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Collaboration will expand access to high-quality care close to home and across the region

The University of Kansas Health System announced today Olathe Health has become part of The University of Kansas Health System. Together, the health system will continue to provide the highest quality care close to home, while expanding patients’ access to more comprehensive and integrated care.

“Our region deserves high-quality healthcare close to home,” said Bob Page, president and CEO of The University of Kansas Health System. “By coming together as one health system, patients will have the opportunity to access the most advanced care in a more seamless way.”

With a final agreement in place, the health system will begin to plan for integration. Nothing changes for patients today; they can continue to see the same providers in the same way they
currently do.

“Our focus on quality, service and people is how The University of Kansas Health System has become a regional and national leader, as well as a place patients depend on for the answers and treatments they need,” said Tammy Peterman, MS, RN, FAAN, president of the Kansas City Division of The University of Kansas Health System. “Our commitment to delivering the very best care for patients in our region and our shared values of trust, compassion and doing what’s best for patients, are why our relationship has evolved.”

While integration planning will determine specifics, final agreements include:

• Ongoing support to the community will be maintained through sponsorships, memberships and other community engagements.
• Significant capital investments in current Olathe Health services, facilities, infrastructure, technology and equipment will be made over time.
• Current services will be enhanced in the Olathe Health service area to deliver on the health system’s commitment to excellence. Examples include:
  • Building upon Olathe Health’s strong cancer program by bringing cancer care from The University of Kansas Cancer Center, an NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, to the Olathe campus
  • Continuing to build opportunities for care at a new facility currently being constructed at 151ˢt and Quivira
  • Extending the health system’s highly specialized provider network
  • Supporting Olathe Medical Center through the Magnet journey, the nation’s most respected designation for nursing excellence
• All employees and employed advanced practice providers (APPs) of Olathe Health are now part of The University of Kansas Health System.
• Physicians currently employed by Olathe Health remain employed by Olathe Health Physicians, Inc., which is now part of The University of Kansas Health System. Employed physicians will not experience any changes to their employment immediately but will work with The University of Kansas Physicians (UKP) at a future date to transition their employment to UKP.
• Olathe Medical Center and Miami County Medical Center continue to have an open medical staff.

Additionally, the health system will create a new advisory board comprised of former Olathe Health board members and health system senior leaders. This board will be the liaison for the communities
served by Olathe Health.

“Our shared focus on our patients receiving more care close to home is what led the Olathe Health Board of Directors and senior leaders to seek partnership with The University of Kansas Health System,” said Jason Hannagan, interim CEO of Olathe Health. “Today’s announcement and our future together will ensure a thriving healthcare system for the communities we serve.”

To learn more about today’s announcement, visit KansasHealthTogether.com. To learn more about The University of Kansas Health System, visit kansashealthsystem.com.

About The University of Kansas Health System
The University of Kansas Health System is a world-class academic medical center and destination for complex care and diagnosis. It includes The University of Kansas Physicians, the region’s largest multispecialty physician group. The health system is affiliated with the University of Kansas Schools of Medicine, Nursing and Health Professions, and their leading-edge research. In addition to the Kansas City metro, the health system includes hospitals and clinics in Great Bend and Topeka. Services range from routine primary care to highly specialized care for complex conditions. The health system’s Kansas City hospital has received Magnet nursing designation four times in a row. It has ranked every year since 2007 on U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Hospitals” lists. The health system receives no state or local appropriations, instead relying on operating revenue, bonding authority and philanthropy. The health system hosts a nationally verified pediatric and adult burn center and Level I Trauma Center, as well as a leading transplant program in liver, pancreas, kidney, heart, and blood and marrow. The cancer program is part of The University of Kansas Cancer Center, one of 53 NCI Comprehensive Cancer Centers in the United States. For more information, visit kansashealthsystem.com.