August26_DigitalMagazine

TOP DOCS 2026

BUILDING BETTER CARE

A look at the infrastructure & technology reshaping local healthcare

BACK TO THE VINE

Inside the ambitious plan reshaping 18th & Vine

The AdventHealth Championship is Kansas City’s only PGA TOUR-sanctioned event—bringing worldclass entertainment, unforgettable experiences and meaningful impact to the community. Join us for best-in-class fun while supporting local charities and making a difference across the KC Heartland.

Cameron Young

2021 AdventHealth Championship Winner

OUR MISSION

Kansas City is our beat. As the city’s definitive magazine, we bring Kansas City to life with dynamic storytelling, unforgettable photography and design that pops. We’re the metro’s trusted, modern guide—celebrating what works, questioning what doesn’t, spotlighting innovation and curating the very best in culture, food, fashion and city life.

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Dawnya Bartsch

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

Nina Cherry

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

Nicole Kinning

FOOD CRITIC & WRITER

Tyler Shane

SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR

Madison McMillen

GRAPHIC DESIGNER & PRODUCTION MANAGER

Dominique Kousgaard Parsow

ADVERTISING SALES

Angie Henshaw and Brett Miller

COPY EDITOR

Kelsie Schrader

WEB COORDINATOR

Madison Russell

NEWSSTAND CONSULTANT Joe. J. Luca & Triva Bridges JK Associates, jkassoc.net

WRITERS

Nina Cherry, Ted Cotti, Austin Garza, David Hodes, Calla Jordan, Nicole Kinning, Ian Ritter, Tyler Shane and Jill Silva

DESIGNERS/PHOTOGRAPHERS

Julie Babcock, Zach Bauman, Laura Morsman, Kelly Powell, Ian Simmons, Mark Snyder and Dominique Parsow

SUBSCRIPTIONS

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Kansas City magazine is published monthly by KC Publishing, LLC. No part of this publication can be reprinted or reproduced without the publisher’s permission. Kansas City magazine assumes no responsibility for unsolicited materials. Kansas City magazine adheres to American Society of Magazine Editors guidelines, which requires a clear distinction between editorial content and paid advertising or marketing messages.

INQUIRIES

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CONGRATU LATIONS TO OUR TOP D OC T OR S

Dermatologist Mohs

DOCTORS

Anne Blake, MD Dermatologist

Michael Haag, MD Dermatologist Mohs Surgeon Dermatopathologist

Daniel Bortnick, MD Plastic Surgeon

Mark Fleischman, MD Mohs Surgeon Dermatologist

Nicholas Crowley, MD

Mohs Surgeon

Nicholas Golda, MD

Surgeon

Deborah Olhausen, MD Dermatologist 2026

Cover Story

Top Doctors Meet

Lake Effect

The Future of Care Is Here

FEW DECISIONS FEEL MORE PERSONAL—or more consequential—than choosing a doctor. We trust physicians with our health, our fears and, often, the people we love most. That is what makes our annual Top Doctors issue such an important one.

Inside, you’ll find this year’s list of the metro’s leading physicians, selected through a rigorous peer-nomination and research process. The doctors included are recognized for not only their education, experience and professional accomplishments but also their empathy, communication and the ability to inspire trust.

This issue, however, is about more than names on a list. It is also a look at how rapidly healthcare is changing across the metro and our healthcare community is positioning itself for the future.

Across the region, hospitals and healthcare organizations are investing big bucks in new facilities, expanded services and specialized care. Children’s Mercy is planning the largest capital project in its history. The University of Kansas Health System is building a major cancer center designed to unite research and patient care. University Health, Swope Health, HCA Midwest Health and others are expanding their capacity to address everything from pediatric intensive care and cancer treatment to behavioral health and the needs of an aging population.

Writer Ted Cotti, who for decades was a newspaper reporter in Los Angeles, where he grew up, now teaches journalism at KU. For this issue, he wrote a story about the College Baseball Hall of Fame. Cotti has written two books, Home Run: 30 Ballparks in 60 Days and Pink Moments, as well as run two marathons.

The scale of that investment is striking, but the changes taking place inside those buildings may be even more remarkable. It almost sounds like science fiction, but it’s not. Kansas City researchers and physicians are harnessing genomics, artificial intelligence, advanced imaging and precision medicine to understand why a treatment works for one patient but not another.

We hope this issue serves as both a useful resource and a source of optimism. The medicine of tomorrow is taking shape all around us, led by people who are building, researching, innovating and caring for their neighbors right here in Kansas City.

But if all this talk of high-tech innovation leaves you with feelings of uncertainty, we also have a roundup of the best biscuits and gravy in town, an old-fashioned comfort dish that will surely remind you that some things never change.

Dawnya Bartsch, Editor-In-Chief dawnya@kansascitymag.com

Contributors

Calla Jordan, a current student at the University of San Diego, wrote about Revive the Vine, an initiative taking place in Kansas City’s historic Jazz District. Jordan, who is originally from Johnson County, has written for USD’s College of Arts and Sciences annual magazine and is a current editor for her university’s newspaper, The Vista

A James Beard Award-winning food editor at The Kansas City Star for nearly three decades, Jill Silva is well-versed in the city’s most iconic food and favorite culinary sport—barbecue. The older she gets, the more passionate she becomes about sharing stories demonstrating the grit and ingenuity that make KC’s style of barbecue unique (and delicious). On the side, she curates barbecue events and is working on a barbecue documentary.

Ted Cotti Writer

Calla Jordan Summer Intern

Jill Wendholt Silva ’Cue Card Columnist

BY

Hot Spot

Our story about how popular chefs Johnny and Helen Jo Leach created a new breakfast and lunch spot, Dear Donna, in the former Happy Gillis (549 Gillis St., KCMO) restaurant space garnered lots of attention. Readers were thrilled to learn that the duo plan on keeping lots of the former restaurant’s beloved menu staples.

Love this, so happy they took over that beautiful corner in Columbus Park.

- Josh Eans

We went there on Sunday and it was so good.

- Kristina Thomas

The crispy potato on their breakfast sandwich is life changing.

- Trevor VanRoekel

I still mourn the biscuits though.

- Emilie Warren

The Dutch bayyyybeeeee!

- Joe Tharp

“Within the last few years, the number of new therapies that have come out are changing the face of cancer. It is really quite remarkable.”

Numbers From This Issue

182,000

The approximate number of people in the greater KC area employed in the healthcare industry. Page 45

1978

The year Rick’s Tailoring and Menswear opened. Page 33

175

The number of players, coaches, umpires and other contributors who have been inducted into the College Baseball Hall of Fame so far. Page 83

469-6700

Shout Out

A big shout out to photographers Samantha Levi and Jack Kapple for their amazing photos of May’s United WE event at the Current’s stadium, published in the June issue.

- Dr. Jeffrey Holzbeierlein, KU Medical Center

Walking Into History

The new 18th Street pedestrian mall marks the beginning of an ambitious effort to reconnect Kansas City’s most celebrated cultural district

By Calla Jordan (Continued

on next page)

KANSAS CITY’S ONGOING 18th and Vine revitalization project known as Revive the Vine was recently celebrated with the grand opening of a new 18th Street pedestrian mall. The roadway is now pedestrian friendly and seamlessly transitions from a car-centric street to a walkable corridor for community events.

“The walkway is a symbol of connectivity,” says Shawn Edwards, executive director of the Black Movie Hall of Fame, also on 18th Street. Edwards has worked closely with the groups involved in the Revive the Vine effort and is an enthusiastic cheerleader of the project.

This $400 million initiative aims to enliven the area by investing in the district’s historical sites and strengthening local businesses. The investment is broken down into multiple key projects, each with

the aim of celebrating the city’s roots. “A lot of the things that Kansas City is known for have all originated from the 18th and Vine Historic Jazz District,” says Edwards, a Kansas City native.

With that in mind, the city is investing $3.2 million in the American Jazz Museum (1616 E. 18th St., KCMO). The museum pays homage to and celebrates the city’s rich jazz history. It is often said that jazz might have been born in New Orleans, but it grew up in Kansas City, specifically in the many clubs, restaurants and bars that populated the 18th and Vine area. The museum will undergo a full renovation with new galleries, a cafe and retail shop.

Another such project is the Boone Theater (1701 E. 18th St., KCMO), located in the heart of the district and named in honor of Black Amer-

“The walkway is a symbol of connectivity,” says Shawn Edwards, executive director of the Black Movie Hall of Fame, also on 18th Street.

ican composer and pianist John William “Blind” Boone. For decades, the once-popular theater stood empty and unused. But with the revitalization project underway, local stakeholders realized the theater’s potential and began renovations in 2024. The theater is expected to be fully restored by 2027 and will feature the privately funded Black Movie Hall of Fame, a multimedia experience founded by Edwards.

“[The Black Movie Hall of Fame] celebrates the entire history of Black film from around the world,” Edwards says. “It creates a really unique historical experience that you perhaps can’t find in any other city in America.”

Across the street from the Boone Theater and in the former Paseo YMCA sits the district’s largest attraction: the Negro Leagues Baseball

Museum. A $35 million, 30,000-square-foot expansion of the museum that includes a hotel is underway and is expected to be finished in late 2028. The original building is where, in 1920, the owner of the Chicago Giants, Andrew “Rube” Foster, and other owners of Midwestern Black baseball teams signed the league’s charter. It’s considered the league’s birthplace.

The shift from car-dependent streets to a pedestrian mall is merely a first step in the overall project, but it signifies a bright new era for the district. “That walkway will be used to connect the entire district together,” Edwards says. “It’s a sign of progress, and it’s an example of what can be and what will happen in the future.”

PHOTOGRAPHY BY IAN SIMMONS

“Kansas City has already proven it can compete with any destination in the country,” John David, president and CEO of Sports Events and Tourism Association, says.

Home Field Advantage

Kansas City is becoming a mecca for youth and amateur sports

By David Hodes

IF THERE’S ONE THING that the 2026 World Cup has shown this country—and the world—it’s that Kansas City is a major sports paradise.

We’re sneakily becoming one of the Midwest’s biggest destinations for youth, amateur and collegiate sports, with cities across the metro investing heavily in facilities designed to attract tournaments to the area.

KC’s amateur sports legacy is undeniably led by the annual NAIA basketball tournament, where 16 teams play in a 15-game single-elimination competition. Soccer is another cornerstone: The 16 Heartland Soccer tournaments are held throughout the year at both the massive 12-field Scheels Soccer Complex (13700 Switzer Road, Overland Park) and the Garmin Soccer Complex (10541 S. Warwick St., Olathe), bringing together state and regional champion teams from across the country.

There are dozens of other emerging amateur sports that KC leaders are eyeing, from pickleball and cricket to drone racing, padel (a blend of tennis and squash) and disc golf.

“Kansas City has already proven it can compete with any destination in the country,” John David, president and CEO of Sports Events and Tourism Association, says. “The next opportunity is to continue growing its pipeline of recurring amateur and collegiate events. Cities like Kansas City understand that sports events tourism is not simply about events. It is about economic development, community development and destination branding.”

When it comes to hosting tournaments for amateur teams from a multitude of sports in the greater metro area, Overland Park is ahead of the curve.

The Scheels Soccer Complex was built in 2009 in response to the enormous uptick in soccer play that steadily grew after the 1994 World Cup soccer tournament, says Warren Wilkinson, president and CEO of Visit Overland Park. “All 12 fields there can host collegiate-level soccer, and that drives a lot of visitors because we host a lot of tournaments there.”

OP has also hosted the Top Gun Invitational for 14 years in a row, one of the largest girls’ fastpitch softball tournaments in the country. It’s held primarily in the Blue Valley Rec Sports Complex (9701 W. 137th St., Overland Park), which hosts other tournaments each year, bringing in an estimated $12 million in economic development. “We had nearly 400 teams from across the United States here, with 43 states represented,” Wilkinson says.

That tournament was so impactful that hotels were booked all the way to KCK, he says. “We have 4,900 rooms in Overland Park,” Wilkinson says. “We filled those up and we filled up rooms across the metro area for that invitational.”

The city is also attracting newer events, including the Monster Games fitness competition.

Last summer, Visit Overland Park announced a five-year deal with Association of Pickleball Players for a major national tournament

at the city’s AdventHealth Sports Park at Bluhawk (16201 Shawnee Drive, Overland Park)—a 420,000-square-foot indoor sports and entertainment complex that houses an NHL-regulation ice rink, eight convertible basketball courts and a 40,000-square-foot turf soccer field. “That facility is going to be a real economic generator for Overland Park,” Wilkinson says. The tournament is expected to draw more than 1,000 athletes.

Wilkinson says Overland Park also landed the Kansas state wrestling championships and will host state volleyball this fall, with hopes of adding lacrosse tournaments in the future.

Ashley Sherard, CEO and economic development director for the Lenexa Chamber of Commerce, says that Lenexa recognizes how non-professional sports are “one of our most important tourism pillars and a key draw for our community.”

Lenexa’s sports assets range from the Shawnee Mission School District Aquatic Center (17251 W. 87th St., Lenexa) to All American Indoor Sports facilities to Black Hoof Park (9053 Monticello Road, Lenexa), which has a championship disc golf course. The city is also building a Ninja Warrior-style course at AdventHealth Central Green and Fitness Park that could eventually host competitions.

Even though direct economic benefit is hard to quantify, Sherard says, Lenexa’s Hyatt Place Hotel and Conference Center reports that 10 to 15 percent of their total business each year is tied to youth sports tourism.

Beth Ansell, executive director of Visit Shawnee, says that the city partners with neighboring cities to market the Mid-America Sports Complex and Mid-America West Sports Complex (20000 Johnson Drive, Shawnee), which together offer 36 baseball and softball fields. Nearby attractions like the Kansas City Ice Center and Shawnee Mission Beach Volleyball further expand the city’s tournament offerings.

This sports momentum extends well beyond Johnson County. Homefield Kansas City (9250 State Ave., KCK) has already hosted national basketball tournaments, while View High Sports and Entertainment (3350 N.W. Ashurst Drive, Lee’s Summit) is pacing to be one of Missouri’s largest indoor youth sports venues.

Hosting youth sports tournaments not only fills holes in the calendar but is also good for the local economy, says Geoff Freeman, president and CEO of U.S. Travel Association. “It really helps the hotel industry here in town, and it helps the restaurant industry.”

Kathy Nelson, president and CEO of Visit KC and the Greater Kansas City Sports Commission and Foundation, who was instrumental in bringing the 2026 World Cup to the city, says that the industry of youth sports is resilient. “During the pandemic, it didn’t waiver,” she says. “People still went to their kids’ tournaments, they still drove to Kansas City to see them compete, they still drove from Kansas City to Tulsa or St. Louis. In Kansas City, we’re working really hard behind the scenes to attract more and more of those events.”

Jane Brunner, DO Family Medicine

Erica Carney, MD Emergency Medicine

Matthew Fink, MD Dermatology

Garth Fraga, MD Pathology

Meg Gibson, MD Sports Medicine

Heather Klepacz, MD Surgery

Kamani Lankachandra, MD Pathology

Scott Luallin, MD Orthopaedic Surgery

Anthony Odibo, MD Maternal & Fetal Medicine

Anand Rajpara, MD Dermatology

Christopher Shaw, MD Orthopaedic Surgery

Gary Sutkin, MD Urogynecology

Allison Swanson, MD Dermatology

universityhealthkc.org

Screen to Stage

Flew the Coop Sessions, a video series highlighting local bands, is set to host its first music festival

By Nina Cherry

(Continued on next page)

PHOTOGRAPHY BY LUKA SAVARIE

Faith Maddox of Virga.

Screen to Stage

Flew the Coop Sessions, a video series highlighting local bands, is set to host its first music festival

By Nina Cherry

OVER THE PAST SEVEN YEARS, Flew the Coop Sessions has built a dedicated following through its video series highlighting local bands. Now, the nonprofit organization is extending beyond the digital platform with the inaugural Flew the Coop Fest on August 29.

“It’s just the logical next step to get people physically in the same space with the live music they’re watching on our channel,” says Cody Boston, executive director and co-founder of Flew the Coop Sessions. “It’s a great way to give back to those artists, spotlight them and have a big party.”

↓

Although the nonprofit has put on a handful of fundraising shows over the years, the multi-stage festival marks a major expansion. The event spans two venues in the West Bottoms and features 20 Kansas City artists, all of whom have appeared in the video series, including Lauren Lovelle, Kat King, Virga and Eddie Moore.

Alternating between three stages at different venues throughout the course of the day, the festival kicks off at Blip Coffee Roasters before moving to nearby venue Radco for a late-night afterparty. Spanning indie-rock, honky tonk, nu metal, experimental jazz, Turkish disco and beyond, the lineup reflects KC’s sweeping music scene.

Beyond the live music, Flew the Coop Fest will also welcome food trucks, a whiskey tasting pop-up from West Bottoms Whiskey Company, art vendors and locally grown produce from KC Food Hub.

GO: August 29. 2:30 pm.

Blip Coffee Roasters & Radco. For more information and tickets, visit coopsessions.com.

“I’m just looking forward to pulling it off,” Boston says. “And having so many genres playing in one space. That’s always been a highlight of Flew the Coop—showcasing the diversity of music we have in Kansas City.”

DJ KB Mixes, who will spin at Flew the Coop Fest’s afterparty, performing.

august

WHAT YOU WANT TO DO THIS MONTH BY

NINA CHERRY

5

Jesse Welles

Often compared to Bob Dylan or Woody Guthrie, singer-songwriter Jesse Welles has amassed millions of views for his original protest folk songs filmed in the woods of his native Arkansas. His performance at East Crossroads’ Grinders follows the release of Masks Off, his sixth studio album that made its debut in June. Australian guitarist Steph Strings opens. August 5. 7 pm. Grinders KC.

12-30

Since making its Broadway debut more than 20 years ago, Wicked has become one of the most popular musicals in history. In line with the stage production’s reputation, the recent film adaptations starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande brought the musical to new heights, shattering box office records. With selections like “Defying Gravity” and “Popular,” this Wizard of Oz spinoff tells the backstory of the misunderstood Wicked Witch, Elphaba, and the bubbly yet calculated Good Witch, Glinda. The national Broadway tour stops in Kansas City for 24 showings. August 12–30. Times vary. Kansas City Music Hall.

6

Herbie Hancock

Jazz-fusion pioneer and living legend Herbie Hancock comes to KC. With a career spanning six decades, the pianist and composer got his start gigging in Chicago before joining trumpeter Miles Davis’ band. With a whopping discography of over 40 studio albums as a bandleader (not including the hundreds of albums he’s appeared on), Hancock helped introduce electric instruments like synthesizers and clavinets to jazz. Coupled with funky, danceable grooves, his innovations helped bring the genre back into the mainstream in the ’70s with his band Head Hunters, spawning classics like “Chameleon” and “Butterfly.” August 6. 7:30 pm. Muriel Kauffman Theatre.

7

Cross Threaded Opening Reception

Kansas City Artists Coalition’s new textile exhibit, Cross Threaded, makes its debut, featuring works by 14 local artists. While the artists work with strikingly similar (and often recycled) materials, their approaches vary widely, from embroidery to soft sculpture to quilting and beyond. August 7. 5 pm. Kansas City Artists Coalition.

8

A Living Score: Searching for Charlie Parker

Kansas City’s legacy of legendary alto saxophonists starts with Charlie Parker, and renowned musician Logan Richardson is carrying it forward. Ahead of Bird’s birthday, Richardson pays tribute to the bebop legend—and other influential

figures in the city’s jazz history— with this new, original production that “transforms the theater into a living composition where the score is written in real time.” August 8. 7:30 pm. Gem Theater.

9

R&B and Ribs

This touring block party and cookout rolls into KC for an afternoon of R&B, barbecue and cold beverages. Tickets include one drink ticket and access to the full day of live entertainment for a dance-filled day party in the Power & Light District. August 9. 3 pm. KC Live!

16

Art in the Loop

816 Day

In honor of 816 Day, Kansas City’s citywide celebration of itself, Art in the Loop brings a lineup of local artists to City Market for a free concert. Grab a bite from one of the several nearby eateries and enjoy performances from contemporary dance company The DynamitExperience, genre-traversing singer-songwriter BodaciousThang and open-format DJ FK Menace. August 16. 6 pm. City Market.

16

John Mulaney

Known for his self-aware and dry humor, comedian John Mulaney brings his stand-up tour to Starlight Theatre. The former Saturday Night Live writer has lent his voice to several animated series, released four acclaimed Netflix stand-up specials and, more recently, hosted the platform’s variety talk show Everybody’s Live with John Mulaney. Comic Mike Birbiglia joins the lineup. August 16. 7:30 pm. Starlight Theatre.

21-23

Bluey’s Big Play

There’s a reason why Bluey has been the most streamed show in the United States for the past two years. Following the adventures of an energetic and curious blue heeler, the cleverly written series is just as much for parents as it is for kids. This stage adaptation brings Bluey, Bingo and the Heeler family to life with puppetry. August 21–23. Times vary. Muriel Kauffman Theatre.

Friendly Thieves

North Kansas City rounds out its summer performance series, Friday Night Concerts, with alternative funk-rock band Friendly Thieves. Gritty and groovy, the local band—fronted by powerhouse singer Sam Wells— delivers existential yet upbeat anthems like “Get It Yourself” and “Let the City Burn.” Pack a lawn chair or blanket and load up the cooler for this free show in Macken Park. August 14. 6 pm. Macken Park.

21–23

Ethnic Enrichment Festival

This longstanding cultural exchange and celebration of diversity returns to Swope Park. Held each third weekend of August, the Ethnic Enrichment Festival has become one of the area’s largest multicultural events since its inception in 1979—last year, the event drew nearly 40,000 attendees. Across three days, enjoy live music and dance performances, global cuisine and a fashion show, and shop handmade goods. August 21–23. Times vary. Swope Park.

21-23

Parkville Days

This annual festival celebrates historic, picturesque Parkville with three days of family-friendly fun. Ride a ferris wheel with a view of the Missouri River, sip on craft brews in the beer

garden, browse the art fair and explore downtown’s boutiques and restaurants. August 21–23. Times vary. Downtown Parkville.

22 Heart of America Hot Dog Festival

Heart of America Hot Dog Festival—an annual fundraiser for Negro Leagues Baseball Museum—is firing up the grill to celebrate the history of America’s pastime, made complete with ballpark cuisine and live music. Headliners include funk bands Zapp and Con Funk Shun and ’90s R&B heartthrob Christopher Williams. August 22. 3 pm. National WWI Museum and Memorial.

29

Spotlight: Charlie Parker

Bird lives! Each year, nonprofit KC Jazz ALIVE celebrates bebop legend Charlie Parker’s birthday

and lasting legacy with a concert. At Spotlight: Charlie Parker, the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra pays homage to Parker alongside guest saxophonists Bobby Watson, Matt Otto, Stephen Martin and emerging artists on the scene. August 29. 7 pm. Folly Theater.

31

Benson Boone

Pop star Benson Boone comes to KC. After launching his career on American Idol in 2021, Boone’s popularity spiked in 2024 following his breakout single, “Beautiful Things.” Embarking on his Wanted Man Tour, the performance follows the release of his latest single “The Time of My Life,” a heartbreak anthem. Indie-rock singer-songwriter Luna Li opens. August 31. 8 pm. T-Mobile Center.

The Main Event 816 Day is preparing for its biggest year yet

By Nicole Kinning

IT STARTED WITH A SIMPLE QUESTION: Why doesn’t Kansas City celebrate its own area code?

“The first time it was brought to my attention was actually through a Facebook post,” 816 Day founder Brian “Bizzy” Benton says. A friend wondered why Kansas City didn’t have an official area code celebration like St. Louis, Detroit and other cities did. So in 2017, he made it happen.

The inaugural 816 Day celebration was a gathering at KC Juke House in the 18th and Vine District, where a couple hundred people showed up wearing Kansas City gear. The following year, Benton transformed a four-story building at 10th and Broadway into a celebration of local culture, dedicating each floor to something different, from jazz and poetry to DJs, clothing vendors and dance performers. By year three, 816 Day had grown into a full-fledged street festival. Today, it spans an entire weekend and draws thousands of people every year.

“It just kind of grew into the beast that it is now,” Benton says. “I never had any major plans for it.”

This year’s 816 Day festivities will begin Thursday, August 13 and continue through the weekend with events at venues including Vine Street Brewing, Rock Island Bridge, The Combine and In Good Company before culminating in the free festival on Sunday at Power & Light.

The main event on August 16 will have a 100-plus vendor market, food trucks, a kids zone, dance competitions and live performances from Stranded in the City, Marcus Lewis Big Band with Brass and Boujee,

Back Alley Brass Band and the Go Hard Band. The festival’s theme this year, “Everyday People,” inspired the lineup. “These people have regular day jobs, and they just happen to be awesome,” Benton says.

Benton says the festival has grown alongside KC itself. As the city has expanded—with new businesses, new neighborhoods and more people putting down roots—so has 816 Day, adding new venues and community partners to be part of the celebration. And with the city riding on the momentum of a World Cup summer, Benton hopes 816 Day reminds everyone that our city’s energy doesn’t disappear when the spotlight is gone.

“It’s a beautiful city,” he says. “We were able to host such a massive event just to let people know what can be. This can be done on the regular.”

Benton still has big dreams for 816 Day, his biggest being a future where neighborhoods across the area code, from Lee’s Summit to the Northland, host their own celebrations under one shared banner.

Still, for Benton, 816 Day has never been just a date on the calendar but a year-round celebration fueled by the community. That said, his favorite moment is every year at exactly 8:16 pm on August 16, when the crowd raises a toast.

“I get to really relax and just encompass all the greatness of not just what we’ve been able to put together but what the city has to offer.” Visit 816day.org for the schedule of events.

Prairie Transplant

Singer-songwriter Kirstie Lynn reckons with what comes next on her latest EP, Blazing Prairie Star

By Nina Cherry

SINGER-SONGWRITER KIRSTIE LYNN likes to call herself a “prairie transplant.” Originally from Upstate New York, Lynn has grown fond of the region’s sweeping grasslands and its flora. Her recent EP, Blazing Prairie Star, takes its name from her favorite native wildflower.

The six-track recording—which was released on July 24—uses plenty of imagery of flames and heat as the flower’s name suggests, but, at its core, the release captures Lynn at a crossroads. “[Blazing Prairie Star] was inspired by this time in my life,” she says. “I was on the precipice of a new decade of life, feeling like ‘what the hell am I doing?’”

Written over the past two years, that sense of uncertainty echoes in the title track’s chorus as Lynn reckons with what comes next: “Blazing prairie star, you think you’re goin’ far / filling up all your nights singing to an empty bar.”

Regardless of that self-doubt, Lynn has plenty of momentum. She’ll spend the first half of this month touring France before returning to officially celebrate the release of Blazing Prairie Star at Lawrence’s Northside Social on August 21.

Although the songwriter has been making music most of her life, Lynn says she never imagined herself as a folk musician. A classically trained soprano, she spent years focused on landing roles in operas and musicals. “I’ve been writing songs since I was 13, but I never planned to do anything with them,” she says. “It was just a way to process things and express myself.”

That changed during the pandemic. With performances and rehearsals on hold while pursuing a masters degree in vocal performance at Carnegie Mellon University, Lynn began posting snippets of her original songs on Instagram. Her friend (and now frequent collaborator) Galen Clark, a guitarist, offered to record her. An opportunity to tour the album followed.

“It just kind of fell in my lap,” Lynn says. “My voice coach said: ‘Kirstie, you have to go on tour. You might never get this opportunity again.’”

Lynn’s classical training shines through in her crystal-clear tone and expressive vibrato, often drawing comparisons to Joan Baez—that stylistic resemblance has even garnered some attention on TikTok (@kirstietheworsty). And despite her shift to folk music, Lynn still enjoys singing opera daily, whether it’s a part of her warm-up routine or brushing up on an old aria for fun.

Lynn first moved to Kansas City in 2018, without ever having visited, after her post-grad plans fell through. She decided to follow a friend who was moving to the area. “I kind of ran out of options,” she says. “I moved here on a whim. I didn’t know anything about Kansas City, except for the song in Oklahoma.”

Although she left after a year to pursue her masters degree, KC stayed with her. After graduating in 2021, Lynn returned to KC with the momentum from her debut album, Tears and Medicine, and quickly established herself on the scene. “I’ve been pursuing folk music ever since,” she says.

GO: Blazing Prairie Star Release Party. August 21. 7 pm. Northside Social, 444 Locust St., Lawrence.

Mid-Century Mecca

This East Crossroads mid-century modern shop is filled with museum-quality wares

By Nina Cherry

AN ORIGINAL KEITH HARING POSTER. A first-generation chaise from Charles and Ray Eames. A sculptural chandelier by Ernesto Gismondi. You may find these coveted mid-century modern wares on display in contemporary art museums or while flipping through the pages of Architectural Digest. Or at Retro Inferno, a showroom in Kansas City’s Crossroads district.

Although Rod Parks, owner of Retro Inferno, is certainly an expert on mid-century interiors, he’s not an interior designer or art historian by trade. A former schoolteacher, Parks says he “got the bug” for this sleek design movement more than 30 years ago while pursuing a Ph.D. in counseling and psychology at UMKC. By chance, he stumbled upon a nearby estate sale.

“I always liked unusual stuff,” Parks says. “I started to buy things, and when people would come to my house they’d say, ‘wow, that’s cool.’ I started to trust my eye.”

Over the next five years, Parks began learning about manufacturers and designers, filling his garage and basement with unique wares

before renting a storage unit. In 1998, Retro Inferno opened its first storefront, and after six years, the business expanded to its current 11,000-square-foot showroom in the East Crossroads.

When it comes to Park’s favorite designers and styles, he says his taste has evolved over the years. He’s long been a fan of designer George Nelson—a desk by this designer was one of the “first good design pieces” he purchased. “Something told me it was special,” he says.

From there, he was drawn to pop art items from the ’60s, followed by what he calls “space age kind of things” from Danish designers like Arne Jacobsen. Most recently, he’s been collecting bold, post-modern pieces for his own home. “They dominate a room,” he says.

With two floors of rare finds, the showroom reflects Parks’ ever-evolving tastes and the eye for design he learned to trust decades ago, bringing together decades of design history under one roof.

Browse the collection online or book an appointment to shop in person (1500 Grand Blvd., KCMO) at retroinferno.com.

PHOTOGRAPHY

Heat for Your Feet Where to score fresh kicks in Kansas City

By Austin Garza

CONTRARY TO WHAT SOME SAY , expensive sneakers aren’t just shoes—they’re pieces of culture you happen to wear. The culture’s roots can be traced to a handful of defining moments that forever changed the way people viewed athletic footwear, from the Converse Chuck Taylor All Star’s ubiquity in fashion and Baltimore sneakerheads’ love for the Nike Air Force 1, which influenced Nike to re-release the shoe in 1984, to, of course, the arrival of Air Jordans.

When Michael Jordan signed with Nike in 1984, the company expected the Air Jordan line to generate about $3 million over its first three years. Instead, it brought in an astonishing $126 million in its first year alone, proving a basketball shoe could become a cultural phenomenon. The success didn’t just transform Nike; it launched the modern sneaker industry, paving the way for today’s collectors, resellers and die-hard sneakerheads.

Whether you’re a seasoned collector chasing the latest drop or someone new to the game – Kansas City’s independent sneaker shops are stocked with coveted releases, timeless classics and plenty of reasons to clear a little space in your closet.

RESET KC

Shop here for: Recent releases

If you overslept the latest sneaker drop, head to Reset KC. The store’s shelves are lined with deadstock pairs of this year’s most popular colorways in a wide range of sizes, such as the Black Cat Jordan 4s and the Wolf Gray Jordan 5s. Reset employee Mackenzie Ways says customer demand and whether a colorway aligns with the latest drops from Supreme and other streetwear brands influence what makes it to store shelves. “If people are asking for a certain shoe, we’ll try to curate it the

best we can,” Ways says. Reset stays stocked with topshelf colorways from Nike’s collaboration with luxury fashion label Off-White and professional BMX biker Nigel Sylvester’s Air Jordan 4s. Be sure to check out Reset’s extensive catalog of curated vintage Harley-Davidson, WWE and band tees (8 Westport Road, KCMO).

DVA PERCEN T

Shop here for: “Cousin”

It doesn’t take much time spent in DVA Percent before a customer walks in and asks some variation of “Where’s Rome?” To the uninitiated, they’re referring to store owner Roman Khachaturyan, or Cousin Rome for short. Khachaturyan has spent seven years running DVA Percent and opened a second store next door for his brand, Cousin, in February. At this point, his customers are like family—hence the cousin nickname. “Some people are just here to chop it up,” Khachaturyan says. “It doesn’t feel forced.” The store’s stock features a mix of used and deadstock pairs, with plenty of Jordan 4s, 11s and Nike Dunks to shop from, as well as gems. DVA’s probably got something you haven’t seen before, like Air Jordan 23s—a pair that notably falls outside the golden run of Jordans 1 through 14—or Balenciaga Alaska Boots, which look like a pair of exaggerated cartoon boots come to life (4035 Broadway Blvd., KCMO).

INITIAL KC

Shop here for: The hypebeast experience Do you ever want to feel like you’re on an episode of Complex’s Sneaker Shopping series (sans host Joe La Puma)? Initial KC might be the closest you can get to achieving that dream. With kicks displayed to the ceiling, Initial offers customers a chance to relive the height of early-2020s hypebeast culture. The store features a shoe showroom with pairs that primarily include Air Jordans 1 through 14, Nike Dunks and Kobes. Next to the sky-high sneaker walls is a cabinet full of hypebeast paraphernalia such as rare Supreme box-logo tees and hoodies, Gucci duffle bags and One Piece Labubu figures. Initial also sells plenty of streetwear to go with the kicks, and you can even scoop a pack of Pokémon cards at checkout (2450 Grand Blvd., Suite 205, KCMO).

WYCO VINTAGE

Shop here for: Some kicks to pair with a new fit

What do Johnny Knoxville, Drake and Travis Kelce have in common? They’re all WyCo Vintage customers. This shop’s sneaker stock is smaller than others on this list, but don’t count out what’s on the shelves. Once you’re done shopping for old Simpsons and Spider-Man tees to wear alongside a new pair of pearl-clad Vale Forever shorts, take a look at the kicks. The footwear selection includes plenty of versatile Air Jordans and Air Force 1s, as well as statement pieces from Vans and Asics, two brands that are having a bit of a moment this year (3535 Broadway Blvd., KCMO).

PHOTOGRAPHY BY LAURA MORSMAN

PHOTOGRAPHY

Shoes lining the walls of DVA Percent.

Strong Suit

From grandfather to grandson, one Kansas City family has spent more than six decades perfecting the art of menswear

By Nicole Kinning

WHEN JEFF COVITZ took over his family’s menswear business more than 15 years ago, he was 30 years younger than most of his customers.

Covitz’s grandfather, Leo Zemelman, immigrated from Poland in 1960 and worked as a tailor before opening Leo’s Tailor Shop in Brookside, where he ran the business for nearly five decades. Zemelman later taught Covitz’s father, Rick, the trade, who went on to open Rick’s Tailoring and Menswear in 1978.

Rick died relatively young, leaving Covitz to carry on a business centered around a generation of men who put on a suit every morning to go to work. Covitz, then 30, saw that how men were dressing was changing, and he decided to pivot.

“I planned on being in business a long time,” Covitz says. “I wanted to do something kind of younger that I didn’t think Kansas City had.”

For a year, Covitz operated his own menswear shop, Houndstooth, alongside Rick’s Tailoring and Menswear. Once Houndstooth found its footing, he closed the older store and spent the next decade-plus building his own business in the River Market (507 Walnut St., KCMO), honoring his family’s craftsmanship while reimagining it for a new generation.

Covitz grew up around tailoring, absorbing the trade almost unwittingly. When he was young and had time to kill at his father’s store, he spent time with the tailors,

picking up techniques bit by bit.

“I never really learned anything all at once,” he says. “It wasn’t like I sat down to learn it. I was just around it and figured it out.”

Many of the most important lessons he learned from his father weren’t even about tailoring but about the relationships formed with customers. Covitz says that years later, many still stop by Houndstooth to share stories about his dad, whose philosophy was to treat patrons like friends, not transactions.

“I think there are a lot of high-end suit establishments that make you feel like a client or a customer,” Covitz says. “We try to make you feel like a friend.”

Houndstooth added a Leawood location (4250 W. 119th St., Leawood) in 2023, and both shops do tailor and alteration work on-site. Covitz considers that expertise a defining part of his business, especially in an industry where skilled tailors have become increasingly difficult to find.

“People think it’s simple and easy, [but] it’s hard to do well,” he says. “That’s one of the things when I opened this store that I really wanted to do well—the tailoring end of things.”

Over the years, things have continued to evolve. Today, Covitz calls menswear an “occasion business.” Customers come in for weddings, trips and events, often searching for one suit they want to get exactly right.

Styles have also changed. In recent years, Covitz has seen formalwear swing back toward black suits and tuxedos, while the more casual side of menswear has embraced relaxed tailoring, linen and what he describes as a Mediterranean palette. “Menswear’s answer to coastal grandma,” he says.

Covitz is expanding Houndstooth’s private-label offerings, working with makers in Ireland and England on sweaters and sourcing pants from Canada. He chooses the fabrics and details, but he is careful with terminology. He calls himself a tailor, not a designer, and pushes back on the loose use of words like “bespoke” in modern menswear.

For all that evolution, the foundation of Houndstooth remains old-fashioned: know your craft, treat customers like friends, and make sure the clothes fit.

“Every day feels like you’re on vacation,” the homeowners say. “There’s just nothing else like it.”

ROCK SOLID

From a secret lookout tower to a koi pond beneath the house, this iconic Loch Lloyd home is unlike anything else

By Nicole Kinning

HEAVY LIMESTONE WALLS rise from the rocky hillside. Waterfalls tumble beneath elevated walkways. Timber beams and soaring rooflines disappear into the trees. At first glance, this home feels more like a Colorado mountain lodge than a home in Loch Lloyd, Missouri.

Built in 1995 for the neighborhood’s namesake Harry Lloyd, this home has become one of the community’s most recognizable. Lloyd commissioned a Boulder, Colorado, architecture firm that would later design the neighborhood’s club house, giving the two buildings a family resemblance.

This home’s current owners weren’t looking for a permanent home when they’d found this property. Happy in their historic Hyde Park abode, they originally envisioned this spot as a lakeside weekend retreat.

The husband, who jokes that he’s always browsing real estate listings, remembers exactly what caught his attention: “I’m a sucker for limestone.”

Within a few years, accelerated by the pandemic reshuffling how they wanted to live, the couple sold their Hyde Park house and moved here full time. “Every day feels like you’re on vacation,” the homeowners say. “There’s just nothing else like it.”

Photography by Christine Caso, CC Photography

THE LOOKOUT TOWER

The home’s most striking feature is impossible to miss from the lake. Hidden inside the massive limestone chimney is a hidden spiral staircase that winds upward through the center of the house before emerging onto what the homeowners call the “Rapunzel tower.” At the top, a cantilevered deck stretches out to what is believed to be the highest point in Loch Lloyd. It’s a climb to the top, but the family never misses one occasion: the Fourth of July. From the terrace, fireworks launched near the Loch Lloyd dam burst at nearly eye level.

HEART OF THE HOME

The way up to that terrace is a feature in its own right. From the great room, a massive stone chimney rises up to the vaulted, wood-planked ceiling. Hidden inside, a narrow stone staircase spirals up. Floor-to-ceiling windows dissolve the walls and make the surrounding woods, lake and sky feel like a part of the living room.

The fireplace’s dramatic curved firebox is the great room’s focal point, and an open hearth on the opposite side, nearest the windows, creates a second gathering spot to sit and enjoy the lake views. The family says that they always light up the hearth on Christmas and New Year’s and it’s well worth the effort. “It’s a lot of work,” the homeowners say, “but it’s a beautiful room when that fireplace is going.”

“It was important for us to keep the integrity of the home the way Harry built it. We didn’t blow through here and make it look like it was built in 2020 because it wasn’t.”

TOP DOCS 2026

Here, we take a look at not only the metro’s top physicians, as selected by their peers, but also how the face of healthcare is changing across the region. With multimillion-dollar building projects and the latest advances in science and technology being pursued at KC area healthcare institutions, the way patients’ ailments are being diagnosed and treated is changing.

KC’s Healthy Medical Development Pipeline

By Ian Ritter

Data centers aren’t the only property type experiencing a building boom with mega-dollar price tags and large-scale construction projects. Healthcare facilities are too.

Hospitals and medical building projects have been expanding at a rapid clip, with $28.4 billion in new hospital starts in 2026 and another $30.7 billion across the greater Kansas City area in 2027, according to a ConstructConnect report released at the beginning of the year.

The stress of Covid-19 forced hospital systems to reevaluate their real estate, and many determined that maintenance and upgrades had been deferred too long, stated trade publication Health Facilities Management’s annual Hospital Construction Survey. After assessments, administrators saw “an increased need for more acute care patient beds, driven by the aging baby boomer population.”

Meanwhile, hospitals across the country saw their new construction budgets jump 45 percent from the previous year, while renovation budgets jumped 59 percent, the construction survey revealed.

Major healthcare developments are cropping up all over the metro, totaling at least $2 billion over the next few years

The metro is no stranger to these trends, with nearly every major hospital system in the metro taking on major capital-improvement projects. Construction in the area resembles the national picture: 39 percent of all new nationwide space is devoted to behavioral and psychiatric health, 31 percent is going toward cancer treatment, and another 31 percent is for children’s hospitals.

For their part, Children’s Mercy and University Health are making very visible changes to the “Hospital Hill” area just south of Downtown KCMO, which is home to the flagship facilities of both organizations.

But expansions and new developments represent a much larger geographic swath around the metro, in both Kansas and Missouri, from Lee’s Summit to the Northland.

Children’s Mercy in $1B Capacity Boost

No stranger to major capital projects, Children’s Mercy took things a step further at the end of April when plans came out for a Downtown KCMO tower that could cost upward of $1 billion, the largest project in the organization’s history.

Planned on its current Adele Hall campus, just south of downtown, the new facility is projected to increase Children’s Mercy’s capacity by up to 30 percent by 2031, when management expects to complete the project. The new tower will house new spaces for the hospital’s pediatric and neonatal intensive care units.

To the south and across the state line in Overland Park, Children’s Mercy began work on a $150 million-plus renovation of Children’s Mercy Kansas on 110th Street. Work is set for completion next year on a medical office building for outpatient clinics, with larger renovations on the full facility ending sometime in 2029.

KU Med Builds Big Against Cancer

Humanity’s fight against cancer is The University of Kansas Health System’s leading capital improvement project’s primary priority. At a price tag of $450 million, the facility, underway and expected to open in the fall of 2027, is part of KU Med’s main campus, at 39th Street and Rainbow Boulevard in KCK.

Totaling 675,000 square feet over eight stories, the Cancer Center, which broke ground in May of 2025, will couple patient care with a research facility, including more than 230,000 square feet of lab space. Developed by KCMO-based JE Dunn Construction and designed by HDR,

ing $60 million on an expansion that is adding 21,000 square feet, including 26 inpatient beds and two new nursing facilities. HCA, which expects to wrap up work in Lee’s Summit by the end of next year, will also redesign the emergency room and increase that department’s bed count from 13 to 22.

Over in Kansas at the Overland Park Regional Medical Center, HCA is undertaking a two-phase project expansion at its Johnson County facility. Last year, leadership broke ground on a $40 million project expanding its surgical department by 3,000 square feet, while adding new operating rooms, pre-op and post-anesthesia-care bays. The completion of the surgery expansion at the end of 2027 will coincide with the beginning of an $80 million project, set for completion in 2030, that will include improvements to the neonatal department, a relocation of the hospital’s helipad, and improved emergency room access and services for inpatients.

the facility will house a cellular therapeutics lab, as well as conduct several ongoing clinical trials on site. There are five center-invented treatments now in clinical trials, according to KU.

Big chunks of financing for the cancer center include $100 million from the Sunderland Foundation and $141 million in congressional spending secured by Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.). The center’s funding was fueled in part by the 2022 designation of KU Med as the region’s only National Cancer Institute-designated facility.

HCA Expands Facilities Across State Lines

HCA Midwest Health’s leadership is busy with multi-million expansions at its hospitals in both Missouri and Kansas.

In April, the healthcare provider opened a $36.5 million, 78,000-square-foot building dedicated to nursing at its Research Medical Center main campus on KCMO’s East Side. A few miles away, at the Research Medical Center–Brookside Campus, HCA is building a $35 million 20,000-square-foot emergency room, scheduled to open by the end of the year.

Outside of KCMO, HCA is busy in Independence, where it’s expanding Centerpoint Medical Center, adding 36 surgical and medical beds on the eighth floor of its north tower for $23 million. The facelift, expected for completion next year, will see the occupation of space intentionally left vacant for future growth when the tower opened in 2017. Further south, in suburban Lee’s Summit, HCA is spend-

Swope Health’s Village Underway

KCMO’s Swope Health is transforming 12 acres on the East Side’s 5900 Block of Swope Parkway into a $126 million facility targeting mental health and aging adult care.

KCMO-based McCownGordon is leading the construction of the multi-phased Swope Health Village, on which the developer broke ground in the summer of 2025 and will open in phases over the next several years. Included in the plans are 200 affordable seniors housing units and about 75 behavior health rooms “supported by comprehensive mental health services,” according to Swope Health’s fact sheet. Perkins Eastman, HFG Architecture and Moody Nolan are the architectural firms designing Swope Health Village. Still in a capital campaign, Swope Health has so far received financial support from the City of KCMO, as well as $7.5 million from the American Rescue Plan Act.

University Health Committed to Hospital Hill, Psychiatric Care

Hospital Hill will have a new addition next year when University Health opens its Healthcare Delivery and Innovation Building at 25th and Charlotte streets. Totaling five stories and 160,000 square feet at a $145 million development cost, the facility will feature dental clinics, labs and offices. The Sunderland Foundation and Hall Family Foundation were big donors to the project. McCownGordon is leading construction while RDG Planning & Design is the lead architect.

Another significant project underway in University Health’s portfolio is a $300 million, 300,000-square-foot Kansas City Mental Health Facility the organization will operate for the Missouri Department of Mental Health. The 200-plus bed facility, going up in the historic Northeast neighborhood’s former Belvidere Park on Independence Avenue is set for completion in 2028.

Carehouse Makes More Room

On a smaller scale, also in an underserved East Side community, Care Beyond the Boulevard is expanding its Carehouse facility (5100 E. Linwood Blvd., KCMO), increasing its room count from the current 16 to 39 at a $6 million price tag. The ADA-compliant rooms treat wounds and provide psychiatric and medication services.

Hospital Hill

The Precision Revolution

By David Hodes

Medicine has entered the brave new world of precision medicine, and many of Kansas City’s healthcare institutions are at the forefront.

What is precision medicine? A personalized approach to care where treatments are specifically tailored to the patient using advanced technology. Here in KC, researchers are using advances in genomics, molecular biology, artificial intelligence and advanced imaging to identify the right treatment for the right patient at the right time—particularly in diseases such as cancer, where therapies can precisely target a tumor’s genetic drivers.

“It’s such a great time to be in medicine and particularly in cancer medicine because there’s so much going on,” says Dr. Jeffrey Holzbeierlein. He leads a research team at KU Medical Center studying the causes and novel chemotherapeutic drug treatments for prostate and bladder cancer. Holzbeierlein’s lab has screened more than 1,000 drug compounds, all created at KU, with several moving into clinical trials. “I think as a physician who has been here for 24 years, seeing things that didn’t move along for 10 or 15 years, that’s finally changed,” he says.

“Within the last few years, the number of new therapies that have come out are changing the face of cancer. It is really quite remarkable.”

These innovations are not just happening in a silo at one area healthcare center; they are coming together via a healthcare innovation corridor where data analytics and clinical trial results are shared among doctors and researchers at KU Medical Center, Children’s Mercy Kansas City,

UMKC and Stowers Institute for Medical Research.

For example, UMKC’s tech acceleration program features a community initiative organization, Digital Health KC, and has already awarded eight digital health companies a total of $332,750 to help with technology advancements, product validation and AI integration.

Digital Health Co/Lab, a collaborative initiative between KU Medical Center, the University of Kansas Health System and University of Kansas focuses on AI-guided digital therapeutics and diagnostics, which is often referred to as “theranostics,” a portmanteau that describes the integration of diagnostic imaging and targeted therapy.

Kansas City’s hospitals and researchers are harnessing AI, genomics and precision medicine to create treatments tailored to each patient—changing the future of cancer care and beyond

In a public-private collaboration announced in February, the University of Kansas Health System, KU Medical Center and Children’s Mercy, working with Bold Advanced Medical Future Health based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, will establish one of the country’s first fully integrated theranostics platforms for adults and kids, bringing together radiopharmaceutical production, molecular imaging, radiopharmaceu tical therapy and various clinical trials.

“Theranostics came about because we have been using various tools and methods for the diagnosis of cancer, and some very bright people have come up with the fact that if you can target it by imaging it, you can attach a radioactive molecule and also treat it,” Holzbeierlein says.

Most people are familiar with a PET scan that is used to look for cancer anywhere in your body. “Theranostics is sort of a very specialized, very distinct PET scan,” Holzbeierlein says. “It targets only one type of cancer instead of any kind of cancer. Then, once we can image it, we can treat it. This is a really good example of precision medicine.”

Urologist

A cancer cell may express something on its cell surface that no other cell in the body expresses, he says, and that makes it able to be targeted without killing other normal cells. “Once we’re able to identify what that is, then we can usually figure out a way to be specific in killing that cancer cell. It’s almost like exploiting the weakness of the cancer cell by identifying what’s unique about it.” Prostate cancer is on the theranostics to-do list, a “really important cancer to figure out,” he says.

Theranostics is also being used for treating non-cancer maladies, such as cardiovascular disease and autoimmune diseases. Holzbeierlein says that one of the first non-cancer therapies that’s going to come out, which he expects relatively soon, will be for Alzheimer’s, which is the fifth leading cause of death worldwide, affecting approximately 45 million people.

Scott Younger is the director of disease gene engineering within the Genomic Medicine Center at Children’s Mercy Hospital. He is doing a lot of work with organoids models, which are tiny 3D tissue cultures ranging in size from the width of a hair to five millimeters. They are made from stem cells, which can be manipulated to resemble miniature lab-grown human body organs. Drug therapies can be tested in a petri dish instead of the organ inside a living human patient.

Researchers have been able to produce organoids that resemble the brain, kidney, lung, intestine, stomach, liver and more. Each organoid is used to see how drugs interact with a particular organ. “They’re real complex little balls of cells that you can grow in a dish,” Younger says. “If we grow neuronal organoids or brain organoids in a dish, we see that those manifest phenotypes (the physical traits of an organism) that are representative of diseases. We are spending a lot of our focus now on epilepsy.”

The work being done by Steven Leeder, senior vice president and chief scientific officer at Children’s Mercy Kansas City, complements Younger’s work to identify the best treatments.

“You start off with the medication that perhaps you’re most familiar with,” Leeder says. “Invariably, not everybody responds to the same medication in the same way, even getting the same dose. So using organoids as Scott described it is one of the ways where we can start to get at which of a series of choices might be the best for a particular patient. The essential question comes down to, ‘Why is it that you can take a group of teens with depression, let’s say, and give them Prozac according to the FDA guidelines, and some kids will respond, and some kids may not?’ So we want to get to what underlies the variability in the response.”

For example, Leeder referenced a study using a drug used to treat ADHD.

“We found that half the kids actually responded to the medication quickly and had a sustained response,” he says. “Then there was another group of kids where it didn’t move the needle on their ADHD symptoms at all, implying that there is something different in the way that the drug acts,” Leeder says. “It’s almost like there’s a different type of ADHD, one that responds to the drug and one that doesn’t. Where we’re at right now is trying to sort that out. And the organoid platform provides a mechanism by which we may be able to get at those mechanistic differences.”

Leeder has a vision for precision medicine’s future.

“When a child comes here for an appointment, we measure their height, we measure their weight, we take their temperature,” he says. “I envision a future where the fourth test we do is getting a copy of their genome blueprint, to help us design what the care strategy might be for that child. That’s probably not unrealistic within a five- to eight-year time frame, but it could happen sooner. Technology moves amazingly quickly.”

Jeffrey Holzbeierlein

By the Numbers

Healthcare: A National and Local Economic and Employment Powerhouse

By Ian Ritter

Healthcare spending accounts for 18 percent of U.S. GDP and more than one in 10 jobs, or about 17 million people. Total healthcare spending hit $5.3 trillion in 2024, a seven percent increase from the prior year, according to a U.S. Bank healthcare report.

KC Healthcare Employment

Just over 182,000 people in the Kansas City metro are employed in the healthcare and social assistance fields, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Hospital Beds

The KC metro has around 5,572 hospital beds, according to the American Hospital Directory.

One in nine Kansas City area workers is employed in healthcare or social assistance, and it is the region’s fastest-growing industry.

Physicians and surgeons: 3,329; Registered nurses: 21,172; Dentists: 735, according to the Mid-America Regional Council.

Education and health services in the KC area saw a 2.4 percent increase year over year in total employment from May 2025 to May 2026. The total nonfarm employment only inched up 0.2 percent during the same period, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Although the metro lost 3,600 jobs across all industries between December 2024 and December 2025, healthcare was the major exception. The greater KC area saw an increase of 7,600 jobs during that same period, according to the Mid-America Regional Council.

Research Spending

The U.S. Congress-approved National Institute of Health funds research and grants throughout the country, spending $36.58 billion and supporting just over 390,000 medical jobs in 2025. From that national 2025 spending budget Kansas received $143.2 million and Missouri receied $882.1 million.

TOP DOCS 2026

How the List was Made

Top Doctors list is compiled by our partners at Castle Connolly, a national healthcare research and information company.

With more than 30 years of experience researching, reviewing and selecting, Castle Connolly has proven itself as a trusted resource for credible healthcare information. Castle Connolly employs a rigorous, physician-led team of researchers to select top healthcare professionals on both the national and regional levels.

The Top Doctor selection process is based on peer-to-peer nominations, open to all licensed physicians in the United States, allowing them to nominate peers in any specialty and region. The Castle Connolly research team then thoroughly vets each nominee’s professional qualifications, including education, professional reputation, research leadership, hospital and faculty appointments, disciplinary history and outcomes data. Interpersonal skills such as listening, communicating effectively, demonstrating empathy and instilling trust and confidence are also considered.

ADOLESCENT MEDICINE

Loretta R. Nelson, MD

The University of Kansas Hospital 7301 Mission Road, Suite 350 Prairie Village, KS, 66208

ALLERGY & IMMUNOLOGY

Sara Azzam, MD

Allergy & Asthma Care

10787 Nall Ave., Suite 200 Overland Park, KS, 66211

Celina Bernabe, DO

Allergy & Asthma Care

10787 Nall Ave., Suite 200

Overland Park, KS, 66211

Selina A. Gierer, DO

The University of Kansas Health System Medical Pavilion, 2000 Olathe Blvd., Kansas City, KS, 66160

Khaled R. Girgis, MD/PhD

College Park Family Care Center 10600 Mastin St., Overland Park, KS, 66212

Cori Passer, MD

Allergy & Asthma Care

10787 Nall Ave., Suite 200

Overland Park, KS, 66211

Nguyen Pham Tran, MD

Allergy & Asthma Care

10787 Nall Ave., Suite 200 Overland Park, KS, 66211

CARDIAC ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY

Martin Emert, MD

The University of Kansas Hospital Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, 4000 Cambridge St., Kansas City, KS, 66160

Michael Giocondo, MD

Saint Luke’s Cardiovascular Consultants

4330 Wornall Road, Suite 2000 Kansas City, MO, 64111

Sanjaya K. Gupta, MD

Saint Luke’s Cardiovascular Consultants

4330 Wornall Road, Suite 2000 Kansas City, MO, 64111

Rajesh Kabra, MD

Kansas City Heart Rhythm Institute 5100 West 110th St., Suite 200 Overland Park, KS, 66211

Dhanunjaya Lakkireddy, MD

Kansas City Heart Rhythm Institute

5100 West 110th St., Suite 200 Overland Park, KS, 66211

Rhea Pimentel, MD

The University of Kansas Hospital Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, 4000 Cambridge St., Kansas City, KS, 66160

Brian Ramza, MD/PhD Saint Luke’s Cardiovascular Consultants

4330 Wornall Road, Suite 2000 Kansas City, MO, 64111

Derrick Ward, MD

Kansas City Allergy &Asthma Associates 8675 College Blvd., Suite 200 Overland Park, KS, 66210

ANESTHESIOLOGY

Cheen K. Alkhatib, MD

The University of Kansas Hospital 4000 Cambridge St., Kansas City, KS, 66160

BARIATRIC SURGERY

Michael R. Arroyo, MD

Saint Luke’s Surgical Specialists 120 Northeast Saint Luke’s Blvd., Suite 220 Lee’s Summit, MO, 64086

Nicole Fearing, MD

Bariatric and Metabolic Specialists 5100 West 110 St., Suite 110 Overland Park, KS, 66211

Stanley David Hoehn, MD

The Bariatric Center of Kansas City AdventHealth Surgery Center, 23401 Prairie Star Parkway, Suite 300 Lenexa, KS, 66227

Robert Kenney, DO

Saint Luke’s Surgical Specialists 5844 Northwest Barry Road, Suite 120 Kansas City, MO, 64154

Geoffrey C. Slayden, MD

Saint Luke’s Surgical Specialists

12330 Metcalf Ave., Suite 500B Overland Park, KS, 66213

Suzanne V. Arnold, MD

Saint Luke’s Cardiovascular Consultants

4330 Wornall Road, Suite 2000 Kansas City, MO, 64111

Bethany A. Austin, MD

Saint Luke’s Cardiovascular Consultants

4330 Wornall Road, Suite 2000 Kansas City, MO, 64111

Timothy M. Bateman, MD

Saint Luke’s Cardiovascular Consultants

4330 Wornall Road, Suite 2000 Kansas City, MO, 64111

Steven W. Bormann, MD

The University of Kansas Hospital Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, 4000 Cambridge St., Kansas City, KS, 66160

Kevin A. Bybee, MD

Saint Luke’s Cardiovascular Consultants

12330 Metcalf Ave., Suite 280 Overland Park, KS, 66213

Paul Chan, MD

Saint Luke’s Cardiovascular Consultants

4330 Wornall Road, Suite 2000 Kansas City, MO, 64111

Matthew Deedy, MD

Saint Luke’s Cardiovascular Consultants

20 Northeast Saint Luke’s Blvd., Suite 240

Lee’s Summit, MO, 64086

Mark P. Everley, MD

Yeruva V. Reddy, MD

The University of Kansas Hospital Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, 4000 Cambridge St., Kansas City, KS, 66160

Daniel A. Steinhaus, MD

Saint Luke’s Cardiovascular Consultants

4330 Wornall Road, Suite 2000 Kansas City, MO, 64111

Rangarao Tummala, MD

Kansas City Heart Rhythm Institute 5100 West 110th St., Suite 200 Overland Park, KS, 66211

Alan P. Wimmer, MD

Saint Luke’s Cardiovascular Consultants

4330 Wornall Road, Suite 2000 Kansas City, MO, 64111

Ravi K. Yarlagadda, MD

Olathe Health Cardiology Services 20805 West 151st St., Suite 400 Olathe, KS, 66061

CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE

Mazhar A. Afaq, MD

The University of Kansas Hospital Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, 4000 Cambridge St., Kansas City, KS, 66160

Craig Lundgren, MD

Healient Physician Group

1000 Carondelet Drive

Kansas City, MO, 64114

Anthony Magalski, MD

Saint Luke’s Cardiovascular Consultants

4330 Wornall Road, Suite 2000 Kansas City, MO, 64111

Justin R. McCrary, MD

Saint Luke’s Cardiovascular Consultants

20 Northeast Saint Luke’s Blvd., Suite 240 Lee’s Summit, MO, 64086

Michael E. Nassif, MD Saint Luke’s Cardiovascular Consultants

5844 Northwest Barry Road, Suite 230 Kansas City, MO, 64154

James H. O’Keefe, MD Saint Luke’s Cardiovascular Consultants

4330 Wornall Road, Suite 2000 Kansas City, MO, 64111

Steven Owens, MD

The University of Kansas Hospital 4000 Cambridge St., Kansas City, KS, 66160

Ujjaval M. Patel, MD Midwest Heart and Vascular Specialists

5100 West 110th St., Floor 2 Overland Park, KS, 66211

Charles B. Porter, MD

Saint Luke’s Cardiovascular Consultants

4330 Wornall Road, Suite 2000 Kansas City, MO 64111

Timothy J. Fendler, MD

Saint Luke’s Cardiovascular Consultants

4330 Wornall Road, Suite 2000 Kansas City, MO, 64111

Jonathan A. Freeman, MD

The University of Kansas Hospital Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, 4000 Cambridge Street Kansas City, KS, 66160

Anna Grodzinsky, MD Saint Luke’s Cardiovascular Consultants

5844 Northwest Barry Road, Suite 230 Kansas City, MO, 64154

Andrew Kao, MD

Saint Luke’s Cardiovascular Consultants

4330 Wornall Road, Suite 2000 Kansas City, MO, 64111

Taiyeb M. Khumri, MD

Saint Luke’s Cardiovascular Consultants

20 Northeast Saint Luke’s Blvd., Suite 240 Lee’s Summit, MO, 64086

The University of Kansas Hospital Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, 4000 Cambridge St., Kansas City, KS, 66160

Carlos Rivas-Gotz, MD Saint Luke’s Cardiovascular Consultants

20 Northeast Saint Luke’s Blvd., Suite 240 Lee’s Summit, MO, 64086

Mohammed K. Saghir, MD Saint Luke’s Cardiovascular Consultants

12330 Metcalf Ave., Suite 500 Overland Park, KS, 66213

Laura M. Schmidt, MD Saint Luke’s Cardiovascular Consultants

4330 Wornall Road, Suite 2000 Kansas City, MO, 64111

David G. Skolnick, MD Saint Luke’s Cardiovascular Consultants

4330 Wornall Road, Suite 2000 Kansas City, MO, 64111

Dwarakraj Soundarraj, MD

Liberty Cardiovascular Specialists 2521 Glenn Hendren Drive, Suite 306 Liberty, MO, 64068

Brett W. Sperry, MD

Saint Luke’s Cardiovascular Consultants

20 Northeast Saint Luke’s Blvd., Suite 240 Lee’s Summit, MO, 64086

Tracy L. Stevens, MD

Saint Luke’s Cardiovascular Consultants

4330 Wornall Road, Suite 2000 Kansas City, MO, 64111

Robert E. Tanenbaum, MD

Saint Luke’s Cardiovascular Consultants

20 Northeast Saint Luke’s Blvd., Suite 240 Lee’s Summit, MO, 64086

Randall C. Thompson, MD Saint Luke’s Cardiovascular Consultants

4330 Wornall Road, Suite 2000 Kansas City, MO, 64111

Carrie A. Totta, MD

Midwest Heart and Vascular Specialists

17067 South Interstate 49, Suite 200 Belton, MO, 64012

Brian C. Weiford, MD

The University of Kansas Hospital Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, 4000 Cambridge Street Kansas City, KS, 66160

Martin H. Zink, III, MD

Saint Luke’s Cardiovascular Consultants

12330 Metcalf Avenue, Suite 280 Overland Park, KS, 66213

CHILD & ADOLESCENT PSYCHIATRY

James R. Batterson, MD

Children’s Mercy Northland Behavioral Health Clinic, 501 Northwest Barry Road Kansas City, MO, 64155

Sharon E. Cain, MD

The University of Kansas Health System

Marillac Campus, 8000 West 127th St Overland Park, KS, 66213

Ram Chettiar, DO

Children’s Mercy Adele Hall

Developmental and Behavioral Health, 2401 Gillham Road Kansas City, MO, 64108

Anne C. Clark, MD 10500 Barkley Street, Suite 220 Overland Park, KS, 66212

Ann C. Genovese, MD

The University of Kansas Hospital 2000 Olathe Blvd., Kansas City, KS, 661w60

Shilpa Sachdeva, MD

The University of Kansas Hospital

4000 Cambridge St. Kansas City, KS, 66160

Christopher Van Horn, DO

Psychiatry Associates of Kansas City 8900 State Line Road, Suite 380 Leawood, KS, 66206

CHILD NEUROLOGY

Ahmed Abdelmoity, MD

Children’s Mercy Adele Hall

Neurology Clinic, 2401 Gillham Road Kansas City, MO, 64108

Jean-Baptiste Le Pichon, MD/PhD

Children’s Mercy Adele Hall

Neurology Clinic, 2401 Gillham Road Kansas City, MO, 64108

COLON & RECTAL SURGERY

John H. Ashcraft, DO

The University of Kansas Hospital 10710 Nall Avenue Overland Park, KS, 66211

Jeremy Cravens, MD

Colorectal Surgical Associates

4370 West 109th Street, Suite 350 Overland Park, KS, 66211

Allen B. Jetmore, MD

Midwest Hemorrhoid Treatment Center 11111 Nall Avenue, Suite 116 Leawood, KS, 66211

Benjamin M. Martin, MD

The University of Kansas Hospital 10710 Nall Avenue Overland Park, KS, 66211

Lina M. O’Brien, MD

Colorectal Surgical Associates

4370 West 109th Street, Suite 350 Overland Park, KS, 66211

Darcy D. Shaw, MD

Colorectal Surgical Associates

1980 Southeast Blue Parkway Lee’s Summit, MO, 64063

DERMATOLOGY

Rebecca L. Chain, MD

Dermatology Consultants Midwest 10777 Nall Avenue, Suite 220 Overland Park, KS, 66211

Daniel L. Christiansen, MD

Epiphany Dermatology 6800 Hilltop Road, Suite 102 Shawnee, KS, 66226

Nicholas Crowley, MD

U.S. Dermatology Partners

8380 North Tullis Avenue Kansas City, MO, 64158

Matthew Fink, MD, FAAD

University Health Dermatology Independence

19000 East Eastland Center Court Independence, MO, 64055

Mark Fleischman, MD

U.S. Dermatology Partners

3265 Northeast Ralph Powell Road Lee’s Summit, MO, 64064

Holly V. Fritch, MD 11201 Nall Ave., Suite 100 Leawood, KS, 66211

Nicholas Golda, MD

U.S. Dermatology Partners

3265 Northeast Ralph Powell Road Lee’s Summit, MO, 64064

Jeffery J. Graves, MD

U.S. Dermatology Partners

7901 West 135th St., Overland Park, KS, 66223

James Griffith, MD

U.S. Dermatology Partners

7901 West 135th St., Overland Park, KS, 66223

Michael L. Haag, MD

U.S. Dermatology Partners

7901 West 135th St., Overland Park, KS, 66223

Thomas L. Hocker, MD

Advanced Dermatologic Surgery

6901 West 121st St., Overland Park, KS, 66209

David L. Kaplan, MD

Adult & Pediatric Dermatology

4601 West 109th St., Suite 116 Overland Park, KS, 66211

Anne H. Kettler, MD

College Park Family Care Center 15101 Glenwood Ave., Stanley, KS, 66223

Lauren A. Kyle Tkachuk, MD

Blue Valley Dermatology

7520 West 160th St., Suite 100 Overland Park, KS, 66085

Anne Miller Blake, MD

U.S. Dermatology Partners 11550 Granada Lane Leawood, KS, 66211

Meggan R. Newland, MD

Kansas City Skin and Cancer Center

4400 Broadway Blvd., Suite 400 Kansas City, MO, 64111

Emily Jean Ochoa, MD

Kansas City Skin and Cancer Center 4400 Broadway Blvd., Suite 400 Kansas City, MO, 64111

Deborah Ohlhausen, MD

U.S. Dermatology Partners

8380 North Tullis Ave., Kansas City, MO, 64158

Brittany Oliver, MD

University Health Dermatology 2101 Charlotte St., Suite 110 Kansas City, MO, 64108

Trisha A. Prossick, MD

Johnson County Dermatology

151 West 151st St., Olathe, KS, 66061

Anand N. Rajpara, MD

University Health Dermatology 2101 Charlotte St., Suite 110 Kansas City, MO, 64108

Braden R. Rance, MD

Dermatology Consultants Midwest 10777 Nall Ave., Suite 220 Overland Park, KS, 66211

Scott M. Ravis, MD

Kansas City Skin and Cancer Center 8656 North Ambassador Drive Kansas City, MO, 64154

Colin Ruff, MD

U.S. Dermatology Partners 11550 Granada Lane Leawood, KS, 66211

Ashwath Sampath, MD

University Health Dermatology 2101 Charlotte St., Suite 110 Kansas City, MO, 64108

Sheldon Sebastian, MD

U.S. Dermatology Partners

3265

Powell Road

Meena Singh, MD

Skin and Hair Center

TOP DOCS 2026

11520 West 119th St., Overland Park, KS, 66213

Spyros Michael Siscos, MD

University Health Dermatology 19000 East Eastland Center Court Independence, MO, 64055

Allison M. Swanson, MD

University Health Dermatology 2101 Charlotte St., Suite 110 Kansas City, MO, 64108

Isadore Tarantino, MD Precision Dermatology 9009 Roe Ave., Prairie Village, KS, 66207

Amanda E. Tauscher, MD

Johnson County Dermatology 151 West 151st St., Olathe, KS, 66061

Dominic J. Wu, MD

Kansas City Skin and Cancer Center 9301 West 74th St., Suite 230 Shawnee Mission, KS, 66204

DIAGNOSTIC RADIOLOGY

Ryan M. Ash, MD

The University of Kansas Hospital Department of Radiology, 4000 Cambridge St., Kansas City, KS, 66160

Jeffrey F. Brent, MD

Diagnostic Imaging Centers 6650 West 110th St., Overland Park, KS, 66211

Shelby J. Fishback, MD

The University of Kansas Hospital Department of Radiology, 4000 Cambridge St., Kansas City, KS, 66160

Jessica Lea Sanchez, MD

Saint Luke’s Imaging Associates Department of Radiology, 4401 Wornall Road Kansas City, MO, 64111

Louis H. Wetzel, MD

The University of Kansas Hospital Department of Radiology, 4000 Cambridge St., Kansas City, KS, 66160

EMERGENCY MEDICINE

Erica Carney, MD

University Health Truman Medical Center 2301 Holmes St. Kansas City, MO, 64108

Michael R. Christian, MD

Children’s Mercy Adele Hall 2401 Gillham Road Kansas City, MO, 64108

ENDOCRINOLOGY, DIABETES & METABOLISM

Brian T. Allenbrand, MD

Saint Luke’s Endocrinology Specialists 6185 Jefferson Ave., Parkville, MO, 64152

Leigh M. Eck, MD

The University of Kansas Hospital Endocrinology, Metabolism and Genetics, 2000 Olathe Blvd., Kansas City, KS, 66103

Kristine K. Grdinovac, MD

The University of Kansas Hospital 4000 Cambridge St., Kansas City, KS, 66160

Jeffrey D. Kallsen, MD

Jacobson and McElliott Diabetes and Endocrinology Center 12541 Foster St., Suite 240 Overland Park, KS, 66213

Sajeev Menon, MD

Olathe Health Internal Medicine 20805 West 151 St., Suite 224 Olathe, KS, 66061

Kyle M. Myers, DO, MHA

The University of Kansas Health System, Medical Pavilion 2000 Olathe Blvd., Kansas City, KS, 66160

Candice Rose, MD

The University of Kansas Hospital Endocrinology, Metabolism and Genetics, 2000 Olathe Blvd., Kansas City, KS, 66103

Renato Sandoval, MD

Saint Luke’s Endocrinology

600 Northeast Adams Dairy Parkway Blue Springs, MO, 64014

FACIAL PLASTIC SURGERY/ OTOLARYNGOLOGY

Kyle Kimura, MD

Asc Medical Oncology entist Plastic Surgery

6815 East Frontage Road Merriam, KS, 66204

J. David Kriet, MD

The University of Kansas Hospital

2000 Olathe Blvd., Floor 3 Kansas City, KS, 66160

Jeffrey D. Markey, MD

Ascentist Healthcare

6815 East Frontage Road Merriam, KS, 66204

FAMILY MEDICINE

Craig D. Barbieri, MD

Vein Clinic of Greater Kansas City

4400 West 109th St., Suite 150 Overland Park, KS, 66211

Rebecca S. Baskins, MD

Saint Luke’s Primary Care

600 Northeast Adams Dairy Parkway, Suite 200

Blue Springs, MO, 64014

Jane P. Brunner, DO

University Health Community Care

Grain Valley

1439 South Minter Way Grain Valley, MO, 64029

Jayne Lora Bumgarner, MD

Saint Luke’s Primary Care –Independence 4801 South Cliff Ave., Suite 300 Independence, MO, 64055

Louis Christifano, DO

Advent Health Medical Group

Primary Care

7025 College Blvd., Suite 200 Overland Park, KS, 66211

Adrian J. Delaney, III, MD

Clay Platte Family Medicine Clinic 5501 Northwest 62nd Terrace, Suite 100 Kansas City, MO, 64151

Christopher Ehly, MD

Ehly Primary Care

7301 Mission Road, Building A, Suite 319 Prairie Village, KS, 66208

Neal A. Erickson, MD

Kansas City Family Medical Care

Saint Joseph Medical Center, 1000 Carondelet Drive Kansas City, MO, 64114

M. Kathryn Foos, MD

AdventHealth Medical Group

Primary Care at Shawnee Mission, 7450 Kessler St., Suite 300 Shawnee Mission, KS, 66204

Todd E. Fristo, MD

Saint Luke’s Primary Care – Independence

4801 South Cliff Ave., Suite 300 Independence, MO, 64055

Margaret E. Gibson, MD

University Health Lakewood Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Center

7900 Lee’s Summit Road Kansas City, MO, 64139

Amy M. Holman, MD

Saint Luke’s Primary Care – Barry Road

5844 Northwest Barry Road, Suite 110 Kansas City, MO, 64154

John Horton, MD

Advent Health Medical Group

Primary Care

7025 College Blvd., Suite 200 Overland Park, KS, 66211

Gillian K. Housman, DO, MPH

Kansas City Concierge Medicine

5701 West 119th St., Suite 240 Overland Park, KS, 66209

Quinn M. Jackson, MD

The University of Kansas Hospital

2000 Olathe Blvd., Kansas City, KS, 66160

Frederick C. Keenan, IV, MD

Saint Luke’s Primary Care – Barry Road

5844 Northwest Barry Road, Suite 110 Kansas City, MO, 64154

Randy C. Luzania, MD

Town Plaza Family Practice

6936 Mission Road, Suite 202 Prairie Village, KS, 66208

Sharissa Mabry, MD

Village Office Center

7301 Mission Road, Suite 350 Prairie Village, KS, 66208

Hannah E. Maxfield, MD

KU Family Medicine Clinic

2000 Olathe Blvd., MOB Building, Floor 1 Kansas City, KS, 66160

James L. Miller, DO

Nursery Street Family Care Clinic 617 West Nursery St., Butler, MO, 64730

Wesley Nash, DO

College Park Family Care Center –

Prairie Star Parkway 17050 West 96th St., Lenexa, KS, 66219

Erin M. O’Laughlin, DO

Sunflower Medical Group

Heartland Primary Care, 5675 Roe Blvd., Roeland Park, KS, 66205

A. Ernest Ojeleye, MD

Ottawa Family Physicians 1418 South Main St.,, Suite 5 Ottawa, KS, 66067

Jeffrey T. Parker, MD

Saint Luke’s Primary Care – Barry Road 5844 Northwest Barry Road, Suite 110 Kansas City, MO, 64154

James Rahto, MD

College Park Family Care Center 11725 West 112th St., Overland Park, KS, 66210

Kim K. Smith, MD

Saint Luke’s Primary Care – Barry Road 5844 Northwest Barry Road, Suite 110 Kansas City, MO, 64154

Dennis Spratt, MD

Ottawa Family Physicians 1418 South Main St.,, Suite 5 Ottawa, KS, 66067

Jennifer N. Teegarden, MD Health Suite 110 Direct Primary Care, 7199 West 98th Terrace, Suite 110 Overland Park, KS, 66212

Jessica D. Yoakam, MD AdventHealth Medical Group Primary Care at Prairie Star, 23351 Prairie Star Parkway, Suite A245 Lenexa, KS, 66227

Tahira Zufer, MD KU Family Medicine Clinic 2000 Olathe Blvd., MOB Building, Floor 1 Kansas City, KS, 66160

GASTROENTEROLOGY

Kelsey L. Able, DO Digestive Health Specialists 8580 North Green Hills Road, Suite A Kansas City, MO, 64154

Ajay Bansal, MD

The University of Kansas Hospital

4000 Cambridge St., Kansas City, KS, 66160

John A. Bonino, MD

The University of Kansas Hospital Division of Gastroenterology, 10710 Nall Ave., Overland Park, KS, 66211

Daniel Buckles, MD

The University of Kansas Hospital Division of Gastroenterology, 10710 Nall Ave., Overland Park, KS, 66211

Wendell Clarkston, MD

Saint Luke’s GI Specialists 12330 Metcalf Ave., Suite 420 Overland Park, KS, 66213

Ervin Y. Eaker, MD

WestGlen Gastrointestinal Consultants 7230 Renner Road Shawnee, KS, 66217

Tuba Esfandyari, MD

The University of Kansas Hospital Division of Gastroenterology, 10710 Nall Ave., Overland Park, KS, 66211

Jonathan P. Horwitz, DO Digestive Health Specialists

8580 North Green Hills Road, Suite A Kansas City, MO, 64154

Sreenivasa S. Jonnalagadda, MD Saint Luke’s GI Specialists

4321 Washington St. Medical Plaza III, Suite 4000 Kansas City, MO, 64111

Eric C. Molloy, MD

KU MedWest 7405 Renner Road Shawnee, KS, 66217

Mitesh B. Patel, MD KU MedWest 7405 Renner Road Shawnee, KS, 66217

Amit Rastogi, MD

The University of Kansas Hospital Division of Gastroenterology, 10710 Nall Ave., Overland Park, KS, 66211

Prateek Sharma, MD

Kansas City VA Medical Center 4801 East Linwood Blvd., Kansas City, MO, 64128

Michael F. Thompson, MD

WestGlen Gastrointestinal Consultants 7230 Renner Road Shawnee, KS, 66217

Steven Alan Weinman, MD

The University of Kansas Hospital 4000 Cambridge St., Kansas City, KS, 66160

Jeffrey L. Young, MD

Gastrointestinal Associates

10116 West 105th St., Overland Park, KS, 66212

GERIATRIC MEDICINE

Shelley B. Bhattacharya, DO

The University of Kansas Hospital

3599 Rainbow Blvd., Kansas City, KS, 66160

Christopher Geha, MD

Ward Parkway Health Services

8800 State Line Road Leawood, KS, 66206

Jessica L. Kalender-Rich, MD, MHA, CMD, AGSF, FAAHPM, FACP

The University of Kansas Health System Medical Pavilion, 2000 Olathe Blvd., Kansas City, KS, 66160

Andrea E. Stand, MD

KU Medical Center

2000 Olathe Blvd., Medical Pavilion Kansas City, KS, 66160

GYNECOLOGIC ONCOLOGY

Lowell Byers, MD

AdventHealth Shawnee Mission Gynecologic Oncology, 9100 West 74th St., Shawnee Mission, KS, 66204

Alaa A. Elbendary, MD

Midwest Oncology Associates

Sarah Cannon Cancer Network at Menorah Medical Center, 12140 Nall Avenue, Suite 200 Overland Park, KS, 66209

Andrea D. Jewell, MD

The University of Kansas Cancer Center

Richard and Annette Bloch Cancer Care Pavilion, 2650 Shawnee Mission Parkway Westwood, KS, 66205

Sara S. Lange, MD

AdventHealth Shawnee Mission

Gynecologic Oncology, 9100 West 74th St., Shawnee Mission, KS, 66204

Brenda L. Shoup, MD

AdventHealth Shawnee Mission

Gynecologic Oncology, 9100 West 74th St., Shawnee Mission, KS, 66204

Lori A. Spoozak, MD

The University of Kansas Cancer Center

Richard and Annette Bloch Cancer Care Pavilion, 2650 Shawnee Mission Parkway Westwood, KS, 66205

HAND SURGERY

Christine Cheng, MD

Children’s Mercy Adele Hall

Orthopaedic Clinic, 2401 Gillham Road Kansas City, MO, 64108

HOSPICE & PALLIATIVE MEDICINE

Christi L. Bartlett, MD

The University of Kansas Hospital 4000 Cambridge St., Kansas City, KS, 66160

Emily N. Hansen, DO

The University of Kansas Hospital 4000 Cambridge St., Kansas City, KS, 66160

Kevin P. Hubbard, DO

Saint Luke’s Cancer Specialists

4401 Wornall Road Peet Center, Floor 5, Entrance C Kansas City, MO, 64111

Taylor H. Jersak, MD

Children’s Mercy Adele Hall

Department of Palliative Care, 2401 Gillham Road Kansas City, MO, 64108

Lindy B.H. Landzaat, DO

The University of Kansas Hospital 4000 Cambridge St., Kansas City, KS, 66160

Jennifer S. Linebarger, MD

Children’s Mercy Adele Hall Department of Palliative Care, 2401 Gillham Road Kansas City, MO, 64108

Karin Porter-Williamson, MD

The University of Kansas Cancer Center

Richard and Annette Bloch Cancer Care Pavilion, 2650 Shawnee Mission Parkway Westwood, KS, 66205

Christian T. Sinclair, MD

The University of Kansas Cancer Center

Richard and Annette Bloch Cancer Care Pavilion, 2650 Shawnee Mission Parkway Westwood, KS, 66205

Benjamin M. Skoch, DO

The University of Kansas Cancer Center

Richard and Annette Bloch Cancer Care Pavilion, 2650 Shawnee Mission Parkway Westwood, KS, 66205

INFECTIOUS DISEASE

Sarah E. Boyd, MD

Saint Luke’s Infectious Disease Specialists

5844 Northwest Barry Road, Suite 270 Kansas City, MO, 64154

Lisa A. Clough, MD

The University of Kansas Hospital Division of Infectious Diseases, 2000 Olathe Blvd., Floor 4 Kansas City, KS, 66160

Samir R. Desai, MD

KC Infectious Disease Consultants 7255 Renner Road, Suite 100 Shawnee, KS, 66217

Albert Eid, MD

The University of Kansas Hospital Division of Infectious Diseases, 2000 Olathe Blvd., Floor 4 Kansas City, KS, 66160

Wissam I. El Atrouni, MD

The University of Kansas Hospital Division of Infectious Diseases, 2000 Olathe Blvd., Floor 4 Kansas City, KS, 66160

Daniel J. Geha, MD

Ward Parkway Health Services 8800 State Line Road Leawood, KS, 66206

Chelsea A. Gorsline, MD

The University of Kansas Medical Center Division of Infectious Disease, 2000 Olathe Blvd., Floor 4 Kansas City, KS, 66160

Kassem A. Hammoud, MD

The University of Kansas Hospital

Division of Infectious Diseases, 2000 Olathe Blvd., Floor 4

Kansas City, KS, 66160

Dana Hawkinson, MD

The University of Kansas Hospital

Division of Infectious Diseases, 2000 Olathe Blvd., Floor 4 Kansas City, KS, 66160

Apoorv Y. Kalra, MD

Metro Infectious Disease Consultants 931 Northeast Columbus St., Lee’s Summit, MO, 64086

Joanna M. Kimball, MD

The University of Kansas Hospital 4000 Cambridge St., Kansas City, KS, 66160

Michael Luchi, MD

The University of Kansas Hospital

Division of Infectious Diseases, 2000 Olathe Blvd., Floor 4 Kansas City, KS, 66160

Fernando Merino, MD

The University of Kansas Hospital

Division of Infectious Diseases, 2000 Olathe Blvd., Floor 4 Kansas City, KS, 66160

Jessica R. Newman, DO

The University of Kansas Hospital

4000 Cambridge St., Kansas City, KS, 66160

Weijing Sun, MD

The University of Kansas Cancer Center, Richard and Annette Bloch Cancer Care Pavilion, 2650 Shawnee Mission Parkway Westwood, KS, 66205

Elizabeth M. Wulff-Burchfield, MD

The University of Kansas Clinical Research Center 4350 Shawnee Mission Parkway Fairway, KS, 66205

NEONATAL-PERINATAL MEDICINE

Jessica L. Brunkhorst, MD

Children’s Mercy Adele Hall

Neonatology, 2401 Gillham Road Kansas City, MO, 64108

John M. Daniel, IV, MD

Children’s Mercy Adele Hall

Neonatology, 2401 Gillham Road Kansas City, MO, 64108

Katherine N. Florendo, MD

Pediatrix Medical Group of Kansas 4401 Wornall Road, Suite 2708 Kansas City, MO, 64111

Winston M. Manimtim, MD

Children’s Mercy Adele Hall

Neonatology, 2401 Gillham Road Kansas City, MO, 64108

Steven Olsen, MD

Children’s Mercy Adele Hall

Neonatology, 2401 Gillham Road Kansas City, MO, 64108

NEPHROLOGY

Ahmed Awad, DO

Kansas City Kidney Consultants 4320 Wornall Road, Suite 208 Kansas City, MO, 64111

Diane M. Cibrik, MD

The University of Kansas Hospital

4000 Cambridge St., Kansas City, KS, 66160

Tarek Darwish, MD

Kansas City Kidney Specialists

11661 College Blvd., Overland Park, KS, 66210

Tewabe G. Kebede, MD

Midwest Nephrology Consultants 2340 East Meyer Blvd., Kansas City, MO, 64132

Cassandra A. Kimber, DO

The University of Kansas Hospital 2000 Olathe Blvd., Kansas City, KS, 66103

Jeffrey A. Klein, MD

The University of Kansas Hospital 4000 Cambridge St., Kansas City, KS, 66160

Ryan M. Lustig, I, MD

Kansas City Kidney Consultants 4320 Wornall Road, Suite 208 Kansas City, MO, 64111

Franz Winklhofer, MD

The University of Kansas Hospital 2000 Olathe Blvd., Kansas City, KS, 66103

Alan S. L. Yu, MD

The University of Kansas Hospital 2000 Olathe Blvd., Kansas City, KS, 66103

NEUROLOGICAL SURGERY

Roukoz B. Chamoun, MD

The University of Kansas Hospital Cambridge Tower A, 3825 Cambridge St., Kansas City, KS, 66103

John A. Clough, MD

Neurosurgery of South Kansas City 5340 College Blvd., Overland Park, KS, 66211

Jayson A. Neil, MD

AdventHealth Medical Group

Neurosurgery at Shawnee Mission, 7450 Kessler St., Suite 202 Merriam, KS, 66204

Paul L. O’Boynick, MD

AdventHealth Medical Group

Neurosurgery at Shawnee Mission, 7450 Kessler St., Suite 202 Merriam, KS, 66204

Timothy E. Stepp, MD

The University of Kansas Hospital Neurological Surgery, 2000 Olathe Blvd., Floor 3, Suite 3E Kansas City, KS, 66160

NEUROLOGY

Michael G. Abraham, MD

The University of Kansas Hospital 4000 Cambridge St., Kansas City, KS, 66160

Margo L. Block, DO

The University of Kansas Hospital 4000 Cambridge St., Kansas City, KS, 66160

Jeffrey M. Burns, MD

The University of Kansas Hospital Alzheimer’s Disease Center, 4350 Shawnee Mission Parkway Fairway, KS, 66205

John E. Croom, MD

AdventHealth Medical Group

Neurology at Shawnee Mission, 7450 Kessler St., Suite 205 Shawnee Mission, KS, 66204

Mazen M. Dimachkie, MD

Landon Center 3599 Rainbow Blvd., Kansas City, KS, 66160

Alexander Fong, MD

AdventHealth Medical Group

Neurology at Shawnee Mission, 7450 Kessler St., Suite 205 Shawnee Mission, KS, 66204

Nancy E. Hammond, MD

The University of Kansas Hospital Comprehensive Epilepsy Clinic, 4000 Cambridge St., Kansas City, KS, 66160

Jeffrey M. Kaplan, MD

AdventHealth Medical Group

Neurology at Roeland Park, 5675 Roe Blvd., Suite 260 Roeland Park, KS, 66205

Parveen K. Khosla, MD

Saint Joseph Neurology Associates 1004 Carondelet Drive, Suite 300 Kansas City, MO, 64114

Patrick Landazuri, MD

The University of Kansas Hospital

Comprehensive Epilepsy Clinic, 4000 Cambridge St., Kansas City, KS, 66160

Rola A.M. Mahmoud, MD

Kansas City Physician Partners 4440 Broadway Blvd., Kansas City, MO, 64111

Coleman O. Martin, MD

Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City Department of Radiology, 4401 Wornall Road Kansas City, MO, 64111

Lori Noorollah, MD

University of Kansas Medical Center 3901 Rainbow Blvd., Kansas City, KS, 66103

Karin E. Olds, MD

Saint Luke’s Neurology 4400 Broadway Blvd., Suite 520 Kansas City, MO, 64111

Rajesh Pahwa, MD

The University of Kansas Health System Landon Center on Aging, 3599 Rainbow Blvd., Kansas City, KS, 66160

Mamatha Pasnoor, MD Landon Center 3599 Rainbow Blvd., Kansas City, KS, 66160

Robert T. Reddig, MD

Saint Luke’s Neurology 20 Northeast Saint Luke’s Blvd., Suite 300 Lee’s Summit, MO, 64086

Michael J. Schwartzman, DO

Saint Luke’s Neurology

4400 Broadway Blvd., Suite 520 Kansas City, MO, 64111

Russell Swerdlow, MD

The University of Kansas Hospital

Alzheimer’s Disease Center, 4350 Shawnee Mission Parkway Fairway, KS, 66205

Utku Uysal, MD

The University of Kansas Hospital

Comprehensive Epilepsy Clinic, 4000 Cambridge St., Kansas City, KS, 66160

NEURORADIOLOGY

John D. Leever, MD

The University of Kansas Hospital Department of Radiology, 4000 Cambridge St., Kansas City, KS, 66160

Alan R. Reeves, MD

The University of Kansas Hospital 4000 Cambridge St., Kansas City, KS, 66160

OBSTETRICS & GYNECOLOGY

Errick Arroyo, MD

Kansas City Obstetrics and Gynecology

12200 West 106th Street, Suite 230 Overland Park, KS 66215

Timothy Billharz, MD

Northland Obstetrics & Gynecology

2529 Glenn Hendren Drive, Medical Plaza East, Suite 200 Liberty, MO, 64068

Rocco J. Florio, DO

Saint Luke’s Women’s Health East 120 Northeast Saint Luke’s Blvd., Suite 300A

Lee’s Summit, MO, 64086

Amy L. Giedt, MD

Women’s Health Associates 9119 West 74th St., Suite 300 Shawnee Mission, KS, 66204

TOP DOCS 2026

Carrie A. Grounds, MD

Women’s Clinic of Johnson County 8901 West 74th St., Suite 100 Shawnee Mission, KS. 66204

Lori A. Kramer, MD

Saint Luke’s Women’s Health North 5844 Northwest Barry Road, Suite 310 Kansas City, MO 64154

Phaedra A. Lombard, MD

Women’s Clinic of Johnson County 8901 West 74th St., Suite 100 Shawnee Mission, KS, 66204

Christopher M. Lynch, MD

Johnson County OB/GYN 7440 West Frontage Road Merriam, KS, 66203

Michael R. Magee, MD

Women’s Care Obstetrics & Gynecology

9301 West 74th St., Suite 325 Shawnee Mission, KS, 66204

Ana M. Martinez, MD

Women’s Health Associates

9119 West 74th St., Suite 300 Shawnee Mission, KS, 66204

Kimberly D. Matthews, MD

Women’s Health Associates

9119 West 74th St., Suite 300 Shawnee Mission, KS, 66204

Emily S. Minderman, MD

Kansas City Obstetrics and Gynecology

12200 West 106th St., Suite 230 Overland Park, KS, 66215

Traci L. Nauser, MD

Center for Women’s Health 4840 College Blvd., Overland Park, KS, 66211

Crystal Newby, MD

Kansas City Obstetrics and Gynecology

12200 West 106th St., Suite 230 Overland Park, KS, 66215

Sarah E. Newman, MD

Meritas Health Pavilion for Women 2790 Clay Edwards Drive, Suite 530 North Kansas City, MO, 64116

Ward W. Ohlhausen, MD

Northland Obstetrics & Gynecology

2529 Glenn Hendren Drive, Medical Plaza East, Suite 200 Liberty, MO, 64068

Madhuri G. Reddy, MD

The University of Kansas Health System, Medical Pavilion

2000 Olathe Blvd., Clinic B, Floor 5 Kansas City, KS, 66106

Sharla Shipman, MD

Women’s Clinic of Johnson County 8901 West 74th St., Suite 100 Shawnee Mission, KS, 66204

Evelina Swartzman, MD

Women’s Health Associates 9119 West 74th St., Suite 300 Shawnee Mission, KS, 66204

Carrie L. Wieneke, MD

The University of Kansas Health System, Medical Pavilion 2000 Olathe Blvd., Clinic B, Floor 5 Kansas City, KS, 66106

Reagan Wittek, MD

Women’s Health Associates 9119 West 74th St., Suite 300 Shawnee Mission, KS, 66204 OPHTHALMOLOGY

Meleha Ahmad, MD, MSc

Moyes Eye Center 5151 Northwest 88th St., Kansas City, MO, 64154

Radwan Ajlan, MD

The University of Kansas Health System, Eye Center, 7400 State Line Road, Suite 100 Prairie Village, KS, 66208

Akhila N. Alapati, MD

The University of Kansas Health System, Eye Center, 7400 State Line Road, Suite 100 Prairie Village, KS, 66208

Neeti M. Alapati, MD

Optimum Eye Surgery 11071 Hauser St., Unit 4B Lenexa, KS, 66210

Stephen L. Ambrose, MD

The University of Kansas Health System, Eye Center, 7400 State Line Road, Suite 100 Prairie Village, KS, 66208

Kristin S. Biggerstaff, MD

Kansas City Eye Clinic 7504 Antioch Road Overland Park, KS, 66204

Fred Bodker, MD

Kansas City Eye Clinic 7504 Antioch Road Overland Park, KS, 66204

Emily Broxterman, MD

The University of Kansas Health System, Eye Center, 7400 State Line Road, Suite 100 Prairie Village, KS, 66208

Tyler F. Brundige, MD

Discover Vision Centers

9401 North Oak Trafficway, Suite 200

Kansas City, MO, 64155

Susan Carney, MD

Northland Eye Specialists 1200 Landmark Avenue Liberty, MO, 64068

Timothy B. Cavanaugh, MD

Cavanaugh Eye Center

6200 West 135th St., Suite 300

Overland Park, KS, 66223

Mary T. Champion, MD

The University of Kansas Health System, Eye Center, 7400 State Line Road, Suite 100 Prairie Village, KS, 66208

Michael Chappell, MD

Moyes Eye Center 5151 Northwest 88th St., Kansas City, MO, 64154

Ryan D. Christensen, MD

Retina Associates 8600 Quivira Road Lenexa, KS, 66215

Douglas O. Dehning, MD

Discover Vision Centers

4741 South Cochise Drive Independence, MO, 64055

John F. Doane, MD

Discover Vision Centers 4741 South Cochise Drive Independence, MO, 64055

Gregory M. Fox, MD

Retina Associates 8600 Quivira Road Lenexa, KS, 66215

Kenneth J. Frank, MD

Frank Eye Center 1401 South Main St., Ottawa, KS, 66067

Miles F. Greenwald, MD

The University of Kansas Health System, Eye Center, 7400 State Line Road, Suite 100 Prairie Village, KS, 66208

Milton Grin, MD

Grin Eye Care

21020 West 151st St., Olathe, KS, 66061

Brian Heiniger, MD

Grin Eye Care

21020 West 151st St., Olathe, KS, 66061

Karl D. Hendricks, MD

Medical Surgical Eye Care 8919 Parallel Parkway, Suite 226 Kansas City, KS, 66112

Christopher S. Ketcherside, MD

Kansas City Eye Clinic

7504 Antioch Road Overland Park, KS, 66204

Jemshed A. Khan, MD

Khan Eyelid & Facial Plastic 9650 Nall Ave., Overland Park, KS, 66207

Johann G. Ohly, MD

Kansas City Eye Clinic

7504 Antioch Road Overland Park, KS, 66204

Anjulie K. Quick, MD

The University of Kansas Health System, Eye Center, 7400 State Line Road, Suite 100 Prairie Village, KS, 66208

Javed A. Sayed, MD

Discover Vision Centers

9401 North Oak Trafficway, Suite 200 Kansas City, MO, 64155

Ajay Singh, MD

Discover Vision Centers

11500 Granada Lane Leawood, KS, 66211

Matthew Sniegowski, MD Sabates Eye Centers 11261 Nall Ave., Leawood, KS, 66211

Jason Aaron Sokol, MD

The University of Kansas Health System, Eye Center, 7400 State Line Road, Suite 100 Prairie Village, KS, 66208

Erin D. Stahl, MD

Children’s Mercy Broadway Ophthalmology Clinic, 3101 Broadway Blvd. Kansas City, MO, 64111

Jason E. Stahl, MD Durrie Vision 8300 College Blvd., Suite 201 Overland Park, KS, 66211

Ann C. Stechschulte, MD

Stiles Eyecare Excellence 7200 West 129th St., Overland Park, KS, 66213

Stephen U. Stechschulte, MD

Discover Vision Centers 11500 Granada Lane Leawood, KS, 66211

Beatty G. Suiter, MD Retina Associates 8600 Quivira Road Lenexa, KS, 66215

W. Abraham White, MD

The University of Kansas Health System, Eye Center, 7400 State Line Road, Suite 100 Prairie Village, KS, 66208

William L. White, MD Associated Ophthalmologists of Kansas City 1004 Carondelet Drive, Suite 405 Kansas City, MO, 64114

Thomas J. Whittaker, MD

The University of Kansas Health System, Eye Center, 7400 State Line Road, Suite 100 Prairie Village, KS, 66208

Stephen B. Wiles, MD Perfect Sense Eye Care 211 Northeast 54th St., Suite 202 Kansas City, MO, 64118

Anne B. Wishna, MD

The University of Kansas Health System, Eye Center, 7400 State Line Road, Suite 100 Prairie Village, KS, 66208

Jeff Wongskhaluang, MD Grin Eye Care 21020 West 151st St., Olathe, KS, 66061

ORTHOPAEDIC SURGERY

David W. Anderson, MD

Kansas City Joint Replacement & Sports Medicine 5701 West 119th St., Suite 410 Overland Park, KS, 66209

Michael G. Azzam, MD

Impact Orthopedics & Sports Medicine

5200 West 94th Terrace, Suite 113 Prairie Village, KS, 66207

Timothy M. Badwey, MD

Kansas City Orthopedic Alliance

3651 College Blvd., Leawood, KS, 66211

Molly D. Black, MD

OSI Orthopedic & Sports Medicine

12200 West 106th St., Suite 400 Overland Park, KS, 66215

Jacob W. Brubacher, MD

The University of Kansas Hospital 2000 Olathe Blvd., Kansas City, KS, 66160

Joshua T. Bunch, MD

The University of Kansas Hospital

4000 Cambridge St., Kansas City, KS, 66160

Douglas C. Burton, MD

The University of Kansas Hospital

Anesthesia Pain Medicine Division, 4000 Cambridge St., Kansas City, KS, 66160

Daniel J. Chernoff, MD

Kansas City Orthopedic Alliance 3651 College Boulevard, Suite 100B Leawood, KS, 66211

Scott M. Cook, MD

Kansas City Orthopedic Alliance

3651 College Blvd., Suite 100B Leawood, KS, 66211

Paul C. Cowan, MD Orthopedic Health Of Kansas City

1950 Diamond Parkway, Suite 100 Kansas City, MO, 64116

Matthew C. Daggett, DO

Sano Orthopedics

2861 Northeast Independence Ave., Suite 201

Lee’s Summit, MO, 64064

John P. Eggers, MD/PhD Orthopedic Health of Kansas City 1950 Diamond Parkway, Suite 100 North Kansas City, MO, 64116

Suzanne Elton, MD

Kansas City Bone & Joint Clinic 10701 Nall Ave., Corporate Medical Plaza, Building 1, Suite 200 Overland Park, KS, 66211

Daniel C. Farrell, MD

Sano Orthopedics

11340 Nall Avenue, Suite 200 Overland Park, KS, 66211

Larry F. Frevert, MD

Rockhill Orthopaedic Specialists

120 Northeast Saint Luke’s Blvd., Suite 200

Lee’s Summit, MO, 64086

Wesley F. Frevert, MD

Rockhill Orthopaedic Specialists

120 Northeast Saint Luke’s Blvd., Suite 200

Lee’s Summit, MO, 64086

Gary A. Go, MD

Rockhill Orthopaedic Specialists

120 Northeast Saint Luke’s Blvd., Suite 200

Lee’s Summit, MO, 64086

Daniel J. Gurley, MD

College Park Family Care Center

Specialty Center

10600 Mastin St., Entrance A Overland Park, KS, 66212

Archie Heddings, MD

The University of Kansas Hospital

Department of Orthopedic Surgery, 2000 Olathe Blvd., Suite 2D Kansas City, KS, 66160

Jon Hedgecock, MD

Orthopedic Health of Kansas City

1950 Diamond Parkway, Suite 100 North Kansas City, MO, 64116

Michael D. Hellman, MD

Rockhill Orthopaedic Specialists

120 Northeast Saint Luke’s Blvd., Suite 200

Lee’s Summit, MO, 64086

Kelly J. Hendricks, MD

Kansas City Joint Replacement & Sports Medicine

5701 West 119th St., Suite 410 Overland Park, KS, 66209

Vincent H. Key, MD

The University of Kansas

Health System

Sports Medicine and Performance Center, 10730 Nall Ave., Suite 200 Overland Park, KS, 66211

Jeffrey A. Krempec, MD

Orthopedic Health of Kansas City

1950 Diamond Parkway, Suite 100 North Kansas City, MO, 64116

Scott A. Langford, MD

Rockhill Orthopaedic Specialists

120 Northeast Saint Luke’s Blvd., Suite 200

Lee’s Summit, MO, 64086

Scott R. Luallin, MD

University Health Lakewood Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Center

7900 Lee’s Summit Road Kansas City, MO, 64139

Christopher J. Maugans, MD

Rockhill Orthopaedic Specialists

120 Northeast Saint Luke’s Blvd., Suite 200

Lee’s Summit, MO, 64086

Megan N. Mayer, MD

Rockhill Orthopaedic Specialists

120 Northeast Saint Luke’s Blvd., Suite 200

Lee’s Summit, MO, 64086

Michael P. McCabe, MD

Kansas City Orthopedic Alliance 10777 Nall Ave., Suite 300 Overland Park, KS, 66211

Kirk A. McCullough, MD

Kansas City Orthopedic Alliance

3651 College Boulevard, Suite 100A Leawood, KS, 66211

Scott M. Mullen, MD

The University of Kansas Health System

Sports Medicine and Performance Center, 10730 Nall Ave., Suite 200 Overland Park, KS, 66211

Andrew C. Palmisano, MD

Ascentist Healthcare

4550 West 109th St., Overland Park, KS, 66211

Amar Patel, MD

Rockhill Orthopaedic Specialists

120 Northeast Saint Luke’s Blvd., Suite 200

Lee’s Summit, MO, 64086

Jay H. Rapley, MD

Rockhill Orthopaedic Specialists

120 Northeast Saint Luke’s Blvd., Suite 200 Lee’s Summit, MO, 64086

Mark Rasmussen, MD

Kansas City Orthopedic Alliance

3651 College Blvd., Suite 100B Leawood, KS, 66211

Howard Rosenthal, MD

The University of Kansas Cancer Center, Sarcoma Center, 10730 Nall Ave., Suite 201 Overland Park, KS, 66211

J. Paul Schroeppel, MD

The University of Kansas Health System

Sports Medicine and Performance Center, 10730 Nall Ave., Suite 200 Overland Park, KS, 66211

Aakash A. Shah, MD

Kansas City Joint Replacement & Sports Medicine 5701 West 119th St., Suite 410 Overland Park, KS, 66209

Christopher M. Shaw, MD

University Health Orthopaedics 2101 Charlotte St., Suite 190 Kansas City, MO, 64108

Shyam Shridharani, MD

Olathe Health Integrity Spine Surgery

20375 West 151st St., Doctor’s Building 1, Suite 105 Olathe, KS, 66061

John M. Sojka, MD

The University of Kansas Hospital Department of Orthopedic Surgery, 2000 Olathe Blvd., Kansas City, KS, 66160

Matthew E. Beuerlein, MD

The Ear, Nose and Throat Clinic

2521 Glenn Hendren Drive, Suite 104 Liberty, MO, 64068

Vidur Bhalla, MD

Medical Pavilion

2000 Olathe Blvd., Kansas City, KS, 66160

Mitchell Challis, MD

Head and Neck Surgery of Kansas City 5370 College Blvd., Suite 100 Overland Park, KS, 66211

Douglas H. Cowan, MD

Ascentist Ear, Nose & Throat 4550 West 109th St., Overland Park, KS, 66211

Robert D. Cullen, MD

Ascentist Healthcare 4550 West 109th Street

Overland Park, KS, 66211

Steven F. Ellis, MD

Head and Neck Surgery of Kansas City 5370 College Blvd., Suite 100 Overland Park, KS, 66211

James David Garnett, MD

The University of Kansas Hospital

2000 Olathe Blvd., Floor 3 Kansas City, KS, 66160

Colleen N. Johnson, MD

Ascentist Ear, Nose & Throat

2300 Hutton Road, Suite 106

Kansas City, KS, 66109

Jeremy O. Statton, MD

Rockhill Orthopaedic Specialists 120 Northeast Saint Luke’s Blvd., Suite 200 Lee’s Summit, MO, 64086

Jacob Saunders Stueve, MD

Kansas City Orthopedic Alliance 3651 College Blvd., Suite 100B Leawood, KS, 66211

Kimberly J. Templeton, MD

The University of Kansas Hospital Department of Orthopedic Surgery, 2000 Olathe Blvd., Suite 2D Kansas City, KS, 66160

Bryan G. Vopat, MD

The University of Kansas Health System, Sports Medicine and Performance Center, 10730 Nall Ave., Suite 200 Overland Park, KS, 66211

Scott Wingerter, MD/PhD

Kansas City Orthopedic Alliance 3651 College Blvd., Leawood, KS 66211

OTOLARYNGOLOGY

Jill M. Arganbright, MD

Children’s Mercy Adele Hall ENT Clinic, 2401 Gillham Road Kansas City, MO, 64108

Gregory A. Ator, MD

The University of Kansas Hospital

2000 Olathe Blvd., Floor 3 Kansas City, KS, 66160

Donald D. Beahm, MD

The University of Kansas Health System, Medical Pavilion

2000 Olathe Blvd., Kansas City, KS, 66160

Kiran Kakarala, MD

The University of Kansas Hospital

2000 Olathe Blvd., Floor 3

Kansas City, KS, 66160

Shannon M. Kraft, MD KU MedWest

7405 Renner Road Shawnee, KS, 66217

Christopher G. Larsen, MD

The University of Kansas Hospital

2000 Olathe Blvd., Floor 3 Kansas City, KS, 66160

James Lin, MD

The University of Kansas Hospital

2000 Olathe Blvd., Floor 3 Kansas City, KS, 66160

Stanley W. McClurg, MD, FARS

Ascentist Healthcare

6815 East Frontage Road Merriam, KS, 66204

Brian A. Metz, MD

Midwest Ear, Nose & Throat

20375 West 151st St., Suite 106A Olathe, KS, 66061

Thomas Muelleman, MD

Ascentist Healthcare

4550 West 109th St., Suite 310 Overland Park, KS, 66211

Pierre Podrebarac, MD

NKC Health Ear, Nose & Throat

9411 North Oak Trafficway, Suite 202

Kansas City, MO, 64155

Richard B. Price, MD

Head and Neck Surgery of Kansas City

5370 College Blvd., Suite 100

Overland Park, KS, 66211

Timothy Badwey, MD

Dan Chernoff, MD

Michael McCabe, MD

Jacob Stueve, MD

Scott Cook, MD

Scott Wingerter, MD, PhD

Michael Khadavi, MD, RMSK

Kirk McCullough, MD

Mark Rasmussen, MD

TOP DOCTORS

HEALTHCARE PROFILES 2026

The Kansas City’s medical community is home to nationally recognized hospitals and best-in-class healthcare providers. The following profiles highlight some of the local professionals helping reshape the healthcare landscape and can help you connect with a provider that is best suited for you or your family.

FUNCTIONAL WELLNESS AND AESTHETIC MEDICINE

ANU AESTHETICS™ AND OPTIMAL WELLNESS

Cristyn Watkins, MD

Beauty. Wellness. Science — Arising, aNu.

More than 15 years ago, long before aesthetics and wellness were widely discussed together, Dr. Cristyn Watkins, MD, recognized the synergy between inner health and outer beauty and created an integrative, physician-led practice designed to help patients look better, feel better, and truly thrive.

For Dr. Watkins, medicine has never been simply a profession. It has been a calling shaped by her lived experience with complex chronic illness and the frustration of wanting answers when everything looks “normal,” but something still feels profoundly off. That perspective fuels her pursuit of knowledge, innovation, and better options for herself and her patients.

As a family medicine physician first, Dr. Watkins built aNu to bridge the gap between preventive health, advanced aesthetics, regenerative therapy, and functional wellness medicine. aNu was created from real life— the needs she experienced personally, gaps she experienced in traditional care, and patients who wanted more: answers, options, transparency, and connection. Even the aNu lotus logo reflects her philosophy of renewal. Like the lotus flower, we can rise through difficulty and darkness to bloom into greater beauty, strength, and purpose. Licensed and board-certified in Family Medicine with advanced certification in functional, metabolic, and nutrition medicine through the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine, Dr. Watkins brings a whole-person, evidence-guided perspective to every aspect of care.

At aNu, patients receive comprehensive, yet highly personalized care across advanced medical aesthetics, including skin rejuvenation, injectables, lasers, energy-based treatments, and body contouring; wellness medicine,

including hormone and metabolic support, medical weight management, food sensitivity, nutrient, and GI evaluation, advanced detoxification therapies, infection-related protocols, mental health and memory support, epigenetic evaluation, and preventive healthy-aging strategies; regenerative medicine procedures for pain and inflammation; subcutaneous, IM and IV therapies, including SOT (Supportive Oligonucleotide Therapy), Ozone, MSC, Exosomes, NAD+, Ketamine, GLP, peptides, vitamins, and nutrients. Her approach is simple, but increasingly rare: listen first, look deeper, ask more questions, and create a plan that makes sense for the whole person. In aesthetics, she prefers conservative treatments over time, prioritizing natural results, skin health, proportion, and tissue integrity. In wellness, she looks beyond symptoms to identify patterns and opportunities for meaningful improvement. Her mission is to help patients feel healthy, confident, and at home in their bodies again— within an inviting, inclusive community where personalized, physician-led care is delivered by an expert medical team in a practice that feels like home.

For the Patient. For the Purpose. Always aNu.

FDA & State Notice: Cristyn Watkins, MD, is licensed in Missouri and Kansas and is a board-certified family physician. Her certifications are issued by the National Board of Physicians and Surgeons and American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine. Statements regarding advanced treatments (Ozone, Exosomes, MSC, SOT) have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. This promotional profile is for educational purposes only, does not constitute medical advice, and does not establish a doctor-patient relationship. Consult a physician for specific concerns.

MY APPROACH TO PATIENTS

“I

want every patient to feel seen, heard, and personally cared for. That is the heart of aNu: deeply connected medicine that listens first, honors the whole person, and helps patients thrive—inside and out.”

PSYCHIATRY

KANSAS CITY PSYCHIATRY PARTNERS

Kansas City’s Largest TMS and Ketamine Clinic

Dr. Irfan Handoo has been at the cutting edge of psychiatry and has been recognized as one of the leading psychiatrists in the country. He specializes in treatment-resistant depression and is one of the most experienced TMS and IV Ketamine psychiatrists in the U.S. Kansas City Psychiatry Partners is the only clinic in the Kansas City area to offer Deep TMS, IV Ketamine, and Spravato®.

Deep TMS

Deep Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) uses magnetic waves to reach a deep, targeted brain area called the limbic system. Advanced research shows that improperly functioning neurons and nerve cells in the limbic system strongly correlate to depression symptoms. Patients who undergo Deep TMS typically receive 5 treatments per week for six consecutive weeks for a total of 30 sessions, followed by six maintenance sessions over a 2-week period. All insurance plans cover Deep TMS. Dr. Handoo has successfully performed TMS for over 1,000 patients in the past ten years.

IV Ketamine

IV Ketamine treatments are another form of therapy for treatment-resistant depression. “It is perhaps the most important breakthrough in antidepressant treatment in decades,” according to Dr. Thomas Insel, the former director of the National Institutes of Mental Health. Patients undergoing IV Ketamine treatments receive Ketamine by IV once a week for six consecutive weeks. Dr. Handoo sees all Ketamine patients prior to each treatment. In 2016, Dr. Handoo was the first doctor to start IV Ketamine treatments in the Kansas City area and has administered more than 8,000 treatments over the past ten years.

Spravato®

Spravato® has been FDA approved for treatment-resistant depression for the past seven years, since 2019. With Spravato®, patients are seen twice weekly for four weeks, once a week for four weeks, then followed by four weeks of maintenance based on individual response to treatments. All insurance plans cover Spravato®.

Dr. Handoo is a member of the Clinical TMS Society and is a member of the expert faculty of the American Society of Ketamine Physicians, a designation given to the leading 25 ketamine doctors in the United States.

In The News

Widely regarded throughout the KC area as an expert, Dr. Handoo has been featured on the front page of the Kansas City Star, as well as numerous print publications and TV programs discussing Deep TMS, IV Ketamine and Spravato®.

In October 2024, Dr. Handoo and staff opened their own practice in a 6,000 square-foot space located in the Offices of Deer Creek Woods at 133rd & Metcalf Avenue. Dr. Handoo has been recognized by Kansas City Magazine as a “Top Doctor” for five consecutive years, from 2022 - 2026.

Led by Dr. Irfan Handoo, Kansas City Psychiatry Partners is committed to providing the highest level of psychiatric care in the Kansas City Area. For more information or to schedule an appointment, patients may call or text (913) 346-0000 or send a message through their website www.kcpsychiatrypartners.com.

MY APPROACH TO PATIENTS

“Dr. Handoo and KCPP believe in a comprehensive biopsychosocial approach to patients with treatment-resistant depression that incorporates evidence-based medicine and input from family members. By offering Deep TMS, IV Ketamine treatments and Spravato, they are committed to providing patients with the latest innovative therapies.”

KANSAS PAIN MANAGEMENT PAIN MANAGEMENT

Living with chronic pain changes everything. It affects how you sleep, how you move, and how you show up for the people and moments that matter most. If you have been searching for answers — and real relief — Kansas Pain Management has been helping patients across the Kansas City region find both for decades.

At Kansas Pain Management, care begins with listening. Every patient receives a thorough evaluation designed to identify the source of their pain and understand how it affects daily life. From there, the team develops an individualized treatment plan focused on reducing pain, improving function, and helping patients return to the activities they value most.

The practice brings together fellowship-trained pain specialists and a licensed clinical health psychologist, offering patients multidisciplinary care in one setting. This approach recognizes that chronic pain is never just physical. It can affect mood, sleep, relationships, work, and overall quality of life. By treating the whole person — not just one symptom — Kansas Pain Management helps patients move forward with a plan that supports both physical and emotional wellbeing. Many patients come to Kansas Pain Management after feeling that medication was the only option available to them. The practice was built on a different belief: that many patients can benefit from targeted, minimally invasive treatments designed to address the source of pain rather than simply mask it.

Common treatment options include:

• Spinal cord stimulation — using gentle electrical signals to help interrupt pain before it reaches the brain

• Radiofrequency ablation — targeting irritated nerves that may be causing chronic neck, back, or joint pain

• Peripheral nerve stimulation — treating pain by stimulating specific nerves outside the spine

• Epidural steroid injections and nerve blocks — delivering medication near the source of inflammation or nerve pain

• Minimally invasive spine procedures — including lumbar decompression, kyphoplasty, and sacroiliac joint fusion Intrathecal pain pumps — delivering medication directly where it is needed, often at much lower doses

• Botox therapy — treating spasticity and cervical dystonia

Kansas Pain Management is also involved in clinical research and emerging pain therapies, including advances in neuromodulation. For patients, that means access to innovative treatment options delivered by physicians who remain actively engaged in the future of pain medicine. With convenient locations serving Overland Park, Roeland Park, Leavenworth/ Lansing, Lawrence, Belton, Lee's Summit and the surrounding Kansas City region, help is closer than many patients realize. New patient appointments

Request an appointment online at kansaspainmanagement.com or call the practice directly.

OUR APPROACH TO PATIENTS

“Kansas Pain Management begins by listening, understanding each patient’s goals, and identifying the source of their pain. The team creates individualized, evidence-based treatment plans that combine advanced procedures, whole-person care, and compassionate support to help patients move toward lasting relief.”

Pictured L to R: Mayank Gupta, MD, Kristina Grove, APRN, Mahoua Ray, MD, Nicole Walton, APRN Twinkal Dalal, MD, Paula Harkins, PHD, Allison Bell, MD

Row 1 (L to R): Marjorie Wongs, MD, David Rudman, MD, Heather

Row 2: Jeff Markey, MD, Andrew Palmisano, MD, Daniel Sleve,

Nicholas Wirtz, MD. Row 3: Robert Cullen, MD, Joseph Ursick, MD, Thomas

MD, Danny Neuman, DO, Christopher Rose, MD. Not pictured: Colleen Johnson,

ASCENTIST HEALTHCARE

Each year, the recognition of Top Doctors highlights physicians who have earned the trust and respect of both their peers and their patients—an achievement that reflects not only clinical excellence, but also a deep commitment to compassionate care. At Ascentist Healthcare, this year’s honorees represent the very best of what modern medicine can offer: expertise, innovation, and a patient-first approach that guides every interaction.

Across a wide range of specialties, these physicians are leaders in their fields, bringing advanced training, cutting-edge techniques, and a dedication to continu-

ous improvement. From complex surgical procedures to everyday patient interactions, their focus remains the same—delivering high-quality care that leads to meaningful, lasting outcomes. Many are actively involved in research, education, and advancing clinical best practices, ensuring their patients benefit from the latest developments in medicine.

At Ascentist Healthcare, excellence isn’t just a goal—it’s a standard. These Top Doctors embody that standard every day, making a meaningful difference in the lives of the communities they serve.

Kyle

MD, Jeff Straub, MD Lee’s Summit, MO | Kansas City, MO | Belton, MO | Overland Park, KS Kansas City, KS | Leawood, KS Missouri: 816-478-4200 | Kansas: 913-721-3387 | ascentist.com

OUR APPROACH TO PATIENTS

“ We listen first, taking time to understand each patient’s unique concerns and goals. We prioritize clear communication, ensuring that patients feel informed, confident, and supported every step of the way. This blend of technical expertise and genuine compassion creates an environment where patients feel seen, heard, and cared for.”

Peña, MD, Jennifer Phillips, DPM, Brian McCroskey, MD.

MD, Stanley McClurg, MD, Douglas Cowan, MD,

Muelleman, MD, Jeff Foster, DO, Neal Erickson,

MD,

Kimura, MD, MyChi Le,

CENTER FOR NUTRITION & PREVENTIVE MEDICINE, P.A.

If you’re navigating the complex health challenges that often come with your 40s, 50s, or 60+—weight gain, fatigue, cholesterol issues, or hormones declining— you’re not alone. And you don’t have to face it without medical support.

The Center for Nutrition offers Kansas City’s premier medical approach to lasting weight loss and healthy aging. Led by Rick Tague MD, MPH, Caleb Tague MD, MPH, and Kari Brown APRN, this physician-run clinic provides personalized, medically managed weight loss, even if you have had frustrating results with diets or GLP-1s in the past.

Drs. Rick and Caleb Tague are both board-certified in Family Medicine and Obesity Medicine. Dr. Caleb Tague now holds an elite national credential in lipidology—placing him among just a few Kansas physicians certified in advanced cholesterol and cardiovascular risk management.

Their evidence-based programs go far beyond diet plans. Services include:

• Metabolism evaluation and management

• Personalized nutrition plans and individualized supplement guidance

• Hormone replacement therapy for women and men (Using natural bioidentical hormones)

• Weight loss medication management, including GLP-1s and other evidence-based options

• Advanced cholesterol and cardiovascular preventive care

At the Center for Nutrition, you’re never just a number. Your plan is built around your unique body chemistry, metabolism, lifestyle, lab results, and goals—with ongoing monitoring to ensure results that last.

WEIGHT LOSS AND NUTRITION

Clients report experiencing far more than weight loss: restored energy, improved mood, better sleep, and a renewed sense of confidence. Whether you want to lose 10 pounds or 100, address symptoms of menopause or low testosterone, or improve risks of chronic disease, you’ll be treated with compassion and expertise.

With over 35,000 success stories since 1996, the team at Center for Nutrition proudly serves patients across the Kansas City metro with convenient clinics in Leawood and Topeka.

“We believe lasting optimum health begins with caring for the whole person. Our physician-led team evaluates metabolism, body composition, hormones, nutritional status, medical history, and personal goals, then develops a personally tailored plan. With ongoing monitoring, strategic guidance, and compassionate support, we help patients lose unwanted weight, restore energy, improve metabolic health, and embrace strategies that support long-term health, energy, and vitality.”

L to R: Caleb Tague, MD, MPH, Rick Tague, MD, MPH, Kari Brown, APRN

PHYSICAL THERAPY

L to R: Alex Ervin, PT, DPT; Brooke Welch, PT, DPT; Cailey Clouse, PT, DPT; Debbie Korona, Darren McConnaughey, PTA, ST; Zak Hill, PT, DPT, CSMT, COMT, Logan Taylor, PT, DPT, FDN; Jennifer Bruckner, PT, DPT; Stacy Scherer, Brendan Black, PT, DPT, CSCS, DN

A healthy, strong, and active lifestyle is what everyone strives for; however, it is not always easy to obtain, especially for those suffering from chronic pain. Fortunately, physical therapy can help you achieve optimum levels of health and fitness, all while reducing your pain. It’s an ideal first-line treatment for most muscle and joint problems. Clinically proven to reduce pain and dysfunction, it’s important to know that physical therapy can only be provided by qualified and licensed physical therapists.

Dr. Hill has certification in manual and manipulative therapy. He has held his Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) training for more than 10

years through the National Strength and Conditioning Association. Dr. Hill and his team work with patients who suffer from general orthopedic issues to sport rehabilitation and performance training, pre- and post-surgical orthopedic patients, and those with back, neck and nerve pain. They are proficient in a variety of treatment types, including aquatic therapy, dry needling, electrical stimulation, ergonomics, Kinesio taping, laser and manual therapy, spinal manipulation and trigger point therapy.

The Pro-Motion team focuses on physical therapy for both kids and adults. With no two cases alike, they utilize a comprehensive approach to wellness, focusing on the overall

well-being of the patient, and not just the site of injury or pain. They stay at the forefront of therapy through continuous education and advanced certifications. Their approach to physical therapy can help you achieve optimum levels of health and fitness, all while reducing your pain.

OUR APPROACH TO PATIENTS

“ We provide an atmosphere of healing, trust, and empowerment to achieve optimal health and wellness, while generating results that you can feel and that make a difference in your quality of life”.

1321 SW Market St., Lee’s Summit, MO 64081 | 701 NE Lakewood Blvd., Lees Summit MO 64064 816-607-7180 | hillpromotionpt.com

MEDICAL IMAGING

PROFESSIONAL IMAGING

Nicole Brooks

Professional Imaging is redefining accessible healthcare by uniting cutting-edge imaging technology with deeply personalized care. Under the leadership of Nicole Brooks, the organization has spent more than two decades transforming the landscape of diagnostic services—delivering high-quality care at a fraction of traditional hospital costs. Expanding beyond its original roots in St. Louis, Professional Imaging now serves patients across Kansas City and Columbia, Missouri. The centers offer comprehensive diagnostic services including MRI, CT, X-ray, and interventionalpain management, with prices 50 to 80 percent lower than hospital systems—without sacrificing clinical excellence. The commitment to advanced patient care is reflected in specialty services such as whole-body scans for preventive health and Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) for those recovering from concussions or traumatic brain injuries. Each location features on-site access to a physician, physician assistant, or nurse practitioner, while a team of subspecialty-trained radiologists ensures expert interpretation. With the recent implementation of advanced 3T MRI technology, scan times are significantly reduced, enhancing both efficiency and patient comfort.

Professional Imaging is privately owned and operated, creating an atmosphere that is both professional and welcoming. Every patient is greeted by name and given individualized attention, with flexible scheduling and extended hours that accommodate today’s busy lives. By pairing affordability with innovation and compassion, Professional Imaging continues to lead the way in patient-first diagnostic healthcare.

“Our approach to patient care centers on delivering exceptional, compassionate service while making high-quality imaging affordable and accessible. We believe patients shouldn't have to choose between quality and cost or endure long wait times, so we focus on providing timely appointments, personalized care, and an outstanding experience from start to finish.”

JORDAN PSYCHOLOGICAL CENTER

Conveniently located in southern Johnson County, Jordan Psychological Center recently celebrated 19 years of service to the KC Metro area. On staff are licensed psychologists, therapists, executive functioning/ADHD coaches, academic tutors and a speech therapist.

Working with clients ranging in age from toddlers to adults, the Center provides state-of-the-art assessments and proven therapeutic interventions to help clients be healthy and navigate any educational, vocational, or life challenges.

Jordan Psychological Center provides comprehensive psychological and psychoeducational evaluations for a variety of concerns, including ADHD, specific learning disabilities, autism, and anxiety. Assessments typically involve a thorough diagnostic interview, individualized testing, and a feedback session. Following the evaluation, the client receives a detailed and personalized report.

Individual psychotherapy for children, adolescents, and adults, including those with autism and other emotional or behavioral concerns, is also available. Jordan Psychological Center houses a diverse team of psychotherapists who treat patients of all ages and demographics. Multiple therapists are accepting new patients.

The Center's play therapy services offer a developmentally sensitive approach to treatment for children who are navigating emotional, behavioral, and relational difficulties. Through the natural language of play, children are able to express thoughts and feelings that may be difficult to articulate verbally, allowing the therapist to build a therapeutic relationship and support meaningful change. Jordan Psychological Center's play therapist works with children across a range of presentations, including anxiety, trauma, adjustment concerns, and social-emotional challenges, providing a safe and nurturing environment in which children can heal and grow.

With a strong reputation built over nearly two decades, Jordan Psychological Center remains a trusted and comprehensive resource for individuals and families throughout the Kansas City Metro area. With an interdisciplinary approach to mental health, Jordan Psychological Center is committed to delivering personalized, evidence-based care in a warm and collaborative environment. By offering a wide range of services tailored to each client’s unique needs, Jordan Psychological Center continues to provide a variety of important services to people of all ages.

OUR

APPROACH TO PATIENTS

“At Jordan Psychological Center, every client receives individualized attention, evidence-based assessment and treatment, and genuine care. Our multidisciplinary team is committed to understanding each person's unique situation and providing meaningful, actionable guidance for clients, their families, and providers.”

Pictured L to R: Olivia Cowin, Jana Moreno, Shelby Bartley, Kari Wold, Dr. Karen Jordan, Dr. Taylor Guhin, Lindsey Gack, and Joanne Jung

ADVANCED DERMATOLOGIC SURGERY

Thomas L.H. Hocker, MD

Q: Why do patients in Leawood, Johnson County, and Kansas City choose Dr. Thomas L.H. Hocker for Mohs surgery and reconstruction?

A: Dr. Hocker is Yale-, Harvard-, and Mayo Clinic-trained and triple board-certified in dermatology, dermatopathology, and Mohs micrographic surgery. He is one of fewer than 30 physicians worldwide to hold all three certifications, the first African-American man in U.S. history to do so, and ranked among the top three Mohs melanoma surgeons in the world by surgical case volume.

Q: What makes his practice different?

A: One surgeon, every step. Dr. Hocker integrates diagnosis, Mohs margin control, and advanced reconstructive plastic surgery in one physician-led process, so the cancer and repair stay under one expert's judgment. His AAAHC-accredited surgery center, on-site lab, and private VIP services model create a destination-level experience for Fortune 500 executives, public figures, and professional athletes across the Midwest.

Q: Why is he trusted for aesthetic reconstruction after skin cancer?

A: Dr. Hocker is known for reconstructive plastic surgery on the nose, eyelids, lips, ears, and anywhere cure, function, and appearance all matter. His goal is not only clearing the cancer; it is achieving a natural result that lets patients face the world confidently again.

Q: What recognition supports his reputation?

A: Across 23,000+ Mohs cases, Dr. Hocker maintains a 0.32% recurrence rate and 0.43% infection rate, well below published benchmarks. He is Founding Director of Dermatologic Surgery at UMKC/University Health, a Castle Connolly Top Dermatologist and Mohs surgeon from 2024 to 2026, an Ingram's Top Doctor awardee, and co-author of the #1 best-selling dermatology review book, Review of Dermatology.

PLASTIC SURGERY ERY

CUSICK PLASTIC SURGERY

J. Douglas Cusick, MD, FACS

Choosing a qualified plastic surgeon is the first step in your aesthetic goals. Experienced and board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Douglas Cusick is personally committed to helping you reach your objectives, whether your focus is on cosmetic, reconstruction or non-surgical procedures.

Dr. Cusick performs body-slimming and fat-reducing procedures that can restore a proportional body shape. Many of these procedures can be combined for comprehensive body-contouring treatment, such as lifts for the body, thighs and arms, tummy tuck and liposuction.

Cusick’s work extends to breast augmentation, reduction, lifts and reconstruction. He is also a highly sought after facial plastic surgeon, with most procedures focusing on reducing the signs of aging, while others are designed to enhance proportion of facial features like the nose, chin or ears.

He is a master at his craft, in the most natural manner. There is a certain elegance to his procedures that has built him a reputation as one of the most respected and sought-after plastic surgeons in Kansas.

4601 College Blvd., Suite 222, Leawood, KS 66211 913-661-0202 | cusickplasticsurgery.com

INTERNAL MEDICINE

OVERLAND PARK INTERNAL MEDICINE

L to R: Josh Ezell, DO, Marth Allen, MD

Overland Park Internal Medicine (OPIM) is a direct primary care practice dedicated to delivering exceptional, personalized healthcare. Founded by Dr. John Dunlap (retired), the clinic has a long-standing tradition of compassionate, relationship-based internal medicine. Dr. Josh Ezell and Dr. Martha Allen remain committed to comprehensive care for adults, caring for their patients both in the hospital and in the outpatient clinic.

A direct primary care model returns the practice of medicine back to where it began—between the doctor and patient. Insurance and corporate medicine are eliminated, allowing more time with the physician, along with transparent pricing and treatment that is specialized for you. Without the added complexities of insurance requirements, direct primary care physicians can provide discounted rates. Whether a patient needs preventive services, chronic disease management, or help in navigating complex medical issues, the team at OPIM is accessible and available to help.

5701 West 119th Street, Suite 240, Overland Park, KS 66209 913-491-6633 | opim.health

OPHTHALMOLOGY

DURRIE VISION

L to R: Jason E. Stahl, MD, and Kelly Grosdidier, OD

With advanced procedures such as LASIK, refractive lens exchange, EVO ICL, and refractive cataract surgery, Durrie Vision offers the life-changing benefits of modern vision correction. They deliver effective solutions for a range of vision conditions, including nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism, presbyopia, and cataracts. Their commitment to cutting-edge technology and a personalized approach is focused on delivering clear, comfortable vision—free from the limitations and frustrations of traditional eyewear.

Recognized as leaders and innovators in the field, the doctors at Durrie Vision are among the most experienced and respected vision correction specialists in the country. Alongside their dedicated team, they have participated in over 200 FDA clinical trials, making significant contributions to the research and development of refractive surgery procedures and technologies over the past 30 years.

The team at Durrie Vision is focused on identifying and customizing the procedure that best fits your unique eyes and lifestyle. You can expect phenomenal patient care, expertise from world-class doctors, and access to the most advanced diagnostic and treatment technology available.

8300 College Blvd., Suite 201, Overland Park, KS 66210 913-491-3330 | durrievision.com

SLEEP MEDICINE

EXCELLHEALTH SLEEP CENTER

Maniza Ehtesham, MD

Dr. Maniza Ehtesham is a board-certified sleep physician and the medical director at Excellhealth Sleep Center. She is an associate professor at the University of Missouri-Kansas City and enjoys teaching medical students. She has also served as an associate residency program director at UMKC. She is currently a staff physician at Advent Health Shawnee Mission and Excellhealth Sleep Center. Excellhealth Sleep Center offers comprehensive sleep care services for patients in and around Johnson County and is accredited by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM).

Excellhealth provides sleep consultations, as well as home sleep studies and in-lab sleep studies. If you or a family member or friend has a problem with snoring, insomnia, sleep apnea, or any other sleep-related disorder, Excellhealth has treatment options for you.

10640 W 87th Street, Overland Park, KS 66214

913-203-4040 | excellhealthsleep.com

PRIMARY CARE ERY

KANSAS CITY CONCIERGE MEDICINE

Front (L to R): Haley More, Gillian Housman, DO, MPH, Song Xiong. Back (L to R): Sydney Heitman, Jonathan Jacobs, MD, Melissa Ford

What is Concierge Medicine? It’s a membership-based form of health care, designed to foster a personal physician-patient relationship. Dr. Jacobs and Dr. Housman work hand-in-hand with their patients to create health care plans and objectives that improve their health.

With years of practice in internal medicine, Dr. Jacobs has a deep level of knowledge and understanding to help diagnose, treat, and identify the root of your symptoms. With a focus on treating the causes and not the symptoms, Dr. Jacobs’ approach is focused on complete wellness and proactive health.

Combining over a decade of expertise with unwavering empathy, Dr. Housman partners with patients to deliver meaningful, whole-person care at every stage of life. As a concierge doctor in Kansas City, she treats each patient as the unique individual they are, helping them thrive with personalized, science-driven care tailored to their life and goals.

5701 W. 119th St., Suite 240, Overland Park, KS 66209 913-498-1444 | kansascityconciergemedicine.com

PLASTIC SURGERY

MONARCH

The 2026 Top Doctors® list recognizes Dr. Leahy and Dr. Hodge among the best plastic surgeons in the Kansas City area. Monarch is proud to showcase its expertise in cosmetic, reconstructive and plastic surgery from these board-certified surgeons and their peers on the surgical team: Kalila Steen, MD, FRCSC, FACS, Jeffrey Dillow, MD, FACS, Richard Bene, MD, FACS, Joseph Spaniol, MD, FACS, Lexi Sampath, MD and Jon Bernard, MD. With support from their team of dedicated nurses and skilled aestheticians, Monarch offers the most advanced surgical and skin care procedures, including breast surgery, liposuction, facelifts and full-body contouring, skin rejuvenation, nonsurgical cosmetic treatments, wellness and weight loss and much more. Look your best and feel even better with Monarch Plastic Surgery & Skin Rejuvenation.

4801 W. 135th Street, Leawood, KS 66224

913-663-3838 | monarchps.com L to R: Keith

PHYSICAL MEDICINE ERY

MIDAMERICA REHABILITATION HOSPITAL

Cielo Dehning, MD

Dr. Dehning is the Medical Director at MidAmerica Rehabilitation Hospital in Overland Park, Kansas, where she also serves as Program Chair for the Spinal Cord Injury and Limb Loss Rehabilitation programs. Board certified in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and Spinal Cord Injury Medicine, Dr. Dehning is recognized for her expertise in helping patients recover from complex neurological and orthopedic conditions through comprehensive, patient-centered rehabilitation. Throughout her distinguished career with Encompass Health, she has received numerous honors, including the Courtesy, Professionalism, and Respect Award (2019), Regional Medical Director of the Year for the Central Region (2017), the Medical Leadership Award for the Western Region (2007), and the Clinical Excellence Award for the Western Region (2009). Her commitment to clinical excellence, compassionate care, and interdisciplinary collaboration has made her a respected leader in physical medicine, rehabilitation, and patient recovery.

5701 W. 110th Street, Overland Park, KS 66211

913-491-2400 | midamericarehabhospital.com

FACIAL PLASTIC SURGERY

CW FACIAL PLASTIC SURGERY

Carson Williams, MD

Dr. Carson Williams, founder of CW Facial Plastic Surgery in Leawood, Kansas, is a double board-certified facial plastic surgeon specializing exclusively in the face, neck, and scalp. He completed medical training at the University of Kansas School of Medicine and fellowship training through the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. Dr. Williams specializes in deep plane facelift and neck lift surgery, rhinoplasty, blepharoplasty, facial reconstruction, and aesthetic rejuvenation, delivering natural, elegant results through surgical precision, artistry, and personalized care.

The primary goal of the CW Facial Plastic Surgery team is to be a source of education and support for those who are interested in exploring facial rejuvenation. They empower patients to make the best decisions for themselves, and aim to be approachable, knowledgeable experts in a field that can be confusing and overwhelming. A recent patient explains “when you talk to someone about changing your appearance, it can feel incredibly vulnerable. I was so impressed with how Dr. Williams treated me with grace, respect, and compassion." — Bo W.

3500 W. 95th Street, Suite 200, Leawood, KS 66206

913-340-8035 | cwfps.com

OPHTHALMOLOGY

CAVANAUGH EYE CENTER

Timothy Cavanaugh, MD

In practice since 1991, Timothy B. Cavanaugh, MD is a boardcertified ophthalmologist and noted innovator in the field. He has performed more than 40,000 LASIK, cataract, and other cornea vision correction procedures. Dr. Cavanaugh received both his medical degree and his ophthalmic residency training at the University of Kansas and completed a surgical fellowship in advanced corneal and refractive surgery at Wilmer Institute of Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. He is committed to offering only the most advanced and effective technologies and is recognized as a Top Doctor for the KC metro region. His philosophy is “never stop learning” and his staff is handpicked to reflect that thinking.

FAMILY DENTISTRY

KISLING FAMILY DENTISTRY

Rebecca Kisling, DDS

Kisling Family Dentistry is proud to be a 100% family-owned small business in Leawood, KS. They will change your perception about going to the dentist. From the moment you walk through the door, you’ll feel at ease in a relaxed and lighthearted environment curated by Dr. Rebecca Kisling and her team. The practice delivers quality, non-judgmental, and compassionate dental care in a low pressure and friendly way. Kisling offers patients of all ages a variety of treatment including cosmetic and therapeutic Botox, snoring and sleep apnea appliances, as well as preventative, cosmetic, and restorative dentistry. They are accepting new patients. Visit them online or on social media @kislingfamilydentistry.

6200 W. 135th Street, Suite 300, Overland Park, Kansas 66223 913-897-9200 | cavanaugheye.com

ORTHOPEDIC SURGERY

KANSAS CITY BONE & JOINT CLINIC

Suzanne Elton, MD

13401 Mission Road, Suite 212, Leawood, KS 66209 913-357-8333 | kislingfamilydentistry.com

Dr. Suzanne Elton is a part of the team at Kansas City Bone & Joint Clinic. She’s driven by helping patients overcome their injuries and getting back to the things they love. “It’s satisfying to meet patients in the community and hear how they’re doing and have them refer friends and family members, since they feel that they trust my care.” Dr. Elton balances her time between evaluating and diagnosing patients and performing surgery. Her areas of expertise include arthritis, carpel tunnel, fractures, tendon injuries and other issues focused on the hand, wrist and upper extremity. tunnel surgery, the treatment of hand and wrist arthritis and tennis elbow treatment.

OVERLAND PARK: 10701 Nall Avenue, Suite 200

LEE'S SUMMIT: 2737 NE McBaine Drive

913-381-5225 | kcbj.com

Join us in congratulating the many Saint Luke’s physicians recognized as KC Magazine’s Top Doctors this year. Your expertise, compassion, and dedication set the standard for care across the region. Thank you for earning the trust of our patients every day.

A Home Run for History

By Ted Cotti

College Baseball Hall of Fame photography provided by MSH Visual

Exterior museum photography by Sam Fentress

LIKE RAY KINSELLA in Field of Dreams, Kansas City’s Tom Jacobs and the rest of the College Baseball Foundation’s Board of Trustees are answering that call from the corn field: “If you build it, they will come.”

The CBF officially opened the country’s first college baseball hall of fame in July at the Museum at Prairiefire (5801 W. 135th Street, Overland Park), where they expect to host more than half a million and maybe as many as two million visitors a year.

“The thing that’s really cool about the museum and about sports in general are all of the stories that accompany the names and the artifacts,” says Jacobs, a graduate of Shawnee Mission North High School and the University of Kansas. Jacobs serves as the CBF’s and College Baseball Hall of Fame’s CEO and executive director. “When you listen to guys during their induction ceremonies, they all make it clear how much our foundation means to them and how much their college baseball experience means to them—whether they went on to play in the MLB or not.”

Kansas City becomes home to the nation’s first College Baseball Hall of Fame

“The thing that’s really cool about the museum and about sports in general are all of the stories that accompany the names and the artifacts.”

Most sports fans know about the professional halls of fame in Canton, Ohio (football), Cooperstown, N.Y. (baseball), Springfield, Mass. (basketball), Toronto (hockey), New York City (track and field), Frisco, Tex. (soccer), and Saratoga Springs, Fla. (horse racing). But many college sports also have halls of fame: football in Atlanta, wrestling in Stillwater, Okla., men’s tennis at the University of Georgia, women’s tennis at the College of William and Mary, hockey in Eveleth, Minn., and of course, basketball here in Kansas City at the T-Mobile Center.

However, until now, college baseball has not had a home other than the Southwest Collection in the Special Collections Library at Texas Tech University in Lubbock.

The CBF works to “preserve, elevate and advance the game, to inspire the next generation, to teach those who love college baseball about its rich history and traditions, to celebrate those who make college baseball special and to honor those who have built the foundation upon which the game thrives today.”

And now the CBF has given college baseball’s legacy a home in the heart of the Midwest.

“We want to become part of the fabric of Kansas City and the region— a place that people will enjoy visiting

from near and far,” Jacobs says. “We want to continue to represent, tell the stories and celebrate all levels of college baseball.”

The Museum at Prairiefire—which opened in 2014 and welcomed more than 500,000 guests each of the last three years—presented the CBF with a golden opportunity: a quality, museum-ready space in a well-trafficked location. The Kansas City-based sports architecture firm Populous is completing the redesign.

“The existing museum already has a national identity because of its architecture and had space available, which expedited the planning and construction of the CBHOF exhibition,” says Fred Merrill, the museum’s founder and CEO. “The CBHOF is a regional and national draw and contributes to increased exposure to the museum. Their exhibition further extends the education and enrichment of the museum’s natural and social history offerings for the community.”

The space needed little work, Jacobs says: “A large part of what helped this come to fruition is that we didn’t have to build a museum from the ground up. Prairiefire offered a museum-ready space in a great city that has so many supportive organizations, including vibrant and healthy youth sports here in KC.”

And the city itself was a natural setting. “Overland Park and the Kansas City area have a rich history of baseball tradition at all levels with multiple facilities, leagues and tournaments,” Merrill says. “Baseball has a rich national history centered around families and youth development, which is what Prairiefire is all about.”

Jacobs promises that that dedication to youth will play a prominent role in the museum’s mission. In addition to reaching out to local schools and helping them arrange educational field trips to the museum, Jacobs says he also wants to build the cost of museum admission into

tournament entry fees for teams visiting Kansas City so that they will come, too.

“We want youngsters from around the country to come here,” Jacobs says.

An Immersive Experience

Once inside, visitors will be invited to move at their own pace through the museum, taking as much or as little time as they wish at each of the exhibits.

Eventually, when museum construction is completed, visitors will start their tour with a visit to the Locker Room Theater, where they can watch and listen to a recorded pre-game message from one of the game’s great coaches while sitting in a simulated locker guests can personalize with their name, number and gear and be photographed in.

alike,” Jeff Huffman, director of collegiate partnerships at Formetco stated. “We are honored to help bring the stories, traditions and excitement of college baseball to life through innovative digital display technology.”

Of course, the museum will also feature artifacts of the game.

“We can’t even begin to display all of the items we have,” Jacobs says, “most of which will continue to be housed in the Southwest Collection.”

Some of the items visitors can look forward to seeing at Prairiefire include the jerseys of past college players of the year, including Minnesota’s Dave Winfield and Florida State’s Buster Posey, along with items like pitcher Stephen Strasburg’s cleats, three chairs from the original Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha, signed caps, gloves, bats and balls, as well as historically significant scorecards, including the one from the first game with an all-Black umpire crew.

Hall of Famers

The museum will, of course, put a spotlight on the CBF’s award recipients.

Every year since 2006, about 200 representatives nationwide—including media, former inductees, baseball historians, members of the Society for American Baseball Research, and former players and coaches—vote on the CBHOF induction class.

“Typically, we’ll put 12 or 14 in per class,” Jacobs says. “But this last year’s class reached 21.”

To date, 175 players, coaches, umpires, administrators and contributors have been inducted.

In addition to the year’s class of inductees, the CBF presents the Brooks Wallace Award to the nation’s most outstanding shortstop. Wallace was a standout player for Texas Tech, and former Royals star Alex Gordon was the first recipient in 2004.

The CBF also recognizes a Pitcher of the Year; the John Olerud (former MLB great) Two-Way Player of the Year; the Skip Bertman (legendary LSU coach) Coach of the Year; the Wayne Graham (national champion at Rice University) Award for Teaching Excellence. and the George H.W. Bush Distinguished Alumnus Award presented by Rawlings, recognizing a student-athlete who went on to do great things and serve his community.

President Bush, who played first base for Yale, was the first recipient of the latter in 2014. Other Bush Award recipients include MLB hall of fame broadcaster Vin Scully and the University of Kansas’ Forrest Hoglund.

The CBF is also affiliated with the Dick Howser Trophy, considered the Heisman Trophy of college baseball, as well as the Buster Posey Award for catcher of the year, conferred by the Wichita Sports Commission.

College Baseball History

The first intercollegiate baseball game— featuring students from Williams College and Amherst College in Massachusetts— was played July 1, 1859, in Pittsfield, Mass. Billed as a clash of “muscle and mind,”

competitors faced off on the diamond Friday and then in chess matches Saturday. Amherst swept the weekend.

The first collegiate game as we know the game today—with nine players on each team—was played in New York on November 3, 1859, featuring students from St. John’s and Xavier universities.

By the late 1870s, several northeastern colleges were playing regularly.

The University of California, Berkeley claimed the first collegiate national championship title in 1947, defeating Yale 8–7 in Kalamazoo, Mich. In 1950, Omaha, Neb., became home to the College World Series—Texas upending Washington State in the finale that year—and has hosted it ever since.

The NCAA added a Division II championship tournament in 1968 and a Division III tournament in 1976. This year’s DII tourney was held at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, N.C., while the DIII event was at Classic Park in Eastlake, Ohio.

“College baseball has a long history, so we have a lot of catching up to do,” Jacobs says.

For more information, visit cbhalloffame.org.

Smoke and Glory

Q39’s new Champion Meat Package brings its award-winning barbecue together on one shareable platter

By Dawnya Bartsch

FOR BARBECUE LOVERS who have a hard time choosing between brisket, burnt ends or ribs, Q39 has a new answer: Don’t.

The Kansas City favorite has introduced its new Champion Meat Package, a permanent menu addition that gathers nearly every signature meat from the restaurant’s championship barbecue lineup onto one shareable platter. Designed to feed six, the package includes certified Angus beef brisket and burnt ends, pulled pork, smoked turkey, smoked chicken, house-made chipotle sausage and a half rack of ribs, along with a choice of two sides that can be preordered for pickup.

We named Q39 the Best Upscale BBQ Restaurant in 2025 for

offering competition-level ’cue in a polished dining experience. The platter is a way to bring this melt-in-your mouth meat home to enjoy on game day.

Founded by the late championship pitmaster and Culinary Institute of America graduate Rob Magee, Q39 built its reputation on precision smoking techniques and a chef-driven approach that continues today under executive chef Patrick Peluso.

In other words, the Champion Meat Package isn’t introducing anything new to the smoker—it’s simply putting Q39’s greatest hits on one platter.

A roundup of KC’s best biscuits and gravy

By Tyler Shane

Photography by Pilsen Photo Co-Op; photos for Room 39 provided.

Hemma Hemma

IN OUR MODERN, more health-conscious age, it’s a wonder biscuits and gravy still live in the “breakfast” category. I am not a lumberjack or a sawmill worker—two professions the cheap, calorie-packed meal was built to fuel in late19th century Southern Appalachia—and chances are you aren’t either. Yet here we are, willingly seeking out a meal that so often lands in our stomachs like a cruise missile before noon.

But when biscuits and gravy is done right, it’s about as close to perfect as breakfast gets: soft, crumbly, pull-apart biscuits smothered in a roux made from the pan drippings of pork sausage. It tastes like home, wherever that may be. Its old-fashioned simplicity leaves no room for pretense, which is exactly why it will always have a place on the menu and in our stomachs.

A few changes have come since our last list several years ago. The late KCK brunch spot Mockingbird Lounge, with its exceptional blazing-red chorizo gravy, is sorely missed, but there are some new spots doing the sawmill biscuit dish justice. (If you’re vegan, know that The Littlest Bake Shop off Troost serves a heaping helping alongside some excellent home-fried potatoes.) Below, you’ll find versions that come spiced with the Georgian seasoning ajika, served in a croissant or smothered diner-style. Either way, they’re all damn good. Godspeed—and bring your Tums.

Niecie’s

6441 TROOST AVE., KCMO nieciesrestaurant.com

MY PERSONAL FAVORITE in town, Niecie’s biscuits and gravy dish is unmatched. There’s no denying the sausage drippings worked into every ladle of rich gravy. On the surface, it looks like any other plate of biscuits and gravy, sometimes sprinkled with bacon bits, but the flavor is clearly from the soul, not something measured out from a standardized recipe.

12815 W. 87TH ST. PARKWAY, LENEXA bdcoffeehouse.com

OTHER GRAVIES MAY LEAN on rich sausage or a deep roux, but Black Dog stands out with an herb-forward version that’s a welcome change of pace, especially when mixed with Wiener Kitchen’s bacon breakfast sausage and ladled over soft buttermilk biscuits from Ibis Bakery.

THIS IS THE LONE DEPARTURE from the traditional plate of biscuits and gravy, and you’ll be glad to know about it. Instead of biscuits, Blackhole splits one of its buttery croissants in half and fills it with excellent sausage gravy. If you’re hoping to avoid that aforementioned cruise-missile-in-your-stomach feeling, the flaky croissant is a lighter alternative—and makes the whole thing taste even butterier.

ANYTIME HEMMA HEMMA owner and chef Ashley Bare riffs on a classic, you know you’re in for a treat. Her brunch menu includes pancakes made with Yoli Tortilleria’s yellow corn masa while dinner features tacos stuffed with pork dumplings. The biscuits and gravy are no exception thanks to a sausage gravy infused with ajika, a Georgian chile paste, then topped with fried eggs and chile flakes. If you like your breakfast with a little heat, head to the Waldo location or the restaurant’s downtown Lightwell dinette on the weekends.

Fox and Bull Baking Co.

10510 GRANDVIEW ROAD, KCMO foxandbullkc.com

WITH A PASTRY CASE full of some of the best baked goods in the metro, it can be hard to prioritize a plate of biscuits and gravy here. My recommendation? Sit down for breakfast, then grab the blueberry Pop-Tart for the road. The biscuits and gravy are lighter than what you’ll find at most spots, with a freshness that never feels heavy. The biscuits, made with locally milled Marion Milling flour, bring a subtle nutty depth that sets the whole dish apart.

Room 39

1719 W 39TH ST., KCMO rm39.com

ROOM 39 KEEPS THINGS SIMPLE with house-made biscuits and a savory gravy that hits all the right notes. You can choose between sausage or mushroom, but if you can sweet-talk your server into a half-and-half mix, you’ll get the best of both worlds. Want to turn it up another notch? Ask for the house-made hot sauce or salsa, both made by the kitchen staff.

surreal estate

Man in the Meadow

A

viral internet video has brought new attention to an unexpected sculpture in Johnson County

By Nicole Kinning

AT THE OVERLAND PARK ARBORETUM, you’ll find all the things you should, like beautiful rose gardens, babbling streams, towering oak trees and chirping birds. But what you don’t expect to see is a life-size bronze sculpture of Michael Jackson.

The randomness of seeing the King of Pop among the arboretum’s flora and fauna is exactly what turned the sculpture into one of the city’s quirkiest landmarks. Earlier this year, a TikTok video of the sculpture went viral, racking up 263,000 views and counting.

Contrary to Reddit lore, the sculpture wasn’t the result of an eccentric donor or city official who was a fan of the gloved one. It’s part of the arboretum’s International Sculpture Garden, a section of the park that features 25 large-scale artworks along a nearly halfmile loop through one of the region’s few remaining dry oak savanna ecosystems. Together, the sculpture collection is valued at more than $3.7 million.

“The idea behind the garden was to be a U.S.-China cultural exchange, initiated by sculptor Kwan Wu,” says Julie Freijat-Babel, marketing communications specialist for the City of Overland Park.

If Wu’s name rings a bell, it’s because you’ve most certainly seen his work before. He’s the artist behind the iconic George Brett statue outside Kauffman Stadium, as well as several pieces at the Nelson-Atkins.

The International Sculpture Garden was created through donations from Chinese artists. Michael Jackson’s sculpture, created by Chinese artist Zengkang Lu, is just one of more than two dozen works scattered throughout the garden, which include stone figures inspired by Chinese folklore, modern sculptures that blend Eastern and Western artistic styles, and abstract steel forms.

Believe it or not, this isn’t the first time Michael Jackson has intersected with Kansas City’s public art. Last year, we covered another unlikely connection: a beloved Country Club Plaza sculpture called Monkey Business (at the corner of Nichols Road and Central Street) by Colorado-based sculptor Mark Lundeen. The sculpture is one of just 15 casts ever made, and one of its twins lived at Jackson’s Neverland Ranch in California.

Although the internet may have helped introduce the statue to a new audience, visitors have been making their own pilgrimage for years. “Visitors occasionally leave flowers at his feet on his birthday,” Freijat-Babel says.

↓ GO: Overland Park Arboretum. 8909 W. 179th St., Overland Park, KS.