Cerner launches 'Feeding the Front Lines' initiative

First Hand, a 501c3 non-profit arm of Cerner Corporation, has launched Feeding the Front Lines, a new initiative aimed at supporting Kansas City’s critical care and community emergency service workers amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

Starting this week, First Hand is partnering with local restaurants to send meals to the Kansas City metro's critical, front-line workers.

Meshuggah Bagels, who has two Kansas City locations, kicked off the initiative by sending bagels to all KCMO Fire Department stations Wednesday morning while Leawood, Ks.--based restaurant, BurgerFi, prepared and delivered 300 meals to the entire night staff Wednesday evening to Truman Medical Centers.

The food is paid for through donations from Cerner associates plus a match up to $25,000 from First Hand.

The initiative launched on Monday morning and raised $35,000 within the first five hours of going live.

"We’re so inspired by how quickly Cerner associates and Kansas City residents have responded to this initiative. In just two days we have raised nearly $90,000 to provide delicious meals to those on the front lines who are sacrificing so much to help our community through this pandemic. We are happy to support our essential workers and local businesses during this tough time,” said Shanna Adamic, First Hand executive director.

For more information on Cerner's Feeding the Front Lines initiative, click here.

Cerner salutes physician community amid global healthcare crisis

Cerner Corporation, a global healthcare technology company headquartered in Kansas City, Mo., extended timely accolades to the physician community this week in honor of National Doctors' Day.

National Doctors’ Day, proclaimed in 1991 by President George H.W. Bush, is celebrated each year on March 30th to honor the nation’s physicians for their dedication and leadership. 

“On behalf of Cerner, I’d like to recognize and thank physicians and clinicians everywhere for their sacrifices and heroic efforts in safeguarding the health of their communities,” said Brent Shafer, chairman and CEO of Cerner.

“Physicians have always played an important role in society, but in these unprecedented times, we have witnessed our client physicians going above and beyond. We thank you for being on the frontlines of this pandemic and every day," Shafer said.

With pre-pandemic burnout rates among physicians and clinicians on the rise,  Cerner has continuously worked to provide tools and technologies aimed at reducing physician burnout. Throughout the years, Cerner has cumulatively invested more than $7 billion into research and development, creating meaningful physician-focused innovations, like voice-assisted technology and improved AI-assisted clinical documentation.

Since the global onset of COVID-19, Cerner has taken numerous steps to protect and empower physicians by expanding telehealth capabilities with Cerner Patient Observer and AmWell, making it easier for clients to perform life-saving work.

“As a practicing physician, I want to express my admiration and heartfelt gratitude for those physicians fighting on the frontlines of this global pandemic,” said Lu de Souza, MD, vice president and chief medical officer, Cerner.

“We at Cerner are responsible for providing these physicians with the infrastructure and support needed to combat this outbreak. We are humbled by the opportunity to develop technology that proactively contributes to physician wellness,” de Souza said.

Cerner currently employs more than 100 physicians, and Cerner’s solutions have nearly 700,000 physician users. Cerner has worked alongside its client physicians for decades to design intuitive, physician-friendly solutions that enable collaboration across mobile and desktop platforms and enhance user efficiency, productivity and satisfaction.

For more information on the company’s commitment to providing a first-class physician experience, visit Cerner’s Physician Solutions page. For more on Cerner’s response to COVID-19, visit Cerner’s COVID-19 Update or Commitment & Support to Clients.  

CushWake, Cerner team up to reboot sprawling Summit Tech building

Cerner has plugged into the Kansas City commercial real estate market, teaming up with Cushman & Wakefield to rebrand and launch the Lee’s Summit Integration Campus (LSIC), a 500,000-square foot tech hub at 777 NW Blue Parkway. Brokers were invited to a Feb. 14 luncheon and tour of the project, which comprises the north building of the former Summit Technology Campus (STC).

“We think it’s important that all of you know, as you bring prospects through, that this project carries with it quality ownership (Cerner) that is committed to providing a quality tenant experience and the promotion of health and wellness,” Cushman & Wakefield Director Suzanne Dimmel told brokers. “STC at one time was under one ownership, but the campus’ south building is now owned by a private group, and Cerner owns the north building, or LSIC.”

The rebranding effort includes brightly colored marketing materials and planned signage with the tagline, “The convergence of power, data, technology, people and community.” Current tenants include large data center and call center operations, with available space ranging from 5,000 to 147,000 square feet.

Recently added amenities include a remodeled cafeteria and employee lounge with flat-screen TVs, and a fitness track with “wayfinding corners” to track physical activity is in the works. Tenant signage options are available at LSIC’s various entrances, which are easily accessible to abundant surface parking.

“This campus has a bright future, and we have a lot of great space available here,” CushWake associate Leonard Popplewell said, adding that prospective tenants can receive smartphone-accessible 2D and 3D interactive conceptual floor plans tailored to their needs.

Jill McCarthy, vice president of corporate attraction for the Kansas City Area Development Council, told brokers that LSIC will be shared with site selectors and out-of-town companies scouting locations in the metro area.

“There’s a lot of project activity right now,” McCarthy said. “We are doing a lot to showcase buildings like this, and this type of product gives us something to talk about when speaking with clients and consultants.”

Lee’s Summit Economic Development Council President and CEO Rick McDowell reminded brokers of incentive options available, proximity to a strong workforce, and local education system that includes an award-winning K-12 school district, community college and 4-year college. Lee’s Summit Mayor Bill Baird thanked Cerner for its investment and presence in the community and reiterated the City’s pro-business environment.

CushWake is offering an incentive to brokers who bring the campus its first 20,000+ square foot deals: A free trip to Scottsdale or San Diego in the form of a $5,000 trip credit. The event included lunch catered by Third Street Social and guided tours.

For more information on LSIC, email suzanne.dimmel@cushwake.com or leonard.popplewell@cushwake.com.

Superior Bowen paves way for growth and diversification with new HQ, hires

Superior Bowen is capping off its 70th year with new Crossroads digs and a flurry of projects in the pipeline.

The third-generation asphalt and paving contractor is growing its SiteWorks portfolio, recently winning contracts for Metro North Mall’s redevelopment and Johnson County’s new Indian Creek Library, while building its bread-and-butter business of large paving projects such as the Ford Claycomo Assembly Plant and Cerner Corporation's Innovations Campus.

“We’ve been incredibly busy and continue to diversify into business ventures necessitated by expansion and growth,” said Brian Johanning, Superior Bowen vice president of business development. “We are continuing to beef up our corporate resources and strengthen our foundation for growth.”

Superior Bowen doubled its footprint when it consolidated operations into a 30,000 square feet office in the historically renovated McQueeny Lock Building, 520 W. Pennway. Previously, staff had been cobbled together in a workshop and three mobile trailers adjacent to one of the company’s six asphalt plants at Manchester Trafficway and I-70.

The makeshift campus embodied Superior Bowen’s trademark grittiness and offered clients an up-close view of the plant and equipment, but Owner Trey Bowen recognized that the company needed a change of scenery to grow. After searching unsuccessfully in the West Bottoms for new digs with plentiful parking, Bowen opted to join Centric Projects and Inspired Homes in the century-old brick building.

“When it came to recruiting and retaining the next generation of talent, we needed to be where that talent wanted to be, and that is here in the Crossroads,” Bowen said. “This is an established, vibrant area.”

Superior Bowen also added four positions to its leadership team in 2018, hiring new vice presidents of marketing, human resources and business development, as well as a new safety director. Each hire is more than just an employee; they’re an investment in Superior Bowen’s future.

“When people come here, they don’t leave. During the Great Recession, nobody was laid off,” Bowen added. “We have room to grow here, which is purposeful.”