Saint Luke's Marion Bloch Neuroscience Institute

10/21/2025

Saint Luke’s Marion Bloch Neuroscience Institute was proud to support the 2025 Walk to End Alzheimer’s.

Our team joined hundreds of community members in raising awareness for Alzheimer’s care, support, and research. It was a great day spent supporting an important cause! 💜🧠

10/10/2025

The FDA recently approved two new drugs this year for treating metastatic breast cancer. The new drugs are designed to kill more cancer cells while sparing healthy cells, resulting in fewer side effects—options that weren't available even just five years ago.

Dr. Timothy Pluard, medical director of Saint Luke's Cancer Institute, says this is a time to be very hopeful. Hear the details from him on Health News You Can Use.

10/08/2025

Saint Luke’s leaders and team members recently volunteered at Metro Lutheran Ministry as part of Belonging Week, an annual event for team members system-wide to celebrate our differences and create a culture where everyone feels welcomed, respected, and valued.

This year’s theme for Belonging Week was “Growing Connections.” Various team members connected with our community through service. This group packed more than 1,400 sack lunches for our neighbors in need.

When we combine our time, energy, and compassion, we can make a real difference in communities all across Kansas City and beyond. 💙

10/07/2025

After more than 46 years of heartfelt care that touched thousands of lives, Shawna (center 👑) is starting her next adventure in retirement.

Shawna spent her entire career with Saint Luke’s and worked in a variety of areas before becoming a nurse. She started as a patient transporter and then became a certified nursing assistant while attending nursing school. As a registered nurse, Shawna worked in the medical intermediate cardiac care unit for 25 years. She then spent time in the post-anesthesia care unit, the gastrointestinal lab, Saint Luke's Mid America Heart Institute, and has been in the cardiovascular prep and recovery unit for the last 15 years.

To say that Shawna is dedicated is an understatement. Her patients were always her sole focus. Her coworkers describe her as smart, thoughtful, and witty. She is an excellent role model, leader, and communicator. Shawna received countless praises from patients throughout the years and earned multiple recognitions. She has truly been a gift to our hospital and the epitome of an ideal nurse.

Thank you, Shawna, for your incredible tenure and commitment to your profession, patients, and peers. You are a treasure that will be deeply missed. 💙

10/06/2025

Saint Luke's arrived in style for the Kansas City Heart and Stroke Walk at the Liberty Memorial. More than 60 people rounded out our team, and together we raised more than $20,000 for the American Heart Association!

The Heart and Stroke Walk is a fun, family friendly event that brings our community together to get active, raise lifesaving funds, and support the mission of the American Heart Association. It celebrates heart health, honors survivors, and remembers loved ones affected by heart disease and stroke.

Through fundraising and community engagement, the Heart and Stroke Walk aims to enhance CPR training accessibility, bolster bystander preparedness, increase funding for vital research, and ultimately, save lives.

10/06/2025

Saint Luke's arrived in style for the Kansas City Heart and Stroke Walk at the Liberty Memorial. More than 60 people rounded out our team, and together we raised more than $20,000 for the American Heart Association!

The Heart and Stroke Walk is a fun, family friendly event that brings our community together to get active, raise lifesaving funds, and support the mission of the American Heart Association. It celebrates heart health, honors survivors, and remembers loved ones affected by heart disease and stroke.

Through fundraising and community engagement, the Heart and Stroke Walk aims to enhance CPR training accessibility, bolster bystander preparedness, increase funding for vital research, and ultimately, save lives.

10/03/2025

Why are more women under 50 being diagnosed with breast cancer?

Dr. Mary Mitchell, chief of Breast Radiology at Saint Luke’s, sheds light on this concerning trend and how women can know their risk of breast cancer at younger ages.

10/02/2025

The Life of a Health Care Worker (Saint Luke's Version).

Helping people is more than a job for us—it's our whole lives. With every Speak Now question, Fearless challenge, Red alert, unusual Folklore, or Midnights worry, our diverse range of caregivers is here to help you.

At Saint Luke’s, you’ll always find a Lover of wellness and a team with a Reputation for being committed to your health for Evermore.

10/01/2025

Saint Luke's recently took over the Polar Bear Passage at the Kansas City Zoo & Aquarium to share a fun activity celebrating our Wild Beginnings partnership. 🐾

Lots of kids (and adults, too!) colored their favorite animal, then we turned them into buttons that they got to wear and take home. We loved seeing everyone’s excitement and wild imaginations come together.

Wild Beginnings supports the births of new animals at the zoo—a.k.a "Zooborns." Our commitment to innovative, patient-centered maternity care has allowed us to help local families grow for more than 135 years, and we’re excited to see these zoo families do the same. 💙

09/30/2025

Summer 2025 was a time we will never forget. It was full of firsts, lifesaving care, and celebrations. One thing we do know for sure is that we love caring for our patients, community, and each other. 💙

09/29/2025

It’s a cozy afternoon in Vern’s Pub at Saint Luke’s Bishop Spencer Place, where residents Carol, 96, and Jean, 95, share laughter like the lifelong friends they are. Their bond began in 1932, when Jean attended Carol’s second birthday party. From there, childhood adventures turned into a friendship that would span nearly a century.

They spent summers at a Michigan camp, later followed their love of history to Vassar College, and even traveled abroad together—adventures they now look back on fondly.

After college, Carol married, asking Jean to be her maid of honor, while Jean became active in the Junior League. As they raised families, holiday gatherings and weekend visits kept them connected, and their children became friends, too.

In 2006, Carol moved to Bishop Spencer Place with her husband. To her delight, she soon discovered a familiar face right across the hall.

“It was a pleasure to see Jean again,” Carol said. “I moved into one of the apartments across the hall from her, so it’s just like we’re neighbors again after all the years.”

Reflecting on their many years together, Carol and Jean admit the secret to an enduring friendship is less about the time you spend together and more about the space you hold for each other.

“We never drifted apart,” Carol says. “When Jean moved in, it was like we were kids again. We played bridge together, our husbands were in the investment club together, and we had dinner together. It just felt like old times.”

Read more about Carol and Jean’s lifelong friendship: https://heyor.ca/fDw1jx

09/26/2025

Almost one-quarter of American adults live with chronic pain. Thankfully, patients don’t have to depend on opioid medications to treat it.

Dr. Tyler Concannon, an interventional pain physician at Saint Luke's Pain Management Clinic, shares helpful insights about the interventions and procedures that treat pain without the need for medication on Health News You Can Use.

09/25/2025

At Saint Luke’s, Advanced Practice Providers (APPs) play an important role in the exceptional care our patients receive across our clinics and hospitals. These clinicians are at the heart of what we do, and we are fortunate to have them on our team. 💙

09/24/2025

And with that, the 2025 Plaza Art Fair comes to an end.

We’re proud to have been the presenting sponsor of this Kansas City tradition for the past decade. It’s always inspiring to see the community come together to celebrate creativity, connection, and local talent, and we’re grateful to be part of an event that showcases the vibrant spirit of our city.

From the paper flowers we made for our interactive sculpture to the art made in our Kids Zone, the weekend was filled with color, energy, and joy. 🎨 💙

09/23/2025

Cali has been a survivor from day one.

Cali and her twin sister Kara, now 21, were born prematurely and spent several weeks in the NICU at Saint Luke's Hospital of Kansas City after their mother, Heather, was diagnosed with twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome—uneven blood flow between twins sharing a placenta. Cali then underwent radiation at age 2 to cure a rare vascular malformation in her brain.

Cali’s condition caused her to have recurring sinus and ear infections, and in late 2024 she developed what seemed to be another earache. Antibiotics didn’t help, and an MRI revealed that Cali had an acoustic neuroma (vestibular schwannoma), a noncancerous brain tumor affecting hearing and balance.

“It was hard to process that she has a brain tumor after everything she had been through,” Heather says.

Cali’s doctor referred her to Dr. Jonathan Breshears, a skull base neurosurgeon at Saint Luke's Marion Bloch Neuroscience Institute. The tumor showed rapid growth after six months of monitoring, so they recommended surgical removal.

A team of specialists from Saint Luke’s skull base tumor program successfully removed the tumor during a 4.5 hour procedure, preserving Cali’s facial nerve. After just one day in the hospital, Cali returned home to recover.

More than a year later, Cali is thriving, continues regular monitoring, and is pursuing a career as a radiologic technologist to support others going through medical challenges.

“I want to do imaging for people because I've been through it and I know how it goes,” Cali says. “I know what their fears are.”

Read Cali’s full story and learn more about Saint Luke’s Neuro-Oncology program: https://heyor.ca/9heoTu

09/22/2025

Saint Luke’s Marion Bloch Neuroscience Institute was proud to support the 2025 American Stroke Foundation’s Walk ’n Roll event!

It was a beautiful day to come together to honor and celebrate stroke survivors and their families. 🧠💪

09/10/2025

More than 250 Saint Luke’s team members came together to make a difference at this year’s Head For The Cure 5K in Kansas City! 🏃

The team raised more than $30,000 to support brain tumor research, raise awareness, and foster hope within our community. Funds raised will directly benefit Saint Luke’s patients through groundbreaking research and advancements in brain tumor care at Saint Luke's Marion Bloch Neuroscience Institute.

This year, neuro-oncologist Dr. Samuel Goldlust presented three Saint Luke's patients with the Courage Award—recognizing them for their strength and resilience.

We are grateful to everyone who joined us to support this important cause. 💙

09/09/2025

Neurologist Dr. Afsaneh Shirani recently presented at the Paralyzed Veterans of America Summit in New Orleans.

The presentation, titled, “Exploring the Association of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors and Multiple Sclerosis: Insights from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System Database,” explored whether immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs)—cancer treatments that help the immune system attack cancer cells—are linked to multiple sclerosis.

Results showed that MS was not reported more frequently than other autoimmune neurological conditions, suggesting ICIs are unlikely to significantly increase the risk of MS flare-ups or new-onset MS.

08/27/2025

Ten years ago, doctors estimated Melissa had about three years to live.

In March 2015, Melissa was experiencing severe headaches. On March 25, the pain became overwhelming, and her husband Don called for help. An ambulance took Melissa to Wright Memorial Hospital, and an MRI revealed Melissa had glioblastoma—a serious form of cancer that originates in the brain with a five-year survival rate of about 5%.

Melissa was sent to Saint Luke's Hospital of Kansas City for emergency surgery, followed by chemo, radiation, and rehab. Ten years later, Melissa, 68, has recovered physically, emotionally, and spiritually—and now greets each day with excitement.

“I wake up smiling, and it carries with me,” Melissa says. “It's in everything you see, every song you hear. It's everywhere.”

In 2023, Melissa began seeing Dr. Samuel Goldlust, a neuro-oncologist, for continuing care.

"Dr. Goldlust is very impressive," Don said. "He took the time to understand our history before entering the room."

Though Melissa has physical limitations and had to relearn to speak, she embraces what her body can manage and cherishes time she once feared she’d lose. Melissa and Don recently saw their son graduate from Kansas State University summa cm laude—another one of those little moments that mean so much.

Melissa and Don saw firsthand how Saint Luke’s stands apart through our dedication to advanced cancer research and treatments. With support from generous donors, we deliver leading-edge care to thousands of patients. 𝗝𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝘂𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲, 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝗽𝗲: https://heyor.ca/Ji6lOs

08/22/2025

Travis, a Saint Luke’s patient whose courage and determination continue to inspire, will be remembered and honored with the Courage Award at the Head for the Cure 5K this Sunday. Read more below.

From quiet strength to relentless determination, Travis tackled GBM with everything he had. 💙

In November 2024, what began as trouble speaking led to the discovery of a grade 4 glioblastoma. Travis had surgery, 30 rounds of radiation, chemotherapy, and countless hours in rehab, all while facing complications that tested his body but never his spirit.

With the love of his wife, Erin, their three boys, and a community that rallied behind him, Travis fought with grit, humor, and an unshakable will. Travis will be missed greatly.

New this year, the Courage Award recognizes a few patients at healthcare institutions for their strength and resilience. Travis was nominated for this special honor, supported by his care team at Saint Luke's Marion Bloch Neuroscience Institute.

💙 Join us in honoring Travis' journey at the Head for the Cure 5K – Kansas City
📅 Sunday, August 24
📍 Corporate Woods, Overland Park, KS
🔗 headforthecure.org/kansascity

08/18/2025

Dr. Samuel Goldlust, neuro oncologist with Saint Luke's Cancer Specialists, recently sat down with Head For The Cure Founder Matt Anthony to discuss the upcoming race on Sunday, August 24. Check out the full video below!

08/15/2025

07/17/2025

Rasheeda, a medical office specialist at Saint Luke's Marion Bloch Neuroscience Institute, was recognized as the SLPG Employee of the Quarter for her dedication, heart, and extraordinary teamwork. She sets an example of what it means to live Saint Luke’s values.

Rasheeda goes above and beyond for her patients each day. Her dependability and focus shows up in everything she does and has led to fantastic results.

“The way Rasheeda balances compassion with high-level performance is something we all admire,” her nominator shared. “She leads by example, and we’re all better for it.”

Congratulations, Rasheeda, and thank you for your outstanding work at Saint Luke’s! 💙

07/09/2025

This June, during Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month, Saint Luke’s Bishop Spencer Place hosted an informational luncheon to give guests an exclusive look at our upcoming memory care services.

Dr. Carlos A. Bagley, director of Saint Luke's Marion Bloch Neuroscience Institute, was our guest speaker. Dr. Bagley discussed the signs and symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease, provided brain health tips, and shared the latest neuroscience research findings. The event provided valuable insights and a meaningful preview of the expert memory care that will be available soon at Bishop Spencer Place.