Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
SPECIAL COVERAGE ON KCPT OF THE GREATER KANSAS CITY'S CHAMBERS BIG FIVE INITIATIVES IS
FUNDED BY BURNS AND MCDONNELL, WITH ADDITIONAL FINANCIAL SUPPORT FROM SWOPE COMMUNITY
ENTERPRISES AND BY:
COMING UP NEXT ON THE LOCAL SHOW, HOW A MAJOR BREAKTHROUGH IN GENOMICS HERE IN KANSAS CITY
IS CHANGING THE WAY PATIENTS CAN BE DIAGNOSED. ALSO WE'LL CATCH UP WITH
MYRA CHRISTOPHER, A PIONEER IN THE FIELD OF BIOETHICS. AND AS PROMISED, HOLLYWOOD
CAME CALLING LAST WEEK, AND WE WERE THERE AT THE PREMIER OF 42. PRINCIPAL FUNDING FOR THE
LOCAL SHOW PROVIDED BY FRANCIS FAMILY FOUNDATION, FREDERICK AND LEWIS HARTWIG FAMILY FUND,
KAUFFMAN FOUNDATION, HEALTH CARE FOUNDATION OF GREATER KANSAS CITY, JOHNSON COUNTY COMMUNITY
COLLEGE, JOHN AND EFFY SPEES MEMORIAL TRUST, BANK OF AMERICA, TRUSTEE, RICHARD J. STERN
FOUNDATION FOR THE ARTS, COMMERCE BANK TRUSTEE, AND KCPT MEMBERS.
THANK YOU.
HELLO. I'M NICK HAINES. AND I'M RANDY MASON.
WELCOME TO THE LOCAL SHOW, WHERE WE SHOWCASE THE MANY THINGS KANSAS CITY HAS TO OFFER FROM
ARTS AND CULTURE TO DEVELOPMENTS IN EDUCATION, HEALTH CARE AND THE LIFE SCIENCES.
THIS WEEK, WE START WITH SOMETHING ELEMENTAL, GENOMES. THEY'RE THE MECHANISM BY WHICH
OUR BODIES OPERATE. THEY CONTAIN ALL THE GENETIC INFORMATION THAT MAKES US WHO WE
ARE. 10 YEARS AGO THIS MONTH, SCIENTISTS COMPLETED WORK ON THE
HUMAN GENOME PROJECT, AND SINCE THEN THE TECHNOLOGY TO EXPLORE IT FURTHER HAS RAPIDLY EVOLVED.
LAST YEAR TIME MAGAZINE NOTED THE GENOMIC WORK BEING DONE AT KANSAS CITY'S CHILDREN'S MERCY
HOSPITAL TO DRAMATICALLY SPEED UP THE DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT OF CRITICALLY ILL INFANTS.
THINK OF IT AS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TESTING A PATIENT ONE DISEASE AT A TIME VERSUS THE
MUCH BROADER NET THAT GENOMES ALLOW US TO CAST. IT'S AN INNOVATIVE EXAMPLE OF
HOW TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH CAN ULTIMATELY ENHANCE PATIENT CARE. IT'S ALL TOO COMMON, A CHILD
WAKES UP PRESENTING SYMPTOMS A PARENT HAS NEVER SEEN BEFORE. AT THE SAME TIME, HUNDREDS OF
ILLNESSS PASS FROM ONE GENERATION TO THE NEXT. GENETIC DISEASES.
EVEN THE MOST DETERMINED DOCTOR CAN'T PIN DOWN. BUT INSIDE CHILDREN'S MERCY
HOSPITAL A SMALL TEAM OF MEDICAL SPECIALISTS ARE DEDICATING THEMSELVES TO DECODING THE CODE
OF HUMAN LIFE. THEY'RE PART OF THE PEDIATRIC GENOMIC MEDICINE CENTER, A ONE
OF A KIND RESEARCH FACILITY ESTABLISHED TWO YEARS AGO THAT'S RAPIDLY REDEFINING HUNDREDS OF
YEARS OF PEDIATRIC CARE. THAT MACHINE LOADS IT ON TO THIS.
THE CATALYST FOR IT ALL IS DR. STEVEN KINGSMORE. THE TYPE OF DISEASES WE'RE
LOOKING AT MAY AFFECT 20 OR 30% OF THE BABIES IN OUR INTENSIVE CARE UNIT, BUT THEN THEY ALSO
AFFECT ONE OR TWO PERCENT OF CHILDREN, ABOUT A HALF A MILLION PATIENT VISITS A YEAR, A
TREMENDOUS NUMBER OF CHILDREN WITH DISEASES THAT WE THINK WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR.
ONE OF THE CENTER'S FIRST PATIENTS IS 7-YEAR-OLD RYAN. LET ME HAVE YOU HOLD YOUR LEG
OUT LIKE THIS. DON'T LET IT FALL. READY?
KEEP IT UP THERE. HE WAS WORN COMPLETELY FLOPPY, DIDN'T HAVE A LOT OF THE
REFLEXES A LOT OF OTHER BABIES HAVE, JUST GENERALIZED MUSCLE WEAKNESS.
EARLY ON RYAN'S DOCTORS SUSPECTED SOMETHING GENETIC BECAUSE THE MYSTERIOUS SYMPTOMS
WERE RECURRING IN TWO OF HIS THREE SISTERS, BUT WHERE TO START?
HUNDREDS OF GENES CAN CAUSE IT, SO AN INVASIVE MUSCLE BIOPSY, A PROCESS HIS MOTHER HOPED TO
AVOID, SEEMED LIKE THE ONLY HOPE FOR DIAGNOSIS. THEY JUST DID EVERYTHING
SLOWER, BUT BECAUSE THEY DID EVENTUALLY HIT THOSE MILESTONES, THERE WAS NO REASON TO POKE AND
PROD ON THEM. ALSO, SHERRY FEARED WHAT AN ANSWER MIGHT HOLD.
MIGHT THEY FIND SOMETHING SHE'D PREFER NOT TO KNOW? WOULD A LABEL STIGMATIZE HER
KIDS? FINALLY, THE DESIRE FOR KNOWLEDGE WON OUT.
ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF AGO, I WENT TO MY FAMILY DOCTOR, AND I SAID, I NEED TO KNOW WHAT THIS
IS, WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS. I NEED TO KNOW WHAT TO TELL THEM, YOU KNOW, WHEN MY SON GETS
IN HIGH SCHOOL AND IF HE WANTS TO PLAY FOOTBALL AND HE DOESN'T HAVE THE MUSCLE STRENGTH OR IT'S
NOT SAFE. COURTNEY, WHEN SHE WANTED TO HAVE KIDS, HEY, IS THIS GOING TO
AFFECT YOUR CHILDREN. IF NOT FOR THE GENOME CENTER, SHERRY MIGHT STILL BE FISHING
FOR ANSWERS. PAYING FOR COSTLY TESTS AFTER TESTS.
BUT THE SCIENTISTS AND SPECIALISTS WHO TEAMED UP AT CHILDREN'S MERCY ARE LITERALLY
SHIFTING THE WAY THAT MEDICINE IS PRACTICED, MAPPING A PATIENT'S GENES FIRST, THEN
MATCHING SPECIFIC SYMPTOMS TO THEM. DR. SARAH SOTEN IS IN CHARGE OF
CONNECTING THE CENTER WITH FAMILIES LIKE SHERRY, WEARY OF GETTING MORE QUESTIONS THAN
ANSWERS. TRYING TO MEET THE DAY TO DAY NEEDS OF THEIR KIDS, TRYING TO
REMEMBER WHAT DOCTORS ARE SAYING TO THEM, TRYING TO REMEMBER EVEN WHAT TESTS HAVE BEEN RUN, WHAT
TESTS WERE RUN WHEN THEY LIVED IN A DIFFERENT STATE. SOME HAVE BEEN TESTED FOR MORE
THAN TEN YEARS, 15 YEARS. ALL OF THAT IS VERY DIFFICULT ON FAMILIES.
IF WE CAN MAKE THE DIAGNOSIS USING ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES IN THE VERY BEGINNING, WHILE
THEY'RE STILL ENGAGED IN THE PROCESS, IT CAN REALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN LETTING THEM JUST
FOCUS ON THEIR CHILD AND MOVING FORWARD. 2-YEAR-OLD PATRICK IS ANOTHER
OF THE CENTER'S PATIENTS. HIS RED BLOOD CELLS AREN'T FUNCTIONING AS THEY SHOULD.
SINCE BIRTH, HE'S DEPENDENT UPON MONTHLY TRANSFUSIONS TO STAY ALIVE.
AND THEN HOW DOES HE DO AFTER THE BIOPSY? DOCTORS SUSPECTED A RARE FORM
OF ANEMIA BUT HAD NO WAY TO CONFIRM UNTIL DR. KINGSMORE'S TEAM TOOK A BLOOD SAMPLE, TESTED
IT AND DELIVERED A DIAGNOSIS IN JUST THREE WEEKS. NOT MANY PEOPLE HAVE IT,
RIGHT? YEAH. FROM WHAT SHE TOLD ME, IT'S 300
CASES REPORTED IN THE WORLD. FOR PATRICK, THERE IS A CURE, A BONE MARROW TRANSPLANT, BUT
PREPPING HIS BODY FOR SURGERY IS AN ARDUOUS AND EXHAUSTING PROCESS.
RETURNING WEEK AFTER WEEK FOR INFUSIONS TAKES ITS TOLL. HE'S BEEN THROUGH SO MUCH
SINCE HE WAS BORN, AND WE DON'T WANT TO KEEP ADDING MORE AND MORE STUFF.
I DON'T REALLY WANT TO DO THE -- I FEEL LIKE I HAVE TO DO IT, BUT I DON'T REALLY WANT TO.
IN PATRICK'S CASE, HEMATOLOGY AND GENOMICS WILL CONTINUE WORKING IN TANDEM TO MONITOR HIS
BODY'S RESPONSE TO THE MEDICINE, ALL PART OF A COLLABORATIVE TREATMENT APPROACH THAT
DR. KINGSMORE HAS ESPECIALLY FOR FOR -- EMPHASIZED ALL ALONG. WE WANTED THERE TO BE A CLOSE
LINKAGE SO THAT REALLY THIS WAS AN EXTENSION OF THE HOSPITAL'S CAPABILITIES AS OPPOSED TO OFTEN
A RESEARCH SITE SOMEWHAT DETACHED FROM -- DETACHED FROM THE HOSPITAL.
THOSE CAPABILITIES INCLUDE SOME AMAZING STATE-OF-THE-ART MACHINES THAT CAN DECODE GENOMES
AT AMAZING SPEEDS. IT TOOK A DECADE TO UNRAVEL THE FIRST GENOME.
THIS ONE CAN DO IT IN 24 HOURS. THEY NAMED IT MARLIN AND ITS COMPANION NEMO.
A LITTLE LAB HUMOR TO SOFTEN WHAT STILL SEEMS A HARSH REALITY.
NOT EVERY CHILD WILL GET AN ANSWER. THE CENTER'S DIAGNOSTIC RATE IS
CLOSE TO 33%, STILL HIGHER THAN OTHER GENOME CENTERS. CLINICAL DIRECTOR CAROL SAUNDERS
STRIVES TO BE CONSERVATIVE WITH EACH ANALYSIS, ONLY TERMING DIAGNOSTIC THOSE STAMPLES SHE'S
SHE'S -- SAMPLES SHE'S CERTAIN ABOUT, LIKE PATRICK'S. TWO VARIANCES IN THE SAME
GENE ASSOCIATED WITH A VERY SPECIFIC TYPE OF ANEMIA CALLED CONGENITAL TYPE 2.
IN THE ANALYSIS PROCESS, WE SORT BY FREQUENCIES TO GET RID OF ALL THE COMMON STUFF IN ORDER TO TRY
TO PRIORITIZE WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT. THE BIO SOFTWARE CAROL USES
HAS BEEN DEVELOPED BY TEAMMATE KNEEL -- NEIL MILLER. OKAY.
SO LOAD THE REPORT DEFINITION. THE DATA IS SO LARGE THAT YOU NEED COMPUTATIONAL TOOLS TO
HANDLE IT. THIS IS THE PATIENT SEQUENCE HERE, AND THEN WE HAVE THE
MOTHER'S AND THE FATHER'S LINED UP, AS WELL, TO COMPARE. CHILD COMES IN.
HE'S SICK WITH A CERTAIN NUMBER OF SYMPTOMS. WE HAVE A SYSTEM THAT LET'S YOU
FIGURE OUT WHICH GENES MIGHT BE MOST IMPORTANT TO LOOK AT FOR THOSE SYMPTOMS, AND THEN WE HAVE
ANOTHER SET OF SOFTWARE THAT TELLS YOU WHETHER THAT CHILD'S GENES LOOK LIKE THEY HAVE
MUTATIONS IN THEM THAT MIGHT BE DISEASE CAUSING.
ONE OF THE THINGS WE'VE DONE THAT IS SOMEWHAT DIFFERENT THAN ANYBODY ELSE IN THE COUNTRY IS
TO ONLY ALLOW OUR COMPUTERS AND OUR ANALYSIS TO FOCUS ON THINGS WHICH ARE IMMEDIATELY RELEVANT
TO A CHILD'S SYMPTOMS OR DISEASE, AND SO WE ARE BLINDING OURSELVES TO 99.9% OF THE OTHER
STUFF. AND THAT'S REALLY DIFFERENT, AND THAT PROTECTS US A LOT FROM ALL
OF THAT INFORMATION THAT PROBABLY YOU DIDN'T WANT TO KNOW ABOUT YOURSELF OR ABOUT YOUR
CHILD. THAT'S WHAT I WAS WONDERING. IN EVERY LAB, WE HAVE A PRE
AND POST-CPR SEPARATION. RESEARCHERS AND PHYSICIANS ARE STARTING TO SEEK OUT
DR. KINGSMORE'S TEAM, AS ARE FAMILIES FROM AS FAR AWAY AS TURKEY AND INDIA WHO WANT THEIR
SAMPLES RUN. ALREADY MORE THAN 250 HAVE ENROLLED IN THE CENTER'S
RESEARCH PROGRAM. LATER THIS YEAR, THE HOSPITAL PLANS TO ROLL OUT A FOCUSED
CLINICAL TEST AVAILABLE TO ALL CHILDREN WHO HAVE BEEN ADMITTED. IT SCREENS FOR 514 GENES FROM
CYSTIC FIBROSIS TO NEUROLOGIC CONDITIONS AT THE SAME PRYS IT WOULD -- SAME PRICE IT WOULD
COST TO TEST FOR TWO. LIKE MOST 2-YEAR-OLDS, PATRICK IS ALWAYS ON THE MOVE.
SOON HE'LL BE HEADED HOME, CONTINUING TREATMENT SO HIS BODY WILL BE READY FOR MAJOR SURGERY
IN AS LITTLE AS 8 WEEKS. THANK YOU, MAMMA. WHILE THE GENOME CENTER
HASN'T ENABLED HIM TO WALK AWAY WITH A TIMELY DIAGNOSIS, SOME CAUTION THAT TECHNOLOGY LIKE
THIS, WHICH CAN REVEAL SO MUCH, MAY NOT ALWAYS BE IN A CHILD'S BEST INTEREST.
WHAT JOHN MORRIS CALLS UNLEASHED GENETIC INFORMATION IS A POINT OF DISCUSSION IN PLACES LIKE HIS
ROCKHURST CLASSROOM. MORRIS IS A PHILOSOPHY PROFESSOR WHO TEACHES MEDICAL ETHICS.
YOU HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFUL ABOUT THESE TESTS WITH CHILDREN. WHEN YOU'VE GOT AN INFANT AND
YOU SEE A MARKER THAT THEY'VE GOT ONE OF THESE SINGLE CELL GENETIC DISEASES, THAT DOESN'T
TELL ME HOW IT'S GOING TO PRESENT IN THAT CHILD. IT DOESN'T TELL ME HOW SICK MY
CHILD WILL BE OR HOW MY CHILD MIGHT BE ABLE TO ADAPT. GENETICS CAN BE VIEWED AS A
LIMITATION, AND I THINK THAT'S A DANGER, AND THAT'S WHAT I MEAN BY UNLEASHED.
INFORMATION HAS TO BE UNDERSTOOD. INFORMATION BY ITSELF IS JUST
DATA, AND IT DOESN'T TELL ME ANYTHING. WE COMBINE THOSE TWO, AND SO
WE HAVE THAT THERE. WE HAVE THESE THREE SYMPTOMS. THE KEY, NEIL MILLER SAYS, IS
EDUCATION. FOR DOCTORS AND HEALTH SERVICE PROVIDERS WHO WILL BE CHARGED
WITH IMPLEMENTING TESTS THAT DIDN'T EVEN EXIST JUST A FEW YEARS AGO.
WITHIN THE HOSPITAL, WE'RE TRYING TO SPEND A LOT OF TIME, AND SOFTWARE PLAYS A BIG PART IN
THAT. HOW DO WE CREATE TOOLS THAT ARE EASY TO USE AND MEANINGFUL THAT
GIVE THE PHYSICIANS WHAT THEY WANT, BUT IN SOME SENSE ONLY WHAT THEY WANT.
WE DON'T WANT TO FLOOD THEM WITH TOO MUCH INFORMATION. CLOSE THEM TIGHT, AND I'M
GOING TO TRY AND OPEN THEM. CAN YOU KEEP THEM CLOSED? I'M A YOUNG PHYSICIAN IN
MEDICINE. I SHOULD BE ONE READY FOR HOW IT AFFECTS MY PRACTICE, BUT EVEN
I'VE BEEN CAUGHT OFF GUARD BY HOW POWERFUL THIS TOOL IS AND HOW CHALLENGING IT CAN BE TO
INTERPRET AS IT'S PUSHING THESE FRONTIERS OF DIAGNOSIS AND TESTING AND TYPICAL ALGORITHMS
THAT EVEN I LEARNED JUST A FEW YEARS AGO THAT ARE BEING TURNED UPSIDE DOWN.
GENOMIC MEDICINE CAN BE SEEN AS A PEEK INTO THE DISEASES AND CONDITIONS WE MAY HAVE TO
CONFRONT. AT CHILDREN'S MERCY HOSPITAL, IT'S AN OPEN DOOR TO MORE
SPECIALIZED MEDICINE. FOR SHERRY ALWOOD, IT WAS THE ANSWER SHE WAS WAITING TEN YEARS
TO HEAR. I WILL NEVER FORGET THE PHONE CALL.
THE FIRST THING SHE TOLD ME WAS NOT LIFE-THREATENING. IT CHANGED MY LIFE RIGHT THERE,
JUST KNOWING THEY WERE GOING TO BE OKAY. JUST TO WATCH THEM RUN AND JUMP
AND PLAY, IT LETS ME KNOW THAT EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVE THIS DISORDER, IT WON'T DEFINE WHO
THEY ARE. THEY CAN DEFINE WHO THEY'RE GOING TO BE, AND I THINK THEY'RE
GOING TO BE AWESOME AND HAVE A HUGE LIFE AHEAD OF THEM, ALL OF THEM.
MEDIA ATTENTION FROM THE LIKES OF TIME MAGAZINE AND THE NEWSHOUR IS NICE FOR
DR. KINGSMORE AND HIS TEAM BUT EVEN NICER WAS THE RECENT 1 MILLION-DOLLAR GRANT FROM THE
WILLIAM T. KEMPER FOUNDATION TO HELP FUND THEIR ACTIVITIES. AS THE STORY MENTIONED,
SOMETIMES MEDICAL BREAKTHROUGHS CAN ALSO BRING UP NAGGING ETHICAL QUESTIONS, SUCH AS WHO
HAS ACCESS TO THE DATA AND HOW MUCH DO WE WANT TO KNOW IF THE NEWS ABOUT OUR FUTURE IS BAD?
THESE KINDS OF KWAN -- QUANDARIES WEIGH ON THEIR MINDS. MYRA CHRISTOPHER HAS LED THE
ORGANIZATION SINCE ITS LAST, THE MIDWEST BIOETHICS CENTER, IN 1984 UNTIL RECENTLY WHEN A FORM
OF OVARIAN CANCER FORCED HER TO STEN DOWN AT CEO. MYRA TALKS NOW WITH NICK HAINES.
I REMEMBER I WAS IN WESTPORT VISITING YOU IN WHAT SEEMED TO BE ALMOST LIKE A BROOM OFFICE,
AND NOW YOU'VE HAD A STEP BACK AS THE LEADER OF THE CENTER FOR PRACTICAL BIOETHICS.
WAS THAT DIFFICULT TO DO? NO, IT WAS NOT. I KNEW THAT I HAD DONE ALL I
KNEW HOW TO DO AND THAT THE CENTER DESERVED NEW LEADERSHIP, THAT TO MOVE THE CENTER TO
SCALE, AS THE MARKETING PEOPLE SAY NOW, OR TO PROPERLY POSITION IT, THAT I WAS NOT THE PERSON TO
TAKE IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL. YOU WERE DIAGNOSED WITH OVARIAN CANCER, AND YOU WERE
FACING THOSE VERY ISSUES YOURSELF, THE VERY ISSUES THAT YOU WERE TELLING OTHER PEOPLE,
HOW TO NAVIGATE THE HEALTH CARE SYSTEM, HOW TO FACE PAIN, HOW TO FACE DEATH HEAD ON.
HOW WERE YOU THEN, MYRA, AS A PATIENT, FACING THOSE ISSUES YOURSELF?
WELL, THE CANCER THAT I HAVE, AND I DON'T SAY THIS TO BE MORBID OR WHATEVER, BUT MY
CANCER IS NOT CURABLE, SO I HAVE BEEN IN REMISSION NOW FOR SOME MONTHS, AND IT'S MY INTENTION,
MY HOPE, THAT I WILL STAY IN REMISSION, BUT I WAS NOT ABLE TO MAKE DECISIONS AS I WOULD HAVE
HOPED TO. I MEAN, YOU KNOW THAT I WOULD WANT TO CHOOSE THE SURGEON VERY
CAREFULLY WHO I WOULD ALLOW TO PUT HIS OR HER HANDS INSIDE MY BODY.
CANCER TODAY MAGAZINE. OH, LORD. WHICH RAN IN DECEMBER, YOU
SAID IN THAT, I WOULD NEVER GO TO A DOCTOR WHO WON'T GIVE ME THEIR CELL PHONE NUMBER.
I WON'T. AND NO ONE SHOULD. THAT'S A PRACTICE PIECE OF
ADVICE FROM YOUR TIME AS AN ETHICIST. WELL, WE WILL ALLOW THEM TO
CUT OPEN OUR BODIES, STICK THEIR HANDS INSIDE, FEEL OF OUR ORGANS, WE WILL STRIP NAKED,
TURN OURSELVES WRONG SIDE OUT, AND WE DO THAT WILLINGLY, BECAUSE WE HAVE SO MUCH TRUST
AND CONFIDENCE IN THE PROFESSION, BUT WHY IN THE WORLD WOULD I ALLOW ANYONE TO TOUCH ME
IN A WAY THAT I WOULDN'T EVEN CONSIDER ALLOWING MY HUSBAND OF 187,000 YEARS TO TOUCH ME IF I
DIDN'T KNOW THEIR FULL NAME AND THEIR CELL PHONE AND SOMETHING ABOUT THEM?
I MEAN, IT JUST SEEMS OBVIOUS TO ME. IN THAT CANCER TODAY ARTICLE,
YOU TALK ABOUT THE CONSTRICTION OF WEARING A WIG DURING THAT PERIOD OF TIME, WHICH MANY
CANCER SURVIVORS HAVE GONE THROUGH, OF COURSE. YOU KNOW, THE METAL TASTE IN THE
MOUTH FROM THE CHEMOTHERAPY, THE PAIN THAT YOU GO THROUGH. YOU'RE ON THIS DEAL IN THAT
WE'RE NOT DOING ENOUGH FOR PAIN MANAGEMENTS IN THE UNITED STATES, AND YET I JUST SAW AN
ARTICLE RECENTLY AT CNN ONLINE ABOUT A PERSON DYING EVERY 19 MINUTES IN AMERICA BECAUSE OF
ACCIDENTAL OVERDOSES OF PAIN MEDICATION. THAT NUMBER IS OFTEN PITCHED
AROUND. IT COMES FROM CDC. I WILL SEE I'M HESITANT TO
CHALLENGE CDC, BUT THERE ARE BIG QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT NUMBER. THERE ARE 100 MILLION AMERICANS
WHO LIVE WITH CHRONIC PAIN, AND ABOUT A THIRD OF THOSE LIVE WITH DEBILITATING SERIOUS CHRONIC
PAIN, SO ABOUT 30 MILLION PEOPLE. AND PEOPLE WILL RETORT BACK,
WELL, BUT THAT'S NOT A LIFE-THREATENING CONDITION. WELL, ACTUALLY IT IS, BECAUSE
IT'S NOT JUST THAT PEOPLE LOSE THEIR JOBS AND THEY LOSE THEIR INSURANCE AND THEY LOSE THEIR
FAMILIES, THEY EVEN LOSE THE NOTION OF WHO THEY ARE. THE AVERAGE CHRONIC PAIN PATIENT
SEES 7 TO 8 PHYSICIANS BEFORE THEY GET ANY RELIEF OVER A PERIOD OF ABOUT FOUR YEARS.
IS THAT BECAUSE IT'S, THOUGH, TOO COMPLICATED TO TREAT? I THINK THERE ARE A LOT OF
REASONS. THERE IS NO LITMUS TEST OTHER THAN THIS ONE TO TEN, AND NOBODY
BELIEVES WHAT YOU REPORT ANYWAY, BUT THERE IS NO LITMUS TEST FOR IT.
NOW, THERE IS A LOT OF PRESSURE NOW THAT WE'LL DO MRIS AND THEN WE'LL KNOW IF PEOPLE REALLY HAVE
PAIN OR IF THEY ARE JUST MALINGERERS OR FAKERS OR WEAKLINGS.
BUT INTERESTINGLY, WE COULD BOTH PUT OUR HANDS ON THIS TABLE AND ALLOW SOMEONE TO SMASH OUR HAND
WITH A HAMMER, AND YOUR MRI MIGHT LIGHT UP AND MY MIGHT NOT LIGHT UP AT ALL.
WE'RE GOING TO ASK OUR FLOOR MANAGER TO COME OVER HERE WITH A HAMMER AND TRY THAT AT THE END
OF THIS. PERFECT. YOU'VE BEEN AT THE CENTER
ALMOST 30 YEARS. WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT ALL OF THE THINGS THE CENTER HAS BEEN
INVOLVED IN, EVERYTHING FROM THE ADVANCES AND THE CHALLENGES OF MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY, THE
DISPARITIES IN HEALTH CARE, THE AGING AND DYING ISSUES, THE PAIN MANAGEMENT, IS THERE AN ETHICAL
CHALLENGE, A CASE THAT STANDS IN YOUR MIND OVER ALL OF THOSE YEARS THAT HAS BEEN THE SORT OF
HIGHLIGHT FOR YOU IN THAT PERIOD OF TIME? WELL, I'VE ACTUALLY THOUGHT
ABOUT WRITING A BOOK ABOUT THE 10 OR 12 CASES THAT I THINK ABOUT WHEN I GO TO BED AT NIGHT.
THERE IS NOT ONE. I THINK THE CENTER HAS PLAYED A ROLE IN RAISING ISSUES IN A WAY
THAT PEOPLE HAD TO RESPOND. IT'S SORT OF BEEN A GYM ANY -- JIMANY CRICKET, SORT OF HEY, IS
THIS WHAT WE SHOULD BE DOING HERE? BUT WHEN WE LOOK AT THE STATE OF
HEALTH CARE IN THE COUNTRY TODAY, WHICH I THINK IS ABYSMAL. I THINK IT'S ABYSMAL FOR
EVERYBODY INVOLVED, DOCTORS, NURSES, ADMINISTRATORS, PATIENTS, THEIR FAMILIES.
I'M NOT READY TO CROW ABOUT ANY GREAT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. MAYBE IT'S NOT AS BAD AS IT
WOULD HAVE BEEN IF WE HADN'T BEEN ASKING THE QUESTIONS. WELL, I APPRECIATE YOU
SHARING THOSE THOUGHTS WITH US, AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN CHEAT OUR WAY OUT OF NOT HAVING OUR HANDS
SMASHED BY A HAMMER ON THIS TABLE. I WOULD HOPE THAT.
ON THE LOCAL SHOW. MYRA CHRISTOPHER, THANKS FOR BEING WITH US.
I'M HAPPY TO BE WITH YOU, NICK, ANYTIME.
LAST FRIDAY, THE NEW MOVIE 42, ABOUT JACKIE ROBINSON BREAKING BASEBALL'S COLOR
BARRIER, OPENED IN THEATERS NATIONWIDE. BUT THE NIGHT BEFORE, KANSAS
CITY GOT A SPECIAL PREVIEW AT THE BARRY WOODS AMC THEATER TO RAISE FUNDS FOR THE ***
LEAGUE'S BASEBALL MUSEUM. THEY ROLLED OUT THE RED CARPET AND RANDY WAS ON HAND TO SEE WHO
CAME DOWN IT AND WHY. THERE WERE A NUMBER OF ROYALS, PAST AND PRESENT.
FORMER MEMBERS OF THE MONARCHS AND TEAMS WHO PLAYED AGAINST THEM.
NATIONALLY, THE MAYOR WAS ON HAND. SO WAS THIS ONE OF YOUR
CAMPAIGN PROMISES, TO GET A MOVIE PREMIER HERE? NO, IT WASN'T.
AND FROM THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STATE, THE GREAT BLUE ROCK ROLLED BY.
WHAT WOULD BUCK O'NEIL THINK OF THIS NIGHT? OH, WOW.
BUCK O'NEIL WOULD THINK THIS IS GREAT. EVEN JAKEY'S SON DAVID MADE
THE TREK ALL THE WAY FROM HIS HOME IN TANZANIA. HE WOULD HAVE WANTED HONESTY
AND AUTHENTICITY, AND I THINK THEY CAPTURED THAT. SEVERAL MEMBERS OF THE CAST,
INCLUDING THE ACTOR WHO WORE 42, CAME TO WALK THE CARPET AND TALK ABOUT WHAT IT TOOK.
IT'S LIKE IF YOU WERE PLAYING A SPORT, YOU KIND OF CIRCLE THAT GAME.
I WOULD CIRCLE HIM. THE MAN HE IS REFERRING TO IS, OF COURSE, THE SAME ONE MANY
IN THIS CROWD CAME TO CATCH A GLIMPSE OF. HARRISON FORD.
WHAT DOES HARRISON FORD LOBBYING LOOK LIKE? JUST TALKING, JUST SPOKE TO
THE DIRECTOR ABOUT IT, AND WE -- I LED HIM TO UNDERSTAND THAT I WANTED TO PLAY A CHARACTER.
I WAS IN A SANDLOT, LITTLE WHITE BOY WAS UP AT BAT. YOU KNOW WHAT HE WAS DOING?
SITTING ON A FAST BALL. HE WAS PRETENDING HE WAS YOU. BUT MAYBE WE SHOULD BACK UP
JUST A BIT TO EXPLAIN HOW ALL OF THIS CAME TO HAPPEN HERE. THE OFFICIAL SCORER GIVES THE
ASSIST TO THOMAS BUSH. IT TURNS OUT HIS TERM WADDELL AND REED MANAGES INVESTMENTS FOR
THE MOVIE COMPANY THAT MADE THE FILM. JUST AS I WAS TALKING TO
THOMAS HALL, THE CEO OF LEGENDARY ENTERTAINMENT, BOB KENDRICK, THE PRESIDENT OF THE
*** LEAGUE MUSEUM, WAS CONCURRENTLY AWARE OF THE FILM AND TRYING TO FIND A WAY INTO
IT, ALSO. BOB AND I CONNECTED, GOT A, WOULDING GROUP TOGETHER,
LEGENDARY FOLLOWED THROUGH ON ITS COMMITMENT AND THE COMMUNITY RESPONDED VERY, VERY WELL, AND
WE SOLD IT OUT IN SIX DAYS. IT IS A GOOD WEEK FOR THE MUSEUM.
ANY TIME WE CAN TEACH SOME BASEBALL HISTORY IS A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY FOR US, ESPECIALLY
TO REACH A NATIONAL AUDIENCE, AND EVEN TO REACH A LOCAL AUDIENCE, I THINK A LOT OF
PEOPLE STILL TAKE FOR GRANTED THAT THE MUSEUM IS THERE AND THEY THINK ABOUT COMING DOWN.
OH, I'LL DO THAT LATER. THIS IS ANOTHER REMINDER THAT WE'RE HERE, VERY INTERESTING
HISTORY, AND NOW THAT BASEBALL SEASON HAS STARTED, IT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO COME DOWN AND
SHARE THAT HISTORY. THE MUSEUM HAS BEEN FANNING THE FLAMES OF 42 FEVER IN
VARIOUS WAYS. SATURDAY DR. CHRIS LAMB AND I DISCUSSED THE ROLE THAT
SPORTSWRITERS PLAYED IN MAINTAINING THE COLOR BARRIER FOR SO LONG.
SATCHEL PAGE ONE DAY CHALLENGED MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL.
THOUGH JACKIE ROBINSON'S BREAK THROUGH DID MARK THE BEGINNING OF THE END FOR THE
*** LEAGUES, HIS STORY POINTS US BACK TO THE LEGENDS WHO PAVED THE WAY FOR HIM.
SATCHEL PAIGE, GIBSON, IRVIN AND OTHERS WHO HAD BEEN AROUND THE *** LEAGUE FOR A LONG
TIME, THEY WERE PERCEIVED TO BE THE GUYS WHO WOULD GET THE OPPORTUNITY, AND ROBINSON, EVEN
THOUGH HE WAS A SMALL CELEBRITY, WAS STILL A RELATIVE UNKNOWN TO BASEBALL, BECAUSE THIS WAS HIS
FIRST PROFESSIONAL OPPORTUNITY TO PLAY BASEBALL. THEY'RE GOING TO DO ANYTHING
TO GET YOU TO REACT. ECHO A OCCURS WITH -- CURSE WITH A CURSE, AND THEY'LL HEAR ONLY
YOURS. THOSE OF YOU WHO BELIEVE HE WAS SOFT OR DOCILE, NOT JACKIE
ROBINSON. HE WAS AS FEISTY AS YOU WOULD MEET BUT HUMBLED HIMSELF FOR THE
GREATER GOOD. THAT'S WHAT MAKES THIS MOVIE SO SPECIAL.
THAT'S WHAT WILL COME ACROSS FOR A NEW GENERATION OF BASEBALL FANS GETTING TO KNOW JACKIE
ROBINSON FOR THE FIRST TIME. I'VE OFTEN SAID AT THE MUSEUM TO THE YOUNG PEOPLE, SOMETIMES YOU
HAVE TO BE STRONGER NOT TO FIGHT BACK, AND ROBINSON KNEW THAT. IN CASE YOU'RE WONDERING,
KANSAS CITY ITSELF DOES NOT APPEAR IN THE MOVIE, BUT THE SCRIPT MAKES IT CLEAR THAT
WITHOUT OUR HOMETOWN TEAM, THE WHOLE STORY MIGHT HAVE TURNED OUT DIFFERENTLY.
THE MOVIE REALLY OPENS WITH JACKIE ROBINSON'S TIME WITH THE MONARCHS, LOOKING AT THE ***
LEAGUES TO SEE WHO HE MIGHT WANT TO INVITE UP TO THE MAJOR LEAGUES, AND OF COURSE THAT EPIC
SEEN WITH THE MONARCHS TEAM REFUSED GASOLINE AND JACKIE CONFRONTING THE OWNER OF THE
SERVICE STATION. THE MONARCHS ARE FRONT AND CENTER, AND THAT'S JUST GREAT.
AND THAT'S ALL THE TIME WE HAVE THIS WEEK ON THE LOCAL SHOW.
I'M RANDY MASON. AND I'M NICK HAINES. THANKS FOR JOINING US HERE ON
KCPT.
PRINCIPAL FUNDING FOR THE LOCAL SHOW PROVIDED BY FRANCIS FAMILY FOUNDATION, FREDERICK AND
LOUISE HARTWIG FAMILY FUND, KAUFFMAN FOUNDATION, HEALTH CARE FOUNDATION OF GREATER KANSAS
CITY, JOHNSON COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE, JOHN AND EFFY SPEES MEMORIAL TRUST, BANK OF AMERICA
TRUSTEE, RICHARD J. STERN FOUNDATION FOR THE ARTS, COMMERCE BANK TRUSTEE, AND KCPT
Captioning provided by Caption Associates, LLC www.captionassociates.com
. SPECIAL COVERAGE ON KCPT OF THE GREATER KANSAS CITY'S
CHAMBERS BIG 5 INITIATIVES IS FUNDED BY. BURNS AND MCDONNELL WITH
ADDITIONAL FINANCIAL SUPPORT FROM SWOPE COMMUNITY ENTERPRISES AND BY: