Next month, the Emporia-Lyon County Metropolitan Area Planning Commission will hear a special zoning request from Newman Regional Health.
The hospital has requested for several related changes to the city’s zoning code with a possible effort by Topeka’s Stormont-Vail Hospital to build an “ambulatory surgical center” in Emporia. A public hearing is coming at 6 pm Nov. 21 at the Municipal Court Room.
Newman Regional Health Chief Executive Officer Cathy Pimple tells KVOE News this reflects changes in approach from Stormont-Vail administrators in terms of the hospitals’ ongoing partnership, especially since August. If the initial plan released to the resident-owned Emporia hospital goes through, this could mean the loss of nearly $7 million in annual revenue because of duplicated services.
Pimple says the new facility could well duplicate services already offered by Newman Regional Health like cardiology, a cath lab, gastrointestinal lab, endoscopy and orthopedics procedures. She also says the number of area patients isn’t large enough to support both Newman Regional Health and an outside hospital, so a shift in patients to the new facility would mean a shift in staff — and a shift in revenue — so the hospital would need financial support from Lyon County to offset a rapid decline in cash on hand.
Interviews with Stormont-Vail administrators are pending. A news release issued late Monday did not specifically mention a potential hospital facility, although it says administrators are “exploring options for the future.” Instead, the release says Stormont-Vail Health representatives met with Newman Regional Health leaders initially to “share our views” of healthcare trends, including respective strategic efforts, and Stormont’s intent to expand services.
Stormont-Vail says it has outgrown its current leased clinic space in Emporia, but there are possible unlisted specialty services that could be provided to benefit patients by reducing travel. Stormont says its ultimate move will “expand opportunities and improve health care options.” Stormont also mentions the founding of medical campuses outside Topeka, specifically Manhattan and Flint Hills, and the hospital says both patients and team members have been frustrated with what Stormont calls a lack of integration between Stormont-Vail and Newman Regional Health — a move Stormont says can lead to issues with efficient healthcare.
Stormont-Vail says it has run Emporia’s Cotton O’Neil Clinic for nearly 30 years with services like family medicine, pediatrics, internal medicine, behavioral health, surgical specialty, medical specialty, obstetrics and gynecology, lab and imaging services.
Pimple says the ambulatory surgical hospital is part of the Topeka hospital’s master plan for growth and revenue, and — when asked about concerns regarding free enterprise — she says hospital care models are different than other business sectors.
The proposed zoning changes, an approach used successfully to block similar projects in Lawrence and Newton, would force Stormont-Vail and others considering an ambulatory surgical center and other hospital-related facilities — including a general hospital, Critical Access hospital, independent diagnostic testing facilities, recuperation centers, rural emergency hospitals and special hospitals — to request conditional use permits. Community hospitals and medical or dental offices or labs not considered as licensed medical facilities would need planned unit development requests. This would also mandate prospective facility owners to detail the nature and extent of services, the extent of like services already being provided and how current services are inadequate for community need.
Should the Planning Commission or City Commission deem the prospective services as “unduly duplicative” to what is already being offered, they would be obligated to deny the conditional use permit request. Also, should the Planning Commission recommend the conditional use permit or planned unit development, it would take at least four city commissioners to override — and vice versa if the Planning Commission voted to deny the permit request.
Stormont says such adjustments would “effectively limit the options of a longtime community resource for expanding its service offerings.”
Pimple says the two hospitals’ administrative teams are still discussing ways to collaborate and partner “to ensure the health and safety of our community,” and she says this does not reflect any souring of the relationships between Newman Regional Health and the Stormont-Vail physicians working at the hospital. She is also pleased to have served in various roles alongside hospital staffers the past 30-plus years.
KVOE and KVOE.com will have updates as this story evolves. We will have the full interview in the KVOE.com Audio Vault as well.
*Click here for a link to the zoning change request.
Statement from Stormont Vail Health: Strengthening Access to Healthcare
In August, representatives of Stormont Vail Health met with leaders of Newman hospital to share our view of trends in healthcare and the intention of Stormont Vail Health to expand services in Emporia and Lyon County.
Stormont Vail Health, a non-profit healthcare organization, has operated the Cotton O’Neil Clinic in Emporia for nearly 30 years in leased space from Newman. Stormont Vail Health provides access to family medicine, internal medicine, behavioral health, pediatric, OB/GYN and surgical and medical specialty providers, lab and imaging services for the 18,000 patients established with providers at the clinic.
Stormont Vail Health has 85 team members at the Emporia campus, including 17 physicians and nurse practitioners. In addition, Stormont Vail Health is a key tertiary hospital for Lyon County residents for their advanced clinical services, which are services that are unavailable at Newman hospital.
Our discussions with Newman have been an effort to share each organization’s respective strategic planning efforts and to understand what strategies each system was considering to provide better healthcare in Emporia and the region.
Stormont Vail Health shared that our Emporia clinic space cannot accommodate growing needs of patients and we are exploring options for the future. Stormont Vail Health disclosed the full range of planning considerations given the changes in health care practices, insurance and patient preferences. Stormont asked Newman leaders to engage in discussions about how the two could work together to strengthen local health care.
Stormont Vail Health shared that:
• Stormont Vail Health has outgrown its current clinic space in Emporia.
• Patient and team members have shared frustration with lack of integration between the two health organizations, which can result in disjointed and inefficient healthcare.
• Stormont Vail Health has successfully developed medical campuses in Manhattan and Flint Hills to serve those communities in partnership with other health organizations. The campuses provide integrated health care services to residents, as well as serve as a location for training and education of future healthcare workers in nursing, lab, imaging and other clinical disciplines. By connecting with local business and academic partners, we have been able to expand opportunities and improve health care options.
• Stormont Vail Health shared that there are potential specialty services that, if provided in Emporia, could benefit patients by having access closer to home and not having to travel for medical services.
Stormont Vail Health leaders made it clear that they wanted to work with Newman leadership in finding the path to strengthen health care in Lyon County.
Proposed changes to the planning and zoning process would effectively limit the options, of a longtime community resource, for expanding its service offerings. The contemplated expansion would enhance the access to health services of the highest quality, within state of the art facilities, generating a significant community benefit, and positive economic impact.
