Lawmakers are trying to block a proposed merger between Liberty (Mo.) Hospital and Kansas City-based University of Kansas Health System, but a hospital board member is pushing back, the Missouri Independent reported Feb. 12.
Kansas state Sen. J.R. Claeys has proposed a bill mandating that the KU Health System obtain legislative approval prior to making investments in facilities outside the state. The bill has not undergone a hearing.
Meanwhile, in Missouri, legislation sponsored by state Sen. Greg Razer aims to restrict Missouri hospitals from collaborating with an out-of-state health system affiliated with an institution of higher education. The bill specifies that such partnerships would require approval by a supermajority of voters to proceed.
However, Dennis Carter, president of the Liberty Hospital board, is urging lawmakers to refrain from thwarting the proposed agreement.
At a Missouri Senate committee meeting, Mr. Carter expressed concerns that taking legislative action against the merger might lead to Liberty Hospital being acquired by a chain, potentially leading to the closure of its labor and delivery center and level 2 trauma center.
"If we go for-profit, we'll be a little bit more than a triage center, but we will not be what Liberty Hospital and the people who voted us into office want us to be," Mr. Carter told the committee.
In May, Liberty Hospital leaders began seeking a health system partnership to address increasing demand in the Kansas City suburbs north of the Missouri River. By October, they had selected the University of Kansas Health System. However, the prospect of a Kansas institution taking control of a Missouri hospital is facing resistance from lawmakers in both states.