Newman Regional Health CEO Cathy Pimple says she is glad Stormont Vail Health has removed plans for a surgery facility in Emporia, but she also says “the pause in the plans” doesn’t fully remove Newman Regional’s concerns about the impact of a Stormont facility in town.
Pimple’s comments to Newman Regional staff and provided to KVOE News follow a meeting between the administrative teams this week and also a statement last week by Stormont-Vail saying the Topeka hospital plans to move existing services, currently at Newman Regional, to a brand-new facility along with a list of new services requested by patients and staff. Both lists are online with our story at KVOE.com. Earlier plans for a surgery center have been shelved for an unlisted period of time.
Pimple says the recent clarification by Stormont-Vail “opens dialogue as both organizations look to discover the best ways to serve the people in our community.” However, it doesn’t end the conversation. Pimple is mentioning concerns about the presence of advanced imaging services, CT and MRI specifically, in light of statements that duplicated imaging could lead to a loss of around $2 million for Newman Regional as part of the hospital’s Board of Trustees meeting late last month. According to Pimple, “delaying duplicative surgical and procedural diagnostic care only defers the negative implications.”
Pimple says Newman Regional is committed to continuing discussions about the needs of Stormont’s 80-member healthcare team in Emporia, notably in light of Stormont’s lease at Newman Regional ending soon, as well as “how best to serve our patients within a complementary framework.”
For several weeks, City Manager Trey Cocking has mentioned a Sept. 13 as a deadline for an agreement between the two hospitals with an annexation request expected soon for property near Roads 180 and G. Cocking has also said city leaders will start considering the Stormont request on its own merits if there is no agreement between the two hospitals or no meaningful progress towards an agreement. With recent developments, Cocking urges both sides to continue working towards an agreement.
Statement from Newman Regional Health CEO Cathy Pimple
This clarification opens dialogue as both organizations look to discover the best ways to serve the people in our community. While we acknowledge and appreciate the pause in the plans for an Ambulatory Surgical Center, we recognize that delaying duplicative surgical and procedural diagnostic care only defers the negative implications. The recent communication regarding the clinic relocation did not specify the future direction regarding advanced imaging services like CT and MRI. Community hospitals rely on outpatient procedures, imaging, and labs to financially support the care of medical patients who visit the emergency room or require hospital admission.
We remain committed to continued discussions with Stormont Vail leadership in Topeka. Our priority remains to understand the needs of the healthcare team in Emporia and how to best serve our patients within a complementary framework.
Proposed existing services at new Stormont-Vail facility in Emporia
• Family medicine, internal medicine, pediatric, OB/GYN and behavioral health providers;
• Medical specialty clinics for cardiology, nephrology, allergy, asthma, immunology and endocrinology;
• Surgical clinics in orthopedics and sports medicine, bariatric surgery and spinal surgery;
• Employer health and occupational health service;
• Diagnostic services including laboratory, medical imaging, women’s imaging, ultrasound and cardiac diagnostics;
• Support services in social workers, medical interpretation services and care management.
Proposed new services at Stormont-Vail facility in Emporia
• Medical weight management
• Medical specialists in dermatology, rheumatology, advanced digestive health, pain management and palliative care
• Pediatric specialists
• Clinical research
• Expanded clinical training location for nursing, laboratory sciences, medical imaging and advance practice providers
