North Kansas City Hospital

Let your good glow! 🌟 Tickets are now available for North Kansas City Hospital’s inaugural fundraising event Glow All Out! Join us Friday, October 4, for a party at the pitch to celebrate the hope and healing impact of our health system on the Northland. Guests will enjoy great entertainment, cocktails and cuisine at CPKC Stadium. Learn more and purchase tickets at glowallout.org.

While the Olympics are underway in Paris, we're providing a space for some Olympians right here in NKC. For 10 years, the North Kansas City Hospital and Meritas Health wellness pool has been home to the local Special Olympics Missouri swim practices. Every Friday, 40 athletes and their families gather to attend either developmental or competitive swim practice, led by Liz Young, head swimming coach for North Kansas City Schools Special Olympics team. “Having access to this facility for practices is a massive gift, which allows more and more athletes to be served from our community,” said Meg Ward, the Kansas City program director for Special Olympics Missouri. The wellness pool provides warm water and a shallow end to accommodate the swimmers who range from ages 8 to 35. To learn more about this program, visit somo.org/KCmetro.

Certified Nursing Assistant Eric Lunn, 9th Floor Pavilion, set a new record with 20 Sunflower Award nominations, the most for any CNA. With that kind of recognition, it’s an easy call naming Eric the Sunflower Award winner. In a recent nomination, a patient wrote, “Eric was awesome. He took total care of me and made me feel like family. He explained what he was doing and why and made me feel comfortable during a stressful and painful experience after surgery. You should be proud to have him on staff.” Congratulations Eric! 🌻

At the beginning of July, NKCH and MH reached 500 total Aquablation therapy cases. This is the fastest any program has reached 500 cases in the U.S. and the most cases within a four-hour radius of Kansas City. For nearly two years, our health system, in partnership with Kansas City Urology Care, has been one of the only health systems in Missouri to offer Aquablation therapy to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). BPH, also known as enlarged prostate, impacts 50% of men over the age of 50 in the U.S., according to the National Institutes of Health. Learn more about aquablation on TrueNorth: https://lnkd.in/gSu6RetM

We are so grateful to our community for voting us the Best of the Northland in five categories! 🥳 Gold 🥇 Best Hospital Best Emergency Room Bronze 🥉 Best Sports Medicine Best Orthopedic Physician: David Paul, DO, Orthopedic Surgeons, Inc. Best Orthopedic Physician: Robert Paul, DO, Orthopedic Surgeons, Inc. Best Urgent Care: Meritas Health Gashland

Labor and Delivery nurse Amy McCollum, BSN, RN, always said she would trust coworker Dayle Davis, BSN, RN, with her life. When Amy was admitted to the hospital, her words were put to the test. “You advocated for me as I was transferred to ICU,” Amy wrote about her friend, Dayle. “We are always able to realize what each other needs without saying it and it came in handy during my stay. Thank you for keeping me alive. Thank you for the Target runs, letting me cry and the constant help and snacks. I’ll never be able to repay you.” Congratulations, Dayle, thank you for making a difference! 🌼

As Jessica Porka juggled her busy life and family responsibilities, she allowed health issues, like her high blood pressure, to slip to the bottom of her to-do list. However, when a series of high-stress situations led to a hemorrhagic stroke, her active life came to a screeching halt. Read Jessica's tale of resilience and renewal at nkch.org/yourhealth.

A July 12 blood drive provided the perfect setting for a surprise reunion and an opportunity to help replenish the area’s blood supply. Angela Fisher unexpectedly required 16 units of blood to save her life while hospitalized at NKCH. Family members organized the blood drive to help others who need blood and to surprise Angela with a visit from hospital staff so important to her recovery. Angela felt a special connection with Rebecca Bell, BSN, RN, CVICU; George Gonzales, CNA; Dario Ramirez, BSN, RN and Samantha Robbins, BSN, RN, Progressive Care. Rebecca, George and Dario were able to attend the surprise reunion where they exchanged hugs, gifts and tears with Angela and her family. The blood drive collected 31 units of blood and was coordinated by the Community Blood Center of Greater Kansas City . __________ The weeks between Memorial Day and Labor Day are referred to as "trauma season" with critical blood shortages due an increase in traumatic injuries in the summer months. We hope you'll join us next Wednesday, July 24, in our Prairie View Room to help people in your community, like Angela. Make an appointment today: https://lnkd.in/g6txpVdY

Radiation Therapist Kim Graves, RTT, ARRT (R)(T), brings added empathy and understanding to her job because she is also a patient on her own cancer journey. Kim’s gentle bedside manner earned her June Employee of the Month honors. “It helps that I can talk with patients about what to expect during treatment and that I understand what they are experiencing,” Kim said. Because most patients receive daily radiation treatment for weeks, or even months, they often develop a close bond with therapists. It isn’t unusual for a patient to drop by with a sweet treat or flowers as a show of appreciation. This connection drew Kim to the specialty more than 30 years ago and has kept her at NKCH for a decade. Congratulations, Kim!

Thank you for voting Meritas Health Cardiology a Kansas City Favorite! You don’t choose a heart condition. But you can choose a cardiologist and hospital. Our expert team will always bring the best care to you. Learn more about our award-winning cardiology services at nkch.org/heartcare.