SPRINGFIELD, Mo. , March 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- After years of searching for a sustainable way to enhance pediatric care in southwest Missouri, Mercy is excited to announce plans to bring Children's Mercy Kansas City to town.

"We have spent the last year looking at ways to elevate pediatric care across our region," said David Argueta, president of Mercy Southwest Missouri. "Because a significant number of our region's children have to travel to Kansas City or St. Louis to receive the specialized care they need, we knew we had to find a solution that would allow our kids to get care here at home as often as possible." According to market share data, 27% of patients leave the region for care.

The plan to welcome Children's Mercy Kansas City to the Mercy Hospital campus comes after Mercy and CoxHealth announced in 2023 that they were teaming up with the intent of bringing a pediatric hospital to the area to provide enhanced pediatric care. After a request for proposal period, several hospitals were in the running, including Children's Mercy Kansas City. Unfortunately, Mercy and CoxHealth did not come to an agreed-upon path forward with a partner.

"We knew there weren't many examples of what we were aiming to accomplish across the country and that there was a chance we wouldn't reach an agreement," Argueta said. "But we also know we need to enhance pediatric care in our region and make it locally available, so working alongside CoxHealth to evaluate options was the right place to start. I'm incredibly proud of our two teams for working together and making this issue a priority for our community, and while I'm disappointed we didn't come to an agreement, I am pleased that we have agreed to collaborate with Children's Mercy Kansas City to create an exceptional solution for the region that meets our primary objective, which is to provide care to our kids close to home."

As part of the evaluation process, Mercy's leadership team visited several health care organizations during the past year, including Children's Mercy Kansas City.

"From the first moment we set foot in their facility in Kansas City, it was clear that everything they do is about kids," said Marie Moore, chief nursing officer at Mercy Springfield Communities. "As an independent hospital, Children's Mercy Kansas City's sole focus is pediatric care. From the way they design their facilities, their commitment to world-class translational research, the way they engage families as true partners in the child's care, the amenities they offer, everything is done first with kids' needs in mind. They are set to bring that level of care to Springfield, and we are excited to welcome them, especially since so many in our community already utilize Children's Mercy Kansas City."

Business Affairs Homepage