Via Christi Health, in the Ascension Kansas Ministry Market, and Catholic health system Mercy have begun a joint venture partnership to create a new primary care physician practice to serve the people of the Pittsburg, Kansas, area. The practice will serve patients in a new clinic facility to be built on the Via Christi Hospital campus in Pittsburg, initially employing up to four primary care providers. The partners expect to begin construction of the new clinic in May.
As Catholic health systems with a long history of service in this region, Via Christi and Mercy are ideally suited to partner on improving access to healthcare services for patients in the area. Via Christi is the largest provider of healthcare services in Kansas, with hospitals, clinics and senior living villages in Pittsburg, Wichita, Manhattan and Hays. Mercy, with services in Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas and Oklahoma, has a shared Catholic heritage and a similar integrated continuum of care, including hospitals and physician clinics in nearby Joplin, Missouri, and Fort Scott and Columbus, Kansas.
Market research shows that Pittsburg – like many other rural communities – is underserved by primary care physicians, leading to many Kansans having to travel out of the area to receive basic care.
"Working together, we will be able to better meet the challenge of attracting primary care physicians to this community while achieving our shared goals of improved community health and better access to healthcare close to home," said Jeff Korsmo, Senior Vice President, Ascension Health/Kansas Ministry Market Executive.
"Our vision is to create a regional, clinically integrated system of care that improves access to essential healthcare services and delivers the highest quality of care to residents of southeastern Kansas and the surrounding area," said Dr. Tracy Godfrey, President of Mercy Clinic Joplin.
The Via Christi-Mercy joint venture reflects a national trend of healthcare organizations choosing to partner to improve the coordination and integration of the care they provide to their patients, with a focus on reducing costs where possible.
"Our new partnership with Mercy in Kansas is part of our national strategy in the 24 states plus Washington, D.C., with Ascension health ministries to create integrated systems of care to better serve our patients and their families," said Patricia A. Maryland, Dr.PH, President, Healthcare Operations and Chief Operating Officer, Ascension Health, the healthcare delivery subsidiary of Ascension.
Recognizing the challenges of maintaining health services in rural communities, especially in states like Kansas and Missouri that have not expanded Medicaid services, the joint venture offers a unique opportunity to attract and maintain healthcare providers within a strong, clinically integrated system of care.
