H“Healthcare is a team sport and Kansas City has all the players,” said Dick Flanigan, singing the region’s praises for innovators at the intersection of healthcare and technology.

Dick Flanigan, Digital Health KC, speaks during the 2024 Digital Health KC Annual Event at Abbott at East Crossroads in Kansas City; Photo by Taylor Wilmore, Startland News

“We have key positions in every sector, so we can bring these companies and individuals together to create a truly winning team,” said Flanigan, President of Digital Health KCwhich on Thursday announced the winners of the Lumi Awards – honors for Kansas City’s true MVPs for out-of-the-box thinking and building.

Digital Health KC supports a wide range of companies – from startups to established enterprises – and plays a central role in recruiting and growing digital health companies in the region. On Thursday, the company celebrated its mission of connecting ideas, talent, companies, capital and customers to drive healthcare innovation during a day-long summit at Abbott at East Crossroads.

To conclude the celebrations, the Lumi Awards recognized digital health heroes in four categories: Digital Pioneer, Impact and Influence, Business Growth and Business Visionary.

David McCallie, Cerner, accepts the Digital Pioneer award from Dick Flanigan, Digital Health KC, during the 2024 Lumi Awards ceremony; Photo by Taylor Wilmore, Startland News

Digital Pioneer Award

Former Senior Vice President of CernerDr. David McCallie was the first recipient of the Digital Pioneer Award for his groundbreaking contributions to advancing digital health through technology.

Bharat Sutariya of Oracle Health speaks during the 2024 Digital Health KC Annual Event at Abbott at East Crossroads in Kansas City; Photo by Nikki Overfelt Chifalu, Startland News

His work reinvented electronic health records, particularly through the development of Cerner’s Clinical Data Repository and his pioneering work in simplifying patient systems.

A Clinical Data Repository (CDR) is a collection of patient-centered health data, typically derived from multi-source IT systems, intended for multiple uses in the healthcare system.

“David has always been the trendsetter. His thinking is more modern than what most startups think today,” said moderator Bharat Sutariya, who has known McCallie for more than 20 years.

Looking back on his career, McCallie noted, “I was prepared to learn how to create an index. I made some really smart decisions along the way and took advantage of the opportunities in this new field of medical informatics.”

Tammy Buckner, WeCodeKC, center, accepts the “Impact and Influence” award from Kara Lowe, KC Tech Council, and Dick Flanigan, Digital Health KC, during the 2024 Lumi Awards ceremony; photo by Taylor Wilmore, Startland News

Award for impact and influence

Tammy Buckner, the mastermind behind WeCode KCan organization dedicated to teaching technology concepts to students, was awarded the Impact and Influence Award.

Their work empowers youth in downtown Kansas City by exposing them to a variety of STEM careers and creating a future-ready workforce through project-based learning and innovative programs.

“They’re looking for people they want to be in the future,” Buckner said. “They’re looking for engineers that look like them. They’re looking for designers and game developers that look like them. We’re providing that space for them to be a part of it.”

Her leadership and community involvement have been instrumental in building a successful company that not only stands out in the technology world but also nurtures the next generation of entrepreneurs.

“We give them the opportunity to listen to them, to find out what they really want to do,” she said. “We let them fail in a safe environment. They have the opportunity to learn or even unlearn something they didn’t like and imagine themselves in these spaces.”

Sarah Hill, Healium, center, accepts the award for Company Growth from Melissa Vincent, Pipeline, and Dick Flanigan, Digital Health KC, during the 2024 Lumi Awards ceremony; photo by Taylor Wilmore, Startland News

Award for company growth

Sarah Hill, Healium, right, hugs Melissa Vincent, Pipeline Entrepreneurs, as the two watch a video explaining why Hill was named the Entrepreneurial Growth winner at the 2024 Lumi Awards; Photo by Nikki Overfelt Chifalu, Startland News

Sarah Hill, CEO of Healinga virtual and augmented reality biofeedback company, was recognized with the Company Growth Award for their remarkable achievements in scaling their business.

Healium integrates with virtual reality and wearable technology to provide users with real-time visualization of their biofuel through meditation, creating a powerful tool for self-regulation and stress management.

“It’s the stress Olympics right now, and not everyone is trained for it,” Hill said. “Helium is the drug-free way to instantly escape that traumatic, frightening or painful reality and learn to regulate yourself, which is very important for learning to shut down the nervous system.”

Under Hill’s leadership, Healium experienced significant year-over-year growth in revenue, employee numbers, customer acquisition and investments.

Bill Miller, Wellsky, center, accepts the Corporate Visionary award from Doug Krebs, BERKS Group, and Dick Flanigan, Digital Health KC, during the 2024 Lumi Awards ceremony; photo by Taylor Wilmore, Startland News

Award for visionary companies

Bill Miller, CEO of WellSkyreceived the Corporate Visionary Award for his exceptional vision and strategic thinking.

Voted one of America’s largest and most innovative healthcare technology companiesWellSky has more than 20,000 customers in acute, post-acute and community care.

Miller has also overseen the strategic acquisitions of 14 companies.

“I love my work at WellSky. When people ask me what impact we’ve had on our community, of course I can talk about the jobs we’ve created. But we also know about the WellSky Foundation, which is how we give back not only in Kansas City, but across the country,” Miller said.

The WellSky Foundation ‘s mission is to remove the social barriers to recovery and wellness. Miller’s innovative approach to dealing with the ever-evolving digital health industry has inspired his team to make a difference so everyone can get the care they need.