The prospect of a brand-new medical facility in Emporia led the early conversation for Wednesday’s Q&A with City Staff.
City Manager Trey Cocking answered numerous questions about the current state and future options for Stormont-Vail’s projected building near Roads 180 and G, as well as the possible financial harm to Newman Regional Health if Stormont is allowed to move its staff currently operating at Newman Regional Health to the new facility and then duplicate several services already offered by Newman Regional.
Stormont-Vail administrators have mentioned on KVOE’s airwaves the Emporia facility will resemble one built in Manhattan, which offers primary care, specialty care, lab and imaging services — offerings also provided to a certain extent by Newman Regional Health. Cocking says Stormont administrators have assured city leaders the new building will have its current list of services and will not include surgery, a major concern for Newman Regional Health leadership. The projected facility cost is now over $40 million after it was initially listed at around $32 million.
This conversation dates to a discussion that’s now nearly a year old in the public and more than a year old behind the scenes. Stormont approached Newman Regional leaders in August 2023 with its plans for new construction with its lease at Newman Regional ending in 2026 and concerns about space, facility conditions and lack of integration between the two systems mentioned. Newman Regional countered publicly in late October with a list of proposed zoning code text changes with the stated goals of both protecting its financial health and giving local leaders more oversight into planned projects from external medical operations. Cocking says the city has concerns about the legality behind the zoning code request.
Should the zoning code text changes get passed by the city and then ultimately lose an extended court battle likely to follow, Cocking says Stormont and any other external hospital system could come to Emporia and “do whatever they want.”
Cocking says the most important thing now is for Newman Regional Health and Stormont-Vail to work “collaboratively” on a solution. Currently, Cocking mentioned a Sept. 13 deadline before the city will move forward on Stormont’s likely annexation request on its own merits, either if no agreement is in hand or the current conversations between hospital administrative teams has reached an impasse. Cocking says the city will be willing to consider extending the deadline if both sides are having productive conversations.
Cocking also says the city will do its best to protect Newman Regional Health as the process continues. If the city approves annexation, Cocking says part of the agreement should mention surgery is not allowed for a certain period of time before a city review. Stormont has requested a five-year review.
The video from Wednesday night’s meeting is available online at emporiaks.gov/agendas.
