Right now, you’re holding the most expensive piece of journalism that will be created in Kansas City this year. That’s no boast — it’s just a fact that occurred to me while working on our annual Top Doctors issue.
This realization hit me after receiving an email newsletter from a peer. Like most journalists, I have dozens of peers who send out personal brag sheets on the regular. In November, I got one from an acquaintance with an extended rant about his aversion to being a source for someone else’s story unless he was paid or on camera. That rubbed me the wrong way — as reporters, we’re totally dependent on the generosity of our sources. Personally, I try to pay it forward: Whenever a reader calls me to ask for a brunch recommendation, I’m happy to oblige.
Right now, Kansas City magazine’s editorial staff is deep in debt on this front, because this Top Doctors package involves hundreds of the city’s busiest people donating their labor so that we can bring you a trustworthy and thorough list.
Our Top Doctors issue is compiled by Castle Connolly, a widely respected healthcare research firm that’s been helping regional magazines like ours produce these lists for the past decade. Contrary to what some people believe, doctors do not and cannot pay to be selected for the list. Rather, Castle Connolly surveys board-certified physicians across the region and then carefully screens the results.
It’s a massive undertaking, and it’s only possible because the best doctors in the city generously take a break from literally saving lives to participate. This list is the product of countless man-hours from some of the city’s smartest and hardest-working people, and we’re grateful and humbled to bring the results to you with this issue.
This year, we even took it a step further and asked five top doctors from the list to give us a peek inside their medicine cabinets. They were kind enough to do just that, and I found the results fascinating. Take a look for yourself.
Here’s hoping you have a healthy and bright new year full of adventures and accomplishments — if you plan to start the new year by visiting your primary care physician, we have a helpful guide to getting the most out of your check-up and a few other fun features tucked into this year’s top doctors list.
Notable Numbers:
205 Miles per hour that Texas’ bullet train will travel
$5.6 million The budget for art in the new airport
30% Drop in ham sales at Joe’s over the last five years
