Located in the heart of Kansas City, the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) is uniquely positioned to serve this community and address its health needs, while also addressing social and racial inequalities. The leadership of UMKC's schools of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, and Dentistry, have entered into a collaborative partnership entitled "Transformation of the Health Care Workforce to Combat Disparities."
In 2011, at least 20% of graduates from Health Science Schools were from underrepresented populations, and UMKC placed more than 1,500 health sciences students in high disparities environments in urban Kansas City.
The School of Medicine has incorporated cultural competency content in its curriculum since 1971, and began using the AAMC-endorsed Tool for Assessing Cultural Competence Training (TACCT) in August, 2012.
All four health science schools collaborated to develop the Data Dashboard Initiative. Through this initiative, which was funded by a local foundation, each school assembled diversity data and identified common metrics and methods.
All four health science schools have developed programs that include diverse service learning experiences, and schools have received numerous national and regional community service awards. Students receive clinical training at several free health clinics in the urban core as well as the Truman Medical Center, which primarily serves vulnerable populations.