Unified Government Opens New Employee Health Center with Cerner

KANSAS CITY, Mo. and KANSAS CITY, Kan., Dec. 16, 2016 -- The Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas (UG), in collaboration with Cerner, a global leader in health care technology and The University of Kansas Hospital (KU) today announced the opening of the Road to Wellness Health Center. The 5,000-square-foot health center is part of UG’s long-term strategy to improve the health of its county and city employees and provide convenient, affordable care.

UG employees will have access to a variety of health and care services that are part of UG’s new Road to Wellness employee wellness program. Cerner’s management of the health center will include primary care, health education through coaching, and prevention and wellness screening services centered on the preferences and risks of each plan member. The health program launched in October 2015 with the availability of wellness screenings and health coaching services provided by Cerner for UG employees.

“Our new employee health center marks a big step toward promoting improved health and wellness among our employees. Not only will this service give our employees an incentive to take more preventive health measures, but we believe it will also help the Unified Government control its health care costs,” says Mark Holland, mayor and CEO of UG. “The health center is also an opportunity to strengthen our relationship with Cerner and the University of Kansas Hospital. I’m grateful for their support and participation.”

Members are able to interact with their providers, review their medical records and schedule appointments using Cerner’s secure, online portal. The health center offers an array of wellness services designed to assist members in managing and preventing illness. Programming also includes preventive activities such as vaccinations, education and coaching on smoking cessation and preventive blood pressure, as well as skin cancer screenings.

“We are excited to support the Unified Government and the University of Kansas Hospital in UG’s Road to Wellness employee program,” said Mike Heckman, VP of population health services with Cerner. “We share a vision to provide affordable, convenient and high quality health and care services to employees and their families. Cerner is eager to advance this important initiative that aims to make a positive impact on the overall health of our local community.”

The Road to Wellness Health Center is the eighth on-site health center that Cerner has opened in the Kansas City metropolitan area and one of more than 40 operated by Cerner throughout the country. The health centers pair technology with high quality clinical services designed to manage the health of workforces and families. Cerner’s care teams will use state-of-the-art technologies, including Cerner’s population health platform, HealtheIntent^SM, to help providers deliver the right care at the right time. 

KU, a leading health provider of comprehensive services for work-related injuries, will provide physician oversite for all occupational medicine programs and services for UG employees.

“Joining the Unified Government with the area’s top-ranked health system and a global leader in health care, Cerner, just makes sense,” said Chris Hansen, SVP for Ambulatory Services and CIO, KU. “Our physicians and other caregivers are excited about this announcement and want to see it achieve great things for the UG.”

About UG
Kansas City, Kansas is the third largest city in the state of Kansas and is the county seat of Wyandotte County. The city was incorporated in 1886 and for 73 years was governed by a three-member elected Board of Commissioners. In August of 1982, the city held an election and voters approved a change in the form of city government. Under the Charter Ordinance No. 84 the city changed to a seven-member, Mayor-Council-Administrator for of government in April, 1983. On April 1, 1997, voters unanimously approved to consolidate the governments of the City of Kansas City, Kansas (the “City”) and Wyandotte County, Kansas (the “County”), into one jurisdiction; The Unified Government of Wyandotte County/Kansas City, Kansas effective October 1, 1997. The Unified Government, with a 2010 Wyandotte County population of 157,505, covers 155.7 square miles.

About Cerner
Cerner’s health information technologies connect people, information and systems at more than 25,000 provider facilities worldwide. Recognized for innovation, Cerner solutions assist clinicians in making care decisions and enable organizations to manage the health of populations. The company also offers an integrated clinical and financial system to help health care organizations manage revenue, as well as a wide range of services to support clients’ clinical, financial and operational needs. Cerner’s mission is to contribute to the systemic improvement of health care delivery and the health of communities. Nasdaq:CERN. For more information about Cerner, visit cerner.com, read our blog at blogs.cerner.com, connect with us on Twitter at twitter.com/cerner and on Facebook at facebook.com/cerner. Our website, blog, Twitter account and Facebook page contain a significant amount of information about Cerner, including financial and other information for investors.

About The University of Kansas
The University of Kansas Hospital is the region's premier academic medical center, providing a full range of care. The hospital is affiliated with the University of Kansas Schools of Medicine, Nursing and Health Professions, and their various leading-edge research projects. The constantly growing facility contains 756 staffed beds (plus 24 bassinets) and serves more than 33,000 inpatients annually. Eleven of its medical and surgical specialty areas are ranked nationally by the U.S. News & World Report “Best Hospital” lists, including Cancer (#25), Cardiology & Heart Surgery (#38 tie), Diabetes & Endocrinology (#33), Ear, Nose & Throat (#31), Gastroenterology and GI Surgery (#35), Geriatrics (#13), Gynecology (#38), Neurology & Neurosurgery (#22), Orthopedics (#35), Pulmonology (#28) and Urology (#17). The cancer program is part of The University of Kansas Cancer Center, one of 69 National Cancer Institute-designated programs in the U.S. The hospital has received Magnet nursing designation three times in a row, reflecting the quality of care throughout the hospital, an honor awarded three consecutive times to only 3.7 percent of the hospitals nationwide. The hospital also houses the region's only accredited burn center, the area's only nationally accredited Level I Trauma Center and the area’s first Advanced Comprehensive Stroke Center recognized by The Joint Commission. For more information, visit kumed.com. The University of Kansas Hospital receives no state appropriations and is financed through operating revenue, bonding authority and philanthropy.

Cerner Media Contact:
Angela Vogen
816-213-5701
[email protected]