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Samuel U. Rodgers Health Center Announces New Urban Health Relief Plan
(Kansas City, March 31, 2010) - The Samuel U. Rodgers Health Center has received a Primary Care Resources Initiative for Missouri (PRIMO) Grant from the State to aid in the development of health care services for uninsured and underinsured African Americans in the Kansas City community. The new program, “The Urban Health Relief Plan” is free to persons who qualify for a limited time, beginning now through June 30, 2010.
Target audiences for The Urban Health Relief Plan include babies, children, teens, young adults, families and seniors. Services being offered include family medicine, adult medicine, pediatrics and women’s health including digital mammograms.
To help make this effort successful, the Samuel U. Rodgers Health Center is working with several community partners including Charlie Parker Square Public Housing Development, St. Mark Union Church, Love United Missionary Baptist Church, Metropolitan Spiritual Church of Christ and the Mother and Child Health Coalition/Dedicated Dads Program. Other potential partners include the Housing Authority of Kansas City, MO, and the Twelfth Street Heritage Development Corporation.
“The real beauty of this initiative is that our services are available now - in a bad economy - and they will go beyond traditional screenings,” said Ralph Caro, Chief Operating Officer. “With this program if a patient discovers they have a specific health problem, in many cases, they can come back in for follow-up treatment.”
The Samuel U. Rodgers Health Center has identified the following well-known, community-based spokespersons and supporters: rapper Tech N9ne, who will serve as a major spokesperson; Council members Terry Riley, Sharon Sanders Brooks and Melba Curls; news reporter Marissa Cleaver; gospel singer Genetter Bradley; vocalist Jo Blaq and rappers James Christos and Jae Casino.
The Samuel U. Rodgers Health Center has announced several special events
in conjunction with the program to include a Family Health Day on April
24th with a special “meet and greet” with spokesperson Tech N9ne; a mid
program event before Mother’s Day on May 8th emphasizing women’s health,
and a men’s health focus on June 19th, the Saturday before Father’s Day.
Caro continued, “To accomplish our goal we are trying different
approaches – both traditional and non-traditional.”
“One of our new ideas will be to sponsor a video game tournament to
reach out to young African American men, one of the hardest groups to
reach. Generally, these young guys may only see a doctor if they have an
isolated ailment such as an STD or if they get hurt in sports. Studies
have shown that men in general are the worst when it comes to getting in
to see a doctor, but young African American men are even more
reluctant,” Caro explained. “For example, these young men could come in
to get sports physicals.”
Nina Howard, Director of Community Relations, said they will also offer
incentives such as on-site mini beauty and massage services, courtesy of
the newly-opened Zafar Salon, Spa and Boutique.
Other program amenities include free transportation being provided to clients who live within an 8-mile radius of the Samuel U. Rodgers Health Center, a cell-phone text option (S-A-M-U to 32075), a hot-line number, 816.889.4670, to call to set up appointments in advance.
For more information about the plan contact Nina Howard, Director of Community Relations, at 816.889.4643. Please click here to view our brochure.