The University of Kansas Hospital and Hays Medical Center announced Wednesday they’ve signed a letter of intent to join forces as partners.
The partnership builds on a relationship established nearly three years ago when the two institutions combined to treat heart and stroke patients in western Kansas.
Hays Medical Center, a 207-bed hospital in the northwest part of the state, will retain its name and separate ownership structure. At a news conference announcing the partnership, Dr. John Jeter, Hays Medical Center's CEO, said it will allow HaysMed to see "leading edge medical developments, those that are available only at academic medical centers, come to western Kansas more quickly.”
It will also enable HaysMed patients needing a higher level of care to take advantage of KU’s strength in treating patients requiring complex care.
