KU Med, KU Hospital and St. Luke’s Sign Letter to Affiliate

By Julius A. Karash, The Kansas City Star, Mo.

Feb. 1–The University of Kansas Medical Center, the University of Kansas Hospital and St. Luke’s Health System have signed letters of intent to affiliate in the areas of teaching and research.

The agreements, reached Wednesday night, were announced today by Irving O. Hockaday Jr., chairman of the Kansas City Area Life Sciences Institute, at the second annual Governors’ Summit on Regional Economic Development at the Liberty Memorial.

“Not all the issues have been resolved,” Hockaday said. “There are gaps between KU Medical Center and KU Hospital on several issues.”

But Hockaday said that University of Kansas Chancellor Robert Hemenway had assured him that resolving those issues would be a top priority and would lead to fulfilling the region’s vision as a nationally recognized life science center.

“To let parochial interests … supercede this regional opportunity would undermine and destroy the very purpose of this conference,” Hockaday said.

KU Medical Center spokeswoman Amy Jordan Wooden said two letters of intent to affiliate had been signed — one between KU Medical Center and St. Luke’s, and the other between the medical center and KU Hospital

Wooden said if the letters of intent are approved by the boards of KU Hospital and St. Luke’s then a new master affiliation will be negotiated between KU Medical Center and KU Hospital.

Today’s announcement comes more than six months after an area life sciences steering committee began discussing ways to forge greater ties among KU Medical Center, KU Hospital and the main campuses of St. Luke’s Health System and Children’s Mercy Hospitals and Clinics.

Julius A. Karash, jkarash@kcstar.com

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Copyright (c) 2007, The Kansas City Star, Mo.

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