If you asked Dr. Ann Romaker how many lunches she has skipped in the last few months, or how many days she’s stayed past closing to see that extra patient, she’d probably laugh. Passionate about her work and the need to help others, Romaker puts in far more than a full day because she has to, she’s a doctor—“the most wonderful profession one could have,” she says.

Romaker’s work extends far beyond doctor-patient relationships. She is also president of the Metropolitan Medical Society, and fights hard for better health care in Kansas City. “We all work for a common good. Doctors have no business taking sides” when it comes to caring for patients, says Romaker.

With physician representatives from Jackson, Johnson, Clay, Platte and Wyandotte counties, the Metropolitan Medical Society acts as a security blanket for all aspects and individuals affected by the health-care industry. The group keeps its eye on everything from new laws to outdated equipment, anything that touches medicine and care. “We look at anything and everything that affects patients and doctors,” adds Romaker.

Romaker is also director of the sleep disorders clinic at St. Luke’s Hospital. As the first physician to be certified in sleep disorders in the Kansas City area, Romaker is excited to be on the forefront of a relatively new field. Her patients call her the Sleep Queen. She takes the name gladly because “it can turn a life around by getting a great nights sleep,” says Romaker.

Though all the work makes for a busy lifestyle, Romaker is thankful to be in such a position. To be a doctor is a source of pride for Romaker. In the office, her bedside manner shows it, after hours her work for the medical society displays the same traits on a larger scale. “I will quit before I must practice less than my best,” says Romaker.

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