News & Issues
Stories from around the Kansas City Metro area on a variety of topics.
Local employers urged to help in the fight against cancer
Mike Sherry – The Hale Center for Journalism Fighting the nation’s second leading cause of death is a smart move for companies to make when it comes to their workforces, a top U.S. health official told a local business audience during a Tuesday appearance at the Kauffman Foundation Conference Center. The topic was cancer prevention,…
Education Q&A: Elyse Max, Adult Education Administrator
Elyse Max is the adult education enrollment manager at Kansas City Kansas Community College, where every year about 1,000 students are enrolled in college-preparation, English as a Second Language, Pre-GED and GED classes. Max says adult education involves working with students at all levels, from pre-literacy all the way to college preparation. Each year about 150…
Ovarian cancer patients see benefits from vitamin C
Todd Feeback — The Hale Center for Journalism A study published in the journal Science Translational Medicine points to vitamin C’s ability to help kill cancer cells without harming normal tissues. Vitamin C, administered in high doses along with conventional chemotherapy drugs, can also reduce the toxic effects of chemotherapy. According to an article from…
Board hopes growing library of college courses will simplify student transfers
The Missouri Coordinating Board for Higher Education wants to make it easier for students to transfer between the state’s two-year and four-year colleges and universities. Last Thursday, the Board added 16 courses to a new statewide “transfer course library,” which guarantees equivalent credit at any of the state’s 26 public two- and four-year institutions. “There…
Former Chiefs players file concussions lawsuit before changes to workman's compensation law
John G. McGrath — The Hale Center for Journalism The NFL season is over, and it was a mixed bag for the Chiefs. The team made the playoffs after an abysmal 2012 campaign, but it closed out the season with a monumental collapse against the Indianapolis Colts. Prospects for the team might look bright on…
Block by block: LEGO robotics builds interest in STEM
Red Bridge Elementary fourth grader KayShawn Whitworth wants to be both a scientist and an inventor when he grows up. “Scientists, to me, connect to inventing things,” Whitworth said. “If I was just a scientist I would be studying things and then, out of nowhere: pop! an invention comes into my head. … Most of…
CVS says ‘no’ to tobacco
Todd Feeback — Hale Center for Journalism CVS Caremark announced plans to remove tobacco products from more than 7,600 stores in the United States by Oct. 1. Through a press release announcing the decision Wednesday, the company estimated an annual loss of revenue at $2 billion. According to 2012 numbers, CVS had overall sales of…
Carondelet Health, HCA deal falls through
Regulatory hurdles have scuttled plans for Carondelet Health to sell its two area hospitals to HCA Midwest Health System. Carondelet Health said in a news release that the two sides discontinued talks after it became clear that the Federal Trade Commission would not issue a “timely, supportive decision.” Carondelet Health, which is part of St….
KC Health Department boosting efforts in the Northland
The city of Kansas City, Mo., Health Department has taken an initial step in its effort to improve service north of the river, and city officials said the move could be a precursor to a combined health and transit hub at one of the Northland’s busiest intersections. In mid-January, according to Deputy Director Bert Malone,…
Funding for new patient building
The University of Kansas Hospital has secured some major philanthropic support for a new patient building at its Kansas City, Kan., campus. In a news release, the hospital said donors have pledged large gifts toward the new building. The hospital owns about 14 acres at the northwest corner of 39th Street and State Line Road,…