Archive for category: SH Events

Swope Health is celebrating its 50^th anniversary, marking the occasion with a gala dinner featuring a presentation by Dr. Peter Salgo, a practicing anesthesiologist, professor and healthcare futurist.

The event will begin at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2019 at the Intercontinental Hotel, 401 Ward Parkway on the Country Club Plaza in Kansas City. Tickets are available at https://swopehealth.org/gala/.

“Founded in 1969, we are among the earliest health centers formed through President Lyndon Johnson’s ‘War on Poverty,’” said Michelle Keller, Vice President, Community Engagement, Development and Outreach. “There are only a handful of health centers that can claim 50 years of continuous healthcare to the underserved. The gala gives us an opportunity to celebrate our rich history of service.”

Swope Health’s First Clinic

Swope Health’s first clinic was in the basement of Metropolitan Missionary Baptist Church. In its first year, with a $100,000 budget, Swope Health served 2,000 patients. Today, Swope Health operates nine clinics and supports 45,000 patients in more than 245,000 encounters each year. Swope Health’s services include comprehensive primary and preventive care for children and adults, as well as dental, behavioral health, optical, pharmacy and related services.

Like all 1,700 federally qualified health centers in the United States, Swope Health provides healthcare regardless of an individual’s ability to pay. Patients include low-income working families, the medically underserved and uninsured, high-risk and vulnerable populations like the homeless and public housing residents.

Meet the CEO, Jeron Ravin

The gala also will introduce Jeron Ravin, who was named Swope Health’s new president and CEO, following the retirement of former president and CEO Dave Barber in August. Ravin will discuss the opportunities for the next 50 years of service at Swope Health and introduce Dr. Salgo, who will comment on the future of healthcare and medicine.

“The essence of medicine has not changed, although we now have a much larger array of tools and medicines to make people’s lives better,” said Dr. Salgo. “The essence of medicine is human to human care, providing caring, mercy and warmth to people in need.

 

Presentation by Dr. Peter Salgo

“Our challenge,” says Dr. Salgo, “is to help people benefit substantively with healthcare.”

In his remarks at the Swope Health 50^th anniversary, Dr. Salgo is expected to provide insights on medical trends, healthcare delivery and medicines and devices in development. He is a passionate advocate for providing patients with up-to-date and accurate medical information to understand and affect complex health issues.

 

You’re invited to the Fifth Annual Socks and Hops 7-9 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 9, 2019, at the Historic City Market.

The event is designed to promote local chefs and brewers while raising funds and collecting socks for the homeless population in Kansas City.

Michael Crane, President and Co-Founder of Crane Brewing, who has sponsored the event since its launch, has seen the event grow over its five-year history. He appreciates the opportunity to help address the needs of the homeless.

“I honestly had no idea that the homeless – one of their greatest needs was socks,” he said. “Socks and Hops raised awareness with a lot of people about the needs of the homeless in Kansas City.”

Crane also applauds the format of the event, especially the coordinated offering of culinary treats with craft beer.

“One of the great things about pairing food with beer is that the food is better when it’s with the beer, and the beer is better with the food,” he said.

Last year, about 270 people gathered for the event, which raised $29,000 and collected 15,000 pairs of socks, said Amy Kuhnlein, Community Affairs Manager for Swope Health. The socks are distributed to people in need from Swope Health Outreach Services and the Mobile Medical Unit, and proceeds from the event help purchase Heater Meals for the homeless.

For participants, the event features specially prepared small plates and drinks prepared by 16 of the city’s most popular chefs and brewers.

Here is the lineup of craft brewers and chefs paired for this year’s event:

• Crane Brewing and Wilma’s Good Food
• Torn Label Brewing Co. and Taqueria Vegana KC
• Double Shift Brewing Co. and Bay Boy Specialty Sandwiches
• Big Rip Brewing Co. and Karbon
• Apex Aleworks and Urban Café
• Stockyards Brewing and Tribe KC
• Louisburg Cider Mill/Lost Trail Soda and Bloom Baking Co.
• Strange Days Brewing Co. and Local Palette KC

There are two options for attending.

1. The VIP Package – for $75, you’ll get early admission (6 to 7 p.m.) to the event , designated parking, Socks and Hops sampling glass, and an exclusive VIP gift bag featuring Socks and Hops swag, and goodies from our VIP bag sponsors, including Sugar Cookie Bliss, Bootleg Bourbon Balls, Notes to Self, Thez Nuts, and more!
2. General Admission – for $45, you’ll receive the Socks and Hops sampling glass and admission from 7 to 10 p.m. General admission parking is in the lot west of the City Market or just behind the Steamboat Arabia Museum.

There’s still time if you’d like to join us as a sponsor.

We welcome you to join our generous sponsors:

• United Healthcare
• Panel Systems Plus Inc.
• Sumner One
• Consolidated Communications
• City Market KC
• Blue Gurus
• SJInsights LLC

We hope to see you at this year’s event!

Wow! What a party!

Thanks to all who participated and supported the Swope Health 50^th Birthday Bash on July 27.

“This celebration was an act of love for the community,” said Dave Barber, Swope Health President and CEO (after he dried off from his many submersions in the dunk tank). “I am so proud of, and grateful to, all of our associates for embracing this mission. Thank you for a job well done in serving our community for 50 years.”

It was an amazing event with an estimated 700 people participating, including State Rep. Kiki Curls and Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas. The Mayor accepted an impromptu invitation to participate in the dunk tank and, in a show of good sportsmanship, offered high fives of congratulations to the kids who threw accurate pitches to dunk him.

The day started with a prayer from the Rev. Wallace S. Hartsfield Sr., the retired pastor of Metropolitan Missionary Baptist Church, followed by a performance from the Anointed Praise Ministry of the Swope Parkway United Christian Church.

The event featured a diverse entertainment lineup, with cultural performances from the Ethnic Enrichment Festival, the KC Marching Falcons, a line dancing led by De Barker and a fashion show featuring Swope Health associates in styles from the 1970s. Our emcee and DJ kept the audience moving, too.

There was a carnival (staffed by volunteers from the Urban Ranger Corps) with games of skill and chance, a hands-on craft area, face painting, a caricaturist, balloon artist and selfie-station photo booth. A stiltwalker and juggler on a unicycle roamed the event, delighting visitors with their skills.

Vendors offered a wide variety of crafts, artwork, jewelry and gift items. Food trucks supplied sandwiches and shaved ice to supplement the popcorn, cotton candy, cupcakes and cookies available throughout the day. For those seeking refuge from the heat, a Resiliency Room was home to chair massages, aromatherapy herbs and oils, and stations for mindfulness activities or simply taking a break.

Kids flocked to see and pet the horses from the Kansas City Police Department mounted patrol and peek inside the Kansas City Fire Department’s pumper truck.

Near the end of the event, after a rousing drum and drill team performance, the KC Marching Falcons led the party with a “Happy Birthday” chorus.

Whew! It was a full and a fun day, and a fitting way to cap off 50 years of service.

There is Still Time… Swope Health Golf Tournament

Next up in our series of 50^th anniversary events is the Swope Health Golf Tournament on September 16 to raise funds for the Patients in Need fund. You still have time to get a team together or sign up as an individual for 18 holes at Hillcrest Golf Club.