LMH Health, KU enter agreement with Emporia hospital

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Lawrence Memorial Hospital and the University of Kansas Health System have entered into an agreement with Emporia hospital Newman Regional Health, the organizations announced Wednesday.

The “strategic affiliation,” which becomes effective Saturday, Feb. 1, is intended to strengthen health care services available to Emporia and Lyon County patients, according to the announcement.

Rural hospitals nationwide have struggled to keep their doors open in recent years, and several in Kansas have shuttered.

“The affiliation provides an opportunity to explore ways to increase healthcare access and care coordination for patients in the area through collaboration,” said Rebecca Smith, a spokesperson for LMH Health. “LMH Health’s goal from a regional strategy standpoint is to ensure independent community hospitals like ours can continue to remain strong, allowing healthcare decisions to be made within the communities we serve, for the patients we serve.”

Smith said no money is changing hands in connection with the agreement.

The Emporia Gazette has covered talks between Newman, a not-for-profit hospital, and Stormont Vail Health, reporting in November that there had been “14 months of deliberation and mediation” between the two organizations.

Steven Bazan, a spokesperson for Newman Regional Health, said NRH and the Cotton O’Neil Emporia Clinic — owned by Stormont Vail — will continue to collaborate and coordinate patient care “as we have for many years.”

“We explored options for additional direct collaboration with Stormont Vail but ultimately determined the affiliation with The University of Kansas Health System and LMH Health best suited our future goals and community needs,” Bazan said via email. “The affiliation agreement provides a framework that will allow for comprehensive strategic opportunities benefiting patients and prioritizing care close to home.”

Russ Johnson, CEO of LMH Health, said the agreement will allow for streamlined coordination when patients require care outside of Emporia.

“Most importantly, this affiliation supports independence, allowing healthcare decisions to be made closest to home, for the benefit of our patients, physicians, and communities we serve,” Johnson said in the announcement.

The drive from Newman to LMH Health’s West Campus is about an hour and 15 minutes, according to Google Maps.

The affiliation is “an integral part of NRH’s ongoing strategic planning, which focuses on enhancing patient quality and experience, expanding services, and improving the health of the community,” according to the announcement.

LMH has 174 beds in its hospital as well as the west campus facility and 28 primary and specialty care clinics, according to the announcement. Altogether, it’s supported by 1,800 staff and 380 providers, according to the announcement.

The KU Health System’s flagship hospital is in Kansas City, Kansas, and it has more than 150 hospital and clinic locations in the KC metro area, according to the announcement. The KU Cancer Center is a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center.

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Mackenzie Clark (she/her), reporter/founder of The Lawrence Times, can be reached at mclark@lawrencekstimes.com. Read more of her work for the Times here. Check out her staff bio here.

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