Dr. Stephen Salanski obtained his medical degree from the University of Missouri, Columbia School of Medicine and his undergraduate degree from the University of Kansas. He completed his residency at the Baptist Medical Center Family Practice Residency Program. Steve worked for 12 years in private Family Practice in Lee’s Summit, MO before returning to the residency program (eventually renamed Research Family Medicine Residency), where he was a Faculty Physician for 19 years – the last 12 as Program Director. Steve then served for three-and-a half years as Regional Medical Director for CenterWell Senior-Focused Primary Care, leading eight clinics across the Kansas City Metro region. He retired in late 2021.

Steve has had a long-standing interest in Medical/Bioethics. He served as Chair of the Baptist-Lutheran Medical Center Ethics Committee for seven years, and then on the Research Medical Center Ethics Committee for 10 years. Steve was Co-Chair of the Center for Practical Bioethics Ethics Committee Consortium (ECC) from 2004 until he joined the Center’s Board in 2017. The ECC includes representatives from most Kansas City area hospitals and a growing number of healthcare organizations from across the nation. He was the Center’s Board Chair from 2023 to 2025 and now serves as the Immediate Past Chair.

Steve has also been active in other community healthcare-related nonprofit organizations.  He was Chair of the Kansas City Medical Society Foundation (KCMSF) Board in 2020 and again in 2023.  The KCMSF oversees Project Access Programs Metro Care and WyJo Care, which help to provide specialty healthcare services for people without health insurance.  He was President of the Kansas City Medical Society (KCMS) in 2016.  He continues to serve on the KCMS Board and Chairs the KCMS/KCMSF Wellness and Prevention Committee.  Steve also represents the KCMS on the Kansas City Health Collaborative Board, which is working to improve health equity in the Kansas City Metro.  He is Treasurer of that Board.

In 2020, Steve was Chair of the Baptist-Trinity Lutheran Foundation Board (now renamed AcruxKC), which oversees the AccessKC Program (formerly the Kansas City Medicine Cabinet) that provides medical funding assistance to underserved individuals in the Kansas City Region.  He continues to serve on that Board, and now is Chair of the Health Education Committee which provides grant funding for student health needs in select under-resourced School Districts and Charter Schools across Kansas City, as well as grant funding to local FQHCs for healthcare equipment and mental health resources.  Steve led many community health initiatives in Lee’s Summit as Co-Chair of the Lee’s Summit Health Education Advisory Board – and currently serves on the Lee’s Summit Wellness Commission.  Steve is also working with Jackson County Public Health on their Community Health Improvement Project for Mental/Behavioral Health.