By JAMES BELL
Hays Post
The business relationship between the University of Kansas Health System and Hays Med will soon end, but with the decision, no impact to services are expected.
The decision was announced to employees Thursday and was confirmed by the University of Kansas Health System media relations director Jill Chadwick on Friday.
She described the situation as amicable and will not change in any way the medical staff or services that currently work at Hays Med.
"In terms of patients and the public, nothing is going to change," Chadwick said. "Everybody still has access to health care. We are still going to be in Hays, and people will still have the opportunity to get access to any specialist that they might need."
RELATED: HaysMed's complete statement on the changes.
The system operates in 66 counties as part of its mission to help provide rural areas access to specialized health care and she said they look forward to continuing to do so.
"We will still be working with them (HaysMed)," Chadwick said. "We will still be getting referrals, we will still be treating patients, just like we do in 66 other counties."
The decision to end the relationship was mutual, she said, and reflects only a difference in business administration between the two parties.
"We had a shared vision five years ago, but now we don't share the same vision," Chadwick said. "We decided that we still want to care for patients ... but it's this side of the business we want to change."
A timeline for the change has not been set, she said but as details are worked out visitors to the facility will see no changes.
"It has no public impact or patient impact," Chadwick said.
"While we have worked together over the past five years, we have mutually decided that stepping back and working independently best supports the long-term health and wellness of our communities," a statement from Hays Med said. "Taking this step allows both entities to actively pursue the unique approaches to serving their respective populations. This action also applies to the Pawnee Valley Community Hospital in Larned, which is a managed partner of HaysMed."
The statement from Hays Med also noted providers are supportive of the decision.
“The medical staff at HaysMed supports this decision,” said Dr. Heather Harris, medical director and physician at Hays Family Medicine.
Dr. Roger Dietz, chief of staff, agreed.
“In our opinion, administration and the board did what was in the best interest of staff and patients of Hays and western Kansas," he said.