The University of Kansas Hospital in Kansas City, Kan., and Hays (Kan.) Medical Center today announced a letter of intent has been signed for a partnership.
In an announcement today, Bob Page, president and CEO of KU Hospital, said the partnership would improve access to patient care and extend the commitment of high-quality care shared by both hospitals throughout the state of Kansas.
Page said the two organizations will work through the partnership details this fall, and will plan on implementation of the partnership early next year.
A KU Hospital spokesman said it is not an acquisition, since no assets are changing hands. It might be looked at as the Hays Medical Center joining the University of Kansas health system, he said.
In his social media announcement, Page stated that there will be no changes to the top executives; Dr. John Jeter will continue as CEO of Hays Medical Center, while Page will continue as CEO and president of KU Hospital. The Hays CEO will continue to report to the Hays hospital board, which will change to include two KU Hospital members on it. Page will continue to report to the KU Hospital Authority board.
Daily operations are expected to be part of a joint operations group, according to the KU Hospital spokesman.
Page said that KU Hospital and Hays Medical Center are both on solid financial and operating condition. Hays Medical Center is a private, not-for-profit hospital with 207 beds. KU Hospital is an academic medical center with 756 staffed beds plus 24 bassinets, serving 33,000 patients each year.
Hays is in western Kansas, about 265 miles from Kansas City, Kan., or about a four-hour drive on I-70. A KU Hospital spokesman said KU Hospital already receives patients from the Hays area, as well as from many other counties in Kansas. The hospitals are expected to work on an agreement that outlines when it is appropriate to transfer patients to KU Hospital, and when it is appropriate for patients to remain at Hays, he said.
While it is possible that some doctors may occasionally make a trip to Hays, KU Hospital has been using telemedicine to communicate with outlying areas for a number of years, and it is currently in use in a stroke and heart program at Hays, the spokesman said. The hospitals are expected to explore more ways for telemedicine to be used, according to the spokesman.
While the two hospitals are geographically distant, they are still both in Kansas, and are nonprofits that are not part of a national network of other hospitals, the spokesman said.
Dr. Jeter stated that by partnering with KU Hospital, an academic hospital, Hays Medical Center will see leading-edge medical developments come to the Hays area more quickly.
Page added that KU Hospital may look at other partnerships in Kansas, Missouri and neighboring states.
A KU Hospital spokesman said the letter of intent is not being released at this time, and is undergoing negotiations on the final version.
To view today’s announcement, visit https://www.facebook.com/kuhospital/.