© 2024 Kansas City Public Radio
NPR in Kansas City
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

KU Health System will merge with Olathe Health, affecting thousands of Kansas patients

Julie Denesha
/
KCUR 89.3

The merger would extend access to the University of Kansas Health System’s specialized health care services, such as vascular surgery and urology, across southern Johnson County.

Olathe Health will soon be part of the University of Kansas Health System.

At a press briefing Wednesday morning, officials from Olathe Health and the University of Kansas Health System announced they had signed a letter of intent that will kick off negotiations between the two health care providers.

The move would extend access to the KU Health System’s network of specialized healthcare associates to the Olathe Health services area, which includes parts of Johnson, Miami, Franklin and Linn counties.

The letter of intent outlines several details expected to be in the final merger..

The agreement would include future investments and enhancements to existing Olathe Health services and clinics, the retention of all 2,300 Olathe Health associates as employees under the University of Kansas Health System, and additional support for the Olathe Medical Center’s goal to achieve Magnet Designation, a classification for nursing excellence.

Officials from both organizations say they have entered the “due diligence” phase of the merger.

“The process will take as long as it needs to take.” says Bob Page, CEO and President of the University of Kansas Health System. “We are committed to making this work and doing it right for patients.”

Neither organization shared details on when the merger would be finalized.

As KCUR’s Community Engagement Producer, I help welcome our audiences into the newsroom, and bring our journalism out into the communities we serve. Many people feel overlooked or misperceived by the media, and KCUR needs to do everything we can to cover and empower the diverse communities that make up the Kansas City metro — especially the ones who don’t know us in the first place. My work takes the form of reporting stories, holding community events, and bringing what I’ve learned back to Up To Date and the rest of KCUR.

What should KCUR be talking about? Who should we be talking to? Let me know. You can email me at zjperez@kcur.org or message me on Twitter at @zach_pepez.

KCUR serves the Kansas City region with breaking news and award-winning podcasts.
Your donation helps keep nonprofit journalism free and available for everyone.