Hope Family Care Center – Kansas City, Missouri, United States

Location & Community

Hope Family Care Center (HFCC) is located in Kansas City, Missouri’s urban core, two miles south of the Missouri River. The neighborhood is a mix of older homes, apartments and small businesses. Residents are generally low income with a very high proportion of minority people and immigrants. The area is well policed, and regularly scheduled metro-area bus service is available.

Become familiar with Kansas City culture, history and economy by reviewing the Wikipedia Kansas City Page. One rich resource for Missouri health information is the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation IHME United States – Missouri Profile.

Transportation

Kansas City, Missouri, is located at the intersections of Interstate Highways I-70, I-35, and I-29. Kansas City International Airport is twenty-five miles to the north, with ample shuttle service.

Visa Matters

For current information on visas to enter the United States, please visit the United States embassy website appropriate for one’s home country.

Traveler’s Health & Safety

All routine vaccinations should be up to date. In particular, all clinical care volunteers before starting must submit up-to-date documentation of vaccinations or laboratory confirmation of immunity for hepatitis B, Tdap, MMR, varicella, seasonal influenza. Tuberculin skin testing is to be performed once every 2 years all volunteers and must be completed prior to the first day of employment.

One should consult with their personal physician before traveling, and refer to the CDC travel website for the most up-to-date health information: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/united-states.htm

People Served

Those coming for care are usually lacking in financial resources. Approximately seventy percent of patients are either receiving Medicaid benefits or are entirely uninsured. In addition to financial challenges, people being cared for are also often disadvantaged in terms of education, transportation, family support, and employment.

Languages

Most patients speak English, with lesser number of Spanish, Ethiopian, and French speakers. HFCC nurses speak Spanish, and volunteers can be called to provide additional interpretation.

Medical Care Services

HFCC offers complete primary and preventive medical care services for the entire family. All ages are served from newborn babies to the elderly. Preventive, well-woman, and well-child care is provided, along with prenatal care.

Common health conditions treated at Hope Family Care Center are hypertension, diabetes mellitus, obesity, asthma, chronic pain, tobaccoism, substance abuse, hyperlipidemia, chronic kidney disease, and mental health. Acute and urgent care is available, along with basic office procedures including suturing, and colposcopy.

HFCC is supporting by on-site spirometry, EKG test, and laboratory. Outside referral is made for imagining and specialty consultations, including dental care and HIV management.

HFCC is connected with the broader Hope Center, which makes available a youth development programs, Bible learning, and after school tutoring. Most remarkably, Hope Center sponsors the Hope Leadership Academy, a charter school for children grades one through six.

Website

Hope Family Care Center

HFCC In The News

Healthcare Profession Staff

Jeremy Kirchoff, MD, is HFCC Medical Director. As a medical student at Kansas University Medical Center Dr. Kirchoff enrolled in the INMED International Medicine Certificate program, studying at the Baptist Medical Center in northern Ghana, West Africa. Dr. Kirchoff explains the connection: “My experience in Ghana contributed immensely to my desire to care for underserved people wherever they are located. Parallel to Ghana, my practice in Kansas City today utilizes the cross-cultural skills and advanced disease management I learned in Africa.”

Dr. Kirchoff is accompanied full-time by Cymanthia Connell, MD, originally from Trinidad and raised in Montreal.

Student Experience

HFCC regularly hosts medical and nurse practitioner students from Kansas University Medical Center and the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Students and residents provide direct, supervised patient care. They also enjoy the unique opportunity to participate in service guided by the virtues of respect, quality, relationship centered, community-focused, and academically sound healthcare among some of the most disadvantaged people in the United States.

Student Lodging & Meals

INMED can provide guidance regarding local housing and transportation options.

Outside Communication

HFCC has Wi-Fi access.

Facility Support

INMED invites all participants to consider raising extra funds to financially support this facility. While such efforts are not required, they provide opportunity for INMED personnel to become involved in this important aspect of healthcare.

Diversion

Kansas City is host to a wealth of entertainment and cultural opportunities, including the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, the Kansas City Zoo, Truman Presidential Library, National World War I Museum, Starlight Theater, Royals Baseball, Steam Boat Arabia, City Market, Kansas City jazz, and the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts.

Behavior & Dress

Students should wear a white jacket and name tag on site, identifying them as healthcare providers. English phrases and jargon must be used with caution. Human touch must also be approached with caution and sensitivity to cultural norms. Foremost, people of all backgrounds and nationalities respond well to smiles and friendly formality.

What To Pack

Visitors should bring copies of all healthcare profession licenses, diplomas, or certifications. Bring clothes appropriate for the season, and wearing clothing or carrying objects that display wealth.