News & Issues
Stories from around the Kansas City Metro area on a variety of topics.
KCMO begins implementation of women’s empowerment blueprint
Joni Wickham, director of public affairs for Mayor Sly James of Kansas City, Mo., is one of eight women in the mayor’s 12-person staff. She is currently working, with a team of other women city employees and the mayor himself, to implement the Women’s Empowerment Blueprint. Wickham agrees with the need for this blueprint on…
Local company part of national ‘Stamp Out Stigma’ mental health campaign
Leawood-based New Directions Behavioral Health is participating in a new national campaign aimed at reducing negative views about mental illness. The Stamp Out Stigma initiative, organized by the Association for Behavioral Health and Wellness, aims to reach 1 million people this year to change perceptions about mental illness and substance abuse, according to a news…
KS county officials offer advice on improving community health
Bugging people about exercise is not necessarily the best way to encourage healthy behaviors among local residents, according to panelists who discussed health rankings for Kansas counties. More subtle approaches have worked in Allen, Sedgwick and Wyandotte counties, representatives from those communities said Monday at a forum held at Sporting Park in Kansas City, Kan., the…
KC Week in Review: ‘Khamun in’: A sneak peek at Union Station’s biggest exhibit ever
Experience the treasure-filled burial chambers of Egypt’s boy king just as British archaeologist Howard Carter discovered them 92 years ago. That’s the claim of the producers behind ‘The Discovery of King Tut’, the first stop in the country for a more than 1,000 artifact exhibit that has already been touring Europe since 2008. While the…
Share your insights on KC Public Schools and the Missouri transfer law
Lindsey Foat – The Hale Center for Journalism Help KCPT understand more about the issues surrounding the Kansas City Public Schools and the Missouri school transfer law. Major Funding for Education coverage on KCPT provided by Jo Anna Dale and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation
REACH Foundation elects board members
The REACH Healthcare Foundation has added three new members to its board of directors and re-elected another three to a second term, the foundation announced Monday. Based in Merriam, Kan., REACH is a charitable organization that provides grants and other support to improve health care access and quality. It serves six counties in Missouri and…
Nurses’ push for independence from doctors stalls in KS Legislature
By Jim McLean – KHI News Service The ways of the Kansas Legislature are a frustrating mystery to Merilyn Douglas. The advanced practice registered nurse from Garden City is part of a group that is pushing for passage of a bill that would allow APRNs to practice independently from physicians. But that push has stalled….
Discussion aims to put words into action on mental health
Mike Sherry – The Hale Center for Journalism There are, no doubt, a million things teens would rather do on a beautiful weekend morning than talk about mental health with a bunch of adults. Nevertheless, students like 16-year-old Jarel Wilson were among about 100 participants who took part in a discussion Saturday at the…
Children’s Mercy Hospital Recognized By LGBT Organization
Laura Ziegler – KCUR The nation’s largest education and advocacy group for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community has recognized Children’s Mercy Hospital for its progressive policies toward LGBT patients, employees, and families. The Human Rights Campaign will honor Children’s Mercy in Kansas City, Mo., with the Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Award. Director…
Poverty takes its toll on Kansas schools
By Mike Shields — KHI News Service In the state that has proudly called itself the nation’s breadbasket, the problems of poverty — including hunger, homelessness and mental illness — reach farther into classrooms than many Kansans might expect or care to believe. In hundreds of public schools across the state, there are students that…