Saint Luke's Health System is consolidating leadership at two of its hospitals in Kansas after the model proved successful in its Missouri market.
Single-executive oversight has improved the recruitment and retainment of physicians and has allowed the hospitals to offer a more consistent patient experience, according to a June 15 news release.
Effective Aug. 1, Allen County Regional Hospital in Iola, Kan., and Anderson County Hospital in Garnett, Kan., will be led by one administrator: Elmore Patterson. Mr. Patterson joined Saint Luke's in 2020 as administrator for Allen County Regional.
"These changes mirror an operational model implemented three years ago at Hedrick Medical Center in Chillicothe and Wright Memorial Hospital in Trenton, our two Missouri Critical Access Hospitals," Steve Schieber, Saint Luke's Critical Access Region CEO, said in the news release. "Both facilities have thrived under the new model which has resulted in greater clinical and operational consistency through the appointment and leadership of a single administrator. In addition, it has led to increased employee engagement and patient satisfaction at both hospitals."
The change comes as Anderson County Hospital's administrator, Rich McKain, will leave to oversee Saint Luke's radiology and outpatient imaging services. He became administrator of Anderson County Hospital in 2016.
Saint Luke's is a 16-hospital system based in Kansas City, Mo.