News

Janette Platter is the community chaplain at Saint Luke’s Bishop Spencer Place, a vibrant senior living community just steps from the Country Club Plaza. But in early 2025, she was just another mom seeking the very best care for her child. Fortunately, she knew it wasn’t too far away.

Kirsti Millar, a 35-year-old of Kansas City, was 23 weeks pregnant with her second child in early 2023 when her water suddenly broke. What should have been a season of joy and anticipation became a medical emergency.

Almost 30 years after his life-saving kidney transplant at Saint Luke's, Chris Paxton continues to express gratitude and raise awareness for organ donation through his participation in the Transplant Games of America.

Matthew Wilkinson, MD, a surgeon with Saint Luke’s kidney and liver transplant program, and Erica Sparks, a transplant coordinator with Saint Luke's, discuss the transplant process and importance of organ donation.

March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness month, and this week, we are talking with Sabrina Kidd, MD, about colon cancer screenings, treatments, and possible factors contributing to the rise in diagnoses among young adults.

According to the American Cancer Society, those under the age of 50 are experiencing an increase in colorectal cancer diagnoses, but also an increase in colorectal cancer deaths.

The American Cancer Society recommends people who are at average risk of colorectal cancer start regular screenings at the age of 45. While a large majority of deaths related to the cancer could be prevented, many people have never been screened.

Dr. Matthew Wilkinson, a transplant surgeon at Saint Luke’s talks about the advances in organ donation and the importance of living organ donation.

Matt Dickhut jokes he’s never won the Powerball, despite decades of trying his hand. But he did win the lottery. Instead of a big check, his winnings came in the form of a new liver.

“Physicians see all kinds of inequities in medical care and it’s heartbreaking. But we can take care of some of those things." —John Helzberg, MD