Urologist joins Providence, St. John medical staffs

Dr. Steve Waxman

Dr. Steve Waxman, a board-certified urologist, is joining the medical staffs at Providence Medical Center, Kansas City, Kan., and Saint John Hospital, Leavenworth, Kan.

Dr. Waxman will practice with Dr. Roy Oyer, another board-certified urologist, in Providence Medical Group Urology. Their offices are located on the Providence campus at 8919 Parallel Parkway, Suite 550, Kansas City, Kan; and on the Saint John campus in the Saint John Medical Plaza, 3550 S. Fourth Street, Suite 282, Leavenworth, Kan.

Dr. Waxman has more than 20 years of experience caring for adult and pediatric urology problems. He offers female urology and incontinence treatment, infertility, impotence, prostate, bladder and kidney surgeries.
He completed a fellowship in laparoscopic and robotic surgery at the University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, and will be using the recently-acquired da Vinci Surgical System at Providence to perform many urological operations on the kidneys and prostate.

The da Vinci surgical system gives patients the opportunity for the best possible surgical outcomes, while staying closer to home for their care. Another hallmark of the da Vinci is that doctors can make smaller incisions than are used in traditional open surgeries. Other advantages include shorter hospital stays, less blood loss, fewer complications, less need for narcotic pain medicine, and a faster recovery.

“I am really looking forward to offering my patients state-of-the-art surgical care using the da Vinci at Providence,” Dr. Waxman said. “There’s no need to leave the community for expert urological care.”

Dr. Waxman earned his medical degree from the University of Kansas, Kansas City, Kan., where he also performed a residency in urology. He completed a fellowship in urodynamics in female and reconstructive surgery at Duke University Hospital, Durham, N.C.; and a fellowship in pediatric urology and urologic oncology at the University of Colorado and Denver Children’s Hospital, Denver, Colo. He served in the U.S. Army as an active duty physician, and now holds the rank of colonel in the U.S. Army Reserves.

Dr. Waxman is vice president of the Kansas City Southwest Clinical Society, a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and a fellow of the American College of Legal Medicine. He is a member of the American Urological Association and is current chair of the AUA’s Judicial and Ethics Committee. He is also a Juris Doctorate, admitted to the bar in Indiana, and is a member of the American Bar Association.

A native of Kansas City, he now resides in Overland Park with his wife with four school-age children. In addition to participating in his children’s activities, he enjoys running and skiing.

– Story from Providence Medical Center

Home Energy Audit Program improves efficiency, lowers bills

The Kansas City, Kan., Board of Public Utilities is now offering customers access to a low-cost home energy audit, with the potential of helping residents improve the efficiency of their home while reducing overall energy costs.

BPU will arrange for certified auditors to conduct an energy audit on a customer’s home, helping identify ways to improve energy efficiency, cut costs, and benefit the environment. With more and more people installing energy efficient renovations a thriving market is developing which, for the savvy shopper, means that any costs incurred will pay for themselves. Not to mention the positive impacts on the environment.

While other energy audits can cost up to $500, BPU is making this service available to its residential customers for only a $50 fee. Even better, if a customer makes the recommended improvements to their home within 90 days, BPU will refund the $50 fee – so homeowners end up paying nothing.

On-site energy audits include the following: a blower test to identify costly air leakages; a Combustible Appliance Zone (CAZ) test); up to 10 free compact fluorescent bulbs; recommendations for energy efficiency improvements, and; development of an Energy Conservation Plan.

To schedule an appointment, customers may call 913-573-9997 or email EnergyAudit@bpu.com. Appointments are limited and available on a first come, first served basis.

BPU Home Energy Audits are available only to homeowners who have at least 12 months of electric usage with BPU. The $50 appointment fee will be refunded by BPU when customers provide a Certificate of Project Completion.

– Information from BPU

New 4-H agent hails from Wyandotte County

Olivia Moore

by Mary Rupert

Wyandotte County’s new 4-H agent is a homegrown product.

Olivia Moore, 22, became the new Extension agent in 4-H and youth development about seven weeks ago.

The former member of the Chaparral 4-H Club, Moore graduated from Washington High School in 2009 and from Kansas State University in 2013.

At K-State, she majored in animal science and industry, with an emphasis on production and management.

She has nine years of experience as a 4-H member in Wyandotte County.

“I showed horses, I raised them, in addition to raising chickens for meat and eggs, and for show, for market,” Moore said. “I did a leadership project, table setting project, wildlife project, quilting, a huge variety of things.”

Through the years, she believes her biggest 4-H accomplishment was to win the senior horse showmanship award at the Wyandotte County Fair.

Moore said she learned much from her 4-H experiences.

“I learned a lot of self-control and responsibility because you have to feed your animals every day, rain or snow, wind or sunshine, because they are counting on you to get them fed,” she said. “In addition, I learned humility and being humble, and really learning what you want to. 4-H is self-led. You do a lot of your 4-H work away from other people.”

Since her days in the 4-H program, she has seen changes in the numbers of large livestock animals in the county fair. Traditionally the fair was a showcase of large livestock animals, but it now seems to be moving to a smaller animal showcase including chickens and rabbits, that can be housed in a backyard, and toward nontraditional programs such as robots and wind technology, she said.

As the new 4-H agent in Wyandotte County, Moore would like to increase the number of youth participating in the program here. In 2013, there were 220 youth involved in community clubs, and 1,500 youth involved with 4-H in general here, including after-school and special interest programs, and others using the 4-H curriculum, she said.

In the future, Moore said she would like to see the 4-H program embrace technology, increase the number of youth participants, increase readiness and the skill set necessary for youth to advance to college, technical training or the military service.

“It’s definitely an exciting time to be in Extension and an amazing time to be in Wyandotte County,” she said.