Purpose

Increasing the number of underrepresented minorities (URM) students educated in health sciences and retained in the Kansas City Metro healthcare workforce.

VISION
Inspiring URM students to envision a career in healthcare.

MISSION
Increase matriculation of URM students entering health science programs, with a focus on medicine, through collaboration with area hospitals, academic medical centers, and community partners.
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VALUES
​Excellence, Equity, Integrity, Compassion, Resilience

​MVP Has Three Goals:

MVP’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion in the Kansas City health care workforce drives our strategy. We know that a diverse and inclusive workforce is critical for our community’s well-being and improving health equity in our metro area. Simultaneously, we believe in the students in our community and we honor their gifts, talents, and strengths by providing kindergarten through high school and post-secondary programing built around our core values of Excellence, Equity, Integrity, Compassion, and Resilience. The following pages describe the three goals of MVP along with their respective strategies, actions, and measures.

1.

​Increase the number of qualified URM students interviewed and enrolled in medicine and direct care health profession programs.

2.

Support URM matriculation, retention, and graduation rates in health profession programs.

3.

Increase the number of URM employed in the Kansas City metro healthcare workforce.

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We Never Stop Growing

Our Team and Mission Grows With Every URM Student

View Our Annual Report of the Last Year of Excellence

2021 Annual Report

T H E   T E A M

Board of Directors

Michael L. Weaver, MD, FACEP
MVP President, CMG Committee Chair

Michael L. Weaver, MD FACEP CDM is a native of Kansas City and grew up in the urban core. He was selected into the inaugural class of UMKC’s School of Medicine innovative six-year program and was the first African American to complete all six years. He was the Director of Emergency Services at Saint Luke’s Hospital for 16 years, served as Saint Luke’s Health System Medical Director for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, and is a Clinical Professor of Emergency Medicine at UMKC School of Medicine. Throughout his career, he has mentored the next generation of physicians, including establishing the Critical Mass Gathering event 15 years ago.

David P. Lisbon, MD, FACEP
MVP Vice President

Dr. David Lisbon is a residency trained and board-certified emergency medicine physician. He is a Fellow of the American College of Emergency Physicians. Dr. Lisbon is the founding Program director for the Emergency Medicine residency program at the University of Kansas. He served a 10-year tenure from 2008-2018. During that time he was active in the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM ) , The Council of Residency Directors in Emergency Medicine (CORD), and the American College of Emergency Medicine ( ACEP). Dr. Lisbon has also been active in the Emergency Medicine section of the National Medical Association (NMA). Dr. Lisbon served on numerous clinical and educational committees as well as being named a co-chair of the metrics committee of the University of Kansas- Deans Diversity and Inclusion Cabinet. Dr. Lisbon is married to Dr. Eleanor a Lisbon and is the father of three adult children.

Reginald Fears, MD
MVP Secretary and Treasurer

Dr. Fears is a native of Kansas City, Kansas. He graduated from Sumner Academy of Arts & Science, completed undergraduate study at Stanford University, and completed medical school and his residency in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation at the University of Kansas. He served as Medical Director for Via Christi Rehabilitation Hospital in Wichita, Kansas and returned to Kansas City as independent contractor physiatrist to care for patients in skilled nursing facilities and acute inpatient rehabilitation hospitals.  For several years, Dr. Fears has used his passion for mentorship in his work with the Health Careers Pathways program in Wyandotte County which supports student success in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. He looks forward to continuing his role as a mentor through Mission Vision Project KC

Kenneth B. Durgans Ed.D.
Director

Dr. Kenneth B. Durgans currently serves as Associate Provost for Diversity and Inclusion at Kansas City University.
He is a native of Springfield, Ohio, graduated from Yellow Springs High School. He received his Bachelor of Arts in History and Political Science from Baldwin Wallace College, Master of Arts in College Student Personnel from Kent State University, Master of Science in School Counseling from the University of Dayton and Doctorate of Education in Counseling Psychology from Western Michigan University:  also completed the acclaimed Harvard University Management Development Program.  His professional appointments have varied from such notable institutions as the University of Notre Dame, Wittenberg University, Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine, Xavier University (Cincinnati), Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Indiana University, Purdue University, Indianapolis (IUPUI) and the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus School of Dental Medicine. His academic and professional expertise is on cross-cultural communication and diversity issues. He continues to serve on an array of community service organizations boards.

Carrie L. Francis
​Director

Carrie L. Francis is an Associate Professor in the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at Kansas University Medical Center. Dr. Francis serves as the Associate Dean of Workforce Innovation and Empowerment for the medical community, working with faculty to implement strategies that affirm empowered excellence.
​Dr. Francis is a nationally recognized pediatric otolaryngologist and member of the American Academy of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery. Dr. Francis is the immediate past chair of the Society of University of Otolaryngologists Diversity Committee and now serves on the Executive Board. Dr. Francis is the Vice-Chair of the Otolaryngology Section of the National Medical Association, whose mission is Advancing Equity in Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery through professional education and service to the community.
In these roles, Dr. Francis has established a pipeline of underrepresented students of color to the field of ENT, developed leadership and cultural competency curricula for practicing Otolaryngologists and written about clinical otolaryngology, racism in medicine and mentorship for formal and informal publication sites. Dr. Francis is surgeon, career development consultant, strategist and writer. Dr. Francis is an alum of Xavier University of Louisiana. X-U for life!

John R. Phillips
Director

After retiring from the Husch Blackwell law firm where he practiced for over 40 years, John is now dedicating himself exclusively to providing mediation and arbitration. He is now limiting his practice to hearings, along with recently retired judges, at Jay Daugherty ADR Conference Center. After serving seven years as a Curator of the University of Missouri, he continues to serve on the University of Missouri Board Committee on Health Affairs overseeing MU Healthcare in Columbia and development of the university system-wide NextGen Precision Medicine Initiative. He also has served on the boards of Saint Luke’s Health System as Board Secretary over two decades, VP of the Edgar Snow Memorial Foundation, VP of Society for Friendship with China, Board of the Kansas City Repertory Theatre and Saint Luke’s Home Health Care & Hospice. He previously served as a board member or legal counsel to Legal Aid, Boys and Girls Clubs and legal counsel for Nelson-Atkins Museum over 20 years. He has been counseling and advocating many years for such organizations and others  to work toward greater racial justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Tyler K. Smith, MD, MPH, FAAP
Director

Tyler K. Smith-Howells, MD, MPH, FAAP is a board-certified general pediatrician.  She is a graduate of Hampton University and the University of South Carolina School of Medicine.  She completed residency and fellowship training at the University of Maryland Medical Center and Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, respectively.  Her professional interests include advocacy, health care disparities, resource-limited communities, mentorship, medical education, leadership, and physician wellness.  She currently serves as Associate Dean of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at UMKC School of Medicine.  She is the Fellowship Director for the Academic General Pediatrics Fellowship Program at Children’s Mercy Kansas City.

James M. Stacy
Director

A Kansas City native and graduate of Rockhurst University, Jim’s career includes banking, mortgage lending, and investment & commercial real estate. Since 1968 he has had an active interest in matters of racial and economic equity. To those ends he has occasionally been active in politics and government. Now semi-retired Jim’s focus has been on facilities financing, development and business advice for non-profit entities, particularly Brookside Charter School. He has also served Operation Breakthrough, Alphapointe Association for the Blind, Christmas in October, KC Housing Connection, Rockhurst University and other nonprofits.

Key Staff

Raquel McCommon
Senior Program Manager

Raquel McCommon is a Puerto Rican multiethnic cis-woman of Kansas City, Missouri. She received her Bachelor's in Rehabilitation Service Education from Emporia State University and received her Master’s from UMKC in Higher Education Administration. She currently works at the UMKC School of Medicine as the Coordinator for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Strategic Initiatives focusing on retention strategies for medical students and trainees. At UMKC, she became connected to MVP KC having supported the Critical Mass Gathering coordination. She now serves as the MVP KC Coordinator and champions the work of community engagement and equitable access to pathways into health careers.

Jamila Weaver
Volunteer

Jamila Weaver is a volunteer who enjoys providing administrative support to MVP.  She has worked in various settings in health care over the years and holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Saint Luke’s College of Health Sciences and a Master of Public Administration (dual emphases Leadership and Healthcare Administration) from the Henry W. Bloch School of Management, UMKC.

BACKGROUND

Why MVP? Why Now?

Equity, diversity, and inclusion are an important part of the education, training environment, and for health and healthcare. Research shows that URM physicians are more likely to work in medically underserved areas and primary care health shortage areas. There is a growing appreciation for equity, diversity, and inclusion as drivers of excellence in medicine and health professions.
(Source): Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) https://www.aamc.org/initiatives/urm/

According to the Office of Minority Health, Black Americans face persistent health care disparities. Compared with their white counterparts, black men and women are more likely to die of heart disease, stroke, cancer, asthma, influenza, pneumonia, diabetes and AIDS. 

 Medical providers who give culturally competent care—patient care that acknowledges heritage, beliefs, and values—often see improved patient outcomes. Sadly, minority representation in health professions has not kept pace with changing demographics nationally.
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In 1978, there were 1,410 black male applicants to medical school, and in 2014, there were just 1,337.

Over the past decade, nearly half of all US medical schools have been cited by an accrediting body for lacking diversity.

While the US population is 13 percent black, only about 6 percent of physicians, 7 percent of pharmacists and 3.3 percent of dentists are black.

There are various barriers to successful URM matriculation into health professions including students’ lack of knowledge about health career pathways. Likewise, there are various known factors that contribute to. successful matriculation to health pathways, such as exposure to information about health careers and mentorship.  Research shows that students who have mentors are more likely to be successful in school and more likely to be leaders in their communities. Mentoring also helps develop the future workplace talent pipeline.

PAST EVENTS

RESOURCES

America Has An Urgent Need for Black Doctors
​ “It’s Hard to be What You Can’t Imagine” 

An American Crisis: The Lack of Black Men in Medicine

Increasing Diversity: Modeling of Social Capital for
Navigation the Science and Health Professions Pipeline

After 40 years, Medical Schools Are Admitting
Fewer Black Male or Native American Students

More Racial Diversity Among Physicians Would
Lead to Better Health Among Black Men, Research Shows