surgery. He has also served as a past president of the Kansas State Board of Healing Arts and the

Kansas Podiatric Medical Association.

Dr. Laha enjoys all aspects of podiatric medicine but has a special interest in reconstructive foot surgery. “The foot is very complex and having an experienced, compassionate surgeon is key”.

Dr. Andrew Hall joined the practice in 2013 and is also board certified in foot surgery. He is confident in treating simple forefoot complaints to complex rearfoot and ankle pathologies. His podiatric interests include sports medicine, trauma, wound care and limb preservation.

“We have the most modern treatments available including our own surgery center, shockwave therapy, 3-dimensional orthotic scanning, amniotic injections, among others”. Dr. Hall says.

The practice is accepting new patients and for additional information on their experience and treatments offered, visit them online at kcfoot.com.

We approach our treatments with conservative methods, unless surgical treatments are necessary. Should your condition require surgery, the Surgery Center of Blue Valley is equipped with state-of-the-art technology, enabling us to provide high-quality surgical services.

PODIATRY

David Laha, DPM; Andrew Hall, DPM

KANSAS CITY ORTHOPEDIC ALLIANCE ORTHOPEDIC SERVICES

The Kansas City Orthopedic Alliance (KCOA) is the largest, independently owned orthopedic specialty practice in the greater Kansas City area

KCOA is proud to recognize our 2022 Award Recipients:

Scott Cook, MD has been in private practice performing orthopedic surgery in Kansas City since August, 2003. He specializes in adult reconstruction including hip and knee replacement and joint resurfacing. He is extensively trained in both non-operative and operative management of arthritis.

Mark Rasmussen, MD specializes in the operative and non-operative treatment of sports medicine injuries with an emphasis on arthroscopy, total joint replacement and reconstructive surgery of the shoulder and knee.

Jacob Stueve, MD specializes in all facets of shoulder surgery and is skilled in both arthroscopic and open surgical techniques. Conditions he treats include tendon (rotator cuff) tears, joint dislocations, instability, fractures, arthritis including joint replacement, shoulder reconstruction

Acute

including tendon transfers, as well as, conditions involving the scapula, clavicle, AC & SC joints.

Timothy Badwey, MD specializes in foot and ankle surgery. He treats a variety of diverse conditions including issues related to acute fractures, tendon and ligament ruptures and more chronic bony malalignments, bunions, tendinopathies and fasciitis. Dr. Badwey is also the Associate Program Director of the Orthopedic Residency Program at Saint Luke’s Hospital- Kansas City.

Charles Rhoades, MD is the Senior Hand & Upper Extremity Surgeon for KCOA. A native of Kansas City, he joined the practice in 1984. Dr. Rhoades clinical expertise includes operative and non-operative treatment for injuries of the shoulder, knee and hand. Dr. Rhoades is also the CEO of the Kansas City Orthopaedic Institute, having served in this capacity for many years.

With more than 50 medical providers in six area locations, KCOA provides access and convenience to treat you where you live, work, or play. KCOA is comprised of the experts that patients and providers turn to when an orthopedic injury requires skillful medical care.

All of the 2022 honorees from KCOA practice and perform surgeries at the Kansas City Orthopaedic Institute, Kansas City’s only orthopedic specialty hospital.

Let us get you on the road to recovery by visiting one of our providers today!

KCOA SPECIALTIES INCLUDE:

Excellhealth Sleep Center

Maniza Ehtesham, MD

Why is Sleep Important?

Sleep research shows that after being awake for 19 hours, you’re as cognitively impaired as someone who is intoxicated with alcohol. Poor sleep results in 20 percent of serious car accidents and many man-made disasters including Bhopal, Three Mile Island, Chernobyl and Exxon Valdez. All of these events were at least partially blamed on lack of sleep.

• 25 million U.S. adults have obstructive sleep apnea

• 48 percent of Americans say they snore

• 37 percent say they unintentionally fall asleep during the day at least once a month

• 5 percent of the overall proportion of obesity in adults could be attributable to short sleep

How many hours of sleep do you need?

Optimal sleep is essential for your wellbeing. Getting the right amount for your mind and body feels great and helps you wake up rested and refreshed. Every person is different when it comes to the exact amount of sleep that’s optimal for them, but most people fall within a range, depending on their age. These guidelines can help you determine how much sleep you really need, while providing some easy ways to achieve it.

Individuals 65 and older require a minimum of 5 and up to 9 hours of sleep nightly depending on their overall health and activity, while a newborn requires up to 17 hours of sleep nightly.

It is good to identify your own ideal amount of sleep and work toward achieving a regular routine of bedtime habits. Both children and adults benefit from a nightly routine that allows time to wind down and settle down for sleep.

What happens when chronic sleep deprivation occurs?

Some of the most serious potential problems associated with chronic sleep deprivation are high blood pressure, diabetes, heart attack, heart failure, stroke, dementia and depression.Other potential problems include obesity, ADHD, impairment in immunity and lower sex drive. Chronic sleep deprivation can affect your appearance, too.

Dr. Ehtesham’s practice,Excellhealth Sleep Center, specializes in helping sleep-disordered patients with comprehensive therapy.

“We provide sleep consultations in-clinic and at affiliated hospitals. We also offer sleep studies and sleep therapies. We are also offering telemedicine services, as needed,” says Dr. Ehtesham.

“A good patient dialogue/history and diagnostic sleep testing are important steps in evaluating how to treat a patient’s sleep issues.” Dr. Ehtesham says. Excellhealth Sleep Center is AASM accredited and provides a full suite of sleep services including home sleep testing, in-lab sleep testing and treatment, nocturnal oxygen testing, sleep diaries/ logs, sleep counseling and education.

“When any patient is treated for sleep disorders, it not only improves their sleep but also improves their overall health and quality of life. Their bed partner may sleep better too.”

Few things in life are as frustrating as foot, heel, and ankle pain, making the steps we take difficult. Maybe you want to train for a road race, but your heel pain is keeping you sidelined. Maybe you just want to get through 18 holes comfortably, or just be able to walk the dog or play with your kids without that nagging foot pain. Fortunately, you can get help to deal with heel and arch pain, aching bunions, or sports-related pain and injuries that affect the foot and ankle.

With Kansas City Foot and Ankle and the Heel Pain Center of Kansas City, you’ll partner with a team of podiatrists, all expertly trained physicians and surgeons who are dedicated to getting you back to your active lifestyle quickly and comfortably. You’ll experience the latest technology available as you work with our specialists to eliminate your pain quickly. Our in-office digital x-ray system and diagnostic ultrasound may help instantly diagnose your condition, and you may find yourself with one of our specialists discussing treatment options that span the spectrum from simple stretching exercises and custom shoe inserts to a variety of state-ofthe-art laser treatments, radial pulse therapy or even advanced stem cell therapy. And while our goal is to get you comfortable without a trip to

the operating room, when surgery is necessary, our doctors are among the most well-trained foot and ankle surgeons in the country.

Of course, you will enjoy a personalized, worldclass experience throughout the course of your treatment that earned us a 4.8 five-star Google rating. Our doctors and staff focus on the little things that make a big difference in your healthcare. Our goal is to create an amazing experience for every patient at every visit, as we help you return to your active lifestyle.

Whether you or one of your family members suffers from heel pain, plantar fasciitis, sports injuries, Achilles tendonitis, sprains, fractures, bunions, toenail fungus, ingrown nails, gout, or foot conditions related to diabetes, we are here to help with four convenient Kansas City locations.

Heel Pain is Optional

The Heel Pain Center of Kansas City is a specialized extension of Kansas City Foot and Ankle. Our doctors have a strong personal interest in the treatment of heel pain because it is one of the most common causes of foot pain. We’ve combined advanced diagnostic and treatment

technology with our doctor’s expertly focused approach to eliminating your heel pain and helping you stay comfortable and active.

Our doctors utilize advanced in-office treatment technologies including Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy (ESWT), musculoskeletal laser, injectable growth factors, and the laser technology in custom orthotics.

(Left to right) Dr. Brian L. Ware, Dr. Erin Lewis, Dr. Mark Green, Dr. Stephanie Jameson, Dr. John Riley IV.

LASER LIPOSUCTION, MEDICAL SPA & BODY CONTOURING CENTER

Reflections Body Solutions

Greg Chambon,

MD

Dr. Greg Chambon MD, is the Owner, Medical Director and Founder of Reflections body solutions, which he opened in May of 2008. He is a graduate of the UMKC School of Medicine, has been certified in FP for over 33 years, is certified in Anti-Aging & has specialized in Cosmetic Medicine for over 16 years.

Reflections is not your typical Med-Spa. It offers the latest innovation in Aesthetic Medicine with less risk, less downtime & more natural results. Unlike most MedSpas, Dr. Chambon is present at the practice.

Dr. Chambon was the first Physician in the State of KS to perform Smart Laser Lipo. Laser assisted Lipo continues to be the Gold Standard & the most requested minimally invasive procedure.

Dr. Chambon performs all of the injectable treatments, Botox, Dysport, & Dermal Fillers. Reflections offers the VIRTUE RF now and is seeing excellent skin tightening results for the face & neck. Reflections offers the GAINSWave, Ultra Femme 360, mira Dry, IPL/BBL, Fractional Skin Resurfacing and many other Laser Treatments.

Dr. Chambon is proud to provide his patients quality, personal and reputable care.

Cusick Plastic Surgery

Driven by a passion for service, Dr. Doug Cusick has firmly established himself as one of the most respected and sought after plastic surgeons in the region. Having performed more than 28,000 surgeries during his 29 years in practice. Born and raised in Kansas City, Dr. Cusick began his career doing parttime mission work before opening his own practice, Cusick Plastic Surgery in Leawood. As one of the founding members and a volunteer with the Medical Missions Foundation, Dr. Cusick has completed 53 missions in 23 underprivileged countries where he trains local surgeons and performs reconstructive facial surgery on kids, such as cleft lips and palates.

Locally, Dr. Cusick and his staff have worked together for many years and dedicated their lives to their patients. He and his team of board-certified plastic surgeons perform approximately 1,000 cosmetic and reconstructive surgeries per year, as well as numerous non-surgical treatments such as Botox, restyline injections and microdermabrasion among others.

Dr. Cusick has a Doctorate of Medicine from Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma and was president of his medical class. After completing a General Surgery residency at Loma Linda University Medical Center in Southern California in 1990, he completed two years of Plastic Surgery residency at the University of Kansas Medical Center. Dr. Cusick is board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and a fellow of the American College of Surgeons.

Doug Cusick, MD

MONARCH

REJUVENATION CENTER

Richard Bene, MD, FACS; Keith Hodge, MD, FACS: Paul Leahy, MD, FACS

The 2023 Top Doctors® recognizes Drs. Bene, Hodge and Leahy among the best in plastic surgeons for the Kansas City area. Monarch is honored to showcase its expertise in cosmetic, reconstructive and plastic surgery from these board-certified surgeons and their peers on the surgical team, which also includes Jeffrey Dillow, MD, FACS; Elizabeth Killion, MD, FACS; and Kalila Steen, MD. This recognition follows Monarch’s recent honor by The Pitch as the 2022 Best Medical Spa, also honoring Dr. Leahy as Best Cosmetic Surgeon and Kirsten McClintock, RN, BSN, as runner-up for Best Injector. With support from their team of exceptional nurses and aestheticians, Monarch offers the most advanced surgical and skin care procedures, including breast surgery, hand surgery, liposuction, facelifts and body lifts, skin rejuvenation, nonsurgical cosmetic treatments, and much more. Look your best and feel even better with Monarch Plastic Surgery & Skin Rejuvenation Center.

BURROUGHS ENDODONTICS

Jeffrey R. Burroughs, D.D.S.

AT BURROUGHS ENDODONTICS, their vision is to provide the highest quality root canal treatments to the greater Kansas City area. While the thought of a root canal can be daunting, Burroughs Endodontic’s compassionate staff puts you at ease from the time you schedule your appointment until your specialized care is complete.

As one of only a few board-certified endodontists in Kansas, Dr. Jeffrey Burroughs expertly combines state-of-the-art technology with a commitment to maintaining the highest standards of endodontic excellence.

To provide you with the best care, Burroughs utilizes 3D imaging (cone beam computed tomography, or CBCT) and surgical microscopes to accurately diagnosis and deliver the most precise treatment. Additionally, Burroughs uses the innovative GentleWave Procedure as a minimally invasive approach to root canal treatment, infection removal and tooth preservation.

Simply put, Burroughs and his staff focus on providing their patients with Quality Care – it’s their motto. If you are in need of a root canal, experience the difference by scheduling a consultation with Burroughs Endodontics.

Quinn Plastic Surgery Center & Medical Day Spa

Conveniently located just south of 119th and Metcalf, Dr. John Michael Quinn and his staff at Quinn Plastic Surgery Center and Medical Day Spa have provided exceptional results in both surgical and non-surgical procedures. Dr. Quinn’s high standards in patient care, safety and results have allowed him to become one of the most trusted plastic surgeons in Kansas City.

For more than 35 years, Dr. Quinn has perfected his skills in breast and tummy surgery, and patients confidently refer him to family and friends. Adjacent to Quinn Plastic Surgery Center, Dr. Quinn oversees a team of highly trained specialists at Quinn Medical Day Spa. It has become a Kansas City favorite for non-surgical procedures like Botox, HydraFacial and CoolSculpting. They set the same high standards for patient care and ensure patients leave each visit knowing their goals and aesthetic needs are always top of mind. There are a lot of exciting updates coming to Quinn Plastic Surgery Center and Medical Day Spa in 2023— stay tuned!

Dr. Charles Butrick is the most widely recognized Urogynecologist in the greater Kansas City area having won more Top Doctor awards than any other in the re gion. He developed SoLá Pelvic Therapy™ which is a new type of treatment targeting most pelvic pain at the cellular level. He specializes in the treatment of urinary and fecal incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse and chronic pelvic pain.

Dr. Butrick is a founding member and past president of the International Pelvic Pain Society and his practice has been designated a Center for Excellence in Neuromod ulation. For more than 25 years he has been actively involved in education of provid ers in the evaluation and management of patients with various pelvic pain disorders.

DID YOU KNOW?

Dr. Charles Butrick

Ascentist

Featured Top Doctors from left to right: Andrew Palmisano, MD, Orthopedic Surgery, Robert Cullen, MD, Otology and Neurotology, Colleen Johnson, MD, Otolaryngology and Douglas Cowan, MD, Otolaryngology

Ascentist Healthcare provides ethical, high quality and state of-the-art care for not only ears, nose and throat, head and neck, but also general surgery, pul monology, otology and neurotology, plastic surgery, laryngology, pain management, and orthopedics. The practice has grown into one of the largest privately owned multi specialty healthcare practices in the Kansas City area. Ascentist now has 16 offices, 36 physicians, 15 Audiologists, 8 physician assistants, 13 nurse practitioners and 2 speech and language pathologists.

While the history of Ascentist goes back nearly 80 years, their values and commit ment to patients that were established by the founding physicians continue to be embedded in their strategic mission and day-to-day operations.

OPHTHALMOLOGY

Northland Eye Specialists

Susan H. Carney, MD

Dr. Susan Carney’s philosophy toward eye care is simple. “I want to make certain that our practice can meet all your eye care needs, whether that involves an an nual eye exam, cosmetic procedures, minor or major eye surgery including: cataract surgery LASIK, glaucoma and cornea transplants. Our practice’s goal is to care for patients’ eyes and vision over their lifetimes,” she explains.

Dr. Carney is a board-certified ophthalmologist and co-founder of Northland Eye Specialists. She attended the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine and completed her residency at the University of Arkansas School of Medicine. She also is a Patient’s Choice Award recipient.

DID YOU KNOW?

Diabetes, glaucoma or macular degeneration can impair or rob you of your eyesight. With the right treatment, they don’t have to.

PLATTE COUNTY OFFICE: 8660 N. Green Hills Rd. KANSAS CITY, MO | 816.792.1900

CLAY COUNTY OFFICE: 1200 La ndmark Avenue LIBERTY, MO | 816.792.1900

celebrate this honor with our doctors who provide quality, compassionate care, using the latest in technology and treatments for the patients in our communities. The Top Doctors at HCA Midwest Health represent over 28 specialties, 75 clinic locations, 7 area hospitals and 10 urgent care centers.

PRACTICE PASTA

An emergency room doctor by day, Zero Zero’s Mitch Fagan takes a rigorous, scientific approach to his work. He applies the same principles to the old world craft of pasta making. “I learned a lot about different pasta shapes, different sauces and how to pair things in more of a purist sense, like how they do in Italy,” he says. “That’s how I built my repertoire of all my different shapes.”

His fresh pasta business, Zero Zero (1702 Summit St., KCMO, zerozeropastakc.com), resides in the Westside neighborhood. Their quaint storefront allows customers to pick up bundles of fresh pasta—lemon garlic agnolotti, spinach ricotta ravioli, crab mascarpone cappelletti—to elevate their home cooking. Each is filled, shaped and cut by hand.

“What we try to do is use the Italian mindset of using local ingredients,” Fagan says. Zero Zero features a custom blend of flour milled fresh each week by Marion Milling Company, as well as Campo Lindo eggs, produce from Urbavore farm and meat from Barham Farm.

When you see a bed of flower-like campanelle noodles drenched with a thick, aromatic mushroom sauce or squid ink spaghetti lightly tossed in a nutty parmesan cream sauce, you can trust the pairing was the product of a decision rooted in old-word ideas and subjected to Fagan’s rigorous process. —TYLER SHANE

EATING AND DRINKING WELL IN KANSAS CITY

WILD IN WALDO

BY TYLER SHANE PHOTOGRAPHY BY CALEB CONDIT AND REBECCA NORDEN

IT’S MY PERSONAL RULE to wait until a restaurant has been up and running for at least three months before visiting. That grace period—industry standard among food critics, which I have not been until now—gives time to iron out the wrinkles that naturally occur when opening. While some people like to beat down the door in an effort to collect social clout from their first visit to a hyped new spot, I prefer to cool my heels and give a restaurant some time to settle in.

Opening a restaurant has always been tough, and it’s only gotten harder as of late. From chef knives to flaming stovetops, seafood vendors and lease agreements, there are so many details that can be potentially fatal—and not just figuratively. There’s the pressure of guests who have decided to spend their hard-earned money at your establishment and the responsibility for staff whose paychecks depend on your success. Any overlooked detail could appear online within seconds.

Wild Rose Bistro, a new dinner concept inside Waldo’s venerable Classic Cookie cafe, has had three months. Husband and wife duo Bryan and Hailey Sparks bought the breakfast and lunch spot in October 2021 after working at Jax Fish House, Rye and Figlio. In September 2022, they started opening for dinner from Thursday through Sunday evenings, serving bone-in pork chops, a delicate scallop crudo and fried green tomatoes. The addition of dinner was inspired by larger cities on the coasts where real estate prices make it common to double-up operations under the same roof.

Wild Rose is also a creative outlet for Bryan, who wanted to serve a chef-driven menu created by a direct relationship with local farms and producers.

In this Instagram-driven era of opening hype, people expect a restaurant to start quickly and flawlessly. That’s not always possible, of course, and my mixed experiences at Wild Rose made me even more aware of how small oversights can plague an overall solid spot. Wild Rose is a great casual dining experience filled with unexpected quirks. If the kitchen can tighten up the details, it’ll be a go-to neighborhood spot for a weekday night out.

Many of the dishes I had on two visits showed a promising vision. Other dishes, however, suffered in the details, including awkward knife cuts, under-seasoned pasta and out-of-season tomatoes.

Adapting to changing seasons will, no doubt, result in the occasional less-thanperfect meal. But on my two visits, I witnessed shortcomings that could likely be avoided with more communication and some basic vetting.

Wild Rose’s menu, which changes weekly, is built around rustic dishes made more refined by worldly flavors. Grilled watermelon and halloumi cheese smothered with a tomato confit and sunflower seed gremolata may be available one week and switched out for a fresh tortelloni the next.

The interior is a reflection of the transitory nature of the space. Wooden floors, tabletops and benches are contrasted with pops of greenery. Hailey’s mom takes care of the green foliage shelved near the ceiling and prepares the fresh-cut flowers for the table centerpieces. Photographers Anna Petrow and Alyssa Broadus’ snapshots of Kansas City are hung in grid-like form on the main wall. It’s

Wild Rose is blossoming in the Classic Cookie space— but it could use a little pruning.

Wild Rose’s fruit-flavored butters change regularly while the miso butter is a menu staple.

relaxed and uncomplicated. The thirty-seat dining room makes for an inescapably intimate dining experience. From Chuck Berry to Beyoncé, the music fit the collective energy of the space both times I visited. Brian says patrons can request a song if they are so inclined. (On my visits, no one did.)

One of the most unique and surprisingly enjoyable aspects of the bistro is how the owners are navigating the arduous process of obtaining a liquor license. With no alcohol on offer yet, the bistro has a BYOB policy. Underdog wine shop in Brookside offers a fifteen percent discount to anyone who shows a Wild Rose reservations at checkout. Guests were using this freedom well on my visits—Chardonnay at one table and a sixpack of Vienna style lager from KC Bier Co. at the next. “It allows a lot of creativity and collaboration from our guests,” Bryan says. “People are bringing stuff into my restaurant that, even if I did have a liquor license, I wouldn’t be able to afford.”

Start your meal with the bread and butter, consisting of a house-made sourdough roll and three compound butters—salted, miso and strawberry. The miso butter is an umami-filled marvel with its inclusion of toasted black sesame seeds and bits of nori. The sweetness of the strawberry butter paired with the toasty, tangy sourdough bread made for a dynamite combination.

Scallops make frequent appearances on the Wild Rose menu. I had mixed feelings about the two scallop dishes I tried. The scallop crudo was garnished with pomegranate seeds and orange slices and finished with a drizzle of lemon-ginger oil. I was advised by the server to take all-inclusive bites, which resulted in a captivating rollercoaster ride of textures and

piquancy. The juicy citrus elements blended harmoniously with the crunchy pomegranate seeds and sweet, raw scallops—a powerful and satisfying tapa-sized dish.

The brown butter bay scallops with ricotta dumplings did not leave me with the same satisfaction. The scallops were seared to golden brown perfection on both sides, but the dumplings were bland. The tomatoes were pale, out of season and unappetizing. Even the mustard seeds went nearly unnoticed with their lack of flavor. The dish needed more oomph—something extra to bring it all together.

Two pork dishes were more predictably pleasant. The Duroc bone-in pork chop from Farrar Family Farms was a hefty dish. The chop sat atop a sweet potato Johnny cake splashed with a cider jus and was accompanied with braised greens and apple slaw. The two-day brine made for a juicy loin cut in spite of its large size. The pork belly entree, which sat on a bed of sauteed sweet potatoes and kale, delivered a similar homey satisfaction.

As a Kansas City native, the lack of access to fresh fish made me adverse to seafood in my childhood years. Thankfully, my palette has expanded with food and life experience, but I’ve never loved salmon. The Spanish Ora King salmon at the Wild Rose Bistro is changing that. The rich fish was served over a robust blend of roasted cauliflower and

“Think

red pepper romesco, teasing subtle hints of garlic and spice. The skin of the salmon was crispy despite its garnish of salsa verde, which packed a zesty punch. The pull-apart salmon was elevated by the influence of the Spanish romesco for a refined and original take on a common fish.

My meals had ups and downs: The housemade fettuccine and lamb ragu needed more salt. It was a shame to see the beautiful tuna in the tartare fall victim to the pungency of too much oyster sauce (Bryan says the oyster sauce has been scaled back). The bread pudding dessert was delightfully indulgent but cold in the middle. On the other hand, the dessert of buttery lemon shortbread with basil strawberries and whipped cream was kind of perfect in its simplicity.

Generally speaking, bistro food is not the type of fare people debate fiercely. In many casual dining environments, you slurp tomato soup while your friend talks about the woes of their insurance job or updates you on the chaos at their daycare. Wild Rose is making an effort to elevate the genre. So far, results are mixed.

The talent and mission of the chef and kitchen staff are evident, and they’re using high-quality ingredients. But when enough small details are left unchecked, a rosebush with roots in excellent soil can be overtaken by weeds.

globally, act locally” is the motto Wild Rose chef and owner Bryan Sparks has for his menu, driven by direct relationships with farmers and producers.

The Spanish Ora King salmon features a large salmon from New Zealand.

SURREAL ESTATE

CITY OF SODAS

MORE THAN SIXTY YEARS after it shuttered its doors, a smalltown soda fountain lives on underneath the main floor of the Kansas City Museum.

In 1925, C.W. and Wilma R. Kirby’s drugstore in Modena, Missouri, approximately a hundred and forty miles northwest of Kansas City, was the social hub of their rural community. For nearly fifty years, the Kirbys, with the help of their six children, ran the combined drugstore, post office and soda fountain, serving homemade ice cream and phosphates, a popular drink in the early 1900s also thought to have health benefits. Drinks like Pluto Water, Green River and Wine-sip were popular fountain offerings at the Kirby Drugstore. While the latter two were flavored drinks, Pluto Water’s catch-phrase was “America’s Laxative.”

The Kirby’s drugstore was open fourteen hours a day, six days a week and a half-day on Sundays. The family,

who lived upstairs, also ran an outdoor “movie theater” with weekly screenings on the side of the building. The Kirbys closed shop in the 1970s. In 1977, the Kirby children donated the entire contents of the drugstore, including original fixtures purchased from a St. Joseph company, to the Kansas City Museum.

With the donation, the museum recreated an old-fashioned soda fountain, the “1910 Drug Store and Soda Fountain.” It was an interactive exhibit that included a working soda fountain and also served phosphates and ice cream.

When the museum, which is housed in a Beaux Arts mansion on a three-and-half-acre estate in the city’s historic northeast neighborhood, shut down around 2008 for renovations, so did the soda fountain.

The soda fountain was also revamped, along with the entire property. Known as Elixir, it has been given a modern twist.

The white tin ceiling is still there, along with the original soda fountain counter, but sleek tables and plush booth seating have replaced much of the older decor.

“My hope is individuals who come back to visit the museum and experience many of the new parts of the museum and the soda fountain can sit down and create new memories,” says Paul Gutiérrez, a museum staffer.

As of press time, Elixir is awaiting city permits before fully opening the soda fountain. That could happen any day.

In the meantime, the museum is offering special ticketed culinary events, Gutiérrez says.

For example, Michael Crane from Crane Brewing held an “educational and tasty” event in the Elixir space teaching how water, grains, hops and yeast come together to make beer. Gutiérrez encourages people to check the museum’s calendar for upcoming events.

BARTSCH

—DAWNYA

How a small-town soda fountain was transported to the basement of a KC museum

THE STORIES BEHIND KANSAS CITY’S MOST EYE-CATCHING BUILDINGS

TANK’S ROLLING

Roman Raya describes his perfect day in KC.

BY TYLER SHANE

ROMAN RAYA’S FIRST JOB was working at a taco stand at the I-70 racetrack in Odessa, Missouri, when he was sixteen years old. Little did he know he was getting a taste of his future project, Taco Tank.

Raya didn’t take a straight path to specializing in the traditional Mexican food, however. He began his corporate career as a document prep specialist at a bank. “Basically, I pulled out staples and paperclips from boxes so our imaging people could scan documents,” he says. “I worked my way up as a tax department manager working with real estate taxes.”

FAVORITE SPOTS

Coffee: I get a lot of coffee to go, but if I’m able to slow down, I enjoy Mildred’s. On the run, I like to stop by Oddly Correct and grab a coffee and a sausage biscuit with pimento cheese.

Quick Bite: Definitely Kitty’s Cafe for the pork tenderloin sandwich. Can’t go wrong. I still enjoy eating tacos on my days off, though. Tacos El Viejon is my favorite taco truck. The best stuff to get there are the tripas and al pastor tacos. I love that they have the trompo right in the front window.

Fancy Dinner: I recently went to Novel and I really enjoyed that experience. I think they’re making the best food in Kansas City right now as far as what I’ve tried. Every plate had its own identity. There was nothing on the plate that didn’t need to be there. I feel like some places want to include an ingredient just to have it or add a garnish that isn’t necessary. Every single piece of food that they served us there made sense and added to the dish. I was really impressed.

Determined to enter the food industry, Raya decided that a food cart was the most lowrisk investment. As a Mexican American, he gravitated toward tacos as the foundation for the concept. For several years, Raya juggled his full-time job and the taco cart, slinging tacos at local breweries during the week and slowly building a following. He was offering the birria taco at the Tank before it was trendy.

“Obviously, our birria tacos are a customer favorite,” he says. “Personally, I really like our carnitas. We make it in a traditional way, cooking it in its own fat. We include spices, citrus

and caramel—just a very traditional way of cooking it. That’s something I grew up with my whole life. Carnitas are, to me, a Sunday at my grandma’s house.”

For Raya, creating a family-oriented business makes the hustle of the food industry worth it. “Being able to not only create jobs, but create jobs that support my family, our background and our mission, that’s really important to me,” Raya says.

Taco Tank has two locations: one at Iron District in North Kansas City and another at Parlor food hall in the Crossroads. The menu pays homage to traditional techniques, but every Tank taco is thoughtfully dressed in its own set of ingredients. For example, the adobo chicken tacos are seared with a layer of crispy cheese, then finished with chihuahua cheese, cilantro and a secret sauce.

BY MARTIN CIZMAR

SUBSTITUTE TEACHING IS one of society’s most notoriously unpleasant professions. For Ron Williams II, it was a relaxed way to give a little back to society as he was cooling his heels over the last year. Williams has spent his adult life working seven days a week most weeks, typically starting at 4:30 am, when he drives from Piper, Kansas, all the way to Overland Park to light the fires at his family’s barbecue pit, Wyandot BBQ. That all changed on December 3 of 2021 when a fire started in the kitchen at Wyandot II on 75th Street.

“One of the guys was pulling brisket out of the oven—it was a real windy day that day, kinda warm—and the wind just pushed the fire out of the box and he couldn’t handle it,” Williams says. “It spread pretty quick and burned our kitchen up pretty good.”’

It took almost a year of haggling with the insurance company and overseeing renovations to reopen Wyandot II. During that time, Williams needed something to do, so he started picking up shifts at the Turner school district in KCK.

“After working seven days a week, you would think a little break would be great, but man, three months in I was just like, ‘I can’t just sit around,’” he says. “I was like, ‘I’m gonna give something back. They need help, I’ll go help ‘em.’”

That get-er-done approach is exactly what you’d expect from the scion of Wyandot BBQ. It’s a place with unfussy ’cue: The ribs aren’t trimmed much, there’s only one sauce, and everything has plenty of smoke from a brick pit that was designed and built by the elder Ron Williams. It’s got a rotisserie with six pans for meat, and it’s entirely fired by wood—Williams prefers a mix of red oak and hickory.

There was no thought given to the idea of closing the location, Williams says. The day after the fire, he was back on site making plans to reopen.

“As soon as I got out of college, I started working for my dad and came over here,” he says. “That’s all my family’s done is the barbecue business. My dad, he doesn’t even have a computer. He’s old school and he just wants to keep it the way he made it. And that’s just how it is.”

Wyandot is emblematic of an earlier era of KC ’cue, with a catsup-based sauce, white bread and massive portions. It’s how it was when the elder Williams struck out on his own after starting in the business at Rosedale.

“It’s nothing fancy,” Williams says. “It’s almost kind of rugged and rough. We’ve never changed our food. It’s pretty much the exact same thing. We’ve added things here and there. Portions are the same size—we don’t really skimp on those.”

Wyandot II had a line wrapped around the building when it returned the Saturday after Thanksgiving and still had dozens waiting for lunch when I visited two weeks later. Loyal customers found that the whole staff had returned, save one employee who sadly passed during the year off. The brick pit remained in good shape. They had to reline the flue, but otherwise the fire “didn’t hurt it too much,” Williams says. “One of the things that’s most important to us is the real wood—we’re not using gas ovens and all that stuff,” Williams says. “We believe it’s real cooking with real wood.”

And that pit still needs to be lit hours before dawn, which means Williams is back to hitting the road at 4:30 am—a change from his 6 am wake-up time when he was substitute teaching. “Oh yeah, that was nothing, man,” Williams says with a laugh.

FRENCH TROPICS

BY MEGAN FOLMSBEE

BRULEED SUGAR AND SPICES marry with a fluffy egg white on a pineapple rum-base in one of Westport Cafe’s latest cocktail creations. As his first order of business, new bar manager Andy Weathers composed a funkified list of classic provisions for the winter season and with it, an unexpected tiki-adjacent beverage hit the menu.

The Yellow Datsun combines classic punchy summertime flavors with grounding winter tastes like Weathers’ from-scratch turmeric falernum. Tiki-adjacent cocktails seem to be an emerging trend: The city’s best restaurant, Corvino, did something similar for their New Year’s Eve party, a tropical-themed event they called Corvino Cove.

The turmeric falernum is the standout in Weathers’ opinion. He’s taking over a post that has historically been a launchpad for the city’s mixologists, including Bronson Kistler of milk punch fame.

“Falernum is a very common ingredient in tropical cocktails, usually focusing on ginger, lime zest, almond, baking spices and a bit of overproof spirit,” Weathers says. “My version focused on turmeric’s earthy, spicy and slightly bitter notes, which also gave the falernum a beautiful yellow glow.”

Before Westport, Weathers worked at Town Company downtown. “Westport Cafe has such a history of great bartenders and managers alike,” he says. “My goal is to carry on the tradition while focusing on a modern approach, with a focus on French spirits.”

The Yellow Datsun is one of several drinks with a touch of tiki on Weathers’ new menu—blue curacao, demerara and dark rum also make cameos. The Yellow Datsun is the standout. It’s just tiki enough to intrigue the less-adventurous bar guest while still providing a tart classic that’s not unlike a Capri Sun.

CALEB CONDIT AND REBECCA NORDEN

Westport’s French cafe goes tiki-adjacent with a new cocktail, the Yellow Datsun.

Presented by Founding Sponsors

Platinum Sponsors J. Rieger & Co. Stella Artois Unshackled Wines

BAMBOO PENNY’S

With this limited time offer, rates start at just $159 per night for Sunday-Thursday stays from Jan 2-March 9, 2023. This offer includes bonus activities to enhance your stay. Use offer code PM2023 to book online: bigcedar.com