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Speaker Calls On Regents to Act on Proposed Contracts

 

IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Feb. 9, 2007

Topeka – Kansas Speaker of the House of Representatives Melvin Neufeld today called on the Kansas Board of Regents to take a closer look at proposed contracts between University of Kansas Hospital Authority (KUH), University of Kansas Medical Center and School of Medicine (KUMC) and St. Luke’s Hospital.

“The Kansas Board of Regents oversees KUMC. Board members need to make sure the proposed agreements between the three protect the integrity of the medical education system in Kansas,” Speaker Neufeld said.  “I ask the board to postpone the contract deadline of March 31st, reopen contract negotiations, and include faculty members from both the KU hospital and KUMC-Wichita in the discussions to make sure we are protecting the Kansas medical education system.” 

Speaker Neufeld listed four areas in particular he would like the Board of Regents to reconsider:

  •  The impact of allowing up to 100 interns to transfer to St. Luke’s Hospital without an increase in the KUMC program’s size.  Speaker Neufeld’s concern is that intern transfers could potentially reduce the number of general practice doctors training at the University of Kansas Medical Center in Wichita which is where many rural Kansas communities recruit their doctors.

 

  • The vast disparity in treatment of faculty that might be transferred out of state.  For example, currently members of the faculty who practice in Kansas pay a fee to the medical school.  However, the proposed contract doesn’t require those faculty members assigned to St. Luke’s to pay a similar fee.

 

  • The impact on the charity care provided by KU Hospital.  KUH provides about $100 million in charity care each year to Kansans.  The proposed agreement with St. Luke’s Hospital doesn’t require St. Luke’s to provide any charity care to Kansans.  Speaker Neufeld is concerned if faculty and interns are moved to Missouri, the capacity won’t be in the KU system in Kansas to provide that same level of charity care.

 

  • The impact on KUMC’s ability to form other research alliances. Speaker Neufeld is concerned this proposed agreement might prohibit KUMC from reaching out to all other research facilities in the Greater Kansas City area to form other alignments and limit our potential for medical research in the future.

“I really prefer these issues not have to be address by the Kansas Legislature,” Speaker Neufeld said.  “Our concerns should be addressed by members of the Kansas Board of Regents but if they can not do it, the Kansas Legislature will be forced to protect the interests of the people of Kansas.”

House Bill 2134 would require legislative approval of any partnerships between a state university hospital and other entities and has been referred to the House Appropriations Committee.

 

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