Children's Mercy pediatrics chair also will chair pediatrics department at the University of Kansas Medical Center
Children's Mercy, The University of Kansas Hospital and the University of Kansas Medical Center announced today Michael Artman, M.D., pediatrician-in-chief and chair of the Department of Pediatrics at Children's Mercy and chair of the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine, also will serve as chair of the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Kansas School of Medicine.Â
In addition, the institutions announced Children's Mercy is now designated a Principal Pediatric Teaching Hospital for the University of Kansas Medical Center. The designation is a recognition of the institutions' growing collaborations in pediatric medical education, and signifies their joint commitment to further enhance the quality and scale of pediatric medical education in the Kansas City area.Â
The announcement marks completion of the initial phase of plans, announced in December 2012, to develop a single, integrated pediatric program.Â
"This announcement shows the hospital is absolutely committed to this collaboration with Children's Mercy. It also clearly demonstrates The University of Kansas Hospital will continue to provide pediatric medical services, in both primary and advanced care. We expect to serve more children than ever before," said Bob Page, president and chief executive officer of The University of Kansas Hospital.
Randall L. O'Donnell, Ph.D., president and chief executive office of Children's Mercy, echoed Page's comments and added, "Our mutual endeavor will allow us to enhance care for children throughout our region and to grow our medical education and research efforts."
"I am honored by this appointment and eager to start working to implement our collective vision for the integrated department," Dr. Artman said. "The primary beneficiaries of a fully integrated program will be our patients and families who will have expanded access to superb clinical care; our students and residents who will learn from the best in the field; and our physicians and researchers who will be able to more readily consult and collaborate."
Douglas Girod, M.D., executive vice chancellor of the University of Kansas Medical Center, said, "We are on track to realize our vision of an integrated program that will enhance clinical care for children, advance pediatric medical education and training for residents and fellows, expand pediatric research initiatives, and coordinate advocacy activities for children's health."Â
Chet Johnson, M.D., current chair of the Department of Pediatrics at the KU School of Medicine, will begin a new role as KUMC Assistant Dean of Faculty Affairs and Faculty Development.
Children's Mercy and The University of Kansas Hospital and Medical Center already have many existing collaborations, including pediatric medical education and training, clinical trials, and pediatric research. Children's Mercy was the medical center's pediatric oncology partner for its recent successful pursuit of National Cancer Institute (NCI) designation. Also, the institutions work together on a number of joint research projects including those in cancer biology, clinical and translational research, neuroscience, health disparities, pediatric liver disease, and drug discovery and development.
Children's Mercy provides pediatric health care to the greater Kansas City region, including locations in Wyandotte County, Johnson County, Wichita and at other locations throughout the states of Missouri and Kansas.
The steps announced today do not affect the parties' other programs or relationships. Children's Mercy will continue its proud, long-standing academic affiliation with the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine and the training of UMKC's medical students.
About The University of Kansas Hospital
The University of Kansas Hospital is the region's premier academic medical center, providing a full range of care. The hospital is affiliated with the University of Kansas Schools of Medicine, Nursing and Health Professions, and their various leading-edge research projects. The constantly growing facility contains 699 staffed beds (plus 24 bassinets) and serves more than 28,000 inpatients annually. Nine of its medical and surgical specialty areas are ranked nationally by the U.S. News & World Report "Best Hospital" lists, including Cancer (#27), Cardiology & Heart Surgery (#23), Diabetes & Endocrinology (#38), Ear, Nose & Throat (#21), Gastroenterology and GI Surgery (#19), Geriatrics (#18), Nephrology (#35), Neurology & Neurosurgery (#20) and Pulmonology (#17). The cancer program is part of The University of Kansas Cancer Center, a National Cancer Institute designated program. The hospital has received Magnet nursing designation, reflecting the quality of care throughout the hospital, an honor awarded to only 6.6 percent of the hospitals nationwide. The hospital also houses the region's only accredited burn center, the area's only nationally accredited Level I Trauma Center and the area's only Advanced Comprehensive Stroke Center recognized by The Joint Commission. For more information, visit kumed.com.
About University of Kansas Medical Center
The University of Kansas Medical Center (KUMC) is an academic health center comprised of three separate schools - School of Medicine, School of Nursing, and School of Health Professions - educating more than 3,300 undergraduate and graduate students annually. The main campus, located in Kansas City, is operationally separate but affiliated with The University of Kansas Hospital. In addition to a Kansas City campus, the University of Kansas School of Medicine operates 4-year medical student campuses in Wichita and Salina, which have affiliations with local hospitals. For more information, visit www.kumc.edu.
About The University of Kansas Physicians
The University of Kansas Physicians (UKP) was incorporated as a not-for-profit corporation in 1996. The corporation was organized to assist the University of Kansas School of Medicine achieve its patient care mission in the academic setting. The UKP organization consists of 600 faculty physicians and employs 900 support staff. It is the largest physician group practice in the region. The mission of The University of Kansas Physicians is to provide the optimal patient experience in an environment that is committed to innovative research and high academic achievement.
About Children's Mercy Hospital
Children's Mercy, located in Kansas City, Mo., is one of the nation's top pediatric medical centers. The 354-bed hospital provides care for children from birth through the age of 21, and has been ranked by U.S. News & World Report as one of "America's Best Children's Hospitals" and recognized by the American Nurses Credentialing Center with Magnet designation for excellence in nursing services. Its faculty of 600 pediatricians and researchers across more than 40 subspecialties are actively involved in clinical care, pediatric research, and educating the next generation of pediatric subspecialists. For more information about Children's Mercy and its research, visit childrensmercy.org or download our mobile phone app CMH4YOU for all phone types.