St. Joseph Hospital, critical access

transfer agreement approved

March 1, 2010

LARNED – Leaders of Central Kansas Medical Center and Catholic Health Initiatives have approved a binding agreement that transfers St. Joseph Memorial Hospital and its Critical Access Hospital certification in Larned to HaysMed Partners – Pawnee County, Inc. effective March 1, 2010.
The agreement follows months of discussion among representatives of the County of Pawnee, the citizen-based Pawnee County Community Health Organization, Central Kansas Medical Center and Catholic Health Initiatives to find a way to transfer the Larned hospital and assure continued services in the community.

“We would like to take this opportunity to thank the St. Joseph Memorial Hospital employees for their dedication and commitment in caring for patients during a time of uncertainty. We appreciate their continued support as we all work toward a smooth transition over the coming days and weeks ahead”, said Sharon Lind, Central Kansas Medical Center, President and CEO.

“We feel this is a healthy outcome for all parties – most importantly the Larned and surrounding communities,” said Ron Vratil Central Kansas Medical Center Board chairman.

Central Kansas Medical Center and Catholic Health Initiatives seek a smooth transition for St. Joseph’s patients, employees and physicians.
Central Kansas Medical Center is a 99-bed, regional acute care hospital serving a population of 60,000. CKMC including Heartland Cancer Center are located in Great Bend.

CKMC’s state-of-the-art technologies include a well-equipped intensive care unit, Level II emergency room, Level II Nursery, full laparoscopic system, a fixed site high field MRI and 64 slice CT equipment. Affiliated with Catholic Health Initiatives, Central Kansas Medical Center is committed to serving the Central Kansas community’s health care needs.