swopeadmin, Author at Swope Health

Swope Health Receives Seven National Quality Awards

swopeadmin — Sat, 16 Aug 2025 13:30:26 +0000

Swope Health is proud to announce that it has received seven Community Health Quality Recognition awards from the federal Health Resources and Services Administration!

The awards are based on improvements in data as logged in the latest Uniform Data System reporting period, focusing on areas of access, clinical quality, health equity, and health information technology.

2025 Swope Health Awards

National Quality Leader in Behavioral Health and Outpatient Behavioral Health

Swope Health was awarded for over 85% screening and follow up for depression and for substance use disorder screening and follow up in primary care.

National Quality Leader in Heart Health

Swope Health was awarded for tobacco use screening and cessation, use of aspirin in ischemic vascular disease, and use of statins for prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease.

National Quality Leader in Diabetes Health

Swope Health was awarded for Adult BMI screening and follow up plan, and weight assessment and counseling for nutrition and physical activity in children and adolescents.

Preventive Health

Swope Health was awarded for meeting at least 5 out of ten preventive health measures. Of the ten listed measures, one was related to dental care, three to pediatric care and 6 to adult preventive health screenings.

High-Value Care

The high value care award is based on improvement in at least 12 clinical quality measures over the past three years compared to the growth rate of total cost per patient.

Improving Health Care Access

This was awarded for increasing total patients served by at least 5% in back-to-back UDS reporting years.

Advancing HIT for Quality

This was awarded for collection of data, use of health information exchange, offering telehealth services and outreach to patients using health information technology.

“Swope Health’s clinical teams work extremely hard to serve patients with care and intention, and we improve upon our work every single day,” said Swope Health Chief Health Officer Dr. Naiomi Jamal. “Our enduring commitment to quality, comprehensive, accessible care is evident in these latest results. I am incredibly proud of the legacy we are establishing in our region, and wish to commend our team, as well as the other health centers who have earned quality awards, on a job well done.”

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Honoring Women in Healthcare Luncheon 2025

swopeadmin — Thu, 16 Jan 2025 23:09:17 +0000

Swope Health invites you to join us! Honoring Women in Healthcare Luncheon 2025. Wednesday May 21, 2025 | 11:30AM-1:00PM | Grand Street Cafe

Purchase Tickets

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Fourth Annual Community Celebration

swopeadmin — Mon, 01 Apr 2024 19:37:32 +0000

We will share new projects and plans and celebrate our collaborations for community health and wellness throughout the Kansas City metro.
WEDNESDAY
SEPTEMBER 25, 2024
5:30–8:00 p.m.
LOEWS KANSAS CITY HOTEL
EVENT LAWN
1515 Wyandotte Street Kansas City, MO 64108

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Swope Health Receives Major Gift From Resurrection Church To Expand Children’s Access To Dental Care

swopeadmin — Fri, 22 Dec 2023 19:47:00 +0000

Kansas City, MO (Dec. 22, 2023) – Resurrection, a United Methodist Church, with 23,000 members across six locations in the Kansas City metropolitan area, recently announced that Swope Health would be one of the recipients of their 2023 Candlelight Christmas Eve Offering. With support from this major gift, estimated at $500,000, Swope Health will purchase a second mobile dental unit to expand access to children’s dental care at community and school-based sites.

Since 2009, Resurrection has given away nearly $19 million through their annual tradition of donating the entire Candlelight Christmas Eve Offering to fund Kansas City-based projects and global initiatives. Resurrection intentionally selects organizations and programs that are purposed to transform the lives of children and families.

Through its mobile dental services program, the Swope Health mobile dental unit team serves more than 2,500 children annually in collaboration with 85 Kansas and Missouri organizations. Purchasing a second dental mobile unit will open capacity for more children to be served each year.

“This partnership reflects an intersection of mission and vision,” said Jeron Ravin, JD, President and CEO of Swope Health. “Resurrection has a vision to close opportunity gaps and provide a future with hope for all children, which perfectly complements our mission to provide accessible, comprehensive, quality care to all—particularly, to those in marginalized and underserved communities. We are incredibly grateful to each person who gave an offering at this service, as well as to the Resurrection Church leadership team for supporting our work and investing in our community.”

Reverend Adam Hamilton, Senior Pastor of Resurrection, believes the timing is perfect to consider the impact that giving can have on those in need.

“During the Christmas season, as we celebrate the birth of Christ, there is perhaps no better way to honor the Spirit of the season than by giving a gift to benefit these children,” he said. “We are excited to partner with Swope Health to provide dental care for thousands of kids in Kansas City.”

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Swope Health has provided comprehensive primary care, dental care and behavioral health services in the Greater Kansas City area for 54 years. Recognized as a patient-centered medical home by the National Committee for Quality Assurance, Swope Health’s commitment to an integrated model of healthcare aligns with its mission of improving community health and wellness by delivering accessible, quality, comprehensive patient care. Accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities and The Joint Commission, Swope Health is also recognized as a Federally Qualified Health Center. Swope Health served 44,300 patients in 2022, and is located in 21 locations throughout the area, including Kansas City, Belton, Independence, Kansas City North, Hickman Mills, and Wyandotte and Leavenworth Counties, in Kansas. Learn more at swopehealth.org.

Resurrection, a United Methodist Church with 23,000 member and six locations in the Kansas City area, is committed to loving our neighbors, and demonstrating that love and support through ministries that include addressing justice and kindness gaps, providing food, health, and housing resources, and encouraging students, teachers and healthcare workers. Since 2009, the church has given away nearly $19 million through their Candlelight Christmas Eve Offering.

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Swope Health Opens State-of-the-art Facility In Hickman Mills, Fills Community Gap In Dental Services

swopeadmin — Thu, 14 Dec 2023 20:00:00 +0000

Kansas City, MO (Dec. 14, 2023) – On Dec. 18, Swope Health Hickman Mills—a full-spectrum family medical clinic offering pediatric care, prenatal care, preventive medicine, acute care and chronic disease management for all ages—will relocate to a newly-built, state-of-the-art facility at 6406 E. 87th Street, Kansas City, Mo.

The clinic’s move from its current location at 8800 Blue Ridge Blvd. is a significant step forward in improving healthcare access to the community of South Kansas City. In support, new clinic staff has been added to the clinic to expand capacity.

Jacquelyn Bailey, M.D., a physician who specializes in family medicine and provides care across the lifespan, including pediatric and prenatal care, and Mohammed Nuru, D.D.S., a dentist who provides care for adults and children, have joined the Hickman Mills staff and are accepting new patients. Dental is a new service offered in the Hickman Mills clinic and fills a significant gap in the area for adult patients seeking dental providers who accept Medicaid insurance.

Swope Health Hickman Mills will now be located across the street from Swope Health KidsCARE Tenney Pediatrics, 6501 E. 87th St., Kansas City, Mo., a clinic acquired by Swope Health in 2022, creating a healthcare hub for the community.

According to Jeron Ravin, J.D., President and CEO for Swope Health, “The new facility allows us to serve more patients intentionally, with greater convenience and access. Swope Health has provided comprehensive, highest-quality healthcare throughout the region for 54 years, and this move is a testament to our enduring commitment to deliver the best to the residents of our city—particularly, the underserved. They deserve our best.”

Approximately 4,400 patients are served at Swope Health Hickman Mills and have been notified of the move. A ribbon cutting event for the new location is scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 10, from 4-6 p.m. Hickman Mills patients, the public and members of the press are invited to attend. For inquiries or further information, please contact Bridget Locke at blocke@swopehealth.org or (816) 599-5554 / (816) 830-2494.

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Join us! First Saturday — Family Essentials Giveaway

swopeadmin — Tue, 31 Oct 2023 22:47:12 +0000

Join us! First Saturday — Family Essentials Giveaway

October 31, 2023

Swope Health invites you to join us for a First Saturday Family Essentials and Foods giveaway, 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Nov. 4 at Swope Health Central.

There will be drive-through stations set up for delivery of household goods, toiletries, warm clothing and blankets, and a holiday food box. The holiday food box includes a turkey, ham, or chicken for the first 500 families.

The warm clothing station offers a hat and gloves set and a blanket — one for each family.

As you drive through the parking lot at 3801 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, volunteers will load the packages into your car’s trunk. No walk-ups, please.

All items are free.

This event is hosted by Swope Health with sponsorship from Harvesters, Cargill, Sen. Barbara Anne Washington, Total Man, Community Builders Kansas City, Bridging the Gap, Eastside Forward, Brass Pinnacle Group, Home State Health, Greater Kansas City Black Nurses Association, Kanbe Markets, and the Community Action Agency of Greater Kansas City.

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Breast Cancer Awareness – plus action!

swopeadmin — Tue, 24 Oct 2023 22:44:32 +0000

Breast Cancer Awareness – plus action!

October 24, 2023

This year’s celebration of Breast Cancer Awareness Month has a challenge for you: in addition to wearing pink to raise awareness, you are invited to also take action.

The national campaign, sponsored by the National Breast Cancer Foundation Inc., calls for support for women, especially those facing breast cancer, and encourages donations to support additional research or assistance for women on a journey to overcome breast cancer.

Swope Health welcomes you to take action, too. For example:

Prioritize your own health! Make an appointment with us for your breast screening. Call 816-523-5800 to schedule. The service fee is $35 (and a sliding fee scale is available).
Coordinate with a friend and bring her with you for her exam, too. Or encourage other women in your life to do the same.
Perform a self-examination and build a routine of regular self-checks. If you’re not sure how to do a self-check, talk with our clinicians when you come in for a visit.
Review the information to become knowledgeable of the earliest indicators of breast cancer. For example, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers a great resource on Symptoms of Breast Cancer with answers to common questions.
Share kindness and strength with the women around you. After all, breast cancer touches one in eight women.

The annual awareness campaign is important because each year, about 300,000 cases of breast cancer are diagnosed, according to the American Cancer Society. Every year, about 42,000 men and 500 men die from breast cancer, says the CDC. And, Black women have a higher death rate from breast cancer than all other women.

Breast screenings can be lifesaving. Screenings offer a chance at early detection of breast disease or cancer, and earlier detection means better chances of treatment and recovery. That’s why having a mammogram, the screening test for breast cancer, is so important.

Swope Health performs mammograms in the radiology lab. Mammograms are low-dose X-ray scans that can identify changes in breast tissue. Most appointments take about 30 minutes.

To make an appointment, call us: 816-523-5800.

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Grand Opening Oct.17: PACE KC Adult Wellness Center

swopeadmin — Fri, 13 Oct 2023 22:48:00 +0000

Grand Opening Oct.17: PACE KC Adult Wellness Center

October 13, 2023

On Tuesday, Oct. 17, beginning at 10 a.m., Swope Health will host a celebratory ribbon-cutting ceremony to commemorate the completion of the construction of the PACE KC Adult Wellness Center, a state-of-the-art health and wellness facility at 4141 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Kansas City, Mo., 64130.

The PACE KC Adult Wellness Center, located adjacent to the Swope Health Central campus, is the first and only PACE program in Jackson County, serving as the central hub for PACE services.

PACE, an acronym for Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly, is a national program implemented by 154 organizations across the United States, offering a full range of health and wellness services for people age 55 and older to help them age gracefully in their home communities.

Construction on the $15 million, 34,000-square-foot facility began in May 2022.

The Center has multiple clinical spaces to provide primary care, medical services, and other therapies, as well as a day center, rehabilitation gym, computer lab, library, arts and crafts room, bathing suite, low-stimulation memory care area, outdoor recreation space and meeting rooms. PACE KC anticipates enrolling participants beginning in January of 2024.

“Expanding our mission to provide services that meet the needs of older adults demonstrates our enduring commitment to the community that we have proudly served for more than 50 years,” said Jeron Ravin, J.D., President and CEO of Swope Health.

“As our largest capital investment since the development of the Swope Health Central campus in 1995, the completion of the PACE KC Adult Wellness Center is a historic moment for Swope Health. In addition, we take great pride in saying that, as the first and only PACE program in Jackson County and the second in the state of Missouri, this is a historic moment for our region.”

Long-awaited celebration
“The unveiling of the PACE KC Adult Wellness Center marks the culmination of five years of dedicated advocacy, fundraising, and community education,” said Heath Rath, Executive Director for PACE KC. “This milestone brings the gold standard of home and community-based care for older adults, PACE, to Kansas City, Missouri for the first time. The services provided by PACE KC are poised to be a lifeline for individuals aspiring to age gracefully in the homes and communities they love.”

The celebration will begin at 10 a.m., with remarks from Ravin, Rath, and National PACE Association CEO Shawn Bloom at 10:30 a.m. Facility tours will begin at 11 a.m. Parking is available for the event in Swope Health Lot C (3801 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Kansas City, Mo. 64130).

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Time for the annual flu shot!

swopeadmin — Fri, 13 Oct 2023 00:02:23 +0000

Time for the annual flu shot!

October 13, 2023

Swope Health is ready to assist you with fighting the seasonal flu. The best way to reduce your risk from the flu and potential complications is to get the flu vaccination.

The vaccines are available at all Swope Health clinics in the Greater Kansas City metro area, including in Wyandotte and Leavenworth counties.

To get your vaccination, call for an appointment: 816-523-5800.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention describe the annual flu season as running from October to March, although it has been known to last into May. This year, the CDC is encouraging everyone to get vaccinated before the end of October, for maximum effectiveness in taming the virus.

“We encourage everyone six months and older to get a vaccination,” said Dr. Naiomi Jamal, Chief Health Officer for Swope Health. “It’s especially important for people who are at higher risk of developing serious complications – infants, children under five, adults over 65 and people with weakened immune systems.”

The flu vaccine works by taming the flu virus, notes Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, acting director of the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Disease, in an interview with the American Medical Association.

This year, the CDC is promoting the notion that the flu vaccine can contain the illness, taking it from “Wild to Mild” by lessening the symptoms and illness from flu.

The vaccine “can reduce flu illness, visits to doctor’s offices, and missed work and school due to flu, as well as importantly making people feel not as bad, so symptoms become less severe,” Dr. Daskalakis told the AMA. “It can also cut back on the visits that people have to emergency departments, hospitalizations and then also ultimately the most severe outcome of flu, which is death.”

Do I have the flu?

The flu is a respiratory illness that affects the nose, throat and sometimes the lungs. The virus spreads easily with coughing and a runny nose. Other symptoms can include fever, muscle aches, headaches, fatigue and vomiting or diarrhea.

The flu can lead to complications including sinus or ear infection, pneumonia, and worsening of chronic conditions like asthma or congestive heart failure.

How do I prevent the flu?

In addition to getting a vaccine – the No. 1 recommended step — you’ll want to focus on handwashing. That’s part of the reason Oct. 15 is declared the Global Handwashing Day by a coalition of stakeholders (including the CDC) who promote hygiene as a “pillar of international development and public health.”

Proper handwashing, with soap, is an effective and affordable way of preventing diseases and saving lives, says the Global Handwashing Partnership. Handwashing prevents the spread of germs.

If you have questions about the flu, visit the CDC’s Influenza Resource Center or talk with your healthcare team at Swope Health. Make an appointment at 816-923-5800.

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Swope Health to Host Community Town Hall Addressing Healthcare Access in Kansas City

swopeadmin — Mon, 05 Jun 2023 19:12:00 +0000

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (June 5, 2023) – On Wednesday, June 15, beginning at 5 p.m. at the Kansas City Public Library – Plaza Branch (4801 Main St., Kansas City, Mo., 64112), Swope Health will host a panel discussion concerning healthcare access and health equity. This event is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served at 5 p.m., and the conversation will begin at 6 p.m.

The discussion, moderated by Ruth Ramsey, publisher and editor in chief of Our Health Matters, a Kansas City-based magazine offering health and wellness guidance, will feature panelists Jeron Ravin, J.D., president and CEO of Swope Health; Carla Gibson, vice president of programs for the REACH Healthcare Foundation; Sharla Smith, Ph.D., MPH, Associate Professor at the University of Kansas School of Medicine; and Michael Wells, senior special collections librarian for the Kansas City Public Library’s Missouri Valley Collection, who has written extensively about Kansas City’s segregated past, healthcare access, and more. Topics to be explored during the conversation include Kansas City’s record in healthcare access, an examination of current data on disparities in healthcare among people of color vs. white individuals, and policies and initiatives to drive change. At the conclusion of the moderated discussion, the audience will have the opportunity to ask questions of the panel.

“The reality that negative health outcomes disproportionately affect communities of color worldwide is well documented, but how do we change the trajectory in Kansas City? We must start by engaging conversations concerning the social drivers of health today with a focus toward the future,” said Ravin. “Achieving healthcare equity for all communities takes a multi-faceted approach. This panel was specifically assembled through that lens. I look forward to a solutions-oriented, action-prompting discussion.”

Please contact Bridget Locke, director of strategic communications at Swope Health, at blocke@swopehealth.org or (816) 599-5554 if you wish to interview Ravin in advance of the June 15 event. There will also be opportunities to speak with Ravin and the panelists from 5:15- 5:35 p.m., immediately preceding the discussion, which will end at approximately 7:30 p.m.

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Swope Health, the leading provider of healthcare for underserved individuals and communities in greater Kansas City, has provided comprehensive primary care and behavioral health services for more than 50 years. Recognized as a patient-centered medical home by the National Committee for Quality Assurance, Swope Health’s commitment to an integrated model of healthcare aligns with its mission of improving community health and wellness by delivering accessible, quality, comprehensive patient care. Accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities and The Joint Commission, Swope Health is also recognized as a Federally Qualified Health Center. Annually, Swope Health serves more than 46,000 patients at 16 centers located throughout the area including Kansas City, Belton, Independence, Kansas City North, Hickman Mills and Wyandotte County, Kan. Learn more at swopehealth.org.

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