Charlie Harris, JD, and Jennifer Sauer, MD, Join Board of Directors for Children’s Mercy Kansas City

Children’s Mercy Kansas City has added two prominent community leaders to its Board of Directors: Charlie J. Harris Jr., JD, and Jennifer M. Sauer, MD.

Harris is an attorney with Seyferth Blumenthal & Harris, a Kansas City firm specializing in employment law and commercial litigation.

Harris’ national practice represents corporations, not-for-profit agencies, corporate officers and directors, and municipalities against claims of disability, race, gender, sex and age discrimination, sexual harassment, and wage and hour and collective actions. He also defends corporate clients in various commercial litigation, including products liability, business litigation and commercial litigation.

Harris was the first African American elected to serve as the President of the Missouri Bar and has been asked to serve as special master for discovery issues in complex commercial and business litigation by judges on the state and federal benches. He also serves as an arbitrator for the American Arbitration Association and has been chosen by both plaintiffs and defendants to serve as a mediator in complex litigation. Missouri Lawyers Media has named Harris a “Missouri Lawyer of the Year” and “Legal Champion.” He has been consistently recognized in publications such as Best Lawyers in America and Super Lawyers.

Dr. Sauer is a pediatrician with Raintree Pediatrics, part of Community Choice Pediatrics – an affiliate of Children’s Mercy.

Dr. Sauer completed her residency at Children’s Mercy Kansas City before joining Community Choice Pediatrics in 2001. Since then, the practice has grown from seven providers and one office to 26 providers and three offices in eastern Jackson County.

As a general pediatrician, Dr. Sauer has worked with many Children’s Mercy specialists, bringing insight from her experience outside a large tertiary care center. She particularly enjoys being part of the childhood-to-adult transformation of her patients.

“We are honored to have Mr. Harris and Dr. Sauer join our Board,” said Children’s Mercy President and CEO Paul Kempinski, MS, FACHE. “Their experience and insight will inform and enhance our leadership capabilities and contribute greatly to the continued success of our health system and our ability to provide the highest-quality care to the patients and families we serve, enabling all children to reach their potential.”