KHI NEWS SERVICE
TOPEKA, Feb. 8
The House Health and Human Services Committee finished its hearing on a resolution that urges legislative review of affiliation agreements between the University of Kansas Medical Center and other health care institutions.
House Resolution 6006 urges the governor and the university to make no affiliations, sign letters of intent or make other commitments with other hospitals or institutions until the Legislature can review information about the agreements. It was introduced in reaction to the Med Center”s recent announcement that it had reached agreements to forge closer ties to St. Luke”s Health Center, located in Kansas City, Mo.
Dr. Barbara Atkinson, executive vice chancellor of the KU Med Center, answered questions from the committee about Tuesday”s testimony from KU Chancellor Robert Hemenway.
She assured the committee that discussions would continue between the university and its primary teaching hospital, the university hospital, and that any affiliations with St. Luke”s would help improve the Kansas institution.
Committee Chairwoman Brenda Landwehr, R-Wichita, asked Atkinson to prepare a document that would include all of the details of agreements being discussed with both St. Luke”s and the Med Center.
“We”re not in opposition to what”s being attempted here,” Landwehr said of the proposals, “but we want to make sure that we do it correctly.”
No action was taken on HR 6006. The committee will re-convene for an early-morning meeting at 8 a.m. Monday and again during its scheduled meeting time at 1:30 p.m. that day.