Lawrence A. Rues, M.D.

Larry A. Rues MD is highly respected family medicine & geriatrics physician whose career has spanned nearly five decades, marked by exemplary contributions to patient care, medical education, and healthcare leadership. He earned his medical degree in 1975 and completed his residency in Family Medicine at Baptist Medical Center in Kansas City in 1978. Dr. Rues then joined the faculty of the that Residency, dedicating his 40+ year career to training family physicians. Dr Rues is a Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians, and is board certified in Family Medicine with a CAQ in Geriatrics. From 1993 to 2005, he served as the Residency Program Director, guiding the education and development of over 250 family physicians. He maintained a comprehensive office and hospital practice until he retired his practice and faculty role in 2018.

Dr. Rues has held numerous leadership positions throughout his career, including serving as President of the Missouri Academy of Family Physicians, the Metro Med Society of Kansas City (where he received their Lifetime Achievement Award), and was president of the medical staff at Baptist and the Southwest Clinical Society. For 21 years served on the Board of Directors for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas City, where he was instrumental in getting funding for scores of primary care offices to become qualified as a Certified Medical Home. Throughout most of his medical career Dr. Rues was active in various roles in the AMA House of Delegates as well as in the Congress of Delegates of the AAFP. A graduate of Rockhurst University, after 15 years he still serves on its Leaders Council, and where for 10 years he was medical director of their university student health clinic.

Dr. Rues has a special interest in biomedical ethics, founding and chairing the Baptist Medical Center Ethics Committee in the 1980's and subsequently serving for years as Chairman of the Research Medical Center Ethics Committee and then as a member until his retirement. Dr Rues has lectured extensively on applied medical ethics and healthcare delivery reform. His passion for continuing medical education led him to serve as the Medical Director of the Orear Institute for Medical Education and as such he organized the Orear Institute’s annual Recent Advances in Medicine Conference and has served on the Steering Committee since their first conference in 1988.

Beyond his professional achievements, Dr. Rues has dedicated time to medical missionary work in the Dominican Republic and received the AAFP Foundation's Philanthropist of the Year award in 2018. Dr Rues enjoys spending time with his family, reading literature and keeping up with medical advances. With his wife Jane, he enjoys walks, biking and travel. And at their cabin on Lake of the Ozarks he can be found sailing, power boating, or kayaking while (sometimes) enjoying the endless puttering that a lake home requires.

Dr. Rues' legacy reflects a lifelong dedication to patient care, medical ethics, and the advancement of the profession and delivery of quality health care. His impact on his patients, colleagues, and the many physicians and students he has mentored will endure for generations. "I love being a family doctor, a member of a residency faculty, and am privileged to collaborate with payers, hospitals and professional societies to improve healthcare delivery. I have been so blessed throughout my career."