Northland Hospital’s board of directors argued last week that Liberty Hospital risks falling into the hands of a for-profit chain and losing critical services if Missouri lawmakers block a proposed acquisition by the University of Kansas Health System.
In a Missouri Senate committee, Liberty Hospital President Dennis Carter urged lawmakers not to pass legislation intended to nullify the proposed deal.
He said doing so could involve public hospitals in the chain, leading to the closure of birth centers and Level II trauma centers.
“If we become for-profit, we will be more than a triage center, but we will not be what Liberty Hospital and the people who voted us for president want us to be.” said Carter.
Liberty Hospital executives began looking for another health system in May to create a partnership that would help the hospital meet growing demand in the Kansas City suburbs north of the Missouri River. The company announced in October that it had selected the University of Kansas Health System.
But the idea of a Kansas agency buying a Missouri hospital sparked opposition from lawmakers in both states. Kansas State Sen. J.R. Claes, a Republican from Salina, has introduced a bill that would require the KU Health System to receive approval from the Legislature before investing in out-of-state facilities.
The bill has not yet been heard.
And in Missouri, Sen. Greg Lazer, D-Kansas City, will ban Missouri hospitals from partnering with out-of-state health systems “operated by institutions of higher education” unless a majority of voters approve the agreement. We are proposing a bill to do so. .
Razer said he receives medical care from KU and has no issues with the quality of care the university provides. He said he opposes the idea of a hospital managed by a board primarily appointed by Kansas’ governor to run the Missouri facility.
“Borders have a purpose for being there,” Lazer said.
Razer also cited comments from Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey, who recently argued that the proposed deal would not be legal without Congressional approval. In a letter to Missouri Senate leadership, Bailey noted that public districts in Missouri (such as hospital districts and cities) can enter into compacts with districts in other states, but under Kansas law, compacts are not interstate. They argued that it was considered an agreement and required parliamentary approval.
Chuck Hatfield, an attorney representing Liberty, said in an interview that executives spoke with Bailey and there was a “misunderstanding” that the deal involved an interstate agreement.
Instead, the Liberty Hospital District will continue to own the building and land as a political subdivision, Hatfield said. New Liberty Hospital Corporation, the nonprofit organization that currently operates the hospital, plans to add University of Kansas Health System, also a nonprofit organization, as a “hospital operating member.”
“After speaking with them, we feel very confident that we can or will meet all of their concerns,” Hatfield said.
Madeline Thielen, a spokeswoman for Mr. Bailey, said the attorney general’s position had not changed.
In his testimony on Razer’s bill, Hatfield said KU would invest “hundreds of millions of dollars” in Liberty. He said in an interview that these investments are still subject to negotiation.
When Liberty began looking for a partner, one of the main issues was the need for capital to upgrade electronic records and IT systems, invest in new equipment and maintain building maintenance, Hatt said. Field said.
Like countless rural hospitals, he said, Liberty Hospital can’t come up with the funds needed to continue upgrading.
Mr. Hatfield said that both he and Mr. Lazer attended the University of Missouri and were “taught to hate the university.”
“I think some of it is just cross-border xenophobia, for want of a better phrase. And I don’t think that’s the appropriate way to make medical decisions. ” Hatfield said.
This story was originally missouri independent.
