In the heart of Kansas City’s Historic Northeast neighborhood, a beacon of hope is rising for families struggling to find pediatric care. Samuel U. Rodgers Health Center’s new 30,000-square-foot pediatric wing represents more than just an expansion of medical facilities — it’s a bold reimagining of what comprehensive pediatric care can mean for hardworking communities that realize historical disinvestment, in a state where 97% of counties are designated as infant and toddler child care deserts, according to a 2025 report from Missouri Champion of Children and Child Care Aware of Missouri.
“If you’re poor, it’s not so fun. If you’re unhealthy, it’s not so fun. But if you’re both, it’s really, really, really not fun,” Bob Theis, chief executive officer of Samuel U. Rodgers Health Center, says, echoing the philosophy of the center’s founder, Dr. Samuel U. Rodgers. This stark reality drives the urgency behind the pediatric wing project, which promises to transform health care accessibility for Kansas City’s most vulnerable young residents.
The statistics paint a sobering picture. In 2023, Missouri Medicaid assigned 8,800 children to Sam Rodgers, but only 3,100 were actively receiving care. That left 5,700 children — nearly two-thirds of those assigned — without a dedicated primary care provider. These children, Theis explains, often end up in emergency rooms and urgent care centers for basic medical needs, missing out on the preventive care that could keep them healthy and thriving.
“There’s a quote often attributed to Frederick Douglass — it’s easier to build strong children than to repair broken men,” Theis reflects. “What we’re trying to do is build strong kids, strong families.”
Integrated Care for an Underserved Community
The area surrounding Sam Rodgers’ main campus at 825 Euclid Avenue sits squarely in what federal health officials designate a medically underserved area. Despite being located just 10 miles from Arrowhead Stadium, about a mile from the planned new Royals stadium, and a half-mile from the new soccer stadium, the neighborhood faces critical shortages in primary care providers.
“We’re in the middle of it all,” Theis said. “But you can be in the middle of it all and still have needs, especially for people who live on the edges in our community.”
The surrounding ZIP codes tell a story of thousands of uninsured children who could qualify for Medicaid — if only their families knew how to navigate the enrollment process. Transportation challenges, unreliable Medicaid transportation services, and the complex bureaucracy all make it harder for families to access care.
To address these challenges, the new pediatric wing takes a fundamentally different approach to health care delivery. The 40-room expansion will house primary care exam rooms alongside dental services, behavioral health counseling, and the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) nutrition program — all under one roof.
“Right now, about 40% to 45% of our WIC participants are also patients,” Theis said. “I want to raise that number and make sure more kids are signed up.”
This model recognizes a critical truth, as Theis recalls a colleague once put it: “You cannot take the mouth out of the body. We’re all connected. Medical. Dental. Behavioral health. Body. Mind. Spirit.”
Four dedicated behavioral health rooms in the new wing will make mental health support a seamless part of regular health care visits. “We want to do this thing called integrated behavioral health to where it’s just part of health,” Theis explained.
A Beautiful Experience for Every Child
When families walk through the doors of the new pediatric wing, Theis envisions them experiencing something transformative. “They’re going to expect a beautiful experience,” he said.
The facility design intentionally creates an environment that sparks curiosity and engagement. A bridge connects the main building to the new pediatric wing — a symbolic and physical crossing into a space designed specifically for children. Video screens in exam rooms will educate families about available services. “If you don’t know what’s on the menu, you can’t order it,” Theis said.
This approach mirrors the reaction many patients had when Sam Rodgers first opened its current facility. “Patients would walk through the door and they go, ‘Is this for me?’” Theis said. “Yes. This is for you. It’s for your neighbor. It’s for the community.”
The impact extends to staff as well. “When our staff tour the new facility, you can see their faces light up,” Theis said. “Someone said, ‘Everyone’s going to want to be in pediatrics.’” The joy is palpable — this isn’t just another clinical space but a fun, cool facility where children will want to come for care.
For a community that has too often been told to settle for less, the beautiful environment sends a powerful message: You deserve this. Your children deserve this. This level of care, comfort, and dignity is exactly what every child should expect from their medical home.
Adapting to Medicaid Changes
The timing of the pediatric wing’s opening coincides with evolving Medicaid requirements in Missouri. New work requirements and six-month redetermination periods for adults present administrative challenges that Sam Rodgers is preparing to help families navigate.
“The requirements are changing, and we want to make sure our families understand what they need to do to maintain their coverage,” Theis said. With reporting requirements expected to be released next summer — when the new rules take effect — health centers are preparing for increased demand for enrollment assistance.
The challenges are compounded by housing instability. Theis noted that 40% of children in the Kansas City, Missouri, school district change schools during the academic year, making it difficult for families to maintain current contact information with state agencies.
Sam Rodgers is committed to helping families meet these requirements, although Theis acknowledged it will take significant resources that could otherwise be allocated toward health care delivery.
A Community-Wide Investment
The pediatric wing represents a remarkable public-private partnership that extends far beyond funding. Central Bank of Kansas City and Wells Fargo provided $15 million in New Markets Tax Credit allocation, along with additional financing. The project has also drawn support from the Hall Family Foundation, the H&R Block Foundation, the Jack F. and Glenna Y. WylieFoundation, the Sunderland Foundation, the Ann and Gary Dickinson Family Charitable Foundation, Bank of America, N.A., Trustee, the William T. Kemper Foundation – Commerce Bank Trustee, Mr. Steve Sweet, the Mabee Foundation, the Arvin Gottlieb Charitable Foundation, and Baker Tilly.
Notably, Sam Rodgers’ board of directors achieved 100% participation in personal giving to the project, a testament to their belief in its transformative potential. And while this generosity has carried the project far, fundraising remains ongoing. “We’ve come so far thanks to the generosity of our partners, but there’s still work to do,” Theis said. “Every additional gift brings us closer to making sure this facility is fully equipped to serve the thousands of children who need it.”
The investment also includes developing future providers who understand the community’s needs. Sam Rodgers operates Missouri’s first accredited nurse practitioner residency program at a federally qualified health center, giving new providers hands-on training in integrated care. “I really think that when students learn at a community health center, they get exposed to what we do and they want to go work at one,” Theis said. With patients speaking more than 40 languages, this pipeline helps ensure the workforce reflects the families they serve. About 60% of clinic patients receive care in a language other than English, according to Samuel U. Rodgers Health Center.
“We’re not in competition with anyone,” Theis emphasized. “There’s so much need out there that even large hospitals recognize the importance of community providers like us helping to keep kids healthy and out of the emergency room.”
This collaborative spirit extends throughout the Kansas City health care ecosystem. University Health and North Kansas City Hospital deliver the majority of babies for Sam Rodgers patients. Community agencies provide housing assistance, utility support, and other wraparound services that address the social drivers of health.
The Ripple Effects of Expansion
The benefits of the pediatric wing will extend far beyond the 4,500 additional children it will serve annually. By relocating pediatric services to the new facility, Sam Rodgers will free up 12 exam rooms in its current building for adult medicine, women’s health, and prenatal care.
“It’s going to open up additional opportunities,” Theis said, noting plans to add more space for behavioral health alongside expanded women’s health and adult medicine.
The impact on maternal health could be particularly significant. Theis shared an encouraging precedent: “North Kansas City Hospital said the number of people entering their hospital without prenatal care decreased by 50% since we’ve been in the Northland.”
This cascading effect of preventive care represents the true value proposition of the pediatric wing. As Theis noted, urgent care and emergency room visits cost 10 times more than primary care visits.
Looking to the Future
As construction continues, anticipation builds for what the pediatric wing will mean for Kansas City. “Everyone’s going to want to be in pediatrics,” Theis said with a smile, recounting staff reactions to facility tours.
But beneath the enthusiasm lies a deeper commitment to closing long-standing gaps in access to care. The pediatric wing represents a bet that by investing in children’s health today, Kansas City can build a healthier, more prosperous future for all its residents.
“Life is all about relationships,” Theis reflected. “If you have that primary care relationship, when you need care, you can get it.”
For the thousands of children currently without a medical home, the new pediatric wing promises not just care but connection, a place where they’re known, valued, and supported through every stage of their development.
As Theis put it, channeling the wisdom of his grandmother: “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
In a community where too many children have fallen through the cracks of a fragmented health care system, the new pediatric wing represents something more valuable than any price tag. It represents hope—hope that every child, regardless of ZIP code or insurance status, deserves the chance to grow up healthy, supported, and strong.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony is planned for November 7. The pediatric wing is expected to open this year, pending the completion of construction and the achievement of fundraising goals. For a community that has waited too long for comprehensive pediatric care, that day cannot come soon enough.
