Samuel U Rodgers Health Center

For more than 55 years, the Samuel U. Rodgers Health Center ("Sam Rodgers") has delivered affordable care to children, adults, and families. Dr. Samuel U. Rodgers, the first board-certified African American OB/GYN in the Kansas City area, founded the Health Center in 1968 under the guiding principle that healthcare is a basic human right. Dr. Rodger's vision of healthy people in a healthy community is fulfilled through our ongoing mission: to provide high-quality, compassionate healthcare to all, regardless of their ability to pay. Sam Rodgers fulfills its mission by providing comprehensive primary care in the areas of adult and senior medicine, well-woman and obstetrical care, pediatric and adolescent health, behavioral health, and oral health services for our community's most medically and socially vulnerable families. The National Committee for Quality Assurance (a national certification organization committed to improving the quality of health care) recognizes Sam Rodgers as a Level 3 Patient-Centered Medical Home; we provide team-based, patient-centered care, which actively engages the patient and family in developing the care plan, teaching self-management skills, and ensuring follow-up care. Furthermore, over the past two years, Sam Rodgers has been designated as a Silver Quality Leader by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), placing it in the top 11-20% of FQHCs for quality care. In addition, Sam Rodgers is a Federally Qualified Health Center (the very first in Missouri and only the fourth FQHC in the entire country to be accorded that designation). Families and individuals of all ages can access a full complement of services to address their physical and mental healthcare needs: primary health care services for children, adolescents, and adults, including specialty women's health services (OB/GYN and mammography screenings), podiatry, mental health, a full range of dental health services for children and adults, pharmacy, lab, and digital imaging services. We operate clinics at four sites in Jackson and Clay counties; and deliver school-based services in the Blue Springs, MO School District. In September 2023, Sam Rodgers received a HRSA grant award to open a Nurse Practitioner Residency Program, the first program of its kind in any FQHC in Missouri, allowing residents a bird's-eye view of pediatric care to support hands-on, practical application. We are committed to eliminating barriers that medically and socially vulnerable people often experience in accessing healthcare. A prime example is Sam Rodgers' innovative program to provide transportation to/from any of our clinic sites, which has resulted in fewer missed appointments. Our trained and certified counselors can help patients and the public with application and enrollment assistance for MO HealthNet (Medicaid/CHIP) and Affordable Care Act Marketplace health insurance options. Sam Rodgers was one of 35 health centers to receive a HRSA grant award to reduce maternal mortality. The award was used to open a Prenatal and Postpartum Health Home (PPHH) to build on existing obstetric care coordination activities and respond to both clinical and social needs of patients with the highest risk of maternal morbidity and mortality. Our patients are ethnically and racially diverse, with 17% African/African American/Black, 6% Asian or Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, 13% Caucasian, 51% Hispanic/Latinx, and 13% are more than 1 race/undisclosed. Last year, 59% of our patients were best served in a language other than English. To ensure those patients receive accurate and culturally competent care, we provided interpretation services in more than 40 languages with certified medical translators on-site or through an online platform. Last year 22,746 individuals received care at a Sam Rodgers site of which, 89% of those patients are uninsured or on Medicaid. Although many uninsured patients can pay for services on a sliding scale, we provided $6.8 million dollars of uncompensated care last year. When children, adults, and families can access the high-quality, compassionate, and equitable healthcare we provide, it results in fewer costly and invasive ER visits. Sam Rodgers is proud to be a leader in the Kansas City area to build healthier communities.