Expanded medical services born out of a recently announced partnership between Newman Regional Health and Coffey Health System are set to begin soon.
During an appearance on KVOE’s Talk of Emporia on Friday, Newman CEO Cathy Pimple stated that cooperative efforts through a shared services agreement will officially start up in mid-January, possibly January 12th. The agreement was announced in mid-December and Pimple says discussions had been taking place for well over a year; however, Newman’s cooperative work with Coffey Health actually goes back much further.
The agreement, at least initially, will focus on general surgery with the potential for expansion in the future, according to Pimple.
KVOE News asked if there were any concerns about potential provider burnout from taking on additional patients through the agreement. Pimple replied that there are none at this time; however, a tremendous amount of excitement has been expressed by staff. The same can be said for Coffey Health System CEO Stacy Augustyn, who, also during KVOE’s Talk of Emporia, stated that when it comes to rural settings, agreements and the sharing of services, “Just makes sense.”
Augustyn adds that the agreement is very fortuitous, as general surgery is an area in which Coffey Health was somewhat limited in before.
Starting in January, patients in Coffey County will be able to schedule appointments and surgical procedures with Newman Providers through Coffey Health, with said services being performed either at Coffey or Newman. As for revenues generated through said services, Pimple and Augustyn explained that revenues will stay with the facility where the surgical procedure is performed.
There is no set timeframe for the lifespan of the agreement, as it will automatically renew regularly unless otherwise altered and she says this is an agreement they plan to maintain for as long as possible.
This is just the latest strategic partnership that Newman has announced in recent months, as at the start of 2025, the hospital unveiled a strategic affiliation with the University of Kansas Health System and LMH Health.
