Kansas City Area Life Sciences

“Form 990 is reviewed by the audit committee. The full board of directors receives a copy of the form prior to filing with the irs.”

“All staff and directors must submit any conflicts of interest on an annual basis. If a conflict arises within the board, the disclosing individual shall neither vote nor endeavor to influence the decision.”

“Compensation of the organization's president & ceo is agreed upon by the board of directors and finalized via a written employment contract. This approval is documented in the minutes of the board. The organization uses a compensation committee and conducts a compensation study to facilitate the compensation process.”

“The organization's governing documents, conflict of interest policy, and financial statements are only available upon request.”

“In 2023, we launched digital health kc to create ideal conditions for a vibrant digital health ecosystem and to catalyze collaboration in digital health. Through our work, digital health kc will establish the kc region as a top 3 place to start, grow, and retain a digital health business, enable 10 digital health unicorns, and grow the regional digital health ecosystem to over 125+ companies.”

“1. Charting a bold course forward: the "path to 2025" in 2023, bionexus kc propelled forward on its "path to 2025" plan, devised in collaboration with deloitte in 2015. Focused on animal health, healthcare it, cancer research, and neuroscience, the region's strengths aligned seamlessly with emerging market trends. The report also emphasized the importance of fortifying workforce development, capital formation, collaboration, and regional marketing. Significant strides were achieved in healthcare it, notably marked by the launch of digital health kc in may. This sector, once synonymous with cerner, has evolved into a diverse ecosystem comprising over 100 companies and a workforce of more than 25,000. The kc region has solidified its position as a top tier destination for pioneering digital health ventures. Beyond expectations, kansas city also earned recognition as a tech hub - a significant milestone not explicitly outlined in the initial plan. The importance of biologics across all focus areas became increasingly apparent, calling for strategic investments in workforce development, capital, collaboration, and marketing. With manufacturing facilities for four top vaccine companies, including a pivotal role by pfizer in covid-19 vaccine production, kansas city's biotech sector is at the forefront of innovation. With each milestone achieved, bionexus kc solidifies its role as an innovation catalyst, driving the region forward on its path toward a transformative and prosperous future. As the journey progresses, bionexus kc remains committed to bolstering the kc region as a global leader at the nexus of human and animal health benefiting all our citizens and the economy. 2. Revolutionizing health tech: bionexus kc launches digital health kc in march of 2023, bionexus kc launched digital health kc, propelling the region into the forefront of digital health innovation. At the center of health + data, the organization will advance the kc region's digital health cluster. Digital health kc is a catalyst for change with a mission to cultivate a vibrant ecosystem, foster collaboration, and seamlessly connect critical elements such as ideas, talent, companies, capital, and customers, it represents a pivotal leap forward for healthcare innovation. Setting its sights high, digital health kc aspires to position the kc region among the top three destinations for starting, growing, and retaining digital health businesses. The initiative aims to foster the growth of the digital health ecosystem, envisioning 125+ companies contributing to the regional landscape. Additionally, digital health kc is dedicated to nurturing ten digital health unicorns, marking a significant milestone in privately owned startups valued at over $1 billion. Beyond economic development, this robust infrastructure holds the potential for ample improvement in digital health quality and cost reductions. By addressing health inequities, it aims to make a lasting impact in both urban and rural areas throughout the kc region. Digital health kc will create a connected and collaborative ecosystem that spans digital health companies, health systems, research institutions, university payers, investors, professional services, and industries adjacent to digital health. This comprehensive network includes pharma, biotech, diagnostics, devices, and medical supply sectors. The launch celebration of digital health kc took place in may of 2023, at boulevard brewing company. Bionexus kc, alongside early supporters and partners such as kc digital drive, kansas city area development council, and pipeline entrepreneurs, came together to celebrate this significant milestone that promises to reshape the future of healthcare innovation in the kc region. 3. Celebrating tech hubs: kc biohub designation transforming vaccines the us economic development administration designated the kc region as a tech hub in a groundbreaking investment to bolster the nation's economy and security. Led by bionexus”

“6. Dismantling health disparities: regional groups drive systemic change through the health equity learning and action network (he-lan) the kansas city health equity learning and action network (lan), led by the health forward foundation and partnered with the institute for healthcare improvement and kc health collaborative, is dedicated to dismantling racially biased health systems. With over 50 participating organizations, including clinicians, public health entities, and community-based groups, lan aims to eliminate health disparities and promote equitable health outcomes for people of color. Bionexus kc actively engages in these efforts, contributing resources and expertise to drive systemic change. Lan members have committed to prioritizing diversity and inclusivity, with ceos agreeing to diversify their boards of directors with people of color. Additionally, lan members are dedicated to implementing anti-racist practices within their institutions. Fifteen action teams are focused on understanding and addressing racial health inequities, employing equity-centered methodologies to identify and rectify practices perpetuating health injustices. Through collaboration and concerted efforts, lan seeks to realize tangible improvements in healthcare delivery, ensuring equitable access and outcomes for all individuals, regardless of race or ethnicity. 7. Dei the path to 2025 continued to evolve and new priorities were identified by regional partners. One primary focus of many regional organizations is health equity and diversity, equity, and inclusion (dei) initiatives. The role of bionexus kc is to improve outcomes for all and reduce the inequities that exist between white and black kansas citians. Scientific priority areas of opportunity like rare disease and biologics cut across all four scientific areas originally included and are now key areas of focus. In 2022 bionexus kc expanded the dei committee, composed of dei leaders from bionexus kc stakeholder institutions. The bionexus kc dei committee serves as an advisory body to regional healthcare and life science leadership, offering guidance in these areas as requested. The bionexus kc dei committee met quarterly in 2023 to help integrate best practices for diversity, equity, and inclusion into regional stakeholder policies and programs and to share current programs and best practices. Additionally, the bionexus kc dei committee provided education and enrichment opportunities for its members and serves as a forum for discussion of substantive best practices. 8. Bionexus kc research grants program: advancing pediatric treatments bionexus kc, in collaboration with the paul patton trust, awarded $150,000 in october 2023 to regional scientists in october 2023, providing three $50,000 grants for pioneering local researchers dedicated to innovating in childhood disease prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. With a legacy of 51 grants and over $2.6m since 2007, the impact of bionexus kc extends beyond the initial investment, boasting a remarkable return of more than $10 to the region for every dollar awarded. This isn't just funding; it's a commitment to transforming the landscape of pediatric disease research. A brief description of each grant recipient's research is below. Searching for insights into the genetic basis of craniofacial microsomia: children with craniofacial microsomia (cfm) experience abnormal formation of facial features, impacting areas such as the ears, jaw, eyes, cheeks, and neck bones. This congenital disability can lead to feeding, breathing, chewing, hearing, and speech challenges, with treatments varying based on age and symptom severity. Timothy cox, phd, endowed professor in dental & musculoskeletal tissue research at the university of missouri kansas city, and collaborator paul trainor, phd, investigator at the stowers institute for medical research, aim to uncover new genetic variants and enhance understanding of cfm, ultimately influencing patient care po”

“11. "science2art" - connecting art and science to supports steam programs energizing the intersection of science and art, the bionexus kc science2art program fuels imagination and inquiry. By seamlessly blending visual expression with research, the initiative immerses the community in a dynamic exploration, igniting profound questions and uncovering new insights. The resulting artwork deepens understanding of steam concepts and invigorates innovation. Regional researchers submit artwork to be carefully curated and professionally printed and framed. The artwork is then auctioned to the community with all proceeds supporting regional steam initiatives. Since its inception in 2014, the program has donated over $160,000 to support local organizations championing steam education. This investment propels the next generation of innovators, empowering them to tackle challenges in new and creative ways. 12. Events -nexus informatics conference: cultivating growth in informatics - conference spotlights latest advancements the 2023 nexus informatics conference, held at the children's mercy research institute in kansas city and hosted by bionexus kc, convened 180 attendees from various sectors, creating a vibrant platform for knowledge exchange and collaboration. With a lineup of 45 speakers across diverse fields, the conference facilitated insightful discussions in an inclusive atmosphere. Neil sarkar, phd, mlis, facmi, from the rhode island quality institute, kicked off day one with an insightful discussion on electronic health records (ehr) and their influence on contemporary healthcare. Sarkar emphasized how ehr systems can revolutionize medical access by making comprehensive medical histories more widely available, setting the stage for inventive healthcare solutions. During the second day, omolola ogunyemi, phd, facmi, from charles r. Drew university of medicine and science, tackled the urgent issue of health disparities in underserved communities. Ogunyemi's focus on biomedical informatics tools and techniques aimed to address the gap in healthcare access, especially in areas with limited resources, leaving attendees inspired by her dedication to equitable healthcare. The conference also featured an impressive poster session, showcasing 40 diverse presentations covering topics from "gene network profiling for prediction of breast cancer development" to "a computational framework to improve matching in case-control study designs." each presenter had the opportunity to share their research on the main stage, with four standout students earning cash prizes for their contributions. The conference also provided a unique networking platform for attendees to connect with regional experts and peers, fostering potential collaborations and career advancements in the dynamic field of informatics. As technology continues to reshape healthcare, this conference serves as a vital catalyst for innovation and positive change at the nexus of healthcare and technology. -one health day: uniting action for one health - shedding light on vector-borne illnesses in the spirit of collaboration, bionexus kc, kansas state university, the university of kansas-edwards, and the university of kansas medical center joined forces to present kc one health day. With a focus on the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health, kc one health day underscores the imperative of collaborative solutions to health challenges. This year's theme, "vector-borne illnesses," shed light on diseases transmitted by vectors such as mosquitoes, ticks, fleas, and flies, carrying pathogens that can affect both humans and animals. Featuring 20 posters from students at various academic levels, the event provided a platform for sharing research and fostering dialogue among emerging researchers, professionals, and peers. Regional experts, including brian herrin, phd, dvm from kansas state university, d. Christopher rogers, phd from the kansas biological survey and the biod”

“Consultants: program service expenses 49,075. Management and general expenses 0. Fundraising expenses 0. Total expenses 49,075. Payroll processing fees: program service expenses 0. Management and general expenses 21,439. Fundraising expenses 0. Total expenses 21,439. Digital health kc consultants: program service expenses 196,967. Management and general expenses 0. Fundraising expenses 0. Total expenses 196,967.”

“Recovery of prior year grants 1,187.”

“The organization's financial statements have been prepared on the modified cash basis of accounting, which is a basis of accounting other than accounting principles generally accepted in the united states of america. Under this method of accounting, property and equipment is capitalized as an asset on the statements of assets and net assets - modified cash basis, and depreciation expense and gains and losses on disposal of property and equipment are recorded on the statements of revenues, expenses and changes in net assets - modified cash basis. Additionally, investments are recorded as an asset on the statements of assets and net assets - modified cash basis, and gains and losses related to the investments are recorded on the statements of revenues, expenses and changes in net assets - modified cash basis. All other elements of the financial statements are maintained on the cash basis of accounting.”

“The organization has an audit committee that assumes responsibility for oversight of the financial statement audit and selection of an independent accountant. This process has not changed from prior years.”