KC joins national blue-light effort to honor heroes

Last night skylines and stadiums nationwide shined brightly with blue LED lights as part of the #LightItBlue campaign to honor and support first-responders and others who are putting their lives on the line to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium, Country Club Plaza and multiple other buildings throughout the metro participated in the nationwide, volunteer-driven event which kicked off last night at 7 p.m.

The campaign was developed in New York City to honor front-line, essential workers who confront the virus throughout the U.S., and will serve as a “universal moment of solidarity” during these trying times.

The hashtags assigned to the event are #LightItBlue and #MakeItBlue and #StayHomeKC. Click here to see a full list of participating cities.

Photo image: CityPlace, a Block Real Estate Services development at College Boulevard and 69-Highway in Overland Park, Ks., participated with its own unique, artistic tribute to healthcare workers atop the WellSky office building.

Cerner launches 'Feeding the Front Lines' initiative

First Hand, a 501c3 non-profit arm of Cerner Corporation, has launched Feeding the Front Lines, a new initiative aimed at supporting Kansas City’s critical care and community emergency service workers amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

Starting this week, First Hand is partnering with local restaurants to send meals to the Kansas City metro's critical, front-line workers.

Meshuggah Bagels, who has two Kansas City locations, kicked off the initiative by sending bagels to all KCMO Fire Department stations Wednesday morning while Leawood, Ks.--based restaurant, BurgerFi, prepared and delivered 300 meals to the entire night staff Wednesday evening to Truman Medical Centers.

The food is paid for through donations from Cerner associates plus a match up to $25,000 from First Hand.

The initiative launched on Monday morning and raised $35,000 within the first five hours of going live.

"We’re so inspired by how quickly Cerner associates and Kansas City residents have responded to this initiative. In just two days we have raised nearly $90,000 to provide delicious meals to those on the front lines who are sacrificing so much to help our community through this pandemic. We are happy to support our essential workers and local businesses during this tough time,” said Shanna Adamic, First Hand executive director.

For more information on Cerner's Feeding the Front Lines initiative, click here.

Burns & McDonnell Foundation donates $1.5 million to COVID-19 relief funding

The Burns & McDonnell Foundation is donating $1.5 million to the United Way COVID-19 Community Response and Recovery Fund to support organizations and nonprofits providing critical resources during the coronavirus pandemic.

The fund supports communities across the U.S. and $750,000 of the donation will go directly toward COVID-19 response and recovery efforts in the Kansas City metro area.

“United Way fights for the health, education and financial stability of every person in every community by providing the resources and information unique to individuals’ needs,” said Ray Kowalik, chairman and CEO of Burns & McDonnell.

United Way has a presence in 95 percent of U.S. communities and is mobilizing to provide food, shelter and other vital resources throughout its network.

During the past decade, Burns & McDonnell employee-owners have given more than $10 million to the organization through annual United Way campaigns.

“Our employee-owners’ desire to give back and empower others is the heartbeat of our firm and our Foundation. During this pandemic, we are committed to protecting and supporting the most vulnerable in our communities,” Kowalik said.

“We all are fortunate to live in a community that has consistently proven its generosity to those in need,” said Brent Stewart, president and CEO of United Way of Greater Kansas City.

“This incredibly generous gift from Burns & McDonnell — who is such a wonderful partner of United Way — is yet another example of how businesses and citizens in our metropolitan community are giving at this critical time. At United Way, we call this ‘Kansas City taking care of its own.’ That need for caring for our people — our community — has never been more acute than as a result of this pandemic,” Stewart said.

In addition to providing relief funding nationwide, the Burns & McDonnell Foundation is matching donations from individual employee-owners, further supporting employee-owners’ ability to make an impact within the organizations and causes they are most passionate about.

Click here to learn more about the solutions and resources Burns & McDonnell is providing to communities, clients and employee-owners.

For more information on United Way's COVID-19 Community Response and Recovery Fund, click here.

Cerner salutes physician community amid global healthcare crisis

Cerner Corporation, a global healthcare technology company headquartered in Kansas City, Mo., extended timely accolades to the physician community this week in honor of National Doctors' Day.

National Doctors’ Day, proclaimed in 1991 by President George H.W. Bush, is celebrated each year on March 30th to honor the nation’s physicians for their dedication and leadership. 

“On behalf of Cerner, I’d like to recognize and thank physicians and clinicians everywhere for their sacrifices and heroic efforts in safeguarding the health of their communities,” said Brent Shafer, chairman and CEO of Cerner.

“Physicians have always played an important role in society, but in these unprecedented times, we have witnessed our client physicians going above and beyond. We thank you for being on the frontlines of this pandemic and every day," Shafer said.

With pre-pandemic burnout rates among physicians and clinicians on the rise,  Cerner has continuously worked to provide tools and technologies aimed at reducing physician burnout. Throughout the years, Cerner has cumulatively invested more than $7 billion into research and development, creating meaningful physician-focused innovations, like voice-assisted technology and improved AI-assisted clinical documentation.

Since the global onset of COVID-19, Cerner has taken numerous steps to protect and empower physicians by expanding telehealth capabilities with Cerner Patient Observer and AmWell, making it easier for clients to perform life-saving work.

“As a practicing physician, I want to express my admiration and heartfelt gratitude for those physicians fighting on the frontlines of this global pandemic,” said Lu de Souza, MD, vice president and chief medical officer, Cerner.

“We at Cerner are responsible for providing these physicians with the infrastructure and support needed to combat this outbreak. We are humbled by the opportunity to develop technology that proactively contributes to physician wellness,” de Souza said.

Cerner currently employs more than 100 physicians, and Cerner’s solutions have nearly 700,000 physician users. Cerner has worked alongside its client physicians for decades to design intuitive, physician-friendly solutions that enable collaboration across mobile and desktop platforms and enhance user efficiency, productivity and satisfaction.

For more information on the company’s commitment to providing a first-class physician experience, visit Cerner’s Physician Solutions page. For more on Cerner’s response to COVID-19, visit Cerner’s COVID-19 Update or Commitment & Support to Clients.  

CBKC plans $12.6 million multifamily project on Blue Parkway corridor

Community Builders of Kansas City (CBKC), the area’s largest urban core developer, recently announced plans for a $12.6 million multifamily development east of Prospect Ave. in Kansas City, Mo.

The Rochester on Blue Parkway is one of the first projects announced in a Kansas City-area Opportunity Zone. The 81,400 SF, four-story complex will house 64 residential units.

“The Rochester brings a residential option to this corridor that does not now exist,” said Emmet Pierson, Jr., president and CEO of CBKC.

“The Rochester adds another dynamic element to CBKC’s Blue Parkway campus that already includes more than 430,000 SF of diversified office, retail and service providers. This residential development marks the first of a number of projects CBKC has planned along the Blue Parkway corridor and throughout the east side,” Pierson, Jr. said.

CBKC announced last year that its 69,000 SF office building at 4001 Blue Parkway was 100 percent occupied. With tenants such as Legal Aid and the Mid-America Assistance Coalition, the three-story property has become a convenient services resource for the community.

“CBKC is changing the landscape of Kansas City’s east side with meaningful projects that matter to the community,” said former Missouri Sen. Shalonn “Kiki” Curls.

“CBKC has proven it gets quality projects in challenging geographies done. We are excited to see this asset added to our community and know we can expect news of other development to come," Curls said.

The Rochester on Blue Parkway will feature in-demand finishes and amenities including stainless steel appliances, solid-surface countertops, in-unit washer and dryer, an indoor/outdoor rooftop deck, fitness center, package pick-up room, community meeting space as well as landscaped front and back yard spaces furnished for grilling and gathering around the fire pit.

Rates will be in the range of $985 to $1,275 for the one-bedroom/one bath, one-bedroom plus den/one bath and two-bedroom/two-bathroom units. There also will be a penthouse two-bedroom executive suite.

Founded in 1991, CBKC is responsible for revitalizing the Blue Parkway area by developing commercial projects such as The 4001 Blue Parkway Office Building and the Swope Health Services Campus and residential projects like Mt. Cleveland Heights and Townhomes. The effort brought affordable housing, retail development, commercial offices and countless social services to a formerly blighted area.

The property was named after R. (Rochester) Charles (Chuck) Gatson, the visionary founder of CBKC who grew up east of Troost and invested his career in service to the education, training and capacity building of individuals and communities in need. Gatson received numerous leadership recognitions including the James A. Johnson Fellowship from the Fannie Mae Foundation, awarded to leaders in affordable housing and community development.

“Straub Construction is appreciative to partner with CBKC in the project to honor a long-time visionary and client, Chuck Gatson. His significant impact on the community continues today,” said Parker Young, president of Straub Construction, the project’s general contractor.

CBKC currently has more than $80 million in real estate assets, from downtown to 63rd Street, under management.

Other project partners include project designer Hufft, Artin LLC, Custom Engineering, FSC,Inc., Land3 Studio and Taliaferro & Browne. CBKC is working with several partners to finalize the project’s capital funding.

Construction is expected to begin in Q4 2020 with an anticipated completion date of approximately one year later.