research medical center midwives

Research Medical Center

Research Medical Center is a medical facility located in Kansas City, MO. This hospital has been recognized for America's 250 Best Hospitals Award™, Patient Safety Excellence Award™, and more.

Patient Experience Rating

10% lower than the national average

Healthgrades awards tell you which hospitals deliver superior quality care. Healthgrades evaluates hospital performance using objective quality measures including clinical outcomes and patient safety, as well as patient experience.

Hospital Quality Awards

America's 250 Best Hospitals Award™ (2023, 2022)

Top 5% in the nation for consistently delivering clinical quality

Patient Safety Excellence Award™ (2024, 2023, 2022)

Top in the nation for providing excellence in patient safety by preventing infections, medical errors, and other preventable complications

Specialty Clinical Quality Awards

America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Stroke Care Award™ (2024, 2023)

Superior clinical outcomes in the care and treatment of stroke

America’s 50 Best Hospitals for Vascular Surgery Award™ (2024)

Superior clinical outcomes in abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, carotid surgery, and peripheral vascular bypass surgery

Cranial Neurosurgery Excellence Award™ (2024, 2023)

Superior clinical outcomes in cranial neurosurgery

Neurosciences Excellence Award™ (2024, 2023)

Superior clinical outcomes in stroke care and cranial neurosurgery

Surgical Care Excellence Award™ (2024)

Superior clinical outcomes in surgical care across 15 of the most common in-hospital surgical procedures including cardiac, vascular, joint replacement, prostate, spine, and gastrointestinal surgeries

America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Gastrointestinal Surgery Award™ (2023)

Superior clinical outcomes in bowel obstruction treatment, colorectal surgeries, gallbladder removal, and upper gastrointestinal surgery

Gastrointestinal Care Excellence Award™ (2023)

Superior clinical outcomes in colorectal surgeries, gallbladder removal, upper gastrointestinal surgery, and treating bowel obstruction, gastrointestinal bleeds, and pancreatitis

Vascular Surgery Excellence Award™ (2023)

Stroke Care Excellence Award™ (2022)

Safety Ratings

How well a hospital safeguards patients from potential complications

No events relating to foreign objects left in body during a surgery or procedure

2 ratings were worse than expected

• Death following a serious complication after surgery
• Respiratory failure following surgery

2 ratings were better than expected View details

• Pressure sores or bed sores acquired in the hospital
• Accidental cut, puncture, perforation or hemorrhage during medical care

9 ratings were as expected View details

• Death in procedures where mortality is usually very low
• Collapsed lung due to a procedure or surgery in or around the chest
• Catheter-related bloodstream infections acquired at the hospital
• In-Hospital Fall Associated Fracture Rate
• Excessive bruising or bleeding as a consequence of a procedure or surgery
• Acute kidney dysfunction following surgery
• Deep blood clots in the lungs or legs following surgery
• Bloodstream infection following surgery
• Breakdown of abdominal incision site

Hospital Quality

Clinical ratings.

Research hospital performance and talk to your doctor about what's right for you

Complication Based Ratings

Defibrillator Procedures

In Hospital

Better than Expected

Pacemaker Procedures

Mortality Based Ratings

Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG) Surgery

Mortality In-Hospital

As Expected

Mortality within 30 days

Coronary Interventional Procedures (Inpatient)

Heart Attack

Heart Failure

Valve Surgery

Diabetic Emergencies

Pulmonary Embolism

Respiratory Failure

Gallbladder Removal Surgery

Bowel Obstruction

Colorectal Surgeries

Gastrointestinal Bleed

Pancreatitis

Upper Gastrointestinal Surgery

Specialty Excellence Awards

America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Gastrointestinal Surgery Award™

Gastrointestinal Care Excellence Award™

Cranial Neurosurgery

America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Stroke Care Award™

Cranial Neurosurgery Excellence Award™

Neurosciences Excellence Award™

Stroke Care Excellence Award™

Hip Fracture Treatment

Hip Replacement

Total Knee Replacement

Outpatient Back and Neck Surgery (except Spinal Fusion)

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

Back and Neck Surgeries (without Spinal Fusion)

Spinal Fusion

Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair

Carotid Procedures

Peripheral Vascular Bypass

America’s 50 Best Hospitals for Vascular Surgery Award™

Vascular Surgery Excellence Award™

Patient Experience

Patient experience measures tell you how patients felt about the care they received at the hospital. These measures are based on the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

Patients who gave a rating of 9 or 10

7% lower than the national average

Would definitely recommend

National Average

Communication with doctors

Percent of patients who said that doctors always listened to them and explained things well

Communication with nurses

Percent of patients who said that nurses always listened to them and explained things well

Responsiveness of hospital staff

Percent of patients who said they always received help quickly from hospital staff

Communication about medicines

Percent of patients who said that staff always explained medicines before giving them to patients

Discharge Information

Percent of patients who said they were given information about recovering at home

Care Transition

Percent of patients who said they understood their care needs when they left the hospital

Percent of patients who said the area around their rooms was always kept quiet at night

Cleanliness

Percent of patients who said their room and bathroom were always kept clean

Amel Abbas, PA-C

Neurosurgery

Dr. Cristianna Abilez, MD

Family Medicine

Dr. Mostafa Aboubakr, MD

Critical Care Medicine

Dr. Olivia Adair, MD

Dr. Moses Aderanti, MD

Internal Medicine

Dr. Hameed Ahmad, MD

Dr. Hamna Ahmad, MD

Dr. Patrick Akin, MD

Sports Medicine

Provider Reviews

Dr Eggers performed my total knee replacement in January 2024. He and his team are terrific! He was very thorough in his explanation of my condition requiring the TKR, how the procedure would be performed, what I could expect post procedure and provided clear documentation on post surgery home...

M.Long May 08 2024

Review for Dr. Eggers

Dose a very good job of finding problem areas.

May 08 2024

Review for Dr. Blake

Dr Bortnick took the time to explain the procedures I was interested in, and made recommendations that would provide me with a natural look. He is caring and truly wants the best outcome for his patients. His staff is also fabulous!

Amy S May 08 2024

Review for Dr. Bortnick

I found Dr Foster to be compassionate, competent and thorough Without being cocky

Karen Williamson May 07 2024

Review for Dr. Foster III

I highly recommend Dr. Kalila Steen and her nurse, Victoria. They are truly amazing! They were always professional, kind, respectful, listened to and answered any questions or concerns I had. I was never rushed through any of my appointments. They eased any anxiety I felt and made my experience...

Shelley Lane May 06 2024

Review for Dr. Steen

2316 E Meyer Blvd , Kansas City MO 64132

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Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Research Medical Center located?

Research Medical Center is located at 2316 E Meyer Blvd, Kansas City, MO 64132. Find other locations and directions on Healthgrades .

Has Research Medical Center won any recent awards from Healthgrades?

Yes, Research Medical Center has been awarded with America's 250 Best Hospitals Award™, Patient Safety Excellence Award™, America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Stroke Care Award™, and 8 more in the past two years.

Is Research Medical Center highly rated with patients?

58% patients recommend this hospital. See Healthgrades for detailed clinical ratings by specialty.

Does Research Medical Center score well in safety ratings?

Healthgrades tracks outcome ratings for 13 hospital services. View more details here .

How do I get in at Research Medical Center?

Phone number, appointment information, and directions can be found on Healthgrades Research Medical Center profile. .

How does Research Medical Center rank in terms of safety and outcomes?

Healthgrades provides detailed information on hospital safety and outcomes for patients. Click here to learn more about hospital safety.

2316 E Meyer Blvd

Kansas City, MO 64132

(816) 276-4000

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Midwifery Services

If you are interested in a holistic, low-intervention and highly supportive model of care, seeing a midwife may be for you. Midwives care for women from early adolescence through menopause, including prenatal care . They provide evidence-based medicine, encourage women to make informed decisions about their healthcare, and focus on patient participation and education.

Find out more about our services:

Conditions and consultations, diagnosis and treatments, midwifery care specialists.

• Midwifery locations near you
• Midwifery specialists near you

Midwives offer consultations and personal treatment plans for a variety of everyday female needs:

• Breast lumps
• Family planning
• Pregnancy prevention
• Sexual health issues
• Vaginal issues

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Our midwives offer:

• Birth control, including oral contraceptives, intrauterine devices or contraceptive implants and injections
• Breast care
• Breastfeeding assistance
• Gynecological preventive exams
• Labor and delivery at the birthing center
• Pelvic exams
• Postpartum care
• Preconception counseling
• Prenatal care for patients who are at low risk for complications

Midwives are advanced practice providers with specialized training, education and certification in women's health. They are qualified to prescribe and administer medications as independent, licensed practitioners. Midwives work to resolve your health concerns and refer you to other specialties as needed.

Additional care may be provided by:

• Birthing Centers
• Genetic Counseling
• Mammography
• Obstetrics & Gynecology
• Prenatal Care
• Reproductive Endocrinology

Referrals to a midwife are not required. Call the appointment number of your preferred midwifery location to learn more.

What should I bring for my first appointment?

For your first appointment, bring your current prescription information and medical records from non-Mayo Clinic Health System facilities. Complete a medical records release form  to authorize the transfer of health records from another healthcare facility to us. Visit our Medical Record Forms page  for this form and other forms in multiple languages.

What are my payment options, and do you offer financial assistance?

Visit the billing page of your preferred location  for information on insurance, billing and payments.

We care for patients in difficult financial circumstances and offer financial assistance to those who have an established need to receive medically necessary services. Learn more about financial assistance options .

Can you provide a second opinion?

Yes — call the appointment number at your preferred midwifery location . See What should I expect during my first appointment? for tips on how to prepare.

Do you have an after-hours number in case of emergency?

Always call 911 in case of emergency. For after-hours help with other issues, review our convenient care options .

Explore locations or providers near you for details on midwifery:

Locations view more.

• 507-433-8758
• 507-433-7351
• 800-628-2538 (toll-free)

• 608-392-9866

• 507-594-6955
• 507-594-4700

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Midwifery Review: Adding Care by Midwives Improves Birth Outcomes

by Robert Forman

Midwife care can improve pregnancy outcomes for mothers and babies, says new “Expert Review” from Yale faculty

The practice of midwifery is less common in the United States than in other countries and other cultures, which is a shame because adding care by midwives generally improves childbirth outcomes, according to two Yale faculty members who have published an “Expert Review”  article on the topic  in the  American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology . 

Holly Powell Kennedy, PhD, MSN, CNM , the Helen Varney Professor of Midwifery, and  Joan Combellick, PhD, MPH, MSN, CNM , assistant professor of nursing, along with their colleagues, examined the scientific literature related to midwifery and childbirth, and conclude that many measures of successful pregnancy are elevated when midwives play a central role. 

They cite the approach to midwifery that is standard in other countries, especially in wealthy European nations, where women have as much as seven times the access to midwives that they do in the United States. They report that midwifery care has improved outcomes by 56 different measures—including lower morbidity and mortality among mothers and newborns, fewer preterm births and low birthweight infants, and reduced interventions in labor. 

The authors acknowledge that differences in those countries’ overall health systems make a substantial contribution to good outcomes, but say it’s the integral role of midwives that matters most. “In other countries, midwives make up the basic maternity care provider workforce, and then, obstetricians are used as the specialists that they are, surgeons who are there to handle complications,” says Combellick. “[Midwives] are the experts in normal childbirth, which happens the majority of the time.” Combellick adds that midwives also extend their care beyond pregnancy. “We also do well-person preventive care, across the lifespan from teenagers through postmenopausal people, so it isn’t only pregnancy-related.”

The Value of Midwives at the Baby’s Arrival

But the continuum of pregnancy, birth, and postnatal care is what midwives are best known for, and where the contribution of midwives can differ sharply from what is often considered standard care. Kennedy says a very basic way that outcomes can improve is because prenatal care by midwives is not squeezed into appointments of a set duration, where the provider may not have the time to fully answer the patient’s questions. Kennedy notes that in some settings, midwives caring for a woman throughout the pregnancy bring continuity and can structure longer appointments. Having more time permits building better rapport with a mother-to-be and helps her feel more respected, which often translates into a smoother pregnancy. 

“In our paper, we discuss some of the research done about respect. It’s true for any kind of health care, but particularly in prenatal care,” says Kennedy. “It can amount to being highly disrespected and simply having to wait two hours for a very short prenatal visit. If people aren’t feeling respected or safe, they’re less likely to keep coming in for prenatal care.” Combellick adds that this can be especially true for women of color, for whom the cumulative race-based disrespect they endure in their daily lives can make the pressures of pregnancy more intense.

When the time for delivery arrives, a few statistics are especially striking. First-time mothers giving birth at medical centers where midwives were on their care team were 74% less likely to have their labor induced, 75% less likely to receive oxytocin augmentation, and 12% less likely to deliver by cesarean than their counterparts at medical centers without midwives in attendance. 

Midwives and Ob/gyns Collaborate During Childbirth

Combellick says that on a collaborative team, the pregnant person is at the center of care, with everyone contributing their particular expertise. Whether to wait and allow labor to continue at its own pace, to induce, or to perform a cesarean can generally be a shared decision that involves patient understanding and consent. “We are collaborators,” says Combellick. “We work in conjunction with physicians. To have two viewpoints thinking about one person is a really strong style of care.” 

At Yale, Kennedy and Combellick contribute to the midwifery faculty practice supporting student midwives as they learn. Faculty practice midwives are also active with obstetricians-in-training. “We contribute to the resident training program,” Combellick says. “So the residents, when they first come, are assigned to follow a midwife. Around the country, midwives often play a role in demonstrating ‘here’s what normal physiologic birth looks like,’ and that occurs at Yale.”

Hugh S. Taylor, MD, chair and Anita O’Keeffe Young Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences at Yale School of Medicine, says this collaboration has been good for all involved. “It’s important that all of our practitioners get exposure and training on the collaborative practice model. The trainees participate in these teams and get a living example of how collaboration results in outstanding care. It was very important to establish that program—not only for patient care but for our residents and students.”

Taylor says that both for prenatal care and during deliveries, the presence of midwives on the care team can be invaluable. “Most of the prenatal care in our collaborative practice is delivered by midwives, with appropriate escalation and/or referral when things get complicated. If somebody develops diabetes or high blood pressure in pregnancy, we get the physician involved. However, for routine prenatal care or uncomplicated deliveries, we try to keep the physician in the background.”

Kennedy and Combellick both hope that the profile of midwifery in this country will rise, both through growing what Combellick now calls a “relatively small midwifery workforce” that attends only 10 to 12% of births in the United States, and by reforming practices related to health care delivery at large. “It’s not a simple, magical thing about the midwife,” Kennedy concludes, “but really about the model of care: that it’s accessible, it’s available, it’s respectful.” Those changes for the better, they say, would be nothing short of radical, and they are doing their part to gather the available evidence and advocate for change to happen.

This article was originally published by  Yale School of Medicine .

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Call the midwife: Study highlights maternity care model's success

by La Trobe University

Mothers have described feeling "empowered" and "respected" during their labor and birth at a small rural hospital in Victoria's Goldfields region that has adopted a midwifery continuity of caregiver model, labeled as "gold standard" by La Trobe University experts.

This is amid a decline of more than 200 birthing suites across rural and remote locations over the past two decades, with estimates that only 19% of Australia's population has access to this continuity of caregiver model known as Midwifery Group Practice (MGP).

The MGP model provides personalized support and enables a woman to be cared for by the same (or a backup) midwife throughout their entire pregnancy, labor and birth, and postnatal journey.

In May 2020, Dhelkaya Health (previously called Castlemaine Health) suspended its maternity service following an extensive review and concerns midwives were not utilizing their full scope of practice under the hospital's GP obstetric-led model at the time.

The one-year closure had an immense impact on the small community, located about 40 kilometers from the regional center of Bendigo. A review recommended the development of the MGP model of midwifery care and in May 2021 the ward reopened, with the first birth occurring in early June.

"[For] the birth of my first child … the care was very impersonal. At Castlemaine, it was the opposite; I felt as though my midwife took the time to get to know me and my family, took the time to discuss any concerns and respected my decisions and preferences," said one study participant.

Researchers from La Trobe's Judith Lumley Center evaluated the first 12 months of the MGP operation at Dhelkaya Health. The results are published in the journal Women and Birth .

"Women's experiences were overwhelmingly positive in demonstrating the impact it had on them, on their birthing experience, the transition to motherhood and their whole family," Dr. Laura Whitburn said.

"We know this type of care can lead to reduced rates of cesarean section and have better outcomes for the baby and the mother.

"The success is a testament to this service and how important continuity of care is for women and their birth experiences."

The evaluation shared the experiences of 44 women, including 22 women who birthed at Dhelkaya Health, 18 women who were transferred to birth at Bendigo Health and two women who birthed before arrival, from its reopening until May 2022.

Women particularly valued the continuity of care by a known midwife , the tailored care to their individual needs and circumstances, and the ability to access the service locally. They reported low levels of anxiety during labor and birth and felt that they coped physically and emotionally better than they anticipated.

"Empowering experience because of my freedom to make decisions that were based on clear and unbiased information from midwives," said one study participant.

"All the midwives and doctors were so supportive and positive and made me feel completely free to be vocal and move how I needed to. At no point did I feel judged or rushed," said another study participant.

"Every staff member that I crossed paths with during my pregnancy was absolutely fantastic. My wishes were always respected, and they made me feel heard and supported," claimed another study participant.

April Jardine, Dhelkaya Health's Maternity Unit Manager, works with a committed team of MGP midwives, core midwives and nurses from their Maternity Unit in Castlemaine. She said the key to the service's success is its ability to leverage consumer insight to ensure the focus stays firmly on what's most important to women and families.

"Dhelkaya Health continues to place a high value on the feedback and experiences of the women who experienced our continuity of caregiver model," Jardine said.

"We collect ongoing data through a maternity consumer survey, with the results used to guide and shape the service to meet evolving community needs."

The importance of continuity of caregiver was also highlighted by mothers who felt their experience was negatively affected when continuity was lost during transfer to another service.

The overall success of the MGP model at Dhelkaya Health has informed other rural maternity services across Victoria to introduce similar models, including Maryborough and Cohuna, which developed a model based on Castlemaine.

"I feel deeply, deeply honored to have had the experience I had. I would give so much for every woman to have the sort of care and experience I had. I am beyond grateful Castlemaine opened up again," said a study participant.

Dr. Whitburn said the findings support and expand on existing research regarding the value of midwifery continuity of caregiver models.

"Castlemaine's success has become a catalyst and blueprint for how other rural services can create positive impacts on women and families," Dr. Whitburn said.

"We hope this is another piece of evidence that points to more resourcing into supporting rural services to provide maternity care."

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