Liberty Hospital Agreements Signed

Liberty, Mo., and Kansas City, Kan. – The Liberty Hospital Board of Trustees and The University of Kansas Health System announced definitive agreements were signed today for Liberty Hospital and its clinics to join The University of Kansas Health System. Liberty Hospital’s decision to become part of The University of Kansas Health System followed an extensive, transparent and thoughtful process by Liberty Hospital and its elected Board of Trustees to assess and select the best partner for its patients, physicians, employees and the community.

“Today marks a tremendous step in our journey as the premier provider of health and well-being in the Northland. This partnership will ensure the future of Liberty Hospital and our ability to meet the growing healthcare needs of people in the Northland and northwest Missouri,” said Raghu Adiga, MD, president and CEO of Liberty Hospital, “We are excited to bring world-class healthcare to our patients, for our employees to experience the benefits of academic medicine, and for our community to enjoy the economic growth and local opportunities we expect from this partnership. This is truly a special, historic day for us and for those we serve.”

As part of The University of Kansas Health System, Liberty Hospital will expand access to high-quality healthcare for current and future patients in the Northland, including a more seamless experience receiving primary, specialty and subspecialty care.

“As the region’s largest locally headquartered health system, we are committed to ensuring patients and their families in our region have access to the highest quality care close to home,” said Bob Page, president and CEO of The University of Kansas Health System. “As a health system, we put patients first in every decision we make. We believe and have proven when you make quality and service your priorities and have the very best people supported in the best and right ways, great things happen. We are excited to have the leaders, physicians, nurses, other care providers and employees of Liberty Hospital join our health system and look forward to serving even more people in our region and beyond.”

“Today, 35% of health system patients come from Missouri,” said Tammy Peterman, MS, RN, FAAN, president of the health system’s Kansas City Division. “As Liberty and the Northland continue to grow, it is important patients can get the necessary care close to home. This agreement will not only allow us to treat more patients overall, but also offer access to those with the most complex care needs at 39th and Rainbow and other locations.”

Liberty Hospital and The University of Kansas Health System previously announced in November 2023 the organizations had signed a Letter of Intent for Liberty Hospital to join the health system. Since then, leaders from both organizations have conducted due diligence to reach definitive agreements.

“As a life-long Liberty resident, I am excited about the hospital’s future as part of The University of Kansas Health System,” said Dennis Carter, chairman of the Liberty Hospital Board of Trustees. "We appreciate the overwhelming support we have received from providers, employees and the Northland for this partnership, which will ensure people receive the highest quality care close to home.”

“I’m excited about the opportunities to expand access to the highest quality care to more people in the Kansas City area,” said Robba Moran, chair of The University of Kansas Hospital Authority Board. “The care provided by The University of Kansas Health System is unmatched in this region, and the ability to continue to grow access to this care with organizations like Liberty Hospital is part of our mission.”

Key parts of the agreements include:

• Retention of Liberty Hospital employees
• Retention of employed Liberty Hospital physicians and maintenance of open medical staff for many services
• Extension of The University of Kansas Health System’s highly specialized and subspecialized care to the Liberty Hospital service area and beyond as needed, including The University of Kansas Cancer Center
• Significant investments over time by The University of Kansas Health System in and enhancements to current Liberty Hospital services, facilities, infrastructure and technology through continued and expanded local operations
• Support for Liberty Hospital’s pursuit of Magnet designation, the nation’s most respected designation for nursing and operational excellence
• Liberty Hospital-based leadership focused on patient, staff and community needs and opportunities for growth to meet those needs, as part of the health system
• Community input, reflected in a new 11-member Advisory Committee, six of whom will represent the Liberty community
• Pursuit of expanded physician and provider recruitment at Liberty Hospital
• The Liberty Hospital Foundation will remain a separate entity
• Branding will evolve to include Liberty Hospital in the overall branding structure of The University of Kansas Health System, with the name “Liberty Hospital” included in future naming for the current facilities.

Now in its 50th year of serving the health and well-being of the community, Liberty Hospital has more than 2,000 employees and 330 physicians who deliver compassionate, high-quality care using state-of-the-art technology. Liberty Hospital’s expansion in recent years includes 15 primary and specialty care clinics. The hospital holds the unique distinction of being the only hospital in the Northland to receive Level 3 Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation and is only one of four hospitals in the state to attain this accreditation in addition to Level II Time Critical Diagnosis in trauma, stroke and heart attack. Liberty Hospital is a public hospital and is a political subdivision district hospital under Chapter 206 of the Revised Statutes of Missouri.

The University of Kansas Health System is the region's premier academic health system, providing a full range of care. It includes The University of Kansas Physicians, the region's largest multispecialty physician group. The health system is affiliated with The University of Kansas Schools of Medicine, Nursing and Health Professions and their leading-edge research projects. In the Kansas City metro area, the health system offers more than 140 hospital and clinic locations, including its flagship hospital in Kansas City, Kansas, a hospital at Indian Creek Campus in Overland Park, hospitals in Olathe and Miami County, and two mental and behavioral health hospitals in the Kansas City area. The health system in Kansas City has received Magnet nursing designation four times in a row for the highest level of care and has ranked every year since 2007 on U.S. News & World Report's Best Hospitals lists (best in Kansas and Kansas City). It provides the region's most experienced, nationally verified burn center and Level I Trauma Center, as well as a leading transplant program in liver, pancreas, kidney, heart, and blood and marrow. The cancer program is part of The University of Kansas Cancer Center, one of 57 National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer centers. In addition to Kansas City metro locations, the health system has locations in Great Bend, Topeka and elsewhere. It receives no state or local appropriations, instead relying on operating revenue, bonding authority and philanthropy.