Scott is flourishing since his double organ transplant (kidney/pancreas) on April 6, 2006.

Denise Lewis-Dillard, 45, is known to be an articulate, matter-of-fact woman. So a strategic decision she made at the beginning of her motorcycle ride was typical—except this would be a life-saving decision.

Glen Moore didn't think much about his hands until one February morning when he was injured on the job.

When 56-year-old Stephan Butler experienced a series of mini-strokes in May 2010, he sought help from a doctor he had formerly coached on the football field. Having coached this doctor as a high school student in the 1990s, Butler knew losing wasn’t part of the young man’s game plan.

Lillian Mack Shakur’s nemesis was heart disease, which had plagued her since 2003 when she underwent bypass surgery following a heart attack. Though she didn’t have a family history of heart disease, Lillian was one of the thousands of women annually diagnosed with this so-called “silent killer. “

Mia Lyons, a Kansas City resident whose positive attitude is a way of life, was diagnosed in 2007 with a benign brain tumor called a meningioma. The second most primary tumor of the central nervous system, meningiomas are slow-growing, occur more frequently in women than men and are usually benign.

Don Creek's work as a self-employed backhoe operator work is extremely physical, requiring him to climb in and out of his equipment. So when his left hip began bothering him nearly two years ago, he pushed through the pain until he decided to have Jeffrey Salin, D.O., an orthopaedic surgeon at Research Medical Center, perform a hip replacement.

Jennifer Bettis says Thanksgiving 2010 will forever have a special meaning for her and husband, Jay. “We’ll always have gratitude for our first child,” says Jennifer, who is due on November 26. “And for Dr. Starks.” The 35-year-old internal auditor says she believes Gregory Starks, MD, of Midwest Women’s Healthcare, PC, is a miracle worker of sorts.

Len Lutz
“I was given excellent care from the time I entered the hospital until my discharge the next Thursday,” says Len, who suffered a stroke.  “All of the doctors, nurses and Research Medical Center employees treated me and my wife with the utmost respect.”

Betty Morton
battled osteoarthritis, a degenerative condition of the joints, for several years. Morton headed straight to Research Medical Center’s Joint Camp where she participated in the prehabilitation program in preparation for her hip replacement. “The prehab program was great and Joint Camp was wonderful. I especially enjoyed the back and neck massage. The staff took good care of me.”

The Allen's journey with Research Medical Center began with a phone call from Karen. My wife and I had gone through infertility at two different facilities dealing with many doctors and nurses. Karen set the bar extremely high in our opinion, After briefly speaking with her on the phone, we immediately felt she was someone we could trust

As a seasoned commercial photographer, Phil Licata works with one of Kansas City’s oldest and largest hospitals, Research Medical Center. But when Phil went to his doctor in January 2010 with a compromised immune system, he suddenly became a patient on the other side of the lens.

“I’ve got a lot of living to do.” - That’s a direct quote from 71-year-old Dale Flanagan, a Kansas City resident who has a renewed outlook on life following a health scare on April 6, 2010. Flanagan loved to eat greasy fried foods such as chicken, French fries and cheeseburgers. The salt shaker was a regular dining companion, and Flanagan slathered butter on rolls, baked potatoes and toast. He didn’t stop to think of the consequences his diet choices might have on his health.

Carolyn Clemons still remembers the day she injured her left knee about 15 years ago. “I was playing in a parent-child soccer game and trying to avoid falling on a child. Instead, I twisted my knee and ended up injuring myself,” she says.

Captain Don Spears, a Belton police officer, and his wife scheduled an unusual activity on a mutual day off last December.

Although 71-year-old Ralph Moriarty and his 37-year-old son, Justin, built a strong relationship over the decades by doing the expected father-son guy stuff, they also forged an unbreakable bond with the unexpected: a kidney transplant.

Jerrie Stutheit
is a mother of three and grandmother of seven who was diagnosed with a large brain tumor. Jerrie had an appointment with Geoffrey Blatt, MD, a neurosurgeon at Research Medical Center.“Dr. Blatt explained the type of tumor I had and was confident that I would have positive results. I trusted him immediately.”

Christina McGinnis doesn’t consider herself an avid sports fan, but she does have a personal definition of a teammate. So when McGinnis was diagnosed with Stage 1b breast cancer on November 4, 2010, she knew her oncologist needed to be the type of doctor to suit up and show up.

Hillard Rogers is a two-time survivor of prostate cancer. He was first diagnosed at the age of 69 following a routine physical. He made an appointment to see John Sheldon, MD, a radiation oncologist at Research Medical Center.

42-year-old Kansas City resident, Jerry Keithline, experienced get-your-attention symptoms in October 2001:  increased heart rate, chest pains, coughing and night sweats.