Missouri Hospital Association

Around 14% of all staff positions at Missouri hospitals were vacant in 2023. That rate is lower than it was at the height of the pandemic, but still higher than in 2019.

Legislation directs social services, mental health departments to collaborate on solutions to clients being boarded in medical and mental health facilities ‘without medical justification’

Missouri lawmakers this year passed the No Patient Left Alone Act as a result of some patients being unable to have visitors during the COVID-19 pandemic. Months later, the impact of the law is likely dependent on a future health emergency.

For two weeks before Missouri's state of emergency expired, health care organizations urged Gov. Mike Parson to extend it or give them enough notice it was ending to make accommodations. He did neither.

Parson cites the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines and the work of health care professionals in his decision that it's no longer necessary "to continue the state of emergency." The Missouri Hospital Association warns failure to extend the order will hamper providers facing staff shortages.

While hospital leaders say there are many reasons to be optimistic, there are still obstacles looming for hospital leaders in Missouri amid Medicaid expansion.

New cases and hospitalization in the Kansas City area continue to climb, even as the statewide spike shows signs of slowing.

Tuesday's announcement from Mayor Quinton Lucas follows new CDC guidance urging that vaccinated people wear masks indoors in areas with significant COVID-19 spread.

The report concludes that expanding the program in Missouri would create tens of thousands of jobs. "We don’t see how the state can’t afford to expand Medicaid," one researcher said.

Medicaid expansion supporters say Republicans' refusal to implement the constitutional amendment will result in delays of health care for Missourians in need.

Polling suggests that attitudes and misunderstandings among political conservatives and people with limited health care coverage may pose the biggest challenges to mass vaccination.

Survey data show Black Missourians are the most skeptical among all demographic groups that COVID-19 vaccines will be distributed fairly.