Children's Mercy Kansas City (CMKC), as part of its ongoing pediatric collaboration effort with Mercy Springfield Communities, narrowed down the first two specialties it aims to bring to southwest Missouri.
The Kansas City-based hospital system recently acquired a Springfield pediatric cardiology practice after its parent company decided to divest clinics across the country, said Dr. Rob Steele, executive vice president and chief strategy and innovation officer at CMKC.
“We knew that this community cannot lose pediatric specialists,” Steele said at the Discover Children's Mercy Showcase: Springfield, held at the White River Conference Center July 10. “You just can't do that. Otherwise, you'd have even more children leaving the community.”
Buying a cardiology unit to keep specialists in Springfield
Pediatrix Cardiology of Springfield, P.C., in what Steele describes as a “rollover,” was acquired by CMKC and will begin the transition of ownership from Pediatrix Medical Group Inc. The clinic at 1135 E. Lakewood, Ste. 104 will continue to see patients through the transition, which should be complete in three to four months, if not sooner, Steele said.
The acquisition of Pediatrix will build on CMKC's mission of having pediatric specialists in southwest Missouri, Steele said. The pediatric cardiology unit features two doctors, Dr. Federick Emge and Dr. Alan Tong, according to the company website. The practice has served patients in southwest Missouri, northern Arkansas, northeast Oklahoma and southeast Kansas since 1988.
“If (Pediatrix Cardiology of Springfield) weren't acquired, they would shut down,” Steele said.
The CMKC and Mercy collaboration announced earlier in 2024 is moving right along, with CMKC focused on getting specialists on the ground and to start taking care of patients in southwest Missouri this year. CMKC will lease space inside Mercy's Springfield facilities. The financial terms and the regulatory organization of the deal between the two hospitals are still being hashed out, Steele said.
“There are a lot of regulatory issues that we have to iron out that could morph what the ultimate solution looks like,” Steele said. “The regulatory issues have to do with how you're designated and how you get reimbursed. It has nothing to do with our care.”
The plans are still in the “sausage making” stage, Steele said.
CMKC narrows focus on first two specialties to bring to Springfield
CMKC has a long list of specialties it is recruiting for, but the first two it aims to focus on are endocrinology and pediatric surgery, Steele said. For pediatric surgery, the hospital aims to hire two specialists immediately. The company plans to hire one specialist for endocrinology.
“We don't have anybody signed right now, but we have made very substantial moves to make it happen,” Steele said, referring to the two specialties.
The approach CMKC is taking is important to build a sustainable model for pediatric care in southwest Missouri, Steele said. The goal is to get some specialists on the ground as quickly as possible, and at the same time, rely on the hospital's deep network of specialists based in Kansas City or elsewhere. CMKC has a network of more than 750 pediatric specialists on medical staff, according to the company website.
“We want to have physicians that are here seeing patients in southwest Missouri,” Steele said. “But for some of the things, we can actually supplement that care with what we already have in Kansas City, either by telehealth or by actually bringing those physicians down here.”
“We believe by doing so, we will have a much better chance at sustainability. That's been the biggest challenge in Springfield.”
The recruitment process is lengthy, the list of specialists CMKC wants to hire is longer
The hiring process, including working out contracts for specialists and requirements of care, will take about two to three months for each specialist. CMKC is prioritizing speed over function, Steele said, as the community has highlighted the need for pediatric specialists immediately.
“The care, we're doing as fast as possible,” Steele said. “When it comes to the form—what does it actually look like—we're still figuring that out.”
The CMKC team will begin to set up at Mercy's main campus and the “care” will begin as soon as possible, Steele said. The financial agreement and regulatory complications will take some time to figure out, and likely won't be set in stone until after this calendar year.
The list of specialists the hospital aims to recruit is lengthy, Steele said. The process will just take a little time.
“I've seen the list and it is long,” Steele said. “That's a combination of what we believe the community needs, what we believe is required to be able to do elevated hospital care and also the feedback we've gotten from the community on what they need.”
Community outreach in focus for CMKC, report on Springfield needs planned
CMKC has already started to infiltrate the Springfield community, with events like the Springfield Showcase and multiple site visits with a host of CMKC specialists and executives.
The hospital has already started forming a report on Springfield's community needs and will begin surveys for it shortly, said Jeff Hughley, senior director for the office of community impact at CMKC. The company's first Springfield “Community Health Needs Assessment” report will be published June 2025.
“We want to focus on pediatric care and also think about what are the needs when it comes to kids in the community,” Hughley said. The focus is “outside of the adult community at large.”
The surveys and conversations with Springfield's public figures and organizations will guide CMKC on plans to use money set aside for civic engagement, Hughley said. Once CMKC pediatric services start operating in Springfield, the company will begin building a family advisory board, which is a key factor to how CMKC integrates itself into a community.
“That's some of the work that we do in Kansas City and that's some of the work that we look to do in Springfield,” Hughley said. The senior director said he had already met with a number of Springfield organizations and nonprofits.
Building out a presence in the Springfield metro is paramount in delivering top-notch pediatric care in southwest Missouri, Steele said.
“What we bring to the community as partners in the community is a big deal,” Steele said. “It drives better health outcomes when we have a family advisory board, which we're going to establish here. A children's hospital is not just about hospital care.”
“We have to do that in an equitable way. We have to do that in a manner that helps keep kids in southwest Missouri. And you do that by partnering with those that are already here in the community.”
To read more Hauxeda coverage of the Mercy Springfield and CMKC pediatric collaboration:
