Greater Kansas City Cover the Uninsured Coalition Announces Spring Phonathon and Health Fair

The federal government estimates 46 million Americans, including 9 million children, lack health coverage of any for kind for an entire year. Eight out of 10 families who are uninsured are in working families.

For the eighth consecutive year, the Greater Kansas City Cover the Uninsured Coalition in conjunction with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, is working to keep this issue in the public eye. The coalition’s goals include:

• Educating the Kansas City community about the problem of the uninsured. In Missouri, more than 669,000 people or 11.8 percent of the population do not have health insurance. 7.9 percent are Missouri children. In Kansas, more than 281,000 or 10.5 percent are without health insurance. 6.5 percent are uninsured children.
• Providing access to existing insurance programs
• Connecting the uninsured to available health-related services
• Developing sustainable partnerships that can continue to work toward coverage of the uninsured

During the past seven years, the coalition has organized health fairs, presented health coverage seminars for small business, created a health resource directory (available at www.kchealthresource.org) and distributed it during a phonathon on KSHB-TV, helped provide free eyeglasses to Kansas City schoolchildren and launched awareness campaigns through churches, schools and the media.

This year’s phonathon is scheduled for Thursday, April 1, from 5-7 p.m. on KSHB-TV. The health fair, located at UMKC Health Sciences Hospital Hill Campus (2464 Charlotte) is Saturday, April 24, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. and will provide immunizations, cholesterol screening, blood pressure, osteoporosis screening, diabetes foot exam, blood glucose screening, vision and hearing screening, dental screening, skin cancer screening, full physical exam for those under 18 years of age and much more.

Members of the Greater Kansas City Cover the Uninsured Coalition include Advocates for Family Health Project of Legal Aid of Western Missouri, Ascension Health, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Carondelet Home Care Services, Carondelet Manor, Kansas City Health Department, Kansas City Wellness Network, Providence Medical Center, Regional Health Care Initiative-MARC, St. Mary’s Medical Center, St. Mary’s Manor, Saint John Hospital, St. Joseph Medical Center, Saint Vincent Clinic, The Salvation Army, Seton Center, Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth Health System, Unicare Health Plan of Kansas, UMKC School of Pharmacy, West Central Missouri Area Health Education Center and Villa Saint Joseph.

If you are interested in participating or would like the latest information, please contact Bob Frazier at 816-943-4556 or check out the national website at www.covertheuninsured.org.If you are interested in participating or would like the latest information, please contact Bob Frazier at 816-943-4556 or check out the national website at www.covertheuninsured.org.

St. Mary’s Medical Center Butterfly Ball
Scheduled for March 6

Blue Springs, Mo. — The Auxiliary and Foundation of St. Mary’s Medical Center will enter a New York state of mind on Saturday, March 6, for the annual Butterfly Ball at the Adams Pointe Conference Center in Blue Springs. This year’s theme, Butterflies on Broadway, will offer a piano bar and performance of Broadway show tunes. The martini reception and piano bar “overture” will begin at 6 p.m. The “first act” of dinner begins at 7 p.m. followed by a live auction and raffle “intermission” and a “second act” of dancing.

Celebrating its 23rd year, the St. Mary’s Butterfly Ball will be held at the Adams Pointe Conference Center, 1400 NE Coronado Drive in Blue Springs. Proceeds benefit St. Mary’s surgery expansion campaign, A Calling to Care. Chairs for this year’s Butterfly Ball are Roberta and Charles Brecheisen. Community chairs are Mayor Carson and Eloise Ross and physician chairs are Dr. Robert and Beth Paul.

Roberta Brecheisen has dedicated her volunteer time as a member of the St. Mary’s Auxiliary for the past three years and this year, she and her husband Charles are serving as co-chairs of the event. “A new feature of this year’s event will be a raffle and online auction in lieu of the silent auction. Also, cocktail attire is welcome rather than just formal wear,” shares Roberta. Anyone interested in donating items to the online auction are invited to call Suzanne Dell-St. Clair in the St. Mary’s Foundation at 816-655-5366. Auction items can be viewed online at http://auctions.readysetauction.com/stmarysmedicalcenter. Bidding begins February 5 and ends March 5.

Make your reservation early to guarantee a seat. Individual tickets are $120 and table sponsorship opportunities are available beginning at $1500. Contact the St. Mary’s Foundation at 816-655-5363 for more information and to reserve your seat.