KC-based health system to oversee Mercy pediatric care

Kansas City-based Children’s Mercy will assume management of Mercy Springfield Communities’ pediatric care after formalizing a partnership announced last year.

John Myers, president of Mercy Springfield Communities, said the pediatric management agreement with Children’s Mercy becomes effective Nov. 1 and covers the health system’s existing pediatric hospital within Mercy Hospital Springfield and its specialty care clinics.

The two organizations are each big players in their own right: Children’s Mercy operates a 367-bed, free-standing children’s hospital in Kansas City and more than a dozen health care facilities in Missouri and Kansas, according to its website. It has over 800 pediatric specialists among its nearly 8,900 employees. Mercy Springfield Communities had 9,217 local employees as of July 2024, according to SBJ’s list of the area’s largest employers, and officials say more than 160 pediatric employees currently work locally for the health system.

A partnership between the two health systems was first announced in March 2024, however this newly signed joint operating agreement provides some of the first details on how the health systems will work together on care.

Myers spoke to Springfield Business Journal along with Amy Fallon, president of regional operations for Children’s Mercy, ahead of an Aug. 14 news conference announcing the signing of the joint operating agreement. They declined to disclose the financial details of the arrangement.

“This has taken time for good reason,” Myers said.

“It’s been a cadence of events over the past 16 months. This is not just a service line for Mercy. We have a pediatric hospital, specialty clinics, and we needed time to work through every detail of how this would work and who best to do it with.”

Children’s Mercy, which previously did business as Children’s Mercy Kansas City, has been actively recruiting physicians for the pediatric partnership with Mercy Springfield Communities over the past several months, the health system officials said.

The total number of physicians hired would depend on the needs of the community identified as the partnership comes to fruition this year, said Lisa Augustine, senior manager of media relations for Children’s Mercy. Myers said staff working at Springfield-area pediatric facilities would be employed by Mercy Springfield Communities.

Officials say the agreement calls on Children’s Mercy to manage Mercy Springfield Communities’ existing hospital-based pediatric services including inpatient, intensive and neonatal care, surgery, respiratory therapy, physical and occupational therapy, and child life services. Children’s Mercy already has operated in Springfield since last year through the purchase of Pediatrix Cardiology of Springfield PC, according to past reporting.

Fallon said hospital-based services would be the initial focus, with an expansion of services to specialty clinics as the scope of the partnership grows. Officials note new services would be offered based on patient needs, with expanded coverage initially targeted in pediatric gastroenterology, neurology and cardiology. Primary pediatric care is included within the joint operating agreement, officials said, but Mercy will continue to manage it.

Fallon said that dynamic, through which Children’s Mercy will provide leadership oversight of pediatrics with providers employed by Mercy, amounts to “a true partnership.”

“Mercy has deep roots in Springfield and the surrounding areas,” she said. “We couldn’t think of a better way to grow than to partner with someone already deeply rooted in the community. We bring 128 years of expertise to that. The combination is going to be a game-changer, keeping care close to home and delivering on the vision we’ve set.”

Myers said the Mercy Kids brand it currently utilizes at the Springfield hospital would be phased out over the next several weeks to couple of months in favor of Children’s Mercy branding.

Fallon said the Built for Kids tagline would be emphasized locally, as well.

“As pediatric providers, we know kids aren’t just small adults,” she said. “We tailor everything to kids and families, and we’re excited to bring that to the partnership with Mercy.”

Officials declined to estimate how many children the partnership would impact, but they noted Mercy Springfield Communities saw more than 4,200 pediatric patients in 2024, not including primary care.

“We’re incredibly excited about the partnership and the opportunity it brings, especially as we look at ways to keep kids in the Springfield community and keep care close to home,” Fallon said. “We think this partnership has tremendous potential and benefit to kids in Springfield.”

SBJ previously reported that a change in leadership at Children’s Mercy – Dr. Alejandro Quiroga succeeded the retiring Paul Kempinski in January – slowed the progress of the partnership originally announced last year.