Liberty (Mo.) Hospital on July 1 officially joined the Kansas City-based University of Kansas Health System.
The transaction sees KU Health grow into a nine-hospital system, including seven acute-care hospitals and two behavioral health facilities. Liberty Hospital is its first hospital in Missouri.
"This was a perfect opportunity to partner with another independent hospital in a prime area for our health system. We also have that cultural compatibility, so it was pretty much a no-brainer for us to pursue," KU Health President and CEO Bob Page told Becker's.
The deal has gone through despite pushback from some lawmakers who argued against the idea of a Kansas health system owning a Missouri hospital, according to the Missouri Independent. Supporters of the transaction argued Liberty Hospital needed a larger health system partner to grow and invest in its facilities and services.
KU Health said 35% of its patients come from Missouri, so having a community hospital in the state made sense. It also committed to investing $324 million into Liberty over the next 12 years to expand and improve care across various areas and make more care available closer to patients' homes.
"This agreement will not only allow us to treat more patients overall, but also offer access to those with the most complex care needs at 39th and Rainbow and other locations," Tammy Peterman, MS, RN, president of the health system's Kansas City division, told Becker's.
Liberty Hospital President and CEO Raghu Adiga, MD, said the partnership will ensure the hospital's future as well as its ability to meet the growing healthcare needs of patients in the Northland and northwest Missouri.
"We are excited to bring world-class healthcare to our patients, for our employees to experience the benefits of academic medicine, and for our community to enjoy the economic growth and local opportunities we expect from this partnership," Dr. Adiga said.