Mercy partnering on $30M pediatric facility with Children’s Mercy

Mercy Springfield Communities’ pediatric partnership with Kansas City-based Children’s Mercy got a major shot in the arm with a Nov. 19 announcement.

Officials with the health systems gathered at Mercy’s south campus to unveil plans for a $30 million pediatric outpatient center that would span 40,000 square feet across two floors. The project site is on currently vacant land that’s part of Mercy’s real estate holdings that also hold an orthopedic hospital, rehab facility and newly opened emergency department at U.S. Highway 65 and Evans Road.

“As we’ve been exploring the partnership and the needs of the community, one of the things that we want to make sure we do is bring that access to kids close to home – and we want to do that in a way that’s built for kids,” said Debbie Schwartzkopf, interim chief administrative officer who is heading up local efforts for Children’s Mercy. “We want the environment to be a seamless experience for patients and families as they’re exploring their health care and receiving the very best care that they can by this partnership.”

Schwartzkopf was joined by Mercy Springfield Communities President John Myers, who said the new building would help fulfill the partnership’s goal of expanding access to pediatric care.

“It’s always been part of the plan to make sure we have access to care close to home,” he said. “This is just the most recent development in what we’re doing.”

Site details
Snyder Construction Group LLC is serving as general contractor for the project designed by HDR Engineering Inc., officials say.

Construction is expected to start by year’s end, and the facility is targeted to open in December 2026.

The site itself is south of Mercy’s existing south campus operations, including the Nov. 18-opened emergency department, itself a $32 million project. The new pediatric outpatient facility is located along Innovation Avenue, parallel to U.S. Highway 65, and just north of Innovative Dental.

At Mercy’s south campus, the health system’s $115 million orthopedic hospital opened in 2013, followed by the $28 million rehabilitation hospital in 2014, according to past reporting.

“We have about 50 acres,” Myers said while outlining plans for the new pediatric outpatient center. “This would be the border to the south and the east. But we have land to expand going to the west.”

The partnership
Mercy finalized its pediatric care agreement with Children’s Mercy on Nov. 1. The two health systems in August signed a joint operating agreement setting up the arrangement, following the announcement of a partnership between the organizations in March 2024.

Children’s Mercy is now providing leadership oversight of pediatrics, with providers employed by Mercy, according to the deal’s terms. The agreement covers Mercy’s existing pediatric hospital within Mercy Hospital Springfield and its specialty care clinics, along with the future pediatric outpatient facility.

Children’s Mercy is additionally setting up a patient and family advisory council in the Springfield area that officials say will provide feedback to help grow the partnership with Mercy.

“This partnership is actually building on the framework that already existed in Springfield,” Schwartzkopf said. “The intent of this partnership is really just to enhance what exists today.”