The Beacon: Kansas City hospitals are ready for the World Cup, but world may not be ready for U.S. healthcare
By Suzanne King
Kansas City hospitals said they are prepared for the influx of international patients expected this summer during the World Cup. But they worry that the patients may not be ready for America’s labyrinthine healthcare system.
In addition to bulking up translation services and scheduling more doctors and nurses for shifts during the monthlong tournament, hospitals said they’re focused on communication to help international visitors understand that getting care here isn’t as simple as it may be back home.
“All of our health systems have been working together to share information about how to best work with and take care of patients coming from single-payer countries,” said Dr. Bryan Beaver, an emergency medicine physician at the University of Kansas Health System who is leading the city’s medical coordination for the event.
In countries where healthcare is provided through the government, it is free to patients and, unlike the United States, there is no menu of care options with varying price tags. That’s why, hospital leaders said, visitors need information, so they’ll know where to go and what it may cost if they get sick.
Health leaders said they are also prepared for a mass casualty event, like the shooting after the 2024 Super Bowl parade in Kansas City. Plans are in place so emergency responders and hospitals across the region know exactly how to respond for such an event.
But even if that situation does not unfold during the World Cup, having thousands of extra people on the roads and in the city’s public spaces comes with its own risks. Getting around the city may be more difficult, which could be problematic if someone has a medical emergency.
“There’s a lot of impact that just comes by having an increased population in the city,” said Dr. Jennifer Watts, associate chief medical officer for acute care and inpatient services at Children’s Mercy. “That includes the visitors that are coming, as well as our local population. … It’s going to be an impact that will be felt across our entire region.”
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