Mid-Missouri health care executives are paying close attention to the $10-billion merger between St. Louis-based BJC HealthCare and Kansas City-based St. Luke’s, which takes effect in January.
939 the Eagle host Fred Parry didn’t mince words on Saturday morning’s “CEO Roundtable” program, telling listeners Columbia-based MU Health Care “will be under attack” from BJC, adding that MU Health Care has already been under attack from KU Medical Center. Mr. Parry’s guest was Boone Hospital board of trustees chair Dr. Jerry Kennett, who suggests it’s important for Boone and MU Health Care to work together to enhance services locally.
“I think it’s important to be looking forward and seeing what we can do to shore up our defenses certainly. And not only just in Columbia but I think with those hospitals you’ve mentioned, whether it’s Brookfield, Samaritan, or Marshall,” Dr. Kennett says.
Northern Missouri’s Brookfield’s hospital is Pershing, Samaritan Hospital is in northeast Missouri’s Macon and Fitzgibbon Hospital is in west-central Missouri’s Marshall.
Dr. Kennett tells listeners that it’s important to protect market share locally, with the merger fast approaching.
“It is an important time and also to explore what we can do with (Columbia-based) MU Health Care together to enhance services locally so people don’t have to go out-of-state,” Dr. Kennett says.
You can listen to Fred’s full interview here.
