Purpose

Serving students educated in health sciences and promoting retention in the Kansas City Metro healthcare workforce.

VISION
Inspiring students to envision a career in healthcare.

MISSION
Serving students who aspire to be healthcare professionals and support the evolving workforce needs of the Kansas City metro area.
​
VALUES
Excellence, Integrity, Innovation, Adaptability, Fairness

​MVP Has Three Goals:

MVP’s commitment to the Kansas City health care workforce drives our strategy. We know that an 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.

1.

Serve students who are interested in, interviewed for, or enrolled in direct care health profession programs.​

2.

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

3.

Promote employment in the Kansas City metro healthcare workforce.

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We Never Stop Growing

Our Team and Mission Grows With Every Student

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 20 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

Jamila Weaver
Chief Operating Officer

Jamila Weaver enjoys providing operational 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.

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