Five HCA Midwest Healthcare leaders are named 2026 Heroes in Healthcare by Ingram's Magazine

Overland Park, Kan. — HCA Midwest Health today announced that five of its leaders have been named to Ingram’s 2026 Heroes in Healthcare class. The Kansas City business magazine’s annual feature highlights exemplary healthcare professionals who go above and beyond in their roles, drive innovation and inspire growth in those around them.

HCA Midwest Health is the Kansas City region’s largest healthcare provider with seven hospitals, 11 emergency room locations, 16 CareNow urgent care clinics and dozens of outpatient centers, clinics, physician practices, surgery centers and a network of services to meet residents’ healthcare needs.

Mark Lieser, MD, chief medical officer, Research Medical Center, Kansas City, Mo.; Todd Krass, chief executive officer, Belton Regional Medical Center, Belton, Mo.; Steven Salanski, MD, Research Medical Center/Goppert Family Medicine Residency (retired); Richard Bowers, manager, safety, security and emergency preparedness and planning, Research Medical Center, Kansas City, Mo.; and Reba Millam, RN, director, stroke and neurology program, Lee’s Summit Medical Center, Lee’s Summit, Mo., were selected by an independent panel of judges.

Nominees were evaluated based on their impact on the community through volunteer service locally or abroad, professional achievements, patient satisfaction awards and examples of how they live the Hippocratic Oath.

“These five outstanding leaders exemplify our Mission: Above all else, we are committed to the care and improvement of human life,” said HCA Midwest Health President Keith Zimmerman. “Through their leadership, clinical expertise and dedication to patients, they bring our mission to life every day — strengthening the care our physicians and caregivers provide and the communities we serve.”

Administration

Mark Lieser, MD, chief medical officer, Research Medical Center, Kansas City, Mo.

Leading one of the region’s most complex trauma programs while continuing to care for patients with life-threatening injuries from across a four-state area is a responsibility Dr. Lieser takes both seriously and personally. For nearly a decade, he has served in an administrative leadership role as medical director of trauma services at Research Medical Center, a Level I Trauma Center within HCA Midwest Health, while continuing to make a profound impact at the bedside.

Through his work caring for critically injured patients and guiding trauma teams, Dr. Lieser brings HCA Midwest Health’s Mission to life every day.

Board-certified and fellowship-trained in emergency medicine, Dr. Lieser has guided the trauma program to new levels of excellence. Under his leadership, the hospital surpassed 50,000 annual trauma visits and earned Level I Trauma Center designation from the American College of Surgeons. In 2024, the program again received a “zero deficiencies” review, with surveyors citing the trauma team’s proactive approach to community education, fall prevention and outreach to underinsured and unhoused populations.

Recognized for his leadership, expertise and commitment to patient care, Dr. Lieser has been selected to serve as chair of the Missouri Committee on Trauma beginning in spring 2027, following his tenure as vice chair from 2020 to 2025.

Lifetime service

Todd Krass, chief executive officer, Belton Regional Medical Center, Belton, Mo.

For more than four decades, Todd Krass has devoted his career to healthcare not simply as a profession, but as a form of service grounded in compassion, accountability and an enduring commitment to the communities he serves.

A psychiatric nurse by training, Krass’s leadership philosophy has always been shaped by the bedside. His early clinical experience instilled a patient-first mindset that continues to guide his work as a chief executive: listen carefully, act thoughtfully and lead with empathy. That sensibility has defined his more than 20-year tenure as CEO of Belton Regional Medical Center, where he has guided the hospital through sustained growth while keeping care quality and patient experience at the center of every decision.

Steven Salanski, MD, Research Medical Center/Goppert Family Medicine Residency (retired)

When Dr. Steven Salanski retired from Research Medical Center, he did exactly what he envisioned when he completed his own residency program: leaving the practice, family residency program and hospital in great hands — and a better place than he found it.

Dr. Salanski spent 12 years in private family practice in Lee’s Summit, Mo., before returning to the Research Family Medicine Residency Program, where he served as a faculty physician for 19 years — the last 12 as program director. He retired in late 2021 after decades of meaningful impact on patients and future physicians alike.

He also dedicated significant time to volunteer service with the Center for Practical Bioethics, including leadership roles. Throughout his career, he took great pride in caring for the most vulnerable patients, including those without access to high-quality medical care.

Auxiliary staff

Richard Bowers, manager, safety, security and emergency preparedness and planning, Research Medical Center, Kansas City, Mo.

Few leaders embody the responsibility of keeping colleagues, patients, visitors and campuses safe more fully than Richard Bowers. His decades-long career has ensured hospitals remain calm, protected and operational — especially when circumstances are at their most unpredictable.

As director of safety, security and emergency preparedness and planning, Bowers serves as a leader for planning, training and crisis response across seven hospitals and more than 50 campuses, overseeing a workforce of nearly 100 colleagues. He is widely known as the first person to be called — whether the issue is complex or routine — resolving challenges decisively and without fanfare.

“Over the decades, I have seen tremendous evolution in how HCA Healthcare approaches safety, security and emergency preparedness,” Bowers said. “The organization has significantly expanded its resources, education and proactive planning efforts, bringing national best practices into our community. Being part of that support system has been an honor and has kept me energized and committed.”

Nursing

Reba Millam, RN, director, stroke and neurology program, Lee’s Summit Medical Center, Lee’s Summit, Mo.

Building a career defined not by titles but by measurable improvements in patient outcomes and an unwavering commitment to patients and families is the foundation of Reba Millam’s leadership.

Although responsible for two highly complex service lines, Millam has never been content with maintaining the status quo. Guided by a nurse’s instinct to ask, “How can this be better?” she identified gaps in communication and care coordination across departments, physicians and post-discharge settings.

The result was an innovative, nurse-driven approach to medication education that strengthened collaboration and reduced post-discharge medication errors. By ensuring patients, families and outpatient care teams clearly understood medication regimens — and that available resources included low- or no-cost care — Millam addressed one of the most vulnerable moments in recovery, particularly for rural and Spanish-speaking populations.

The honorees’ complete features can be found in the current issue of Ingram’s magazine at 2026 Heroes in Healthcare.