Saint Luke's

A heart valve is like a door that ensures blood flows in the correct direction through the heart’s four chambers. When a valve doesn't close properly, blood goes backwards with each heartbeat, which can cause symptoms like fatigue, shortness of breath, and swelling. The Valve and Structural Heart Center at Saint Luke's Mid America Heart Institute performs hundreds of valve repairs and replacements each year through minimally invasive procedures. Dr. Elizabeth Grier, an interventional cardiologist, says the new treatment options available through clinical trials make this an exciting time for heart patients. See the new advances in valve disease treatment on Health News You Can Use. #HeartMonth

Pregnancy can lead to heart issues unique to women. The new Saint Luke’s Muriel I. Kauffman Institute for Women’s Cardiovascular Research is participating in two nationwide studies of new treatments for peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM), a condition where pregnancy weakens the heart muscles. Dr. Anna Grodzinsky, a cardiologist at Saint Luke's Mid America Heart Institute, is excited about how these research trials will help new moms. “We want to know that our hearts are as healthy as they can be going into pregnancy,” she said. Catch the full Health News You Can Use Segment below. #HeartMonth

From registered nurse to President of Saint Luke's Central Region, Jani Johnson closed a chapter of 40 years of leading with kindness. 💙  Jani began her career with Saint Luke’s in 1985 as a staff nurse at Saint Luke’s Hospital. Over the past four decades, she has carried her experience on the front lines of patient care throughout her career. Her skill, leadership, and dedication led to numerous roles of increasing responsibility. She is kind to everyone she interacts with, makes every person feel special, and finds true joy in the success of others. Former and current staff, from environmental services to medical directors, came to her retirement celebration last week to pay their respect, voice their gratitude, and wish her well. Surrounded by her family, she was celebrated with a non-stop flow of well-wishers. We thank Jani for her leadership and partnership and wish her well in this next chapter of her life—which she says will include unlimited time spent with her beautiful granddaughter. 😊

Rachel Vaught, supervisor of investigational drug pharmacy at Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City, helped lead an initiative to review the use of oral oncolytics among patients undergoing cancer treatment who are admitted to the hospital—an effort that prompted changes to medication orders through a new electronic health record alert. Learn more about the project and its impact, recently shared at the National Association of Specialty Pharmacy (NASP) 2025 Annual Meeting & Expo: https://heyor.ca/F4UMyo

For nearly 150 years, Saint Luke's has served the Kansas City region with expert, compassionate care. First breaths. Strong heartbeats. Clear scans. You trust us with life’s most precious moments. Today, we're stepping forward with a new look as part of BJC Health. While our logo is changing, our commitment to our patients, their families, our team, and our community never will. We love Kansas City and the people who make it home. We are Saint Luke's—and we're All For Kansas City. Because every moment deserves exceptional care. 💙

We are pleased to welcome Bobby Olm-Shipman as the new president of Saint Luke's Central Region, succeeding Jani Johnson, who retired after nearly 40 years of service with Saint Luke's. He will provide leadership and oversight for Saint Luke's Hospital of Kansas City, Crittenton Children's Center, Bishop Spencer Place, and Saint Luke's research and medical education programs. Bobby previously served as president of Saint Luke's South and East Region. He joined Saint Luke's in 2003 and has taken on numerous roles of increasing leadership responsibility. He has also been involved in numerous local, state, and national health care and civic organizations, including being an active member and board member of the Kansas Hospital Association. Under Bobby's leadership, Saint Luke's East Hospital has been consistently ranked as one of Missouri's top 10 hospitals by U.S. News & World Report, and Saint Luke's South Hospital has earned a five-star quality rating by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services for nine consecutive years. Please join us in congratulating Bobby on his new role!

New guidelines from the American Cancer Society include a new age to start screening for cervical cancer and self-testing options. Cervical cancer is very treatable when caught early, yet half of all women diagnosed are not up-to-date on their screenings. Dr. Nora Badiner, a gynecologic oncologist at Saint Luke's Cancer Institute, lays out the newly updated screening guidelines for cervical cancer on Health News You Can Use. #CervicalHealthAwarenessMonth

20 years ago today, Saint Luke's East Hospital officially opened! It came at a time when the rapidly growing city of Lee's Summit needed a new hospital to provide care closer to home. Nearly 12,000 residents signed a petition in support of constructing a new hospital, and more than 80 of them attended the hearing in Jefferson City to support the proposal. After opening, Saint Luke’s East grew rapidly to meet the needs of a growing community—expanding from 52 beds to 238 beds, more than quadrupling its capacity. In its first year, 754 babies were born at East. Last year alone, the hospital delivered more than twice that number, welcoming nearly 1,900 babies. Saint Luke’s East has grown every year to ensure we continue to meet the needs of the community we serve, and we look forward to continuing to grow in the years ahead! 💙

Saint Luke’s Bishop Spencer Place, a thriving retirement community in the heart of Kansas City, is excited to soon open a specialized memory care wing! The new area features innovative programming led by board-certified physicians specializing in memory and cognitive neurology, along with thoughtfully designed apartments and common areas for older adults living with dementia or cognitive impairment. Dr. Anthony Jackson, medical director of Bishop Spencer Place, says the growing rate of dementia in older adults makes memory care even more important. Watch the story on Health News You Can Use.

Dr. John Spertus, clinical director of outcomes research at Saint Luke's Mid America Heart Institute, has been named one of Clarivate's Highly Cited Researchers for the eleventh year in a row! Clarivate is a global leader focusing on the analytics of scientific and academic research. Each year, the list of Highly Cited Researchers honors the top 1% of scientists who have made significant contributions to their fields. Studies published by Dr. Spertus are consistently deemed significant by his peers, who frequently reference his work. Congratulations, Dr. Spertus, on this recognition of the importance and impact of your research in clinical medicine.