Swope Health presents a Health Equity Town Hall, June 15

Swope Health invites you to join us for the second event in our Social Drivers Series, a Health Equity Town Hall, Thursday, June 15, at the Kansas City Public Library, Plaza Branch, 4801 Main St., Kansas City.

The event begins with a reception at 5 pm, followed by the discussion at 6 pm in the Truman Forum Auditorium. The event is free and open to the public.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines social drivers of health as the nonmedical factors that influence health outcomes. They are the conditions in which people are born, grow, work, live and age and the wider set of forces and systems shaping the conditions of daily life.

These factors are broadly categorized as:

  • Economic policies and systems, impacting economic inclusion and stability
  • Education and access to education
  • Access to healthcare and quality of healthcare
  • Housing and the built environment, including access to clean water, green space, healthy food
  • Social justice policies, political systems, racism

This discussion brings together an expert panel to address Kansas City’s record in healthcare access and examine current data on disparities in healthcare among people of color vs white individuals, and to examine policies and initiatives to drive change. The discussion will be moderated by Ruth Ramsey, publisher and editor in chief of Our Health Matters, a Kansas City-based magazine offering health and wellness guidance for more than 18 years.

Panelists are:

Jeron Ravin, J.D., president and CEO of Swope Health, the voice of community health in Kansas City. Swope Health annually serves more than 44,000 patients at 16 centers throughout the greater Kansas City metropolitan area. Ravin is an advocate for health equity and works with federal, state and local leaders to advance policies for a more just and equitable society. He also serves on the board of directors of the National Association of Community Health Centers, Missouri Primary Care Association, Research Medical Center, KC Civic Council and many other professional associations and charitable organizations.

Sharla A. Smith, Ph.D., MPH, associate professor of population health in the School of Medicine. Dr. Smith is a health services and systems researcher whose primary research is maternal and infant health disparities, women cancer disparities, and community engagement. She is the co-founder of Kansas Sisters and Brothers for Healthy Infants and the founder of the Kansas Birth Equity Network. Dr. Smith is passionate about developing a culture of birth equity through community engagement, empowerment, and education.

Carla Gibson, vice president of programs for REACH Healthcare Foundation, is responsible for developing strategic community investments designed to implement REACH’s mission of advancing health equity in its six-county service area. Gibson joined REACH in 2006 and has led the foundation’s health equity investments. Gibson also is an appointed member of the National Rural Health Association’s Health Equity Council, the Women’s Executive Leadership Council of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, and a steering committee member of the Missouri Council on Aging.

Michael Wells is senior special collections librarian for the Kansas City Public Library’s Missouri Valley Collection. As a local history and genealogy research specialist, Wells has written extensively about Kansas City’s segregated past, including topics of redlining, jazz in Kansas City, civil rights, urban renewal,  healthcare access and more.

Please plan on joining us for this candid Town Hall discussion reviewing Kansas City’s access to healthcare, with a focus on history, current state, and work to bring about healthcare equity to all in Kansas City.

 

Best Seat in the House: Three Lessons from the South Lawn

Editor’s note: the following post was written by guest blogger Bridget Locke, Director of Strategic Communications, Swope Health

It was predicted to be epic, and it lived up to the hype.

The 2023 NFL Draft, hosted in Kansas City, brought in 312,000 attendees over three days, and the energy was palpable from the very beginning. Attendees donned their favorite jerseys and colorful outfits, tossed footballs, played organized games, danced to upbeat deejay sets, and cheered wildly as their favorite teams selected new players for their rosters.

Swope Health’s role, providing free COVID-19 vaccines in partnership with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ We Can Do This Public Education Campaign, wouldn’t be the lead story, and we readily accepted it. After all, the draft is about the promise and tenacity of the NFL hopefuls who are dressed in their finest attire, surrounded by friends and family, hoping to hear the announcement that will change their lives. From the main stage of the draft, there were plenty of inspiring stories to be told.

Still, the stories shared under our volunteer tent were inspiring, too.

Swope Health administered the vaccine to almost 150 people who hailed from ten different states and nearly every walk of life: Men. Women. Couples. Friends. Parents and children. Grandparents and grandchildren. Executives. College students. Retirees. Every interaction was unique and meaningful. Some stopped by to ask questions; others sat in our chairs and rolled up their sleeves to ensure they were up-to-date on COVID-19 protection. At least three people received COVID-19 vaccines for the very first time.

While our very efficient clinical team handled the important assignment of administering the vaccine, I stood at the other station under our tent, handing out literature and swag bags to a very steady stream of visitors. People recognized Swope Health. Many stopped to say hello and tell us they know someone who is Swope Health-affiliated, either as a patient, or as a current or former associate.

Volunteering at the 2023 NFL Draft taught me three important lessons:

Mission-supporting activities create powerful team-building moments.
Though I’d never take anything away from team-building experiences that are unrelated to work, bonding over the services you provide is really fulfilling. Each volunteer team worked hard, laughed out loud and knew their role in bringing people to the booth and serving them well once they arrived. I can’t help but feel as though I’ve made new Swope Health friends through volunteering at the NFL Draft Experience and am eager to see how those interactions will enhance my workplace experience.

Challenge your assumptions.
Although we prepared ourselves for scores of visitors, I wasn’t sure how many we’d serve, given the celebratory nature of the event and the reality of COVID-19 fatigue. To my (pleasant!) surprise, there remains a steady stream of people who want to ensure they remain protected against the virus. Lesson for me: Embrace the possibility that people can still surprise you for the better. Because of the devastation that COVID-19 has caused around the world, I felt encouraged to see people remaining vigilant in staying protected against it, even in the midst of a three-day celebration.

Swope Health is a great place to work, and it starts with the people.
It was truly an honor for Swope Health to be the only locally-based non-profit invited to participate in the NFL Draft Experience. I see that as a testament to our reputation in the Kansas City community. Behind Swope Health’s mission, which is purposeful and powerful, there are devoted professionals who come in early, stay late, sacrifice rest and free time, and juggle multiple projects and priorities to achieve the ultimate goal: serving patients and the community. Preparing for the 2023 NFL Draft elevated the true dedication of Swope Health’s people. I witnessed it from the best seat in the house: our volunteer table on the south lawn of the WWI Museum and Memorial. And now, I know in my soul that the effort of our associates is what makes us stand out.

In that spirit, I’d like to personally thank the following associates for making Swope Health’s participation in the draft so successful.
• Tekisha Edwards
• Andrea Franco
• Kenyea Frazier
• Alina Gargesh
• Antonette Gatewood
• Daniel Gilmore
• Emily Glen
• Angela Hawkins
• Bobby Jackson
• Dr. Naiomi Jamal
• Norvel King
• Renee Loenen
• Rachel Melson
• DaRon McGee
• Josette Mitchell
• Christopher Monroe
• John Morris
• Yuzi Mussa
• Stephanie Nickell
• Grace Okonta
• Samantha Pierre
• Jeron Ravin, JD
• Tamika Reliford
• Shannon Robertson
• Alejandra Rodela Salcedo
• Dr. Kenneth Thomas
• Debra Simpson
• Helston Singleton
• Angela Smart
• Tyson Sullivan
• Melanie Traynham
• Shaquwanda Walker
• Wendy White
• Kim Wood
• Raytosha Wright

 

Swope Health to Provide COVID-19 Vaccine at 2023 NFL Draft

Swope Health, in partnership with the  U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) We Can Do This COVID-19 Public Education Campaign, will provide free COVID-19 vaccinations on Thursday, April 27, through Saturday, April 29, from 10 a.m.-6 p.m., at the 2023 NFL Draft in Kansas City, Mo.

 

Swope Health’s medical mobile unit will be located on the south lawn of the National WWI Museum and Memorial (2 Memorial Drive, KCMO), and clinical staff will be onsite all three days to administer the COVID-19 bivalent booster to interested attendees, age 12 and above.

 

According to HHS, more than three-quarters of American adults and two-thirds of all Americans have been vaccinated against COVID-19.

 

With 300,000 people predicted to attend the NFL Draft in Kansas City, Swope Health’s mobile medical unit offers a unique opportunity to help a large national crowd of people to ensure they stay current with recommended COVID-19 vaccine protection.

 

“The COVID-19 vaccine enables us to keep infection rates low, prevent the transmission of the virus, and protect the most vulnerable in our communities,” said Naiomi Jamal, M.D., M.P.H., C.M.Q., Chief Health Officer of Swope Health.

“It also allows us the chance to have in-person community events, such as the one we’re eagerly anticipating in Kansas City,” she said. “We are excited to take part in this historic moment, while serving the public in the ongoing effort to keep everyone safe against the virus.”

 

This vaccination effort is brought to the NFL Draft as part of HHS’ We Can Do This COVID-19 Public Education Campaign, which is a national initiative to increase public confidence in and uptake of COVID-19 vaccines.

Learn more about COVID-19 and vaccines.

Swope Health supports Minority Health Month

Every April is National Minority Health Month, as proclaimed by the federal government’s Health and Human Services agency.  The recognition is designed to highlight the importance of improving the health of racial and ethnic minorities, and to focus on combatting health injustices.

Swope Health works to address health injustices daily, actively breaking down barriers to healthcare. Swope Health is an advocate for quality healthcare for all.

The theme for this year’s celebration is Better Health Through Better Understanding.

This celebration has its roots with Booker T. Washington, educator, civil rights advocate and author, who called for a National Negro Health Week in 1915. His campaign to bring awareness to health disparities lasted until 1951.

The federal government in 2002 launched the current designation of National Minority Health Month,  to promote “educational efforts on the health problems currently facing minorities and other health disparity populations.”

Today, the National Institutes of Health’s Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities works to lead scientific research to improve minority health and reduce health disparities.

Why a national focus? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention describes a growing body of evidence that racial and ethnic minority groups experience higher rates of illness and death across a wide range of health conditions, including diabetes, hypertension, obesity, asthma, and heart disease, when compared to their White counterparts.

The life expectancy of non-Hispanic/Black Americans is four years lower than that of White Americans. Additionally, in the COVID-19 pandemic, research showed members of racial and ethnic minority groups had higher rates of COVID-19 and more severe cases than White populations. These disproportionate impacts are examples of health disparities.

These disparities are preventable.

What’s the cause? According to the NIH, “Achieving health equity for all in the U.S. will require dismantling this country’s historical legacy of structural racism.”

The CDC offers a suggestion: “Communities can prevent health disparities when community- and faith-based organizations, employers, healthcare systems and providers, public health agencies, and policymakers work together to develop policies, programs, and systems based on a health equity framework and community needs.”

This is why Swope Health works to address social drivers of healthcare. Some examples of our work:

  • Removing barriers to care for children, with clinics in schools and community centers
  • A wide range of behavioral health services, counseling, therapy, medication-assisted treatment, coping skills and more
  • Health insurance marketplace and Medicaid enrollments
  • Providing transportation
  • Offering residential services
  • Culturally proficient nutrition counseling, meal-planning and education
  • Health Equity focused innovative diabetes management with nurse-care managers to support patients and reduce health disparities in diabetes care
  • Food and family essential giveaways
  • Hosting educational programs, podcasts and community town hall events
  • Speeding access to pharmacy services, including a drive-through option
  • Homeless outreach program
  • Training opportunities for multiple health care delivery roles in our environment as a federally qualified health center (FQHC)
  • And much more.

For examples beyond the healthcare and related services, Swope Health advocates with legislators and policy makers, civic organizations, non-profits, and others in healthcare and community services to build collaborative impact. For instance, Swope Health participates in the Health Equity Task Force, the Health Equity Learning Action Network, committees with the Public Health department and state agencies and more. Our work touches education, policy development, funding, training and more, all in addition to our daily work in our clinics and the community.

Swope Health is working toward a day when race, ethnicity, income, or ZIP code do not determine your health status.

For more information on Minority Health Month, explore:

 

Treat Town Returns! Join us on Oct. 29

The Swope Health annual trick-or-treat event will once again move outdoors with a drive-through version of Treat Town.

This is our 27th year of Treat Town, a special Halloween trick-or-treat event for kids. Like we have done the last two years, this event is modified to accommodate COVID-19 precautions.

Participants will drive through a large and spooky tent in the parking lot at Swope Health Central from 6 to 8 pm Saturday, Oct. 29.

 

All cars will enter the Swope Health Central main entrance, 3801 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway, to participate. Cars should approach Swope Health Central from Cleveland Avenue and turn east onto Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.

From the safety of your vehicle, you will be guided to tent where we (along with assorted ghouls, superheroes and other creatures) will provide treat bags for children under age 12.

We encourage all participants to wear a face mask to protect yourself and others from COVID-19. Everyone stays in the car with just a quick stop to gather your treats! (No walk ups, please.)

Costumes welcome!

 

Join us at American Public Square Aug. 17

Addressing Gun Violence in Public Spaces

Swope Health President and CEO Jeron Ravin JD will be part of a panel sponsored by American Public Square at Jewell on “Addressing Gun Violence in Public Spaces.”

The event is 6 -7:30 pm Wednesday. Aug. 17, in person at the Johnson County Central Resource Library, Carmack Room, 9875 W. 87th St., Overland Park, KS 66212, and available via livestream.

The event is free and open to the public. Register to receive the information to attend virtually or to reserve a spot.

American Public Square notes: Most citizens deplore the mass gun violence that is currently plaguing our nation. However, Second Amendment advocates fear their rights could be limited if laws addressing guns are changed.  As this standoff continues, death tolls are increasing and anxiety levels continue to rise for citizens of all ages when in public spaces such as schools, houses of worship, retail stores and other public venues.

What is the answer when it comes to mitigating gun violence in America?   The panel will discuss ideas for the community to address gun violence in public spaces.

The event will be moderated by: McClain Bryant Macklin, director of policy and strategic initiatives – Health Forward Foundation

The panelists:

  • Caleb Daniels, marketing coordinator – Frontier Justice. Caleb Daniels is currently the Marketing Coordinator at Frontier Justice, the premier range/retailer in the Midwest, and has worked in the firearms industry for the past seven years. He is a 2020 graduate of Truman State University, with a major in Business Administration with a Concentration in Marketing.

 

 

  • Adam Hamilton, senior pastor – The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection. Rev. Adam Hamilton is the founding pastor of the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas. Hamilton was named one of the “Ten people to watch in America’s spiritual landscape” by Religion and Ethics Newsweekly. For his efforts in Kansas City, he has been recognized with the first Founder’s Civility Award by American Public Square at Jewell in 2020.  He’s received numerous other awards for community service. Hamilton launched Church of the Resurrection with his wife and two children in 1990. It has since grown to over 22,000 adults and children under his leadership. Today the church is the largest United Methodist Church in the United States and has five locations throughout the Kansas City area.

  • State Rep. Jo Ella Hoye and volunteer for Moms Demand Action for Gun Safety. Jo Ella Hoye represents the 17th District in the Kansas House of Representatives. She is a stay-at-home-mom and committed public servant. She’s held various local government management positions in the public, private, and non-profit sectors; most recently as a Senior Analyst in the Johnson County Manager’s Office. Jo Ella volunteered for Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America for over three and a half years, including as Kansas Chapter Leader. That strategic team moved the needle on gun safety in Kansas with bipartisan support. Jo Ella’s continued presence at the Statehouse influenced the passage of sensible gun legislation, earning her the nomination by Everytown for Gun Safety for the 2018 Professional Women in Advocacy Excellence in Advocacy of a State Issue Campaign Award. Jo Ella is involved with the Shawnee Mission School District’s My Volunteer Pal program, she served three years as Vice President for Ways and Means of the Rising Star Elementary PTA, and served two terms on the Lenexa Planning Commission.

  • Clarke Prophete, journalism student – University of Missouri-Columbia and graduate of The Barstow School. Clarke Prophete is an upcoming sophomore at the University of Missouri – Columbia where she is studying journalism with an emphasis in strategic communications and psychology. She has received two awards for division one oratorical speaking during her time in Jack and Jill of America, as well as serving as president. More recently, she has added “member of The National Association of Black Journalists at Mizzou” to her resume.

 

 

  • Jeron Ravin, JD, president and CEO – Swope Health. Jeron Ravin is a healthcare leader who has worked on behalf of Community Health Centers for the greater part of a decade to expand access and improve health outcomes. As President and CEO, Jeron Ravin leads strategic direction for Swope Health, the leading provider of healthcare for underserved individuals and communities in Kansas City, Missouri. Swope Health, a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), has provided comprehensive primary care and behavioral health services for more than 50 years. Jeron previously served as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) for the Community Health Center Association of Mississippi (CHCAMS). CHCAMS is comprised of 21 FQHC’s, working together to increase health access by providing affordable, quality, comprehensive healthcare in Mississippi. As the COO, Jeron facilitated the strengthening of Mississippi community health centers by overseeing programmatic functions including Policy, Marketing & Branding, Workforce Development, Clinical Quality Improvement, Outreach and Enrollment, Health Information Technology, Training & Technical Assistance, and led operations for the Primary Care Coalition of Mississippi, a CHCAMS subsidiary Independent Practice Association. In addition to his experience in healthcare leadership, Jeron serves on several boards including Alphapointe, BLAQUE Kansas City (Chairman), the Civic Council of Greater Kansas City, Full Employment Council – Workforce Development Board (Kansas City & Vicinity), Kansas City Public Schools Education Foundation, National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC), and University Academy. He is a member of Kansas City Tomorrow (42nd Class) and the Missouri Primary Care Association and is a Fellow of the Latino Center for Leadership Development (LCLD). In May of 2021, Jeron was recognized by Ingram’s Magazine as a member of its select class of “40 Under Forty”.

 

 

Federal Agencies Recognize Swope Health for COVID-19 Efforts

On Monday, March 28, the regional leadership of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development recognized Swope Health for its efforts in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Your health center built new, non-traditional partnerships and implemented innovative strategies to reach the most vulnerable populations and ensure their access to COVID-19 prevention, vaccination, and treatment services,” said Nancy Rios, Regional Administrator of the Office of Intergovernmental and External Affairs, for the federal Health Resources and Services Administration’s Kansas City regional office.

Dr. Naiomi Jamal, Chief Health Officer, and Robin Wheeler Sanders, Chief People Officer, were on hand at the recognition ceremony at the Mid-America Regional Council’s offices in Kansas City. They accepted a citation, signed by Rios, on behalf of Swope Health.

In addition to Swope Health, the federal agencies included other regional Federally Qualified Health Centers, Public Housing Authorities and community partners in the recognition: the Kansas City, Kansas Housing Authority; the Housing Authority of the City of Kansas City, Missouri; Health Partnership Health Center; KC CARE Health Center; Samuel U. Rodgers Health Center;  and Vibrant Health Center.

COVID-19 Event Attendees (From left: Patrick Salle, CEO Vibrant Health; Will Franklin, CEO, KC CARE; Dr. Naiomi Jamal, Chief Health Officer; Swope Health; Robin Wheeler-Sanders (rear), Chief People Officer, Swope Health; Adria Edwards, Director of Special Projects, KC CARE; Catherine Wiley, Director of Marketing and Communications, Samuel Rodgers; Bob Theis, CEO, Samuel Rodgers; Amy Falk, CEO, Health Partnership, Nancy Rios, Regional Administrator, HRSA Region 7; Catherine Satterwhite (rear), Regional Health Administrator, HHS Region 7; Andrea Perdomo-Morales, Chief Health Equity Officer, Vibrant Health; Ed Lowndes, Executive Director, Housing Authority Kansas City, Missouri; Steven Tucker, Assistant Director of Resident Services, Housing Authority Kansas City, Missouri; Capt. Scott Conner, Acting Regional Director, HHS Region 7; Jose Davis, Field Office Director (Kansas/Western Missouri), HUD Region 7; (Not Pictured – Elaine Stroud, Housing Authority Kansas City, KS)

The Kansas City cohort of health centers and housing authorities from both sides of the state line, led to an estimated 977 people receiving the COVID-19 vaccination between May and December 2021, according to a release from the Housing and Urban Development agency.

In May 2021, U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Marcia Fudge and U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra announced a joint-agency effort to increase access to COVID-19 prevention and treatment services, including testing and vaccines, to disproportionately affected communities.

This specifically focused on connecting HUD-assisted households and people experiencing homelessness with the care and resources of federally qualified health centers that are part of the HHS/HRSA network like those recognized at Monday’s event.

The federal partnership and local engagement focused on helping parts of the Kansas City area that traditionally have suffered from low economic opportunity and declining health outcomes to avoid letting their zip code determine their fate.

The partnership overcame these barriers and improved the COVID resilience of federally assisted households and those experiencing homelessness across the metro, through the use of several different collaborative engagement strategies such as:

  • Reviewing Geographic Information System mapping of HUD multifamily, public housing units and homelessness epicenters to create an overlay with HHS/HRSA-supported health centers that were in close proximity, to isolate where transportation barriers could impact vaccination efforts and provide transportation resources to vaccination or education events;
  • Leveraging Federal Emergency Management Agency vaccine equity survey data to identify zip-code level vaccine hesitancy rates in order to deploy education teams to enhance receptiveness to vaccination efforts;
  • Integrating multi-jurisdictional coordination calls to help determine if federally assisted households were better served by existing mass vaccination events or required on-site event development, including the use of FQHC mobile clinics at or near HUD-assisted units.

While HUD and HHS/HRSA have often worked together over the years on various events, this lasting engagement is a much more unified approach recognizing that quality and safe housing and health access is part of the same method of improving the lives of persons living at or near poverty and facing social and financial challenges.

Direct treatment of COVID was the specific focus of the May 5 pact between HUD and HHS but building equitable access to combat inequity in future health crises is the larger and more long-term play.

In addition to the work exemplified by the Kansas City-area health centers, HUD and HHS/HRSA’s joint venture to serve HUD-assisted populations continues across the Great Plains region covering Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska as well as the whole of the nation.

Additional resources and information about the scope and reach of the partnership can be found at HUD COVID-19 Resources and Fact Sheets.

The event included a short roundtable discussion exploring how partnerships with federal agencies can be improved and deployed in future national crises.

Swope Health supports Hickman Mills School District Family Summit March 5

Swope Health will join the Hickman Mills School District Family Summit with representatives from Behavioral Health, Dental and Medical services attending.

The Family Summit will be from 10 am to 1 pm Saturday, March 5, at the Smith-Hale Middle School, 9010 Old Santa Fe Road, Kansas City, MO 64138. The event is free and open to families in the Hickman Mills School District.

More than 70 organizations plan to attend the event to share information about their services and resources. The event, held in the large gymnasium at the school, includes a job fair. The Kansas City, Missouri, Health Department will have a clinic for COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters, flu shots and school immunizations.

We hope to see you there!

Swope Health highlights Black History through Kansas City leaders

In February, Swope Health hosted a series of community conversations with leaders in Kansas City who reflected on Black History through their personal experiences.

Swope Health developed the program to recognize that Black history happens daily and deserves recognition more than once a year in Black History Month. The four conversations in the program are now available for replay.

The event featured:

Dr. Kimberly Beatty, chancellor of Metropolitan Community College. Kimberly Beatty, Ed.D., began her tenure as Metropolitan Community College’s eighth chancellor on July 1, 2017. She was formally installed as chancellor at an inauguration ceremony on Aug. 24, 2018.

Dr. Beatty came to MCC from Houston Community College, the nation’s fourth-largest community college system, where she served as vice chancellor for instructional services and chief academic officer.

As the first African American leader in the 105-year history of Metropolitan Community College, and the only African-American CEO in the Missouri community college system, “I live and walk in the truth of who I am each day,” Dr. Beatty says.

Replay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3biukxOLt_U

 

Bob Kendrick, president of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. Bob Kendrick was named President of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in March 2011. Founded in 1990, the NLBM is the world’s only museum dedicated to preserving and celebrating the rich history of African American baseball and its profound impact on the social advancement of America.

“The Negro Leagues museum is bigger than baseball,” he said. “The Negro Leagues is about economic empowerment, justice and civil rights.”

The museum was founded in 1990 in a one-room office to tell “the story of triumph over adversity and the power of the human spirit.” In addition to stories about the players and the spirit with which they faced segregation and discrimination, Kendrick outlines ways the community can support the living history – including via the continued revival of the 18th and Vine district.

Replay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DHdtoQkir0

Frank Ellis, founder of Swope Health. Frank Ellis served as founder, chairman and CEO of Swope Health Services. Originally named Model Cities Health Corporation, Swope Health Services opened in 1969 in the basement of Metropolitan Baptist Church in Kansas City. He and his dedicated board saw the need to provide primary health services to those who fell through the cracks of the health care system – the working poor.

Ellis described Swope Health as a mission-driven, business-minded entrepreneurial organization. He recalled his motto from the early days — No money, no mission – which kept a focus on business growth and financial management as a key to fueling the success of Swope Health.

His recollections included a description of the site of current Swope Health central (a landfill), the work for Black harmony during the riots and years of civil unrest in Kansas City, and his own leadership style and practices (daily devotional and meditation).

Replay: https://youtu.be/nKCNjpp09hU

U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II, Congressman from Missouri’s Fifth Congressional District.  Rep. Cleaver, now serving his ninth term in congress, was Kansas City’s first African American Mayor, elected in 1991 after serving 12 years on City Council.

During his eight-year stint in the Office of the Mayor, Cleaver distinguished himself as an economic development activist and an unapologetic redevelopment craftsman. He and the City Council brought a number of major corporations to the city and led the effort, after a forty-year delay, to build the South Midtown Roadway – now known as The Bruce R. Watkins Roadway. Additionally, his municipal stewardship includes the 18th and Vine Redevelopment, a new American Royal, the establishment of a Family Division of the Municipal Court, and the reconstruction and beautification of Brush Creek.

Cleaver addressed his work on community revitalization in the Kansas City Green Impact Zone, and new efforts with the federal Build Back Better infrastructure program.

Replay: https://youtu.be/dkoJfimY_x0

Swope Health Celebrates Black History

In honor of Black History Month, Swope Health will host a series of community discussions, featuring Black leaders in Kansas City.

All events are free, online and open to all. Please plan on joining us. 

Noon, Feb. 24 https://swopehealth.zoom.us/j/91975085077

U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II, Congressman from Missouri’s Fifth Congressional District.

Rep. Cleaver is now serving his ninth term in congress, where he is a member of the House Committee on Financial Services; Chair of the Subcommittee on Housing, Community Development, and Insurance; member of Subcommittee on Investor Protection, Entrepreneurship, and Capital Markets; member of Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations; member of the House Committee on Homeland Security; member of the Subcommittee on Transportation and Maritime Security; and member of the Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress.

Cleaver was Kansas City’s first African American Mayor, elected in 1991 after serving 12 years on City Council.

During his eight-year stint in the Office of the Mayor, Cleaver distinguished himself as an economic development activist and an unapologetic redevelopment craftsman. He and the City Council brought a number of major corporations to the city, including TransAmerica, Harley Davidson, and Citi Corp. Cleaver also led the effort, after a forty-year delay, to build the South Midtown Roadway. Upon completion of this major thoroughfare, he proposed a new name: The Bruce R. Watkins Roadway. Additionally, his municipal stewardship includes the 18th and Vine Redevelopment, a new American Royal, the establishment of a Family Division of the Municipal Court, and the reconstruction and beautification of Brush Creek.

Cleaver has received five honorary Doctoral Degrees augmented by a bachelor’s degree from Prairie View A&M, and a master’s from St. Paul’s School of Theology of Kansas City.

In 2009, Cleaver, with a multitude of accomplishments both locally and Congressionally, introduced the most ambitious project of his political career—the creation of a Green Impact Zone. This zone, consisting of 150 blocks of declining urban core, has received approximately $125 million dollars in American Recovery and Reinvestment funds. The Green Impact Zone is aimed at making this high crime area the environmentally greenest piece of urban geography in the world. This project includes rebuilding Troost Avenue, rehabbing bridges, curbs and sidewalks, home weatherization, smart grid technology in hundreds of homes, and most importantly, hundreds of badly needed jobs for Green Zone residents.

Cleaver, a native of Texas, is married to the former Dianne Donaldson. They have made Kansas City home for themselves and their four children, and grandchildren.

Noon, Feb. 16:

Frank Ellis, founder of Swope Health. Frank Ellis served as founder, chairman and CEO of Swope Health Services. Originally named Model Cities Health Corporation, Swope Health Services opened in 1969 in the basement of Metropolitan Baptist Church in Kansas City. He and his dedicated board saw the need to provide primary health services to those who fell through the cracks of the health care system – the working poor.

That first year, with a budget of $100,000 and 20 employees, 2000 patients were served. As a true nonprofit entrepreneur, Mr. Ellis grew the organization and founded FirstGuard Health Plan in 1996. He grew the company after an initial $5 million in raised equity to more than $250 million in revenue and later sold it to Centene Corporation for $123 million in 2004.

During his 42 years as head of Swope Community Enterprises, Ellis has received local and national recognition for his impact as a nonprofit entrepreneur—effectively applying business principles and practices to address the total health and economic well-being of the indigent and working poor. He served as the Chairman of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, where he was leading the efforts on the Chamber’s Big 5 Ideas to create a better business climate, create jobs, and to make Kansas City the most entrepreneurial city in the world.

He graduated from the University of Michigan with a Master of Science degree in Public Health. He has postgraduate work at Harvard University School of Business and UMKC’s Henry Block School of Business and Public Administration. He is happily married to Dr. Janice S. Ellis, Ph.D., and they have three children and four grand kids.

Today Ellis is the Managing Principal of PL Strategies, LLC, an executive coaching, management, consulting and investment services company. He also serves as senior search advisor to The Moran Company, an executive search firm.

Replay: https://youtu.be/nKCNjpp09hU

 

Noon, Feb. 10:

Bob Kendrick, president of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. Bob Kendrick was named President of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in March 2011. Founded in 1990, the NLBM is the world’s only museum dedicated to preserving and celebrating the rich history of African-American baseball and its profound impact on the social advancement of America.

Kendrick is responsible for the museum’s day-to-day operations and the development and implementation of strategies to advance the mission of the 501 c3, not-for-profit organization. Since 2011, he has helped orchestrate a nearly $20 million turnaround that has helped the NLBM regain its vitality and financial stability.

Kendrick was responsible for the creation of several signature museum educational programs and events including the Hall of Game, which annually honors former Major League Baseball greats who played the game in the spirit and signature style of the Negro Leagues.

And while he doesn’t fashion himself to be a historian, Kendrick has become one of the leading authorities on the topic of Negro Leagues Baseball history and its connection to issues relating to sports, race and diversity. He has been a contributing writer for “Ebony Magazine” and the national Urban League’s “Opportunity Magazine.”

Replay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DHdtoQkir0

 

Noon, Feb. 3:

Dr. Kimberly Beatty, chancellor of Metropolitan Community College. Kimberly Beatty, Ed.D., began her tenure as Metropolitan Community College’s eighth chancellor on July 1, 2017. She was formally installed as chancellor at an inauguration ceremony on Aug. 24, 2018.

Dr. Beatty came to MCC from Houston Community College, the nation’s fourth-largest community college system, where she served as vice chancellor for instructional services and chief academic officer.

As the first African-American leader in the 105-year history of Metropolitan Community College, and the only African-American CEO in the Missouri community college system, “I live and walk in the truth of who I am each day,” Dr. Beatty says.

A champion of access and equity, she is devoted to the community college mission of providing access to higher education for all. “I am passionate about the community I serve and excited about the ability to provide higher education access to the underprivileged and underrepresented,” Dr. Beatty says.

Replay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3biukxOLt_U